The Dreadful Dreamer's Collection

Royal Celebration- June 4th, 2022

I was standing in front of a mirror that took up the length of the room. My mother paced eagerly behind me, shaking her head and mumbling about the time. When I turned my attention back to my reflection before me, suddenly it all made sense as to why I was standing here: I was getting married.

There were no dresses or accessories around for me to try on, so I did the next best thing and imagined what kind of dress and accessories I wanted. In an instant, I found myself in a white halter top dress which swept to the floor and left a train trailing sheer butterflies. I focused on my makeup next, which was plain but made my eyes and lip pop against my pale skin. My mother rushed me as I could not decide on a hairstyle, but I settled on some sort of half up and half down look. Once my finishing touches were complete, the mirror in front of me broke into two, to reveal a beautiful summer city beyond. The city, with some of its far off buildings, looked familiar. I gazed around the plaza I was in to help clue me on my location. Alas, an old tailor shop sign offered me the information I was seeking. I was in London.

I passed a bakery on the way to the venue, and was immediately intrigued at the one confection in the window called "The Dune" which was red velvet and bourbon crumble. My mother guided me to a large convention center made entirely of glass. Through the doors and up a few flights was where the reception area stood. It was a beautiful ambiance inside, with black chairs and wooden walls. It was warming and clipped my nerves as I wandered about the perimeter. Guests whom I have never seen before flooded in about an hour later. Thankfully, I was able to make small talk with them and even acquaint myself to a few. There was someone arriving late, but instead of feeling curious about the matter, I felt shocked. The Queen of England herself walked in and took a seat in a booth tucked away in the corner. She had with her a few guards and important men in suits, but that did not deter me from welcoming her. We exchanged polite small talk, then before the conversation died out completely, she offered me a pair of shoes to walk in for the wedding.

"I hope they fit. It is tradition that every woman who marries a royal must walk in these shoes." Her one guard presented them to me in a beautiful box. The shoes were outdated a bit, but the honor to walk in these shoes. . .

"A royal? Who am I marrying exactly?" I laughed in confusion in her direction.

"The Duke of course. Here." She gracefully pointed to the one man in a suit standing beside her. His face was the only one that was masked out of the lot that followed her in. I was confused and frustrated. What kind of sick arrangement was this? I tried to look at the Duke, but could only see his eyes staring back at me.

The Queen, still swallowing her drink, suggested that he and I go take a seat to get to know each other. Feeling light and airy, I located a table far away from the others which would give us some privacy. We both awkwardly exchanged a 'hello' then sat shyly in silence for a moment.

"Why are you wearing that mask?" I gestured to my own face with curiosity.

"It's a tradition. I will reveal my face after the ceremony." The Duke shrugged. His voice was calming and relaxing to listen to, but a part of me felt so out of place and wrong still.
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The ceremony had happened and I found myself seated with the Duke again at the same table as before. We had made each other laugh during our previous conversation, and it was an infectious joy we both shared.

"I suppose it is unmasking time, isn't it?" The Duke sighed. I nodded my head, anxious to see the person I had been bonding with for hours in deep conversation. At once he removed his mask. The first thing I saw was his light brown eyes and small nose. He had a short beard which was a dark brown or nearly black, and a thick head of hair the same color. He was much older than I, for there were a few white hairs beginning to emerge in his beard and hair. Overall, he was a fairly decent looking man, but the bond of personality and humor shared earlier was what truly mattered.

"There's a nursery next door, we should tour it and kiss the babies on the head" The Duke joked.

"Babies aren't my thing" I responded. He shook his head in a form of agreement.

"Would you care to play a puzzle game?" He nodded over to the other tables which had games and activities splayed upon them.

"Sure." I warmly smiled to him.

We were attempting to solve a puzzle for quite some time, but in the end we resorted to talking again.

"I used to get made fun of as a kid because my nose would turn gray in the winters from lack of body heat." The Duke explained.

"I have something similar to that, but it happens with my hands and feet." I added on. We naturally got on well with one another, and as the guests began to leave, I realized how different my life was now.