That night, we ate a simple dinner in our room and were asleep by sunset. The next morning, once again we were awakened by someone knocking at the door. This time, however, it was a knock we were expecting. It was the morning of our wedding, and the servants had come to prepare us. Hours of fussing and grooming awaited us at the hands of the Palace servants.
Much to my surprise, however, they didn’t take us to one of the many dressing rooms scattered throughout the Palace. Instead, I realized we were being led to the First Prince’s private meeting room. Andrian and I exchanged glances, both wary of what this surprise meeting might be about, but followed them without question.
When we arrived, the First Prince and Amelie were waiting for us, along with Marquis Heinrich. They all wore big smiles, so whatever reason we had been called there for, it didn't seem like it was bad news.
“Good morning,” the First Prince greeted us. “Lord Erris cast a sound barrier for us earlier, so you can speak freely.”
“Your Highness,” I acknowledged him with a bow and looked to the others, “Amelie, Marquis. Did something happen?”
Amelie smiled and assured me, “No, nothing has happened. Well, nothing bad. There are a couple of additional guests who arrived this morning and one of them requested to greet you before the wedding.”
“I hope I haven’t overstepped my bounds,” Marquis Heinrich added, "but I visited the beast camp last night. When I attended your joining in the Beastlands, I found it quite disheartening that I was your only countryman in attendance, and I feel no better about how few of the beastmen will be in attendance here. We’re supposed to be celebrating the cooperation of our nations, after all. My intention was to bring that Thoma fellow and perhaps a couple of others back with me, but I met someone unexpected while I was there, and I took it upon myself to invite said person back to the Palace with me to attend the wedding.”
Both Andrian and I were perplexed by that statement. Every member of the delegation was carefully chosen and there shouldn’t have been anyone unexpected in their midst.
But before we could inquire about the person, I heard a familiar voice behind me ask, “Can I see my boys now or not?”
“Dad?!” Andrian exclaimed as soon as the voice had spoken.
I looked behind me and Uncle Alek was standing in the doorway, grinning ear to ear.
“Well, come on now, I came all this way. Where are my hugs?” Uncle Alek asked, laughing and holding out his arms expectantly.
Before I knew it, I was in a three way bear hug with Andrian and his father. After dealing with my own father again, I appreciated Andrian’s father and his kindness all the more.
“But how did you get here?” Andrian asked, “and why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
“I didn’t think I’d be able to, but Rixon showed up at the cabin and said the higher ups told him to cover my station so I could follow after you. I’d already missed the delegation’s departure, but I caught up with them at their camp the day after you guys were brought to the Palace,” Uncle Alek explained, “Since you were already gone, I didn’t think I’d get to see the wedding, but then Heinrich here showed up at the camp last night. When he heard I was your dad, he said he’d bring me back with him. Thoma’s here too, but he went to find the others.”
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t wipe the giant smile off my face. I looked at Marquis Heinrich, who looked very pleased with himself after witnessing our reunion.
“Thank you, Marquis,” I said softly, “Having him here means a lot to both of us.”
The Marquis dismissed my thanks with an awkward wave of his hand and replied, “It was nothing. Consider it a part of your wedding gift. Which reminds me, I have a gift prepared for both of you that I wanted to give you now, rather than at the celebration.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out two long, thin boxes. He handed one to each of us and encouraged us to open them. Inside the box I found a small dagger held in an ornate sheath. The handle of the dagger was made of a smooth ivory inlaid with gold. The blade was thin, razor sharp, and only a few inches long.
“Boot knives,” the Marquis explained as I examined his gift, “the sheath is designed to hook onto the top of your boot. A man should never be caught without a blade when he needs one.”
“Thank you, Heinrich,” Andrian said as he gazed down at the beautifully crafted knife. “I look forward to an opportunity to use it.”
“I figured you would, General,” Marquis Heinrich answered him, “The craftsman who made these also made mine. I once took out the eye of an ice wolf with it, and I can tell you with certainty that the blade is very effective, despite its small size.”
The Marquis showed me how to attach the small blade to the cuff of my boot. Although the boot only came up to the top of my ankle, the knife was small enough to be completely hidden within. I was very aware of its presence against my foot, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. I imagined I would soon get used to it being there.
“I hate to rush things along, however we don’t have a lot of time before the ceremony begins,” the First Prince interrupted, “Ju–Falyn, General Andrian, I’m afraid you are out of time for now. The servants are waiting outside the door for you. I’ll ensure your father is well taken care of and has a seat for the ceremony.”
“Thank you, Your Highness,” I replied before giving Uncle Alek another hug, “and thank you for coming all this way. We’ll see you at the celebration after.”
“I wouldn’t miss this moment any more than I would have missed your joining ceremony,” he said in a serious voice, “I know you’ve had a tough time here, kiddo, but this is your home and these are your people. Even if you never return to Vrayna after this, I think this ceremony will mean just as much to you as the other one.”
Andrian jumped on his father, pulling him into another big hug, and I heard him whisper, “Thanks Dad,” as he was pulling away.
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Before we could leave, I was hugged by a tearful Amelie, who was feeling a little overwhelmed by the emotions circulating around the room. I was glad that she was crying happy tears this time, as I still felt bad about the things I’d made her experience the last time I was at the Palace. She smiled brightly at us through the tears that still dripped down her cheeks, and we left with the servants who had been waiting for us outside the door.
This time, the servants led us to a bathing room. Knowing what was expected of us, we allowed them to scrub, scrape, and oil us until they were satisfied. I appreciated the healthy glow of my skin when they were done, but I couldn’t help but feel that a simple bath would have been more than enough.
We had received a similar treatment at our Beastlands ceremony, but it felt different at the hands of the Palace servants. There, we had been carefully cleansed and prepared for receiving the spirits’ blessings, and there was a sense of reverence to the act. Here, it was all about vanity. Even if the process was the same, the act felt hollow and gratuitous.
While still in our robes, we were fed a modest meal of sliced fruit and sharp cheese with a mild tea served over ice with berries floating in it. We would feast at the celebration afterward, but tradition dictated that we eat only a little before the ceremony.
After our minimalist but pleasant meal, we were brought to a dressing room to be attired for the event. The older woman with grey streaked hair was there waiting for us, along with Amelie, who seemed to have taken charge of our wardrobe. Her usual gentle countenance had been replaced by a dominating aura as she commanded her fellow servants.
When she realized we had arrived, she broke into a big smile.
“My Lord and General,” she greeted us with a small curtsey, “We have your wedding garments prepared for you. I hope you will be pleased, as they are outfits of my own design, combining the noble traditions of Vrayna with the practicality of the Beastlands. I wanted you to feel comfortable at your ceremony, but without sacrificing the elegance and style one would expect of a noble groom. Consider them a gift from this humble servant in celebration of your union.”
“Thank you, Miss Amelie. You are too kind,” Andrian replied, “I’m certain they will be perfect.”
My heart felt sticky and warm at her thoughtful gesture. The other servants gasped as I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed tightly, lifting her up in my enthusiasm. Propriety be damned, even if I couldn’t thank her with words, I could still show my appreciation.
Forgetting herself for a moment, Amelie laughed melodically and gently slapped my arm. “Hugging an unmarried woman in front of your fiancée… Have you been in the Beastlands so long that you forgot your manners? And if you want to thank me, live a long and happy life together.”
“That’s the plan,” Andrian said, “A happy life, free of manners.”
“Well, you will need them for a little while longer,” Amelie warned with a wry smile, “you still have a wedding ceremony and a celebration to attend. I can make the two of you look like gentlemen, but you are the ones who will have to act the part. This humble servant expects both of you to be on your best behavior.”
“But of course, Miss Amelie,” Andrian promised, forcing himself to keep a straight face at her sudden sternness.
“Now, if it pleases you, my Lord and General, may this humble servant show you her design?” Amelie asked us, returning to her role as the First Prince’s personal maid.
I nodded enthusiastically, ignoring the stares of the other servants. Amelie was the first person in the Palace to show me kindness, and I appreciated her too much to treat her like she was just a servant. I hoped it wouldn’t cause problems for her later though.
She led us over to a couch and had us sit down while she retrieved a rack that was hidden from view. Hanging on the rack were two matching suits made of a shimmering black fabric, somehow reminiscent of clothing one would find in the Beastlands. Both suits had loose, flowing, wide-legged pants and a high-collared, buttonless jacket that would hang open when worn. The shirts, however, were entirely Vraynia in style.
The shirt she’d designed for me was made from a form-fitting lilac lace, adorned with hundreds of tiny indigo jewels. Andrian's was cornflower silk with small amethysts worked into the fabric. The necklines plunged into daringly low V-shapes that would leave quite a bit of skin exposed. If a woman were to wear such a shirt, she would be shunned for her immodesty, yet when worn by a man, it was considered fashionable.
“I noticed that you wear matching necklaces, so I altered the design of the shirts to show them off,” Amelie explained as we appreciated her work. “General Shidah explained to me that they are the Beastlands equivalent to rings, so I wanted them to be highlighted during the ceremony.”
“They’re perfect, Amelie,” Andrian told her, looking as pleased as I was with her designs.
“Then let’s get you into them so we can finish getting you ready,” Amelie instructed, clearly excited to see us wearing her clothes, “We only have two more movements before the ceremony starts and a lot of work still to do.”
I winced when she said there was still a lot of work to do. We had already spent two movements being brutally bathed, and I had been pampered and preened enough to last a lifetime. But since there was no getting out of it, we donned the suits so we could move on to whatever other grooming awaited us.
They decided to braid Andrian’s hair again, this time adding splashes of purple and blue to the tiny braided strands. For myself, they decorated my hair with flecks of gold that caught the light when I moved, before using a rod heated by the fire to carefully twist my hair into ringlets that were held in place by the melted gold.
I wanted to balk when they brought out cosmetics as well, but Andrian accepted it so easily that I felt like I should just let it go. Fortunately, they only wanted to add minor accents, such as lines around our eyes and a light dusting of bronze powder on our cheeks.
A clock chimed, marking our time to depart.
“It’s time!” Amelie chirped happily, grabbing both of us by the arm. “Your escort will be here soon.”
Sure enough, as soon as she’d said that, the Palace knights knocked at the door. I was pleased to see both Evan and Gentry among them, even if they only greeted me with a simple, “My Lord.”
The ceremony was to be held in the garden, where the largest number of nobles could gather, and was scheduled to begin at the third movement of descent. It was shortly after the second movement when we began navigating our way through the maze called the Golden Palace.
The corridors were devoid of servants, all of them focused on pleasing the guests awaiting us in the garden. The Palace knights remained on high alert as we passed through deserted stairwells and empty chambers, as if they were expecting some sort of attack. Perhaps they were. The marriage treaty was by no means universally popular. In fact, I wouldn’t have been surprised to hear that the Second Prince was planning an assassination to prevent the marriage.
Regardless, there were no surprise attacks, and we arrived in the garden without incident. The entire outdoor space was filled with nobles, far more than were in attendance at the engagement banquet. It was daunting to see; hundreds of people awaiting the spectacle that would be our wedding.
“Lords and Ladies!” a servant announced, his strong tenor voice coming through clearly above the chatter of the nobility, “Please take your seats. His Highness, First Prince and Crowned Prince of our glorious nation, our future King Elantro de Vray, shall speak before the ceremony begins!”
At his words, the nobles hastily found their seats and silence fell over the garden. Beyond the endless rows of seats, a stage had been constructed, where a Palace official waited to perform the marriage rituals.
Once everyone had settled, the First Prince made his entrance. He walked out onto the stage, dressed in a shining golden suit, ready to begin the ceremony.