"From now on, you are announced as husband and wife.
Now you may kiss the bride."
"......" an awkward silence filled the church when the pope announced it and Hazel, who was standing there with her head bowed, finally raised her head. She looked at the pope with her glassy animated eyes and he coughed.
For the first time in his life, he was embarrassed to announce a marriage and the last line was completely a disaster!
He coughed to clear his throat and then continued,
"With that the marriage is registered in front of the god and our blessings are with the new couple." Once again whispers could be heard and a bitter smile formed on the face of Hazel who bowed her head to show her respect to the pope. He nodded back and she closed her eyes.
Everyone was waiting to laugh at her! To make fun of her and get the satisfaction of insulting her.
But she did not want to give that satisfaction to them. She would not let them see her miserable state. After marriage, the husband holds the hand of his new bride and introduces her to the guests.
But here she was standing alone on the day of her marriage. While the man had just sent his sword as his representative. Yes! Hazel had taken all the oaths of marriage with a sword under the mocking gaze of her family and so called friends.
But she would still not give them satisfaction to see her broken. So, once she turned towards the guests, there was a pride smirk on her face that surprised everyone.
Her amber eyes that were mostly meek were filled with stars and her fair skin was radiating under the chandeliers. Clad in a white gown she was looking one of the most beautiful brides of the empire.
"Look how she is looking at everyone arrogantly even when she is standing alone on the altar! Could anyone be more miserable than her?"
"Let her be! She had only a few days left in her life. Why did we care about someone who is going to die anyway?"
The sound of laughter and scorns came after the sarcastic comments of her brothers and sisters and soon everyone started laughing at the girl who was standing there alone with her head held high, yet the shine in her eyes did not dim and her smile did not fade away.
"But I did not get it. Why is her husband not here? I came especially to see who she was getting married to?" asked the daughter of the Duke Phenoralia and the girl beside her chuckled,
"You do not know? The matter was…"
"Hazel, his majesty is coming to meet you. Quickly stand up and make yourself presentable?" Hazel, whose face was covered with paint here and there and her hands were still holding the paintbrush and lost in the painting in front of her, raised her eyes and looked at the maid with a frown.
"I am not in a mood to joke with Anne, I am busy!" the girl replied with a frown as immersed herself in the painting again.
Anne sweated, she was already scared to her wits when she received the message yet the girl thought that she was joking!
"Madeliane! No! Princess.. I am not joking! We have just received a message from the main palace that his majesty is coming to pay you a visit. So, you better change clothes and wash the paint off your face.
Do you want to look unpresentable to your father on your first meeting with him?" asked the girl in a bit of an intimidating voice but Madelie just stood there blankly.
The paint brush fell from her hands with a clank creating a new stain on the white carpet to which Anne looked with a frown but Hazel did not even notice the scowl on her face.
She was lost in the words of her maid! His majesty, the emperor of the Flamingstan empire, her father was coming to pay her a visit! That also for the first time since she had started living in the palace.
It would be her second meeting with her father. She could not believe that it was really happening now! Now that she had lost all the hopes of meeting him.
But why now! Was there any occasion? Did she forget something? No matter how she tried to analyse it, she could not think of a valid reason.
"Hazel!! What are you waiting for? Do you want to meet your father with that red and blue face? Huh?" The cold and sharp voice of Anne and the jerk on her hands brought her back to her senses.
"No! I will go and dress up at once." Hazel stood up and ran towards her room.
"Hey, do not fall down! Or you will greet his majesty with broken teeth or limbs!" Anne shook her head at the girl who was stumbling on her own gown as she tried to run faster than lightning.
"Darn, I need to go and prepare a few dishes too!" she mumbled as she ran towards the kitchen with faster speed than Hazel.
One Hazel reached her room, she took a breath of relief. Her room had nothing like a princess, it was a simple room with minimalist furniture and simple decoration with a small bed without a canopy and a small closet. Two chairs and a small sofa on the side with a small coffee table with red carpet on the floor.
Hazel opened the closet and shuffled all her dresses with a frown. It has been more than a year since she had brought any new dress. So, she was not sure which dress would still look presentable.
Finally after looking at all of them for too long she settled for a blue dress, hoping that the dark colour would be enough to hide small tears the dress had.
"Hazel hurry up, the majesty is already here!"