It was a hectic week before Lari's wedding to crown Prince Edmund de Leisenburg. The Royal family of Leisenburg were to arrive in the Western Empire in the morning so all the palace maids and butlers were running to and fro preparing for their arrival a most scrumptious bath with rose and magnolia petals in the steamy water, their rooms decorated with frilly bedsheets and fresh peonies in vases and well fumigated with the lingering scent of peonies. The breakfast was prepared with Princess Sophia as the main Chef and the table was filled with sweet honey pancakes with wild berries on top, a most delicious and sweet milk boiled with sugar, crushed boiled almonds, pistachios, cashew nuts, dried raisins and red dates chopped up, and vermicelli added in the last few minutes of boiling as well as finely cooled mushy soft and fluffy rice. It is a popular milk drink for special occasions in Leiden Empire. There were croissant sandwiches filled with burata cheese, nectarines, spinach leaves, drizzled with olive oil and hiney, and for better taste sprinkled with black pepper and sea salt. Sophia also prepared some traditional red bean, black sesame moon cakes of Leiden and some rose flower and pomme grenade flower cakes, some spicy khaman dhokla as well.
In the middle of the table, on the centre table cloth were three little flower arrangement with white peonies, pink roses, lavenders and daisies, they were simple yet perfectly elegant and added a fresh scent to the dining table. Moreover some of the windows of the large dining room were opened to let the fresh crisp morning air inside. The cheerful songs of birds could be heard crystal clear, the dewy scent from from the garden added a swift finish to the peaceful and friendly atmosphere The Imperial family wanted to let the Royals of Leisenburg experience.
As soon as all the dishes were set on the table, The Royal family of Leisenburg's carriage arrived at the west gate of the palace, they were lead inside, to their resting chambers by a few footmen and maids ro freshen themselves up and later the footmen lead the way to the dining hall for the scrumptious breakfast that was warm and welcoming. The food proved to be much to everyone's palates to Sophia's delight and relief. They chatted for quite a while with much enthusiasm after eating their breakfast, setting Lari and Edmund to go on a garden stroll in order to get to know each other better.
"And this is the lotus pond, My father fancies gardens in the Leiden Empire's style and Qing Qiu kingdom styles you know, he says it's very peaceful and pleasant to the eye at the same time." Said Lari who was strolling the garden in her indigo edwardian lacy dress with puffed sleeves, her silky blond hair done in a most elegant pompadour, wearing silk gloves of a lighter violet shade, holding a frilly parasol as shiny as silk, the same colour as her gloves to match her dress. Both Lari and Kai had inherited their mother's silky straight golden blonde hair and their father's violet eyes, nearly ash mauve and having complexion ever so fair as both their parents. Lari's face was as delicately sculpted as her mother's, a fair beauty she was indeed, there wasn't any need for makeup, but as an imperial princess who always had to be ready, she had her makeup done in Leiden Empire's fashion as Leiden grew influence over the world for their beauty regimen, skin care products and makeup. The blush was made with bee wax and rose petals crushed with lemon juice in a motar and pestle, filtrated and juice squeezed out using a piece of cotton into the boiling melted bee wax, and rose oil made from dried bright pink or red roses, mixed thoroughly and poured in a cute sterilised porcelain container to cool then packed. The eyeliner and brow powder was made of charcoal and coal powders, the rouge was made of paper painted over and over again with the rose and lemon juice, one only had to bite the paper with their lips to have that flawless bright pink or redish pink lips, the eyelash makeup was to simply use the tip of an inscense stick, heated till black and colled for a little while, and used as a mascara quickly so as to not burn the lashes while elongating them and making them lush and a beautiful raven black. and for base skin care rose oil, rose water, rice water, green tea and a rose petal and rice powder cream was used.
Prince Edmund smiled lightly and screened the flower bushes behind Lari carefully and suddenly took a leap to pick a flower and placed it carefully in Lari's hair, smiled and stroked her cheeks gently. " a beautiful Violet for a beautiful girl, complimenting her beautiful eyes" he said. No matter how romantic prince Edmund was, Lari remained unfazed and rather conservative. Edmund was growing impatient and at last she smiled and suggested to take a rest on the balcony on the verrenda for while. There the maids served some refreshments such as freshly made orange juice and carrot sandwiches. They were rather silent all the while, with Edmund staring at her in amazement, for no woman had ever been this unfazed in his presence. Lari was always calm, composed, conservative and quiet around strangers, always observing and analysing. All of a sudden Edmund rose to his feet and suggested to go see the horses in the stables in the back garden. Lari nodded thinking it all natural for men to be indeed very interested in horses, but little did she know what horrifying happenings news are awaiting her there.