First at Last

Chapter Twenty-Two

There was a select few allowed through the gates to attend the wedding. Many nobles had been invited and had come, kings and queens from different lands, dukes and duchesses, lords, friends of King Henry's and Queen Alexia's.

Unfortunately, Mother and Father were not at the wedding. Even during this exciting moment, my heart sank a little, knowing that my parents were not a part of it. Alice took my hand and squeezed it tightly, as if she could read my thoughts. She offered me a reassuring smile, which I returned.

We reached the garden, which was beautiful this time of year, at the end of spring. Cherry blossom trees were in full bloom; the flowers were blossoming and birds were chirping. The sky was a magnificent blue color and there was not a cloud to be seen; the sun shone down brightly and warmly. I could hear the soft musical sounds of the fountain somewhere nearby.

I let go of Gabriel's arm when we reached the aisle, and he stepped away. I turned to Alice, who I had asked to walk me down the aisle, and she took my arm and did just that.

Everyone stood and turned to watch me walk down the long, white carpet, to my future. William stood at the altar at the end of the aisle, along with the priest. A small group of musicians played music as I walked, and rose petals dusted the white carpet. My eyes met the sapphire ones of my future husband's and he smiled.

The walk felt like it lasted a life time, but, by the time I reached William, I no longer felt nervous. Alice kissed my cheek and stepped off to the side, as the priest raised his hands and lowered them, informing the guests that they may be seated. William took my hands in his, his eyes twinkling. "You look gorgeous, Erika," he whispered.

I felt my cheeks heat up and I smiled at him.

When everyone had taken their seats, the priest began speaking. He spoke of our love for each other and our love for the country, he walked us through the vows and asked us to repeat promises that he spoke to honor our commitment to each other. When the priest told the audience to speak now if they were opposed to the marriage, no one spoke up.

The priest continued with his speech, and, soon enough, we were pronounced man and wife. William smiled, his blue eyes dancing, as he leaned in and planted a long, passionate kiss on my lips. People were cheering and clapping, but I could hardly hear it, because I was so wrapped up in the moment. This was my first kiss as a married woman, my first kiss shared with my husband.

"We did it, Erika." William whispered against my lips, causing me to smile.

"Yes, we did, William." I replied, pulling away to meet his gaze. "Yes, we did."

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Later that evening, a feast was held in the great hall in honor of the marriage. I had never seen so much food in my life. Platters of roast duck, and boar, and deer, and turkey, and pig took up the table, along with cheeses, and breads, and pastries, sparkling wine and jugs of ale . . . it was a celebration that would not be forgotten. There must have been hundreds of people in attendance.

William and I received many beautiful, expensive gifts from guests, as well as from the citizens of Belhaven. It seemed most people were pleased with our marriage.

At this feast, I sat at the topmost table, now as royalty, not just nobility. I chatted with the king, and with Queen Alexia. William and I held hands through most of the meal, and talked with each other, excited for our future together.

After the feast was over, and we had said goodbye to the guests, William and I went to our shared bedroom. Since I had been living in the palace, we had not been allowed to sleep together. Both of us were being observed much more closely, and being caught sleeping together could have prevented our marriage. William had continued to stay in his room, and I had been given a room for the time being. But, as soon as we were married, we could sleep together.

The room was much larger than necessary. A stone fireplace sat against one wall and plush chairs sat before it. A large rug took up the middle of the room and matched the curtains that were tied back on the many windows. There was a desk, and bookshelves, already lined with many, many books. And, in the center of the large room, against one wall, was an impossibly large bed. It could have fit ten people, at least.

Attached to the bedroom, there was a private dining room, where we would take our meals most days, and an adjoining bathing chamber, with a marble tub. My new ladies in waiting came into the room to help me undress, and, despite the fact that we were now married, I still felt self-conscious about being naked in front of him. I made him shut his eyes and lay on the bed, face down, as my ladies helped me undress and dress in a silk nightgown.

I lay down in bed next to William, sinking into the plush, incredibly soft mattress. William turned to face me, and grinned. "I can finally call you my wife," he murmured.

My cheeks heated up and I smiled. "And I'll never get tired of hearing it."

His lips met mine, and they were warm and impossibly soft. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me on top of him. The night went on . . . and we did not spend it sleeping. It was the first night that we would share as husband and wife, and we cherished every moment of it. We had the rest of our lives to look forward to being with each other, and loving each other. After all that had happened between us to get to this point, we could only look forward. And I could not wait for us to start our future together.

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Yay! Happy ending! Don't worry, there will still be one more chapter: the epilogue. I have had a lot of fun writing this, and I hope you have enjoyed reading it!

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P.S. Just a reminder: I know I've published this on the website, but I am still going to edit it as I go, because I am still working on it. I haven't even finished writing it yet :P