A Tale of Crowns and Stars

Ropes & Pages

"You'll walk in front of the flower girl and... stop at the dais!" Bilka called out instructions from her perch at the top of the portico, dressed to the nines in some of her best fineries while she orchestrated the "wedding of the century," as she called it. Her high pitched voice carried across the garden, each fluctuation emphasized for dramatic effect.

Cyra stood behind her, watching her friends participate in the rehearsal wedding while Halewijn stood on the dais constructed for the occasion. Alorha stood by her side, making snide comments at the unsightliness of the whole charade - everything was white and gold, which reflected the sunlight so no one could see in front of them.

"And the High King will walk down the aisle..." Bilka continued, standing ahead of Cyra and motioning for a male servant - a stand-in for the High King - to walk down the aisle. "And then the mother of the bride..."

"Do you think she'll ever get to the bride walking down the aisle?" Alorha joked, and Cyra hit him with her fake bouquet, making him laugh even harder.

"Then the High Council members, in twos..."

"Perhaps I'll come in after the goats and the cows of the High King," Cyra hissed back. Alorha doubled over in laughter, clutching at his stomach while his shoulder shook furiously.

"And the little doves will be released!"

"Then they'll shit all over the guests!" Alorha took the same high pitch as her mother, mocking her quietly without calling attention to himself. "Then the servants will clean up the guests..." Cyra fought the laughter as well, clutching onto her flowers with all her might to prevent her from cracking up out loud.

"Stop, Alorha!" She hissed, but the fits of laughter were already coming as Bilka continued calling out random events.

"Ivar will begin the Song to Ghiana, and the Princess will come out from her place behind the glass doors..." Cyra took her cue to walk out from behind the portico doors and proceed down the steps. "Take it slow... let others see you..." Bilka advised, and Cyra slowed her steps. Keeping her eyes on Halewijn, she imagined that this might be the real thing.

Hal stood at the top of the dais, hands behind his back as he watched her intently and seriously. Cyra made a face, sticking her tongue out at him, which made him laugh. Despite his finery and position in the court, Halewijn was still a man, she reasoned. He was still a man who needed joy and love in his life and who would become High King one day.

One day soon...

When she met him at the dais, Bilka rushed down the aisle to announce the next steps. While she directed the events, Cyra turned to Halewijn and whispered, "How long do you think the wedding will last in its entirety? And what do I do if I need to pee?"

"You go over to the bush or hedge and take a moment to relieve yourself," Halewijn laughed, and Cyra laughed along with him. "It should only last an hour and a half. I try to keep my engagements short, so we can get to the festivities and enjoy our time."

"But we have Ostara..." Cyra replied, blinking. Halewijn exhaled, pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "You forgot?"

"And then Ivar will begin to read the vows..." Bilka echoed behind them.

"I did. I've been so swamped thinking about other things..." The expression on Hal's face changed back to the serious stare he wore more often now, and Cyra nudged him, hoping to shock him out of his gaze.

"Hey, it's not a big deal. I'm doing most of the work anyway. I sacrifice the ox, I bathe in its blood, and then it's done." Halewijn glanced over at Cyra, his golden eyes twinkling as he thought about the feast and not having to make too much of an effort.