Through The Garden Path

The Wedding

Aurelia was greatly familiar with the Royal Cathedral. She had come with her father plenty of times to watch his services on holidays. It wasn't until she reached womanhood that she stopped coming. Agedius thought it was best for her to remain out of the public eye until her Debutante Ball had been announced.

Aurelia and her father were announced together. She walked behind him, the gold cross on her neck swayed slightly as she moved. "She's beautiful," some of the young boys in the pews uttered. Aurelia was used to praise from random strangers. Her father crafted her into a rather exceptional young woman. While her rank in society wasn't as high as others, she made up for it with her charm.

The cathedral's stunning architecture had not changed. Huge stained glass windows hovered high above them, and the murals that were painted on the ceiling displayed vibrant colors. Groups of noble families took up the pews, dressed in expensive fabrics and jewels.

Aurelia's eyes wandered around her surroundings. Up above in a spectator box was a group of people dressed in the highest of fashion. Aurelia felt her mouth go dry as she saw a flash of burgundy hair and a pair of green eyes locked on her body: Prince Raphael. She supposed it only made sense for the Royal Belmonte family to be in attendance at such a wedding. Duke Albastors wife was from a neighboring nation, which meant that the Kingdom had another ally from across the sea.

Any secrecy that she hoped to keep was now relinquished as Raphael saw her walking down the aisle with her father. However, Aurelia did not recall the young man introducing himself with this title. Which meant that they were in a similar position.

Agedius grabbed his daughter's hand and led her to their seats in one of the front pews. He sat her with some of the Cardinals of the Church and then took his station at the front of the aisle where Duke Alabastor stood. The Cardinals began boring her with their heavy talks of God and the scriptures. She grew up learning all there was about the Testaments, as well as learning them in the native tongue of Jerecho. By the time she became a teenager, Aurelia could talk religion with even the smartest of scholars.

"The Del Mano family," the Majordomo announced loudly from the entrance.

Aurelia refrained from craning her neck to see her cousin. She knew Arcadia would waltz down the aisle in her bashful style. Arcadia always kept up the act of being a forbidden fruit. She wore slightly revealing necklines and put on as much rouge as she could to showcase her beautiful youth. It made the men of Divinatos crazy, they lusted after her fiercely.

Matching Aurelia's guess, Arcadia kept a pleasant smile as she walked behind her father and mother. She cascaded down the aisle in her sage gown which flowed beautifully behind her. Boys of all ages strained their bodies to catch one glimpse of her. While Aurelia was a beauty of the nation, she led a private and lonely life in her father's estate. Arcadia, on the other hand, was well-to-do in society and often made outings going to lavish parties with other young debutants.

Soon the ceremony had started, and Pope Agedius droned on in the old language about the union of marriage. He delved into how a woman must serve her husband. How in this union the Duke's bride was the provide him with children and raise their lineage of Dukedom. Aurelia sighed, she could hear Clemence's voice in the back of her head warning her to think like a man or else she would fall a victim to one.

Madam Marquee was a beauty in her own right, even though her features were foreign. She had fiery red hair that lay in frizzy tight ringlets, her pointed nose and thick brows gave her a unique look. Aurelia knew that the closest friends of Duke Alabastor would praise him for wedding such an exotic young woman. They would drone on about how badly they wished to bury their seed in a woman who could barely speak their language.