The church bells rang near and far. Today was a big day, and every business had to come to a halt. Everyone must come to celebrate the next queen of this great country, one who in the future would bear the next heir to the throne.
It is said that no one knew the relationship between the last king and the current one. Perhaps he was a cousin, since the last king had not fathered a child. But one thing was known: the last king crowned the current king himself, so indeed he was fit for the throne.
Although the country had been stable, no one had seen much of him or heard much about him. So it was indeed a relief that he was set to marry.
But have you heard? The person he is set to marry might not be very beautiful. She is the daughter of a blacksmith, whose looks might not be pleasing. But then, it is believed that the king had fallen head over heels for her and loved her dearly above all else.
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
In the castle, through the corridor towards a room adorned with a big chandelier, a spacious bed, and wide curtains that opened to let the sunlight stream in.
The golden hue of the sun bathed Madeline's face as she sat in front of the mirror. A castle maid stood behind her, tending to her hair.
"You look lovely, my dear," the elderly maid, the one who had attended to her when she first arrived, spoke softly.
The little girl from last time stood beside her, smiling widely. She kept handing fine jewelry and hairpins to the elderly woman, who placed them on Madeline's head and neck.
"I am sure the king will fall in love with you all over again," the little girl spoke.
Madeline nodded with a small smile. At this moment, she really didn't have the strength to say another word, for she might faint. Her heart was beating too frantically, her legs were wobbling. Luckily, she was seated, or she might have fallen. Today was the wedding day, and she had not imagined it would scare her this much.
She would have asked the maiden if they could tell whether the king loved her or not, but she knew the answer they would give. They would certainly tell her he did.
"There," the older lady finished pinning her hair.
Madeline stared at her reflection. Her face had been powdered, red paint smudged on her lips, her eyelashes darkened from mascara applied. Her hair had been styled into a slightly loose ponytail curl, with strands of brown hair falling on her forehead. She had never looked so ravishing; even she herself was shocked by this newfound beauty.
"My lady, you are as fine as red wine," the little girl grinned, and Madeline smiled back. Indeed, she was fine, but as red wine? Should that not be an irony? Or is it not? Oh! Her head was spinning.
"The gown has arrived," another maiden announced as she walked in with a brown engraved box. All this treatment she was receiving from the king was too much. Could he not... ahh, maybe that was his way, and it would be foolish to question it.
The maiden brought out the white gown, it flowed down beautifully. White all through with white rose petals engraved on it. Madeline stood up, wearing a white camisole, then the maidens helped her with the hoop skirt.
The gown was worn from the top, the waist side big, the top accentuating her body, almost showing off her cleavage. When she almost pushed it back, the maids stopped her, telling her it was fine and fitted perfectly that way.
She stared at herself in the mirror. This was not her, for she looked so different underneath than herself. The older maid came behind her and took her hand to squeeze it.
"You do not have to feel nervous; we will all be here for you," she smiled. "It is the first time the king is bringing in a lady. At first, we had been worried for him and the throne, but now, there is no need for that." The other maidens nodded, smiling. "We will treat you well and attend to all your needs; you do not have to feel nervous."
Madeline nodded. She felt every word, and right now she needed those words. Thankfully, they calmed her racing heart. She can do this; it won't be so hard.
"Shall we?" the older lady bowed, then began leading the way. Madeline followed them, holding her big gown before she would march on it.
From far she could hear the church bell, but the older maidens' words were reassuring enough not to make her scared.
The wedding was to be held outside... Where the fountain was. The place was decorated beautifully with flowers, many tables were set, and guests were already seated.
She squinted her eyes for a while before she caught sight of her parents and Josiah. Her mother held her father's hand, wiping her eyes with a white kerchief. She must have been crying, Madeline thought. Jo sat, smiling warmly at her, and she couldn't help but smile back.
She recognized some people from the village, but the one that surprised her was Mrs. Sophia and her daughters, perhaps mother must have invited them. They wore fine dresses, their hair packed neatly. Their hazel eyes gleamed, she bit her lip, she couldn't deny their beauty.
There was a rectangular floral archway leading to the aisle, roses and other flowers were used to decorate.
Madeline stood with a flower in her hand, taking long breaths when she felt a warm hand on hers. She turned her head, a wide smile appearing on her face.
"Father."
"You look lovely, my dear," he was smiling widely.
"You too," he looked dashing in his maroon jacket, his hair trimmed short; he almost looked like a different person.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
Madeline nodded, taking a few quick breaths, "ready."
They began walking down the aisle, the pianoforte playing traditional hymn songs, the crowd stood, almost everyone gasping at the sight.
Madeline's gaze was fixed ahead, at the man whose back faced them. He was facing the priest, his hands at his back. Next to him was Sebastian, who was looking at her in awe, then quickly replaced it with a grin when he caught her eyes.
When Madeline reached, the king finally turned to look at her, the sight in front of her causing her to suck in all the air. Her father finally let her go and placed her hand on his.
Madeline felt a surge travel through her. Of course, Sebastian had been so handsome in his black jacket and combed white hair, but the king... he was a sight to behold.
His black hair was trimmed back neatly, his eyes were narrowed, dark and piercing, his lips were slightly parted, or maybe curved. His suit, his shoes, his pants, all of it fitted him perfectly. Today she had forgotten about his coldness, the fear he brought upon her. Right now, she was mesmerized by the sight before her.