La Marquise

Chapter 21

I leaned in a bit, furrowing my brows. "But does Paule love him?" The question seemed to have shook my father, who ignored me and turned to Clotilde. 

"I may have found you a perfect fit, my dear Clotilde. You are twenty years of age. You wouldn't want to become an old maid, now, would you?"

Clotilde continued to look out the window, seeming have no reaction to the information my father gave her. "What is it, this time? Someone I barely know, or someone who is my first cousin?"

Our father was speechless, and Louise and I glanced at each other, knowing she was referring to our father's choices in our husbands. But, I could not help but smile a little at how stunned our father was, as the carriage came to a stop.

Gilbert was in the carriage behind us, and I walked up to him, holding Anastasie in my arms. "What's amusing you?", he mused as we walked up the steps to the chapel, while Anastasie clung to the shoulder of my dress.

"I'll tell you later."

--

We sat down in the pews, with Anastasie in between Gilbert and I, with Rosalie and Clotilde sitting next to me, while Louise was behind me, next to Louis. My mother walked into the chapel, taking seat next to my little sisters, indicating Paule and Joachim were just minutes behind her. My father was at the doors of the chapel, waiting to walk Paule down the aisle. 

After a minute or two, the doors swung open, and I turned my head, seeing that Joachim opened the door, while I caught a glimpse of a small percentage of Paule's skirts from behind the door. My father quickly greeted him, before stepping outside. While Joachim walked down the aisle, I noticed he looked no more than a couple years older than Paule, with broad shoulders and just a little shorter than Gilbert. He looked the nervous sort while he stood at the front of the aisle, rubbing some sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief. 

The doors opened, and everyone stood up. There was Paule, next to my father while walking down the aisle. She wore a beautiful white robe à la mariée, which almost looked like it had a hint of golden color, the dress having a wide skirt. A white veil went from her blonde hair down to the ground, wearing white makeup powder and red paint on her lips. Observing her face, she looked... happy. She was excited to be married, but I had no idea what her husband was like, aside from being the shy sort. He could be a bad person behind the scenes. I knew my cousin, Louis, all my life, and Gilbert obviously would never hurt me, but Joachim...

Perhaps I looked emotional, because Gilbert lent me his handkerchief, looking worried about me whilst I wiped my tears, capturing them from escaping my eyes.

The ceremony began in Latin, beginning in prayer and blessings to the couple, while everybody sat down, and I observed Paule carefully. The couple was smiling at each other, sharing quick glances, just like Gilbert and I were at our wedding. I relaxed a little, holding Gilbert's hand, before turning my attention to Anastasie, who was kicking her feet, slightly fidgeting with the wood on the bench and the bracelet I was wearing, however, she was making sure to keep quiet. 

"Anastasie", I whispered, my voice however stern, "Please, try to sit still." I held the hand she was fidgeting with, lightly tapping her kicking legs with my other hand before looking back at the ceremony, and that seemed to get her to stop, and she now was observing and admiring Paule's wedding dress. I smiled softly to myself, letting go of her hand, and she obediently folded them in her lap.  

--

The wedding feast began at a long table, as we would eat and then dance, after. Paule held Joachim's arm, and he smiled happily, causing all my nervousness to melt away. Anastasie observed the small plate next to the larger one while I sliced my venison with a knife, slightly filled from the soup we had, before. "What's that?", she pointed at the small plate, eating her bread while naturally, being a picky eater, avoiding the meat I had cut up for her prior, and her steamed vegetables, however she had eaten a little bit of her potatoes.