Crowned Prince | hendery

22: The Wedding

There has been no confirmation of things between them after they were interrupted by Emily. The air was awkward and Hendery was out of her room as soon as Emily took a step inside. To which she simply sighs and tells the princess, "you are to be wed tomorrow, there is no need to feel as though you've done anything shameful."

The memory only made the princess blush. She could see a smile creep in Emily's face, one that was obviously teasing her.

Right now, she was seated among several other attendants. All of which were busy with either preparing her dress or her accessories for the day.

Although their wedding was rushed and expected to be of a much smaller scale, things were never simple and quaint for people of royalty, most especially that of a crowned prince. They had reserved the main castle's dining hall as the center of their celebration with the coronation room as the center of the ceremony that would officially make them husband and wife. However, due to the rushed nature and the growing tension between nations, Taeha's family couldn't attend her wedding but had sent their well wishes a few days earlier.

The marriage itself was a political proposition between the two nations, that with the decision for this marriage to continue even without the presence of Sui's royal couple, solidifies which nations will be joined as one when a larger war breaks out.

Even with everything on their shoulders, Taeha was pretty preoccupied with the thought of something else.

"Your highness," Emily calls her attention when a number of the attendants take a step back.

Taeha all her life has been called several names when she was among other nobles and royalty. Some were praises of her beauty yet a number of them were snarky remarks of jealousy, but as she stared at herself in the mirror she would also wallow in jealousy if she had a face like this.

She was beautiful and she was not ashamed to admit it, but she knew much more than complimenting herself in front of attendants that don't normally serve her.

"I have never felt as beautiful as I do right now." She mutters, but she made sure everyone in that room could hear her.

If she were to stay in the noble position, much to her frustration, then she needs a plan and most of her power will come out of a good image as the prince's wife.

"His highness, the prince, would adore how you look." Emily's tone definitely lingers with that of mischief as she keeps her head down in complementing the princess.

Taeha turns her head towards her attendant where she could vaguely see the smile on her face.

It did not take long for the echo of a loud bell to shake the whole castle. That was the sign that the marriage was about to begin.

Yet the bell echoing throughout the castle felt like it was a bell from her dreams, sort of muffled and unreal. Though it should've been a call or a snap for her to realize that she wasn't dreaming and the moment that she had hoped not to happen to her for the past few years was about to happen.

"Then," she stands up from her chair and stares at herself in the mirror once again, this time not in appreciation but in gaining courage, "I shall get married."

Those who helped her prepare bowed their heads at her as she walked ahead with Emily in tow.

"Remind me, Emily, every name of the people who helped me get ready for today. I shall be thanking them later on." She doesn't even turn to look at Emily as she speaks.

"As you wish, your highness." She bows her head with a little smile on her face.

"To be frank," she hesitates whether or not to tell her, yet if she walked down that aisle with this in her heart she does not think she would enjoy the night, "I have never seen myself to be one that marries. Even with my former lover, yet here I am about to marry a man I have only kissed once."