His Queen

Epilogue

"Are you nervous?" Angelica asked.

"Why would you think that I am nervous?" I asked.

"Because you've been tapping your foot since the moment I woke you up," she replied.

"I have been a Queen since the age of twelve, I've commanded armies hundred strong, I've spoken in front of a crowd of thousands, and I have peacefully mended broken alliances between other kingdoms. I have no need to be nervous," I said.

"Yes, but in all the things that you've listed, getting married wasn't one of them," she said.

I looked at her in the mirror as she was styling my hair.

"Do I really look that nervous?" I asked. Even to me, I noticed that my voice sounded shaky.

"Just a little bit," she laughed. I let out a sigh.

Today I was finally getting married to Darius. From the initial time that he had asked for my hand in marriage, I said no after we had some time alone. My reasoning being, we hadn't known each other nearly long enough to get married. And on top of that the logistics of marriage between two kingdoms was extremely complicated. I assumed he had taken my rejection well and that would be the end of talks of marriage, but I was sorely mistaken.

Everyday for the past three years, he would ask me to marry him. Sometimes he would ask in a joking manner, other times he would be very serious. He proposed when he was drunk and then he would propose when he was sober. He asked for my hand when he was happy and then would ask again if he was sad. And each time I would say no, but he took rejection like a champion and would ask again the very next day.

I remember the day that I said yes. It was spring time in Afisa and I was visiting. We were sitting together under the tree that I first met Goliath. His head was on my lap and I was resting my back against the tree. We hadn't said much to each other and were simply relaxing. His eyes were closed when he asked.

"Will you marry me?" he asked rather casually.

"Yes," I said. It was quiet for a second, before he shot up off of my lap.

"What did you just say?," his eyes were wide and full of hope.

"I said yes, I wi—," I started.

He didn't even let me finish his sentence before he stood and picked me up, bridal style.

"You can't take it back, do you understand. You and I are getting married," he smiled.

"I won't take it back," I laughed.

With me still in his arms, he sprinted towards the palace. He barged through the front doors and made his way to the dining hall. There where his brothers and father sat having a peaceful lunch, he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"SHE SAID YES!," he yelled.

Everyone in the dining hall; his brothers, his father, the maids and butlers broke out into cheer.

"Finally, I thought she'd never say yes," Caspian said.

Thinking back to that time put a smile on my face and managed to ease my beating heart.

"Okay, we're all done," she said.

I stood up and let Angelica escort me to my mother's personal garden, where the private ceremony was to be held before the much grander one that was meant to happen tomorrow.

With every step, we got closer and closer, and I found myself becoming more and more nervous. Standing outside of the doors that would lead to the garden was Fergus. We had come to the agreement that he would be walking me down the aisle in place of my father.

"Aww lassie...you look just like your mother," he said.

I held onto his outstretched arm, he made a move to go forward once the music started. But I stood rooted in my spot. He gave me a knowing looking and whispered in my ear.

"Don't tell him I said this, but he's a good one. And you're making the right decision," he said quietly.

I looked at Fergus surprised, he normally had nothing nice to say about Darius so this was something new.

The doors open and I took a deep breath and started my walk down the aisle. Sitting down on either side, were people that I considered my family. The lords and ladies and their respective families, certain council members namely Boomie. Darius family, including his brothers and his father. And in the front, smiling from ear to ear was the love of my life.

When I made it to the front, Fergus placed Darius' hands on mine and let me go.

"Hi," Darius said.

"Hi," I replied. I couldn't even look the man in the eyes I was so nervous.

"How is it that you manage to look even more beautiful than you did yesterday?," he asked. I laughed a little. "What...no compliment for me?," he joked. I was fully smiling this time. "There it is, the smile I've been waiting for, you look tense. It will be alright, I'm going to be with you from here on out, til death do us part" he said.

"Okay, I trust you and I'll be there for you too, until my very last breath," I said.

He pressed his forehead against mine and held me close.

"I'm looking forward to it, my love," he said.