Blanche almost felt like she was in a daze. It was too wonderful to be real. She was really Theodore's wife now. He was her husband. She shared his last name now and belonged to his family. They had grasped their happiness this time, and all the people that were gathered here accepted her. It meant that their relationship was finally official and that no one would ever dare to ask her to hide her feelings anymore. Her heart was about to burst with love. She couldn't think about anything else but to stand up on her tiptoes to kiss her husband again.

Theodore already waited for her and happily returned the kiss. He pulled her against him so that she barely stood on her own feet anymore and smothered her with all his affection while capturing her in an iron-like embrace. She had her arms wrapped around his back and had as little motivation to let go as he did. Even if she knew that they couldn't stand around here for too long.

This ceremony was only the beginning of a long and exhausting day. They would enter a carriage as soon as they left the temple and ride back to the palace. Then her coronation would be held in the ballroom, and afterward, a ball would follow. As if that wasn't enough, they would celebrate for the next six days too. It would be more than stressful, but she couldn't bring herself to be annoyed by this exaggerated event.

She was married to Theodore now. It was only right for everyone to find out just how overjoyed she was. It was her wedding with the man that she loved with her whole heart. How could she not look forward to every single second even if it would be tiring to have a banquet each day for a week? It was wonderful.

Everything was wonderful.

Blanche could barely accept that this dream-like scenario was reality now. She was still crying and pressed herself against her lover while doing her best not to break down completely.

Theodore slowly moved his face away, just enough so that he could look at her. He gave her the brightest smile imaginable and whispered to her. “It's finally time. You're my wife, Blanche. Finally.”

She could only nod and beam back at him. There was so much she wanted to tell him, but that would have to wait until she had calmed down a bit. For now, she was still way too emotional.

Her lover just gave her another kiss before he linked their arms and turned to the guests. Within a moment, it got silent, and everyone bowed to the couple.

The emperor gave them a little moment before he spoke up. “I sincerely thank all of you for coming here to celebrate our union. I would like to say much more to you, but I will need to calm down a little first. I will speak to all of you to express my gratitude later. Please excuse it this once. For now, I will just invite all of you to the coronation of my lovely wife. We will return to the royal palace and continue the festivities there. Please stay safe on your way there.”

Maybe Blanche should have said something too, but it was plainly impossible. She would begin to sob as soon as she opened her mouth, so she kept it closed tightly. She gave her best to keep her expression from revealing how much she would like to cry now and held back with everything she had. She would need to do this for a little while longer. After all, she had to show her face to the public now. She knew exactly what would follow during royal weddings, so she had prepared to stand on the balcony to greet the citizens that had gathered to meet their future empress.

Theodore just said his curt greeting before turning back to her. “Are you ready to go out? You don't need to be scared when I'm by your side.” He gave her a soft smile that made her want to agree, but that would be a lie.

“I wish that it was this easy. I know that I'm safe, but...I'm so nervous that I feel like throwing up. This is going to be nerve-wracking.” Just the thought of seeing hundreds, maybe even thousands of people that came to the plaza in front of the temple to catch a glimpse of the emperor's new wife made her feel sick. She shouldn't be so worried when she only had to walk up the stairs and smile and wave at them, but she couldn't help it.

Her lover showed her a bright smile. “Then I guess that I have to distract you a bit more when we're up there. You have no right to complain about that when I do it. I will do my best to keep you from worrying.”

That only made Blanche even more concerned. But she didn't have much time to think about it.

The priest had already approached them and bowed to them.

Theodore was silent for a moment and seemed to consider kissing his wife again but then decided to greet the man first. “You did well. You managed to cut out all the unimportant parts after all.”

The high priest gave them a soft smile and folded his hands. “I did my best to comply with Your Majesty's wishes. I hope that you were content with the ceremony. We were uncertain whether it would be fine to use older traditions even though the royal family refrained from including them in their weddings for decades, but it worked out well. If I may voice such an insolent comment, I would like to express that this was the most enjoyable wedding I witnessed in a while. One can truly see that this marriage was decided because of selfless love and devotion.” While saying that, he actually looked like he saw this rarely, which was a bit sad.

The emperor smiled at him and pulled his lover against his side as he replied to the priest. “It was a wonderful wedding. Most likely, the most wonderful wedding Artias ever saw. That is exactly what we needed. Everyone shall see how infatuated their ruler is with his adorable wife.” He glanced at Blanche while saying that.

She could barely keep herself calm. Just hearing him call her by that title filled her with joy, and she leaned her head against his arm. This probably didn't look dignified at all, but Blanche didn't care. Right now, she only wanted to cuddle with her lover, with her husband.

The priest gave them the same patient smile as before and responded without hiding his joy. “I do not doubt that the whole nation will celebrate your union. Upon hearing that Your Majesty finally married the woman that he loves, the citizens will be overjoyed. It is simply encouraging to find out that a marriage of love is possible even among the ones with the highest rank. I will speak for the temple today when I say that we are honored to have been allowed to bless your wedding. We are certain that the gods will protect you and give you a harmonious future.”

Theodore returned the smile. “We are extremely grateful for that. We will take our future into our hands though. But we still accept all the support we can get either way. I do not wish to cut the conversation short, but we will need to greet our citizens now. Please excuse us. I am sure that we will have enough chances to meet again soon.”

The priest just continued to beam as he stepped aside. “Of course. Goodbye, Your Majesty and his esteemed wife.” He bowed to them again and left Blanche slightly taken aback.

She would have to get used to such formal titles soon, wouldn't she? Since she hadn't been crowned yet, she wouldn't be called ‘Her Majesty’ for now even though she theoretically already owned that title. Addressing her like any other female member of the royal family was unfitting as well though. So, she was referred to by such a strange title. And in just a few hours, she would be called by an even more distant phrase. That would feel strange. Maybe she would ask those close to her to address her differently in private. She definitely would.

For now, Blanche couldn't think about that though. She needed to concentrate on keeping herself from crying in front of a huge crowd. She was getting nervous already, but she had to endure it. She waved to the priest before paying attention not to trip over her dress.

Theodore led her forward at a slow pace, and they climbed down the few steps to the floor before walking around the altar. While the middle was shielded by a huge white wall, there were gaps on the sides which allowed the couple to step out of the huge room into one that was much smaller. There only were a few cabinets and glass stands as well as a long staircase here. They would need to climb it up soon, but for now, they took a short break.

At least Theodore seemed to have that in mind. He came to a halt as soon as they were shielded from the others' view and immediately pulled her into an embrace again while his lips found hers.

Blanche wasn't surprised at all and happily returned the kiss. She didn't care whether her maids and Leonard were complaining inwardly. She just wanted to be with her lover right now. Obviously, she should wait until they sat in the carriage, but the both of them wouldn't last that long. So, kissing for a bit now was just perfect. She tangled her hand in her lover's hand and put all of her passion into the kiss.

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When it ended, she could only look into Theodore's eyes and tell him one thing. “I love you, my husband.” She could see how his eyes twinkled when she said that.

Her lover held onto her and rested his forehead against hers. “I love you too. I can't believe it. We're finally here. I'll introduce you as my wife to the whole world. We will finally be known as the royal couple. No one will be able to voice any concerns about us cuddling or kissing in public because we're entitled to do so. We were from the very beginning, but now it's really official. We will be together forever as husband and wife.”

Blanche nodded happily. The corners of her lips were aching already, and still, she couldn't stop smiling. It was too perfect. “For all eternity, I will be yours, and you will be mine. I love you, Theo.” She wanted to say more than that and Theodore did too, but then they felt hands, on their backs.

Leonard gave them a gentle shove as he showed them his typical smile that was supposed to show his fake annoyance. “Please go ahead and greet your citizens. They have been standing there for a while now. Do what you need to do in the carriage. Come on.” He only stopped pushing them when the couple began moving.

Theodore gave him a smirk and leaned over to his wife to whisper to her. “Say... Doesn't he really need a lover now? He will get lonely soon.”

Blanche nodded and put on a playful grin as well. “He definitely does. He can't cling to our children later because he has nothing to do but teach them etiquette.” Her throat hurt a bit as she spoke, which might be related to her previous crying.

Leonard just rolled his eyes. He sighed at them and gave them a little push again. “You seriously won't stop bothering me with that? How ridiculous. I wanted to congratulate you, but it seems that I won't be able to do that now that you hurt my pride.” He pretended to sulk for a moment before he smiled at them. “Congratulations on your marriage. I wish the best to both of you. May you always be happy and light up the room with your smiles. That shouldn't be an issue as long as you are together. Now go greet the people, or they will get annoyed.”

The emperor was quiet for a few seconds and just smiled at Leon, who eventually turned away. “You actually think that it's sweet that Blanche and I are like this. Admit it.”

“Not a million years. Hurry up.” Leonard vaguely gestured to the staircase and refused to reply afterward.

Blanche chuckled quietly and wiped a few tears away before uttering her response. “Thank you, Leon. We will definitely be happy.” By now, speaking was a bit easier, but she was sure that she would begin crying more as soon as they stepped in front of the crowd. So, she gave her best to stifle all of her sniffling now and let her lover bring her to their destination.

Theodore began climbing up the stairs, and she walked beside him while lifting her dress to avoid stepping on it. They moved slowly, and she became more nervous with each step. It didn't help that the guards standing next to the staircase all bowed to them. That only made her worry about seeming somewhat elegant more.

She could see the sunlight illuminating the balcony at the end of the stairs. They had gone up half of the steps already, and still, she didn't feel prepared at all.

After a few seconds, Theodore slowed their pace and began talking to her. “You don't have to worry about a thing. I'm right here. Everyone will adore you, you will see. Just smile and wave at them, and they will be content. Rely on me and let me put you up on a pedestal.”

Blanche gave him a smile that didn't hide how nauseous she felt by now. “My heart is beating so fast that it could jump out of my chest in a moment. My legs feel like pudding. Even if my mind tells me that it's fine, I can't stop worrying. Since you will be there, it will definitely be alright though. I will take a bit longer to get used to this much attention, but I will manage at some point. I will stand tall next to you and show the people that I'm a worthy empress. Now I just need to take the first hurdle. As long as you stay with me, I can do it. I can do anything if it's for our happiness.”

Theodore gave her a soft smile and kissed her cheek before he led her up the staircase again. “I know. The same holds true for me. I will do anything for us. But we already overcame the biggest issues. We just need to reap what we sowed now. First, we will let the citizens admire my darling little wife, and then the nobles will swear their loyalty to you in a moment. We will prove our political knowledge after our honeymoon. There is absolutely no need to worry on this wonderful day.” He paused for a moment before whispering to her. “ I will never forget how beautiful you look in this dress. You are stunning in general, but when I saw you as you walked to the altar my heart gave in completely. This image burned itself into my mind.”

Blanche's grin only widened at that. “I can tell you the same. You can't imagine how I lost my breath upon seeing you. You smiled so brightly that I thought I was going to faint. If I could draw, I would paint a hundred paintings of your expression. But I may not need to do that if you promise to smile at me like this each day from now on.”

“I won't even need to try hard to do that. If I can look at you, I will smile until my face hurts, and then I will smile even more.” Theodore brought her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss onto it. “That's what I want to show to everyone now too. Their cold emperor is unable to stop beaming when he looks at his wife. There is no way that anyone can ignore that.”

Blanche let out a quiet laugh before she glanced at the end of the staircase. “You don't need to tell me that. No one ever doubted your feelings for me. Not ever since you carried me out of a full ballroom because you refused to let anyone else touch me. And I'm very much content with that. No one will ever question whether we are fully devoted to one another. You proved that, and I will prove it over and over again too. We'll be the most adorable couple in this whole world.”

She was exaggerating now. She didn't truly care whether other people believed them all that much. Surely, it was great if people knew that they couldn't convince Theodore to marry another woman. But all in all, it only mattered that he and Blanche knew that. Still, it would be pleasant to be free to show the public how much they adored each other. That thought made her look forward to seeing the citizens a little bit.

But the moment that they reached the top of the staircase, she worried again. Was she really fine as the empress? As the person that others looked up to?

Her questions were blown away by Theodore's radiant smile. “You are heavenly in every aspect. They will cheer for you. Trust me.”

Blanche gave his hand a little squeeze before returning the smile. “I do. I trust your every word. Then I guess that I need to expect them to love me now.” She didn't actually do that, but motivating herself couldn't be bad. “Even if they don't, you are with me. I will be fine.”

The couple stepped onto the balcony, and the blinding sunlight shone onto them. In an instant, it seemed to get quiet, and the previous chattering stopped. Blanche took a moment to brace herself before she gazed at the crowd.

The plaza in front of the temple was full of people. There had to be at least a thousand pairs of eyes that were staring at her, if not more. She froze for a moment. It was a lot to take in. She couldn't make out anyone, of course, but just seeing so many people was touching in some way. Before she could think about that though, the silence was wiped away by noises.

The people below the balcony were loud. It was impossible to understand what they were yelling, but the mood was easy to read. They were happy. The crowd cheered, some applauded, and the ones that stood close enough that she could see their faces were smiling. It looked like even kids were present during this celebration, and they yelled with as much vigor as their parents. The atmosphere here was much more pleasant than she could ever have imagined. It was wonderful and hard to put into words. But the fact that the people here cheered for her was enough to make Blanche tear up again as she gave them a bright smile.

Theodore brought his mouth next to her ear and wrapped his arms around her from behind as he whispered to her. “Didn't I tell you? Everyone here admires you. The woman that arrived in the palace like in a fairy tale and captured the cold emperor's heart is greeted with all their enthusiasm. That a commoner will become empress means more to them than you can imagine. It won't destroy the gap between nobles and commoners, but it gives them the confidence to believe that they will do better in the future. Even if my father did a lot and I gave my best to improve their situation, there is still a lot to do. I want to take care of that along with you. We will create the best version of our nation that we can. We will lead Artias into the most wonderful future together.”

Blanche turned her head to him and gave him a wide smile through her tears. “Yes. Yes, let us do that. I love you, I love you so much. And I love this country too. I will do my best to help anyone within Artias. I promise you that I will become a good empress to those people.” She gazed at the crowd again and lifted her hand to wave at them.

When she received countless greetings back, she was almost overwhelmed for a second. Those people didn't know her at all. How could they be so trusting? Just because a commoner woman married the emperor, that didn't make her a good person. If a vile woman was in her place, it could cause a lot of problems.

Blanche was glad that she had this position now. She definitely wasn't as experienced in politics as many others, but she wasn't alone. She would live up to the expectation of the people. Blanche would learn all she needed to make good decisions for this nation, and everything would be just fine. She was convinced of that for the first time. With Theodore by her side, she would do well and become an empress that her citizens could be proud of.

With that thought in mind, she beamed at the people below the balcony and gave her best to show them that she intended to work hard for them. She almost didn't notice when Theodore moved next to her. At first, it seemed like he would say something, but it was obviously too loud for that. He had a completely different idea. After giving her a smirk, he leaned closer to her and kissed her.

To her surprise, that only caused the people to cheer louder.

Blanche froze for a moment before melting into the kiss as always. If the spectators were happy about this, she didn't need to worry about what they were thinking. She just relaxed in her lover's arms and let him take over the kiss until he slowly pulled back. Then she stood up on her tiptoes to steal another short kiss from him before she gazed at the people again.

Theodore rested his chin on her shoulder as he whispered to her once more. “Did you hear that? They know that we love each other, and they are happy about that. To them, we probably look like a fairy tale couple. We are as close as one could be, and we will bring the nation as much hope as one would expect in a fairy tale as well.”

She hugged her lover's arms, which were still wrapped around her body, and replied in a soft tone. “But this isn't a story. We are in reality right now. All of this is like a dream, but it's real. And we are here together with nothing but happiness waiting for us. I will never let go of this wonderful future.”

Her lover kissed her ear. “Good. Because I won't do that either. I've been waiting for this too long. And it seems like we weren't the only ones anticipating this. Look at all the people cheering for us. We will return their kindness by making our country flourish. To do that, we will crown you the empress in just a few hours. Let's not make everyone wait for too long.”

Blanche watched the people with a bright smile and waved to them again. “Just a bit longer. They came here all the way to see us. Let us greet them properly if we can't express our thanks vocally.”

“Alright. Then we will let them see our cuddling for a bit more.” Neither Theodore nor Blanche minded that one bit, and the citizens only seemed to be content with that as well.

In the end, the couple stood on the balcony for much longer than expected. It would have felt odd to Blanche to just leave, so she insisted on staying there for a few minutes to wave to the people. Her anxiety had almost completely disappeared after seeing their reaction, so the rest of the scene on the balcony was rather relaxing. For a moment, she had been sure that the commoner's support would keep her motivated and confident the whole day.

Unfortunately, she didn't manage to keep that stance for long. The coronation would make all of her nervousness boil up again soon enough. Yet, she knew that she would always do her best.