Chapter Five: The wedding ceremony

She stepped into the Great Hall with her sister holding her hands, flinching a little bit at the sound of the citizens that started screaming and cheering the moment she stepped in. She had asked for the guards to allow some of the commoners in, choosing not to have a closed off ceremony for the nobles alone. She caught a glimpse of the frowning nobles, no doubt racking up more reasons to hate and judge her.

Internally, she was happy her sister was seeing her through this part, even though it wasn't really common. The bride usually walked in alone before meeting up with a male member of the family, who would then give her away. The only other exceptions to this situation in the past were mothers. The mothers would hand over their daughters to their sons, most times with triumphant smiles on their faces.

But her mother wasn't here to do that. Her mother wasn't even here for her wedding. Analeigh knew deep down that her mother's absence shouldn't phase her this much, afterall the woman had been one of the most vocal about not wanting her to take the throne. She thought she would at least show up for appearances, but she couldn't even do that.

What a shame. Analeigh sighed, then smiled once she reached the arms of Aulus. He flashed her a smile of his own and took her hand gently as Ophelia handed her over.

"Goodluck." Ophelia whispered and kissed her cheek. She smiled at the gesture, knowing her sister did it in front of everyone purposely. She walked down the aisle slowly with Aulus by her side, listening as the cheers slowly died down in anticipation of the next part of the ceremony.

Aulus finally let go of her hand when she reached the podium, bowing a little as a sign of respect before stepping back slowly to take his place where the rest of her family sat.

There she stood alone, as she readied herself to begin her wedding dance. The band started off slow and she followed, lifting her hands elegantly without an expression on her face. She swayed easily with the music, following the movements she had mastered since she was a child, learning the basics of being a royal. The tempo increased and so did her moves, becoming even more fluid as she turned and twirled around the stage to the hushed awe of her audience. She would never admit to anyone but this was the moment she looked forward to the most, being able to show off in front of everyone who doubted her.

She took off the outer robe as was customary, revealing her beautiful wedding dress underneath. She clapped twice, signalling for the band to go faster and luckily, they caught her signal fast. She moved swiftly, but gracefully, light as a swan. Her hips flowing effortlessly with the music, her steps are light, as if she was dancing purely for the thrill of it.

The crowd cheered mindlessly, clapping in rhythm of the thundering drums. She spins, her jewelry catching the light, the movement of her fingertips telling their own story.

It was almost time for her to end her performance, she thought woefully. She could only hope her partner was half as good as she was, and not just well versed in boring dances like the waltz.

Her smile faltered a little when she remembered her faith. Destined to take the hand of a man she couldn't trust, doomed to her family shunning her, forced to play a friendly role while in court.

She lifts both her hands once again, as if reaching for a reality she couldn't have, before shaking off the thoughts she perceived as weak. She was to become Queen and was chosen by the guardians of the land, who gives a damn what the rest of the nobles thought.

The crowd obviously didn't notice her inner torment, after all; to them, she was the picture of the perfect bride. A happy bride and soon to be a perfect and happy Queen.

The music rose to a crescendo, and Analeigh finally ended her performance with a beautiful twirl and a dazzling smile. The crowd erupted in even bigger cheers, applauding her for her stunning performance. She was certain they would speak about for long after this and the thought made her smile as she curtesied and waited for her male counterpart to begin his turn.

Silence fell upon the hall once again as the guests waited with baited breath for the Prince to start his own performance. Analeigh frowned in confusion when she noticed the sword on his hand, surely he wasn't planning on doing anything in front of the nobles and citizens, that was practically suicide.

Instead he stared at her unflinchingly as he unsheathed his sword and pointed it straight at her.

The palace band came alive then, a deep, measured beat of drums followed by the sound of a chilling chorus of flutes. Leonidas stood there, dressed in his ceremonial robes, polished sword gleaming in his hand, Analeigh already well acquainted with it.

He stood straight, oozing confidence. A tiny smile betrayed his playful mood, despite his set jaw and steely gaze.

His movements were sharp and precise, a true example of strength. He spun, not unlike he did when they fought, the sword slicing through the air with a light sound, deftly playing around with the light rays hitting the surface.

There was no one in the audience that wasn't captivated, Analeigh herself included. She almost laughed at her early thought on him being a boring dancer. He was anything but boring, a skilled swordsman and applying that skill into his performance. It had been decades since a sword dance was performed at a Royal function, most seeing the tradition of carrying a sword all through the ceremony as tedious.

She watched as he sunk into the performance, pouring his energy into every strike. His feet moved as swiftly as she remembered, closing the distance between them slowly as he stamped the floor in tune with the sound of the drums, powerful and rhythmic, each step exuding confidence. He lunged, a hairs breath away from her, weaving the sword through the air and spinning around her to mimic a defensive pose, playing the part of a protective partner.

Analeigh smirked as the crowd went wild, unaware of his true intentions.

Just like with Analeigh, the music intensified signalling the end of his performance was coming to an end. He increased the speed of his strikes, each more precise and mesmerising than the last. He twirled the sword above his head, then repeated the move that made Analeigh recognise him, bringing it down flawlessly in an arc right in front of her, shielding her from the rest of the people in the hall.

Thunderous sounds of applause filled the hall, audience obviously satisfied with his performance.

The final part of the performance came, the joint dance.

The guests finally calmed down, lowering their voices as the music began. At the center of the stage stood Analeigh and Leonidas, poised gracefully as the latter extended his hand to start their dance. Since they never met before this to practice, Analeigh didn't know what to expect. But judging by the way her counterpart had moved, she could fairly say it wouldn't be disastrous.

She took the first step as the sound of string instruments filled her ears, her movements fluid and graceful, her eyes reverted on him alone. Leonidas followed, his steps measured and controlled, easily complementing her delicate moves. Together, they spun across the stage, his hands firmly situated on her waist and her hands around his neck.

The crowd watched, their faces lit with admiration, marvelling at the way both the bride and groom matched each others movements easily.

Their bodies were perfectly synchronised, eyes never leaving the other as they moved in tiny little circles, Analeigh's jewellery glinting with the way they caught the light everytime as she spun.

They separate, circling each other without saying a word, both feeling the heaviness of the moment between them.

The tempo increased, and they came back together, Leonidas seizing her hands with ease and lifting them up slowly. Neither of them had looked away for even a moment, as if they couldn't bare to be the first to give up on this challenge.

This time, the music slows, forcing them to back away from each to catch their breath. Analeigh twirled away, her skirts flaring like a gorgeous sea of red, glinting with the shine of the precious stones sewn in.

They look eyes once again, this time passing a silent message to each other for the final move.

Analeigh thought about what her family felt about all this, knowing Ophelia was never going to let her live this moment down.

She took a deep breath as they circled each other, the crowd cheering for the final act. She jumps and her husband-to-be catches her flawlessly, twirling her around to the delight of the crowd. The music finally died down, and he lowered her gently back to the ground, keeping his hands on her still.

They turn and face the crowd, him bowing and her curtseying, signalling the end of the final performance.

The audience burst into a round of applause even louder than the previous two as they held their pose until the high priest joined them on stage.

Slowly, they de-entangled themselves from each other, standing straight to say their vows.

"We have gathered here today for another blessed pairing by the gods and goddesses of our land." The high priest's voice echoed in the silent hall.

"Princess Analeigh Romansia Dafidi, it is time to say your vows."

She opened her mouth to say the words she had been practicing since her trial ended when the space around her went up in flames.

They were under attack.