By Sarah Beauregard and Johannie Dufour / Translated by Katya Teague
Once upon a time, in the town of Mount Christmas, an extravagant wedding was set to take place at the top of the picturesque mountain named after the town. The happy couple, Tatiana and Viktor, both had children from previous relationships, and they were excited to officially unite their families. Plus, they had a baby on the way!
The lovebirds had decided to get married just before Christmas. They wanted to exchange vows on the same day and at the same place where they’d first met a few years earlier. Back then, they never would have guessed that a family ski trip would lead to an exciting new chapter in all of their lives.
With her hands resting on her pregnant belly, Tatiana gazed fondly at Viktor. Tears ran down his cheeks as he watched the beautiful bride walk down the aisle, which was lined with intricately carved ice flowers. She looked like a fairytale princess in her long, flowing cape and immaculate white dress.
The ceremony went smoothly until it was time to exchange the rings. Viktor’s son, Axel, had the rings but he was nowhere to be found. Worried, the officiant asked guests if anyone had seen the little boy. No one knew where he’d vanished to, so the officiant called out to him using the microphone.
“Axel, it’s your turn! We’re all waiting for you. Don’t be shy.”
Suddenly, Axel appeared. He had a defeated look on his face, his eyes were red and his clothes were in disarray. He hurried over to his father, who knelt down beside him.
“Dad, I… I… I dropped the rings during the cable car ride by accident,” the young boy admitted. “I looked everywhere, but I couldn’t find them in the snow. I’m so sorry!”
“You should have said something earlier,” Viktor replied. “Don’t worry, we’ll find them. With all of us looking, it’ll be easy. Like a game!”
Viktor was always optimistic. He turned to the audience and challenged them to find the wedding rings, which were held together with a white satin ribbon. Whoever found them first would earn an extra slice of wedding cake!
Guests of all ages scoured the area below the cable car in search of the missing rings. After nearly an hour, there was still no sign of the jewelry, and the group was getting discouraged.
What they didn’t know is that Octave, the magical cardinal who never missed a chance to help the residents of Mount Christmas, had started his own search. Back and forth, he flew over the area until he finally noticed a glitter of gold in the branches of a spruce tree. It was the rings!
He carefully grabbed them with his talons and flew to the top of the mountain. No one could believe their eyes when the bird dropped the rings at the officiant’s feet.
“It’s a miracle,” the man cried out. “Octave has saved the day!”
Everyone clapped and cheered, and the ceremony resumed. It was one of the most moving weddings that anyone in Mount Christmas had ever seen. Three weeks later, Tatiana and Viktor’s daughter was born. The couple decided to name the baby Octavia, in recognition of the kind, heroic bird.
