Satin Rose and the Witch Hunters

14. How Fast can a Wedding be Planned?

There was more than just bell ringing. It was a blur and a high of joy and laughter. I felt like there was magic in the air, the energy coursing through me as we practically waltzed out of the shop and into the royal carriage. Her valet was struggling to keep up, now carrying all the dresses in boxes that were heavier than they seemed. The man said something, but I couldn't hear him over the excited queen's voice telling the driver to speed to the castle.

Once there, we were hand in hand walking through the gigantic entrance. Raised eyebrows and shocked expressions were abundant, but the queen instructed that all the work in the festival should be postponed to make time for our wedding. The tasked was evidently too tall as a dark man in a splendid uniform suggested to the queen that the wedding should be PART of the festival instead.

I thought it was a splendid idea, to add to the celebration, announcing our love to as many and as quickly as possible. My wife relented as she fell into my arms. The man bowed and in no time at all it seemed that everything was in place.

The dark man appeared again. He was the head butler of the palace and gave us the time for which we would enter the festivals zenith. Capable! I shook his hand and thanked him so. For a while, me and my beloved simply strolled through the garden, handmaidens coming and going congratulating the queen and I on our love.

We were then called for the dressing. The queen donned the gown once again, perfection personified. It was there that we realized I hadn't brought anything for myself and there was nothing of mine that would equal her costume. She snatched the opportunity and insisted that if I could not be perfect to the world, I would be perfect to her and we spent a good hour trying on the extensive catalogue of suits in the royal dressing room.

Calling it a room was selling it short though as it was almost twice as big my entire store. Everything in the palace was big actually. I had only gone inside once, at the behest of a minor lord that asked for my service. It would take sometime to adjust to the scale, but the queen assured me that it would come quicker than I assumed.

We had chosen a golden coat for me to wear with matching pants and shoes, all gleaming brightly. It shined in the daylight and even had entirely solid gold shoulder guards as decorative armor. Quite the contrast between us.

The time came. When we stepped through the palace gates, the crowd of onlookers cheered. Crowd is again another understatement. The street was packed almost shoulder to shoulder with people that seemed to have come from all parts of Auryia. Color, creed, status, wealth, it didn't seem to matter, everyone cheered. A loud shout from boys and girls that went up in excitement, flower petals were somehow raining down from above, and when the instruments started it all came to a peak.

High up on a palanquin I peeked through the veil to seem the entire orchestra that rode along side us. Trumpets blared deafeningly loud, drums boomed in time with the processions march. Harps, guitars, lutes, and flutes were strained to their maximum in order to be heard. Voices of singing, chanting, and people simply screaming in excitement were strained even more, especially since there seemed to be little rhyme or reason among them. And it was only here that I noticed I was searching the crowd for a face.

"Another grape my love," My queen asked plucking one from a silver platter of fruits. Her eyes suddenly welled with concern. "What's wrong?"

I was probably hiding my anxiousness badly. It didn't help that right outside of the veil was one of the many palace guards. He was big, with muscles that shined from sweat. With his face, it was apparent that he wasn't thrilled to be marching in the hot sun.

My hand slipped into hers and our eyes met. "Nothing is wrong my queen. I simply wonder if my son is in the crowd. He left this morning to take a test."

The test! The slightest of twitches might have shown on me as I did my damnedest to keep my smile. A practitioner of dark arts! What would the citizens say? what would the palace denizens say? queen even say? Worried formed around my heart to tied it down when I felt her hand touched my hand.

"Be at ease," She cooed, holding me close. "Your girls are still at the shop? They will delight him with the story and we will send for a messenger later to him. I cannot wait to meet the boy. I imagine, he is as cool, as handsome, and as capable as his father."

With her around, it seemed like nothing was impossible. All those worried melted away, she rested her head on my shoulder and we shared a warmth that I had not felt in ages. "Of course my dear," I chuckled myself, a random though coming to me. "My son is a prince."