Our Wedding

There was something about the silence of the crowd as they nervously waited for the ceremony to start. The hall of the church where it was being held was huge. It was as big as the banquet hall in the Palace.

High-ranking and low-ranking nobles sat at the pews. The servants at the palace also occupied seats all the way at the back, making sure not to collide with the nobles. All the people that were there didn't fill up the seats. The ceremony wasn't open to the public, only to the nobles and the servants. Much to the nobles' dismay.

They didn't like sharing space in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see their new Emperor be wed.

In one of the rooms where the church has prepared for the Emperor to change, Krillien stood in front of the mirror and fixed his black tie. He wore a black vest over his black button up shirt, matching Meredith's red wedding gown.

"How beneficial is it to marry that woman?" Aurelius asked, puffing out smoke from his cigar. He may be Krillien's right hand man, he was still that old friend he once hung out with. Though, they weren't as friendly now.

Krillien shrugged. "All I know is that she wouldn't be much of a problem."

Aurelius scoffed and stubbed out his cigar in the ashtray on the table. "She's been nothing but problems. She purposely picked a fight with Amari's daughter. How can you say she won't be a problem in the future?"

"Then I'll deal with her myself. It's only her. What problem could she bring that we wouldn't be able to deal with it?" He turned around to look at Aurelius.

"I don't know. A riot? Rebellion?" Aurelius crossed his arms over his chest. "A coup?"

Krillien looked back at himself in the mirror, his tie perfectly in place. Grabbing his red jacket that hung on the back of the chair, he said, "then I shall win her over my side to avoid such a thing from happening."

Aurelius stood up and walked up to him with a ring in his hand, he gave it to Krillien's open palm. "Then fucking win her over."

In Meredith's room in the church, she stood in front of the mirror, scanning herself up and down. Her hair was curled and tied in a bun, a few strands falling in front of her face. The dark red from her gown brought out her fair skin, the neckline showing her collar bone.

She took a deep breath and grabbed the bouquet of white flowers on the table, posing in front of the mirror as she held the boquet on her stomach. She looked at herself in different angles, trying which pose suited the best.

Meredith tried to recall how Lady Genevieve—the first Prince Caspian's wife—walked down the aisle before. She had been studying etiquette the whole time in the palace yet forgot to study or even ask how to walk down the aisle.

"Your Highness," Fiona called from the outside. She then knocked and opened her door. "It is time."

Meredith gulped and slowly walked out of the room, the train of her dress following closely behind. She lowered her head for Fiona to attach her veil. It was thin and reached to her lower back.

"Thank you," Meredith silently uttered, hoping Fiona would still hear her mutters.

They slowly walked to the front doors of the hall. The two doors were huge and closed, they could hear the sounds of the organ and violin through it. It was a soft melody echoing throughout the church as if telling her taking this path would be alright. That she should walk down that aisle where the Emperor will meet her.

It was her future husband waiting for her.

She took a deep breath and gave one last look at Fiona who had a smile on her face, encouraging her to walk down that aisle. The doors slowly swung open, the light from the church peeked through the slit, casting Meredith in that golden light.

All their eyes turned to Meredith as she slowly walked down the aisle, the music getting louder and louder as she got closer to the altar, where Krillien stood, hands together in front of him. Meredith noticed his fitted shirt and his hands covered in black gloves. He looked handsome, she thought. But what else could she expect from the blood of the royal family? They had always been.

The music slowly got quiet as Meredith finally reached the altar, locking eyes with Krillien who didn't seem to have an ounce of emotion on his face. She wondered if he was as nervous as she was.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness," the High Priest spoke to them with a gentle voice. Krillien's head turned towards him meanwhile Meredith continued to stare at him.

Noticing this, he glanced at Meredith and silently gestured with his eyes to look at the man in front of them. "There's nothing worthwhile to look here." He muttered.

Meredith's eyebrows furrowed but quickly turned her head towards the High Priest. The ceremony went by in a blur, all the muttering and things the High Priest said went in and out of Meredith's ears. Until the last part:

"You may now tie your marriage with a kiss," he announced.

Meredith slowly turned to look at Krillien, gulping. This was it. A glimpse of what could happen tonight. A kiss.

Their eyes locked together. Meredith could feel her heartbeat race. It was just a kiss. For a ceremony she willingly wanted to partake in. She breathed in and closed her eyes, waiting for his lips to meet hers.

There it was. A small peck on her lips. She could tell how soft it was by the way it grazed her lips. He kissed lightly—with the gentleness of trying to touch clay without his fingerprints sticking.

"I honor and welcome you all the Emperor and Empress von Hachler."

That was the end of the ceremony. Everyone clapped, watching as they walked back down the aisle.

They silently shared the carriage as they went back to the Palace where the rest of the ceremony will take place. Rows of maids and butlers awaited the guest, leading them to the hall where dining tables were prepared and the smell of food and pig's blood ran in the air.

They sat in the large table, placed atop a higher stage, overlooking the crowd who began to eat the food the maids were serving.

Fiona placed down a plate of beef with pig's blood in front of her and poured wine to her glass. Meredith stared at it. Its dark rich color staring back. Slowly, she picked up the spoon next to it and gulped.

"You don't have to eat it." Krillien said as he picked up a plate of steak. Handing it to her, he said, "it's just food. It's better if you enjoy it, no?"

Accepting the plate, Meredith watched as he picked up the bowl of beef stew, completely pushing away the pig's blood food they served.

As he took his first bite, Meredith did as well. Thankful not to eat such horrid food anymore.