Catherine and her companions were greeted by a warm welcome when they entered the palace. A dozen servants along with the royal family of the Bohr Kingdom greeted them in the throne room. Catherine's father, the king walked across the hall and gave her beloved daughter a tight embrace along with her mother, the queen, and her brother, the crown prince.
"Welcome home," The queen whispered in her ear before releasing her from the hug. She looked at her family with her eyes glistening with tears, but they were good tears. A happy and relief kind of tears.
"Oh, sis come on, don't you dare cry," her brother taunted and he received a soft smack in return from Catherine. The family laughed with each other, completing forgetting that there were other people in the room. They've missed their little princess and they all felt like she already grew so much just being away for a couple of months.
"Come on now, you must've been tired from your trip," The king started and called the servants to escort the group in their respective rooms. Ria and Josephine went to the other side to catch up with their friends and family. Catherine would get her old room and it brought back a lot of memories when she entered the room with her family.
"You kept my room," she noted and scanned the whole room to see that nothing really has changed aside from it being so clean. From the dresser, she used since she turned fifteen and all the little antics she kept in it to the sofa and bed, her family did a great job in making it the same as before. She turned to her family and enveloped them in a hug, thankful that they kept her room the same. She murmured her thanks as the sat down in the mini drawing-room in her chambers. A servant came in bearing tea and some light snacks since it was almost time for their dinner.
"How have you been?" Kirin started as they settled in their own positions in the coach, where their parents sat beside each other and opposite them sat Catherine and Kirin.
"I've been talking to you thrice a week and you asked me that question?" Catherine giggled at her brother's question. Even in the most hectic days, especially when Clementine and her instructor, Guinivere, she would never miss a time to talk to her family. In fact, during those times, Catherine would often talk to them about how irritating the day has been because of some certain people. She also told them about a fairy she saw in the cave in the lake, and how she helped it to return to the kingdom. They practically know all the events in her life in the neighboring kingdom and the silly question of 'how have you been?' just made her giggle.
Kirin looked at her and laughed as well, after some time, their parents also joined their little party of laughter.
"Anyway, I have a lot of questions!" Catherine beamed and her eyes were filled with questions that her brother avoided meeting her eyes. He knew exactly what she was going to say. He thought that maybe it was best of Airis was here to talked about the wedding plans and all but her question surprised him.
"Why did you not announced it when I was still here?" Catherine asked, sadness visible in her voice. Kirin sighed and looked at Catherine.
"I knew that Ria had feelings for me," Kirin blurted and that made Catherine jumped to her feet, with widening eyes and her mouth a little parted from the shock. Slowly absorbing what happened, she sat down in her seat and sipped the tea to calm her nerves. If Kirin knew and they would announce their little affair with Ria, present, Ria would surely be heartbroken. Catherine knew that her brother's decision was for the best, but she still wondered how they knew that Ria would come along with her.
"But how did you know that Ria would come with me?"
"Ria is a really smart and observant girl. With her curiosity, it was only a matter of time be-"
"If that was the case, why did you not... oh," Catherine realized that Ria needed time away from them so she could mend her heart and prepare for what was to come. To fully accept the situation and to be able to a smile a genuine smile for them, so that she could be truly happy for her sister's happiness.
"Enough with the depressing topic!" Their mother clapped and pulled out a big green book with vines as the strap. She asked one of the servants to call Ria and her daughter-in-law, Airis to come to the princess' chambers.
A few minutes passed and the two were in the room. Airisand Ria curtsied before the royal family and Airis gave Kirin a small peck on his cheek before sitting down beside him. Catherine watched Ria for a moment and saw a small smile forming in her lips. She was glad that she didn't insist on Ria staying in the palace before.
"So, the wedding is in two days and I am hoping for everyone's cooperation in this matter. This is an important event in our lives. A coronation and a wedding!" The queen blurted with a little clap that followed. One thing that the queen loved was planning events and parties and this one is surely not an exception. She handled everything from the table napkins to the decorations. She was hands-on on everything that was involved in this particular event. She needed it perfect and perfect it will be.
She opened the big green book and it showed everything that she had accomplished in the last month preparing for the wedding of the year. Only a couple of marks were left in the book and she stated that it was the only thing that she needed opinion about, certainly because she was torn between the two same shade of color that she insisted were not, the dessert to be served after the main course which by the way were too extravagant and pretty to eat.
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"What do you think should we display for the flowers?" The queen asked and eyed the group with keen eyes, examining if they were really thinking.
"I guess whatever you want, Mother," Kirin said that made the queen roll her eyes at him. She looked at Catherine with expectant eyes so she smiled at her.
"Lilies. White lilies," she answered with a bright smile that her mother returned. "It also symbolizes a hundred years of love. Isn't that perfect?"
"Brilliant," her mother said and clapped her hands. She was able to clear one of the things on her checklist.
"But mother, you do know that only the royal family can produce the lilies."
"Of course I know, darling. That is why you and Catherine will start now," their mother smiled at them sweetly and Kirin shot a glare to Catherine for suggesting such an absurd thing.
"Uh, how about we make the lilies as Airis bouquet and not for the rest of the flowers. We could just pick the white roses," Catherine suggested again and her mother's eyes beamed with happiness and excitement.
"Extremely brilliant!" She smiled and look at her brother with a knowing look. Catherine was glad that she could still turn the tables around the last minute. Their conversation about the wedding lasted for another three hours in the dining hall, with their mother who kept on asking for their suggestion, only for it to be rejected and she got her way with almost everything.
The next day, the palace became busier as the date of the wedding approaches. The garden wedding that Airis suggested was already finished with every decoration that their mother did. She may be a little haughty about the decorations and planning the event but they could really say that she was exceptionally brilliant with it. The garden looked like a paradise, one can only see once in their lifetime. With the white roses that shimmer in the sunlight, it looked like crystals that grew in a tree. The trees that surround the place were beyond ordinary, creating a path where the bride will walk to her groom. The place just looked absolutely perfect, magical even.
Catalina, Malcolm, and the rest of the people who went with them were starstruck with the sight. Even the place looked like it came out of a painting. Catherine was just a little bit sad that Elle and Maria could not join her in her kingdom as they were still underage to escort a royal but she reminded herself to bring them some goods that would let them see the beauty of her home.
They were now in the west drawing-room, gathered all together having their little break from all the hectic adjustment they made for the wedding tomorrow. Everyone was excited and nervous but above all, they were all happy. Catalina handed Catherine the box she wrapped as a wedding gift for the bride and groom.
"You didn't have to. Your presence alone is enough," Airis said as she received the present. Catherine just shrugged and smiled at her.
"Open it now," Catherine urged her to but she looked hesitant so her groom decided to speak for her.
"You should've given this to us tomorrow," he said an took the gift her bride's hand.
"I was thinking that actually but then I thought that it would be best to give it now, especially when many people would give you gifts tomorrow," she said as a matter of fact, "Please open it," she begged with her eyes and Airis could not help but laugh and get the present from the table where Kirin placed it.
"Alright, alright," Airis started unwrapping the silver color paper carefully. When she opened the box, she gasped and looked at Catherine warmly. She pulled out the pink baby clothes and presented it to her new family. They were not yet married but she already felt like they were, especially after opening the gift Catherine gave them.
"Why is it pink?" Kirin asked with his knitted eyebrows."I want a boy."
"Then pick yourself blue baby clothes," Catherine retorted that made everyone in the family laughed. These were the little things that she would keep deep within her heart so that she could revisit it whenever the time is blue.
Airis pulled out a pair of pink little shoes with white laces. The shoes were so little that it could only fit three of her fingers. She smiled again and felt tears threatening to fall. She was happy that her sister, Ria, fully accepted the relationship they had, no hard feelings and everything was going well for her and her lover. After their parents die, Airis and Ria were left to fend for themselves and she was very much thankful that the Swan family helped them back to their feet. Kirin saw the reluctant tears that fell in his lover's eyes, and instinctively, he pulled her in a tight embrace.
"You made her cry," Kirin accused and Airis slightly trembled in him from the laughter she released. The family laughed again from their little outburst and continue talking until supper were ready.
----------------------------------------
"Are you nervous?" Catherine asked Airis in the bed. The trio was now having their last sleepover as maidens, because tomorrow, Airis would-be wife and soon will Catherine.
"A little bit," Airis confessed and hug her sister's arm. She always did that when she was shy or feeling a little embarrassed because she felt the security of her older sister gives. Ria patted her head before speaking, "Oh please, you two are a lovesick couple. You shouldn't be nervous."
Ria was truly happy about her sister's wedding. She, herself, could not believe that she felt really okay with the whole thing. Maybe because she saw how happy the two of them when they were at each other or maybe because she knew from the start that the two were a match made in heaven. They were simply just meant to be.
"I'm happy for you Airis. I'm glad you found your happiness," Ria stated and hugged her sister tightly. "Oh come on, don't cry. We need you gorgeous tomorrow, not like some bride who just got dragged in an unwanted wedding with your bloodshot eyes, runny nose, and scratched voice." They laughed together, blinking back Airis' tears from her sister's comment.
"We need to sleep, and you need your beauty rest," Catherine pointed at Airis which she laughed in response. She flung her arms around the two girls and hug them tightly, whispering her small gratitude towards them. The tucked themselves in the big bed and let the sleep do its own magic.
Her wedding is tomorrow and she could not help but think that every unfortunate event that has happened to her was all for this beautiful moment. She was satisfied and that was all that she needed. Airis will make her own family and there is nothing in this world that could ever make her smile less.