Chapter 268: Finally, The Day Of Wedding
6 chapters today.
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The official royal wedding between His Majesty King Drayce and Her Majesty Queen Seren of Megaris.
It was said to be the grandest celebration not only within the Kingdom of Megaris but in the entire continent. Although the wedding ceremony itself would be celebrated within the royal palace and only selected guests could personally witness the union, the merrymaking extended outside and enveloped the entire Blackhelm City in a joyous mood.
Despite the chilly morning breeze, the atmosphere within the capital was warm. The streets were lined up with colorful flower petals, and the residences and shops had put wreaths of flowers and red ribbons on their doors and windows. The crowd was filled with smiles and awe as bards sang about the tales of their powerful king as well as the love story of the royal couple. In the plaza and along the seaport, music and celebratory cheers could be heard as well. The boats and ships on the harbor had also all put up full masts on the flags bearing the royal crest of Megaris.
Within the palace grounds, ephemeral fabrics of white and crimson hues could be seen hanging, secured in place by gla.s.s crystals not only on the facade of the buildings but also along the garden walkways and pavilions, causing some of the onlookers to be reminded of the scenery of flowers blooming in the middle of spring.
Countless carriages were being received inside the royal palace since last night. As it was the royal wedding of the strongest kingdom in the continent, not only the members of the royal family and local n.o.bles were invited, but also many foreign guests and diplomats were invited from all over the continent. All the royal delegates from the other kingdoms had arrived at the palace the previous night, and the luxurious arrangements prepared for their comfortable stay caused many to be in awe. After all, it was the wedding of the King and Queen of Megaris, and the arrangements made were no less than the high expectations befitting the imposing manner of the strongest kingdom.
That morning, Seren had to wake up before daybreak for her own preparations. The moment she opened her eyes, as expected, the s.p.a.ce beside her was empty.
"Good morning, Your Majesty!" Lady Tyra greeted Seren, and soon, all the servants a.s.signed to help her out for her special day entered the Queen"s chamber.
"Good morning, Lady Tyra," Seren greeted back calmly, but inside, she felt her anxiety rising because she knew what day was today.
Her wedding day.
It was not like she was getting married for the first time, but there was a big difference between the wedding ceremony then and the wedding ceremony now.
The wedding she had in Abetha was simply an agreement, where her kingdom had symbolically given a princess away to a husband who was practically a stranger, and her wishes were never taken into consideration. She had no idea what she should be doing, and no knowledge of what to expect.
While the Seren back then worried for her own bleak future, the wedding she would be having today made her worry for an entirely different reason.
Seren had been like a bird given wings the moment she left the walls of the Royal Palace of Abetha. Just a few weeks she spent within Megaris had changed her, letting her grow and mature in many ways. As a young woman, she had also been made aware of what it truly meant to get married. Before the wedding in Abetha, all she was thinking about was using that chance to run away somewhere far away, but now, she knew there was no need to escape. Her mind was filled with thoughts about the responsibilities after the wedding itself.
As Lady Tyra instructed the other servants what to do, Marie and Eva prepared the bath for Seren.
A special bath was prepared for the young queen. It was part of the local tradition for the bride to wash herself with herbal ointments said to bless the woman to be wed with fortune and happiness. The tub was filled with warm water with flower petals floating on its surface. Fragrant essence was mixed with the water, causing the entire side chamber to be filled with its sweet scent.
"Your Majesty, please step into the bath so we can start washing you," Marie said as she stepped out of the side chamber.
Seren could smell the delicate fragrance coming off her servant as she left her bed and followed Marie to the side chamber. The pleasant scent caused her chest to tighten, and she had to take a few deep breaths to calm herself. She silently allowed her servants to remove her nightgown before she lowered herself into the bathtub. Eva began washing her hair while Marie helped her lather her skin.
Only the sounds of the water splashing could be heard echoing inside the chamber. Seren was always used to being silent, but today, her silence was different. EvenEva and Marie noticed that her eyes, which were normally calm or curious, were filled with anxiety. The young queen looked deep in thought, the kind of deep thinking that they bet brought a frown on her face.
"Your Majesty?" Marie probed. "If you are troubled with anything, can you share with us what worries you?"
It pulled Seren out of her thoughts. "Nothing important."
"Are you thinking about the wedding, Your Majesty?" Marie asked as she wished her queen to talk it out instead of being so silent. It was her wedding day, and she should be happy like any other bride.
Seren nodded lightly in response.
"It"s normal to be anxious as it"s not just any ordinary event but something really important in one"s life," Marie commented in a soothing voice.
Again, Seren just nodded in response to show she understood.
"Your Majesty, you just have to follow what Lady Tyra had explained yesterday. For the rest, leave it for your ladies-in-waiting to handle them for you. Also, His Majesty will be there to take care of you."
"Hmm!" Seren responded. She knew what Marie said was correct, but she could not help but worry.