Only You

An Elopement Would Have Been Nice?

Tae-Eul pinched the bridge of her nose to try to relieve the stress that was starting to build up – causing the stirrings of a headache.

The cause?

"Your Highness, could you please stay still for the fitting? Otherwise, the measurements won't be accurate." Tae-Eul straightened her back as she reminded herself again of why she was here.

Wedding preparations.

For the past week or so, she had spent most of her time going through a barrage of dress fittings, food tastings, wedding rehearsals and all the like. She was quickly finding out how much work it took to get married – more so for a royal wedding ceremony apparently. There were contingency plans, security plans and protocol run-throughs.

She felt exhausted just thinking about them.

Turning to the side so the dressmaker could insert a few more pins on the side seams, she had forgotten about keeping her posture.

"Ouch-" Belatedly, she checked the site of the prick to make sure she didn't accidentally bleed onto the expensive fabric of the gown.

A note of exasperation tinged the dressmaker's voice, as she reminded the future Queen Consort to keep upright and still for the umpteenth time today. Tae-Eul wasn't used to people around her addressing her 'Your Highness' yet. Every time they did, she was tempted to look behind her to see who they were actually addressing.

It wasn't like she was married to the King. Yet.

If she had her way, she would have just asked the priest to marry them right then, on the very night Lee Gon had proposed. What was all this about a royal wedding decree preceding a royal ceremonial wedding?-

She was sure her future husband would have readily agreed to elope, had it not been that he was the King of Corea and also the sole heir to the Kingdom.

Sigh.

She supposed she had to be thankful for small blessings.

Out of respect for her preference for privacy and simplicity, Lee Gon had requested the ceremony be kept to the bare minimum for a royal ceremonial wedding. The duration of the wedding was reduced to 2 days from the customary period of a week.

A week? What did people do for a week for a wedding?!

As the barrage of poking, prodding and pinning continued, she let her mind wander –

-------

"I, Lee Gon,

take you, Jeong Tae-Eul,

to be my lawfully wedded wife,

to have and to hold,

from this day forward,

for better, for worse,

for richer, for poorer,

in sickness and in health,

until death do us part"

She stared at his beautifully handsome face, as he recited the vows.

Even knowing that they still wouldn't be officially married for at least a while, it was still very sweet and romantic of him to ask the priest to run through the vows.

It almost felt like they were really getting married - just the two of them in a small, intimate ceremony. Something she had always dreamed about doing, when it came to her own wedding – though since she was with him, she knew that her chances of having a small wedding would be slim to none.

Being the practical person she was, she already knew she would have to assimilate to the customs and culture of life in the Palace if she were to marry him.

She did not regret falling in love, though.

It was unexplainable...

...but they complemented each other in the best of ways.

They were each very much their own person, but when together, they just brought out the best in each other.

It sounded cheesy, she knew – but it was true.

She recited her own vows, infusing the spoken words with the strength of her feelings - her heart on her sleeves.

"I now pronounce you as husband and wife."

Tears lined her eyes as the weight of the words hit her in the chest.

"Could you take a picture of us, Father?" As much as she wanted to keep a mental snapshot of this moment, she wanted to keep a physical reminder of their vows here.

Even though it was not legally binding, for all intents and purposes...

...she considered herself wedded with the man who already held her heart.