Devoted Nobility

Chapter 53

Sophia

The sun kissed me awake. I was feeling refreshed though I only got a few hours of sleep. I nudged all of my ladies awake and we squealed with excitement together. By tonight, I would be married to the man I loved and will have secured my country’s alliance with England. Things became busy extremely quickly. There was so much to do.

The wedding was at Westminster Abbey this afternoon. It seemed too soon for the people arranging everything, but to me, it couldn’t come soon enough. I was whisked away to a room on the other side of the palace. It was full of maids, attendants, and noise. There, I was bathed thoroughly and my hair was hand dried using dozens of wool towels.

I was then handed over to a middle aged woman with heavy bags under her eyes. She pulled my hair with a feather light touch. I was getting a bit bored of the prepping so I closed my eyes. I wasn’t tired enough to sleep so I just daydreamed. I dreamt about what was awaiting me in a few hours. A carriage would take me on the short journey to Westminster Abbey where I would marry Alexander. After the ceremony, we would be brought back to the palace for a celebration in the ballroom. We would be showered with love from our closest friends.

My heart raced as I continued a timeline of the night. The reception would be followed by the thing I had been secretly dreading and optimistically awaiting for months. The consummation was a daunting thought, but it was more than that now. It was the frightening reality of my day. I had to shake off my fears. I wouldn’t let nerves ruin my day.

I opened my eyes to the mirror being placed in front of me. My hair was up in a gorgeous style. There were two braids, one on each side of my head that entangled with each other behind me. I wasn’t sure how it was placed, but they somehow wound together to create another intricate set of braids that formed a loose knot resting on my neck. Framing my face were two strands of hair that were left hanging from the front of my scalp. It was the most beautiful design my hair had ever been put in.

I thanked the now happy looking woman who was responsible and she gestured over a much younger girl. She was only a few years older than me and had very kind green eyes. She curtsied before opening a small chest on the vanity in front of us. In it were many brushes and powders. I was lost in its enormous quantity, but the young girl who sheepishly introduced herself as Bridget began working immediately. I giggled as the bristles tickled my skin.

I pay close attention to how she applies the assorted items to my face, scared I might let my mind wander and become nervous again. Bridget takes less time than the lady who did my hair and waves her hand at yet another woman as she walks away. What else could there be? This woman drags a large trunk behind her. She curtsies as she reaches me.

“Queen Margret wishes for you to select a piece of jewelry from her personal collection to wear today and to keep. She wants to be the first to give you a wedding gift.” The woman says.

I nod, not mentioning the fact that Alexander was the first to give me a gift. My hand slides up to my neck and I feel the chain of the necklace under my robe. The woman unlocks the huge lock and pulls up the lid. I gasp as I take in the large quantity of priceless jewels

. The sun coming in through the large window made every piece glitter in its own unique way. The chest had broaches, bracelets, and earrings of every variety, but one piece caught my eye immediately. I reached out and stroked its smooth surface. It was a tiara nestled in the plush lining of the trunk. I gently lifted it out. It was covered in small diamonds that caught the light and reflected it across the walls of the room. On the outside edges were white pearls. I didn’t feel worthy of wearing something so amazing on my head and was about to put it back when the woman took it from my hands. She gently slid the combs on the end of it into my hair. I turned back to the mirror. It was perfect.

“You look lovely.” The voice that spoke did not belong to the woman. I recognized it immediately.

I stood from my chair and ran towards the new voice. “Mother!”