by J. D. Wright
“Nothing,” he replied, clenching his jaw. It was his own fault for offering to help her. He should have known that she would be selfish and unconcerned about anyone other than herself. Cursing under his breath, he turned and led the horse back to the castle in silence. His feet and legs were burning by the time they reached the courtyard.
“There you are!” Isabelle shouted, running toward them. “It’s nearly time for the ceremony to start. Where have you been?”
“In hell,” Tristan mumbled.
“It was terrible, Queen Isabelle,” Seraphina said, as one of her knights came forward to help her down from the saddle. “Prince Tristan didn’t warn me about the horse’s dislike for water and so the horse simply dumped me into the river!”
“Oh, my! Hurry, dear. Come inside. We’ll need to work quickly to get you dried and… do something with your hair…”
Isabelle fussed over Seraphina as they hurried into the castle. Tristan watched his bride walking away. He silently wished she would walk straight into the wall, then he felt shame for even thinking it.
Xavier entered the courtyard with a silly grin on his face.
“Don’t start with me,” Tristan said. “I’m clearly not in the mood.”
“Alright,” Xavier said, crossing his arms. “I just didn’t think you’d actually try to drown the girl. That’s all…”
“I probably should have,” he said, handing the reins off to a stable boy before heading into the castle.
The ceremony was ready to begin in no time, at all. But to Tristan, it felt like an eternity. He hid in the study until his father came to fetch him. Then, as if on purpose, his bride took her time in coming down to the hall. He wasn’t sure if it really took that long to make her presentable after being dunked in the river, or if she was just trying to torture him.
The hall was filled with people, waiting to catch a glimpse of the beautiful bride. The decorations were impressive. Isabelle had chosen dark blue and light pink for Rianne’s wedding colors, and instead of changing to the colors she had chosen for Tristan and Seraphina’s wedding, she decided to keep them the same. There were flowers hanging in just about every place possible, including the ends of the guest benches, windows, walls, and the giant chandelier that hung in the center of the hall. The chandelier was Isabelle’s prize centerpiece. She decorated it to match almost every occasion. Eon, the Royal Mage, had been tasked with enchanting the chandelier to slowly spin and send flower petals fluttering around the room.
Since there was already a royal wedding planned for this week, a simple change of bride and groom seemed to make very little impact on the event. The guests were already planning to attend because the notices for both weddings had already been delivered. If anyone noticed the difference, he would be wise to keep it to himself.
When the tall doors finally opened, Tristan sighed and silently hoped for the patience to survive the day. The ceremony procession was almost as long as the one that accompanied Seraphina upon her arrival in Labara. And the flute players were just as annoying to him as they were the first time he saw them perform. Clearly, he wasn’t a fan of the flute. He wasn’t a fan of anything, recently. His doomed future had caused him to become ill-tempered and moody. He was almost glad Rianne wasn’t there to see it. Thinking about his sister just made his depressed mood even worse. He wondered where she was and if she were alright.
His thoughts of Rianne were interrupted when movement of the crowd caught his attention. Everyone in the hall was standing now, watching the doorway. He had been so deep in thought, he didn’t notice the trumpet had begun to announce the bride. Tristan watched with a heavy heart as Seraphina came into view. His reaction to seeing her in her bridal gown was stranger than he was expecting.
She really was beautiful. Her gown was light blue and the dress suited her perfectly. He had no idea where it came from. It might have been the one meant for his sister, but he wasn’t sure. It would make sense, though, seeing that Rianne and Seraphina were almost exactly the same size. Either way, the gown fit Seraphina like a perfect glove.
As she walked closer, he got a better view of her. Her blonde hair was pinned on top of her head. He wasn’t surprised. The day Seraphina arrived in Labara was the only day she had worn her hair down. She had kept it pinned up in a tight roll or braid since that day. At least, that was until earlier this morning, when she took a dive into the river. But her hair was no longer covered in twigs and dirty water. It was clean and neatly pulled back, again, revealing her perfectly proper face.
He wanted to be happy to see her walking toward him, but it was useless. His pessimistic mind kept returning to their first meeting and how she immediately dismissed his introduction. But Seraphina didn’t seem any happier about the situation. She wasn’t smiling when she finally reached him and stepped up to stand beside him. She looked dazed, as if she had already drunk some of the wine. Remembering her welcoming feast, he didn’t doubt that she probably had. Hell, he had even fought the urge to snag a bottle from the wine cart as it rolled past him, earlier. But as easily as he could drink away his sorrows, he would never forgive himself for attending his own wedding in a drunken state. He wasn’t his brother.
The mysta was an old man with frizzy white hair and a long beard. Tristan was impressed by the man’s mustache, however. It was so thick and large that it hid most of his mouth when he spoke, making it hard to understand his words. As funny as it was to witness, Tristan couldn’t even manage a chuckle. He was too numb to laugh.
The mysta read from a large text, looking up, occasionally. Tristan wondered if the mysta was just checking to see if any of the guests had fallen asleep, yet. If they had, he couldn’t blame them.
Finally, the moment came to exchange wedding rings. Seraphina’s hands were shaking a bit when he slid the gold ring onto her finger, but she didn’t make eye contact with him. He almost felt sorry for her. He wasn’t her choice of a husband, either. But his sympathy was short-lived when the mysta closed his text and declared them husband and wife. After their brief and empty kiss, Seraphina practically drug him down the aisle and out of the hall. A knight led them to a room to wait in until the hall was readied for the wedding celebration.
“So much for celebration,” he mumbled to himself.
“I’m no happier about this than you are, husband,” Seraphina spat from across the room.
“I didn’t realize you could hear me.”
“I can hear you just fine.”
“What is wrong with you? Does being an unbearable shrew really make you happy?” He hadn’t meant to be so mean, but he was losing the little patience he had left.
“What is wrong with me?” she said, looking a bit irritated by the question. “What is wrong with you? Are you actually happy with our arrangement?”
“I played no part in our arrangement. However, I will always do my duty to my kingdom. Even if it means marrying an annoying and immature princess.”
“Duty to your kingdom? You sound exactly like my father.”
“Then I assume your father is an honorable man,” he replied, sarcastically.
“My father is a terrible man!” she shouted, then immediately regretted it. Speaking ill of her father was not appropriate behavior. Then again, he was no longer her king. Now that she was married to a Labaran prince, she was no longer under Taten’s rule. Needing to move, she stood and began pacing. “I have dedicated my entire life to my kingdom. I did everything I was supposed to do. I was the perfect daughter!”
Tristan wasn’t sure what to say, so he kept quiet and let her continue raging on. It seemed she was mostly speaking to herself, anyway.
“I have always behaved. Always doing what I am told and what do I get? Married to a prince whose kingdom is nearly in the southwest, that’s what! And not even for good reason. My marriage doesn’t bring land or money to Taten. No, I have to marry the Prince of Labara because of a tree! A forsaken tree!”
“What did you say? A tree?” Suddenly, Tristan was int
erested in what Seraphina had to say, even though she continued on as if she hadn’t heard him.
“And when I do exactly as I am told, coming to Labara, marrying the prince… My father doesn’t even have the decency to attend his only daughter’s wedding! He lies and exaggerates my brother’s accident in order to avoid missing his annual hunting party. He can’t be bothered to show even a tiny bit of gratitude to his daughter for leaving her home and her family behind to move across the realm and marry a complete stranger!”
Tristan was speechless. So the monster princess had feelings, after all. She was angry that her father didn’t attend her wedding. He could understand it though he doubted he would have reacted as dramatically, in her place. He tried to think of something to say to her. But, what? He wasn’t going to apologize. He wasn’t the one who wronged her. If anything, she should be apologizing to him.
A knock on the door caught them both off guard. It was time to make their entrance as husband and wife. Quietly, they both stood and walked into the hallway. Tristan could sense that Seraphina was still angry, so he didn’t speak to her. He held out his arm and she took it. Together, they entered the hall as a newly married couple. For better or for worse…
~*~
Xavier watched his brother and Seraphina twirl around the room. In Labara, it was customary for the bride and groom to perform a series of dances, three to be exact, at the beginning of the celebration. Tristan had always been a terrible dancer, yet he still looked just as regal as ever in his puffy dark blue jacket and stockings. It hurt Xavier’s crotch just to think about it. He had adamantly refused to wear them and his mother had finally given up hope of changing his mind.
Even though Xavier knew that the happy couple actually despised each other, it wasn’t apparent to anyone else. The two of them looked great together. They would probably create beautiful children. Xavier was just happy it wasn’t him.
After the dancing was finished, the food was served and the entertainment began. Xavier sat at the high table, dipping a piece of bread into some honey. He wasn’t really hungry. He just needed something to occupy him until it was Dahlia’s turn to sing.
“So… she actually came,” Tristan said, leaning toward his brother. “To be honest, I was sure that the blonde bard was a figment of your imagination.”
“She is. I’ve imagined her quite a bit. Mostly in inappropriate positions.”
“Ha!” Tristan said, laughing. It was the first time he had laughed all day. “Have you introduced her to our mother, yet?”
“Actually, she introduced herself to our parents this morning. But no, Mother doesn’t know that we’ve been… together… and I would prefer to keep it that way. For now.”
“I don’t intend to interfere with your disaster. I have my own to worry about. However, you may want to think of something clever to say because Ingrid is walking toward you.”
“What?” Xavier asked, looking up. Ingrid stopped on the other side of the table and curtsied. She looked as stunning as ever in a red gown which was a few shades darker than her hair.
“Hello, Xavier,” she said, smiling.
“Ingrid, this is a surprise!” Xavier lied. He knew she would be there. All of the noble families were in attendance. He had just hoped he wouldn’t have to speak to her.
“Well, I doubt it is a surprise seeing as my husband personally received an invitation.”
“Yes, your husband. How is he?”
“He’s as well as he could be, I suspect. Xavier, I was hoping we could go somewhere quiet and talk for a moment.”
Xavier stopped listening to Ingrid speaking as soon as he heard Dahlia’s voice, soft and sweet. He looked around the room and spotted her near the musicians, who began to play a tune for her to follow. She sang a song about the coming of summer. Then she switched to a quicker tune about a man who partook in too much wine. Being the kingdom with the finest wine in the realm, the crowd seemed to favorite that particular song. She ended up singing it twice, just to please them.
He loved watching her sing. Listening to her was magnificent on its own, but watching her… He could sit and watch her all day long. The way she moved with the music and played to the crowd was a skill that he had never seen in another singer. He simply couldn’t take his eyes off of her.
When she finished singing, the guests demanded another song, so Dahlia obliged. Finally, she gave a deep curtsy and left the floor, leaving the crowd applauding. The musicians continued playing and people began to dance. Dahlia approached the high table and gave her regards to the newly married couple, wishing them many years of happiness. It was hard to stay focused on what she was trying to say because Xavier was eyeing her the entire time. The groom was giving her a large smile, as well, which made her wonder if Xavier had been sharing their secret.
“Would you like to dance?” Xavier asked before Dahlia could turn away.
“I wouldn’t want to impose on you, Your Royal Highness,” she said, innocently.
“It’s the least I can do to thank you for traveling all of this way at my request.”
Dahlia nodded once and allowed him to lead her to the center of the room with the other dancers. As if on cue, the musicians began to play a slower tune. Xavier held her closer than he knew he should, but he couldn’t help himself. He wanted to touch her. She was wearing the same gown from the night before and looked just as alluring in the light as she had in the dark.
“Sharing details of our rendezvous, I see,” Dahlia said.
“Can you blame me? A story like ours should be shared and appreciated.”
“If you are in the mood for stories, perhaps you could tell me why the red-haired woman behind you is giving me an evil glare.”
Xavier didn’t need to turn around to know who she was referring to.
“That would be Ingrid. She is a married woman, now. She is of no concern to you. None of these women are.”
“You expect me to believe that after two nights together, you’ve sworn off all other women, Prince Xavier?” Her tone was playful, but she meant every word. She could tell he was falling for her, but she hadn’t decided if it was lust or love that he was falling into.
“You may be surprised to know that it was only after one night,” he said, softly.
She felt another piece of her heart begin to soften. Either the prince was very smooth at wooing or he really was falling for her.
“I will get us some wine,” Xavier said when the song ended. He kissed her hand before walking away. Dahlia was so entranced by the moment that she didn’t notice anyone had approached her.
“Gorgeous, isn’t he?”
Dahlia turned to see Ingrid standing close beside her. A little too close…
“He’s a prince,” Dahlia replied, casually. “All of them are gorgeous.”
“I wouldn’t say all of them. I’ve met the King of Zezura before he became king. He wasn’t anything special to look at. But him…” Ingrid gestured to where Xavier was standing. “He is a rare jewel. All of the women in Labara admire him.”
“You sound as if you might admire him, as well.” Dahlia knew what Ingrid was attempting to do. She wasn’t a fool and she certainly wasn’t about to let a jealous stranger ruin her good mood.
“Oh, I did. And still do,” Ingrid said, stepping in front of Dahlia. “Which is why I should warn you. You may fall head over heels for our boy, but you won’t keep him. Even if he loves you, in return. I should know.” Ingrid looked Dahlia over with a disapproving gaze. “Queen Isabelle married one son to the Princess of Taten. She’s about to marry her daughter off to a king. She’ll never allow her precious Xavier to marry a bard, no matter how beautiful her voice is.”
Dahlia started to tell Ingrid to go straight to hell, but Xavier interrupted them. Ingrid smiled at him and excused herself. To Xavier’s surprise, Dahlia tipped her goblet back and emptied it, all at once.
“We have all night,” he said, laughing. “No need to rush.”
“I need some air,”
she said, turning away from him. He followed her onto the terrace, nearly running to keep up.
“I can only guess what she said to you. I hope you know better than to humor her. She’s likely just jealous,” he said, speaking to her back because she was facing away from him.
“How long has Ingrid been married?” she asked, suddenly, turning back to face him.
“What?”
“How long has she been married?”
“I don’t know. Not very long. Less than a year, I suppose.”
“And when did you stop loving her?”
The question came as a surprise to him. He hadn’t thought about Ingrid for quite some time now. He couldn’t understand why tonight, of all nights, Ingrid kept making an appearance in his life.
“I don’t care for Ingrid, anymore.”
“I’m not sure you understand how you feel.”
“Well, if the feelings are mine, then I am the only one who understands them.”
“I think you need more time. To move past losing someone you care for. I also think it takes more than two nights together to really fall for someone. To become acquainted.”
“I can agree with that, in a sense, which makes me wonder why this feels like an argument…”
“Because this is moving too quickly.”
Xavier squinted his eyes. He suspected that this conversation actually had nothing to do with his feelings for Ingrid. “I didn’t expect to have all of the answers after a single day.”
“I can’t stay.”
Xavier sat his goblet down on a bench behind him and took her hand.
“I didn’t search for you, this long, just for one more night with you. I want more than that. A chance to become acquainted,” he said.
His words burned her. Deep down, she wanted that, too. Something meaningful and long lasting. Behind the shield that she held over her heart, she still wanted to believe that love was possible. Even for her.
But the moment Ingrid mentioned the marriages of Xavier’s siblings, Dahlia began to panic. She and Xavier were living completely opposite lives. She wanted to travel. Wanted to explore the realm. She didn’t want to stay in Labara. She wanted to find love, but she wasn’t prepared for marriage. And she suspected that if she spent another night with him, she might never leave. She wasn’t ready for that. The commitment was too great.
