Imperfect Queen

Wedding talks and backstories

Nerida opened the doors for Agatha, like she always does, they both went in instantly. The room looked just as it did yesterday, same furniture, same paintings, same everything. The only difference was the smell in the air: It was like lavender mixed with vanilla. So disgustingly sweet it made Agatha gag.
Agatha saw Arthur, Tedros and a man she didn't know, he had black eyes and brown hair, which was shaven in the back of his head, it could only mean one thing, he was a priest, probably the same priest who would marry them, she then noticed he also had a pendant of a cross and was wearing dark green robes. All were sitting in a circle. None were talking, as if waiting for Agatha to speak. She didn't make eye contact with any of them, she just glued her eyes to the golden swirls in the walls.
Nerida guided her to the three men, she curtsied and said:
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, I've escorted Agatha as you pleased"
"Thank you Nerida, you may leave now" Arthur dismissed Nerida and she left, but before that, she shot Agatha a smile, Agatha gave her a wave in return. She stood awkwardly, not knowing what to do, she looked around, the man she didn't know sat in a chair, smiling at her, Arthur sat in the red recliner, and Tedros sat in the burgundy couch...which to Agatha's dismay, was the only place where she could sit.
"Don't just stand there, please take a sit" Arthur requested, Agatha saw no other choice, so she just sat in the same couch where Tedros sat. Sitting felt pretty good, because her feet were starting to ache again, it was as if more blisters were coming out. Had Arietta given her the right size?
Arthur cleared his throat before he started speaking:
"As you two know, the notice for your marriage has been posted, which makes it official. This is Charles, he is the priest who will be marrying you two. He also posted the notice on the church door." The said Charles smiled again, Agatha looked away.
"I know this is late, but, did you make sure to check if there was any reason why these two shouldn't marry?" Charles asked Arthur, he nodded in reply.
"My two guards confirmed it, Agatha has never been married, nor had she committed murder. And they're definitely not related, so we're definitely alright." Arthur said, Agatha did recall Tristan asking her those two questions, she had found it very odd, to say the least, but that day she had been tired and felt no reason to question why he was asking such strange things. Now it all mad sense: it was to verify if they could marry.
"Then we're fine!" Charles declared cheerfully, Agatha wanted to slap the smile right of his face, she still felt bitter about the marriage, and would probably feel this way for a long time.
"Oh, and let me ask out of curiosity, from what kind of family do you come from, Agatha?" Charles asked. Agatha wasn't too excited about the subject, mostly because any priest would judge her on being raised by a single mother. Hey, maybe that would send her to Gavaldon again
"Well, my father died in a mill accident before I was born, so I never met him. My mother dedicated to raise me by herself, and she never got married again, so I am an only child" Agatha uttered nervously, Charles studied her face, which made Agatha more nervous.
"Hm, strange, usually people remarry quickly. Was there any reason she was never pledged to someone?" Charles pressed, he was starting to annoy Agatha, as well as making her nervous and self-conscious. She fidgeted in her seat before replying:
"Well, we were kind of...shunned by the people, they thought we were evil, but we're not! We are quite religious actually, they just got that idea because of our looks" Agatha explained, the religious part wasn't necessarily true, but seeing as he was a priest, Agatha decided to make a decent impression, just so they won't burn her on the stake, or something worse. Charles nodded, a little doubt, he just shrugged it off.
"I guess you get a chance to stop being shunned, our Lord always make things right" Charles said, a smile on his face, Agatha nodded, she felt a pang of relief after he said that. Arthur continued after that:
"Great, now, on the wedding itself, you all obviously know how the wedding goes, bride walks down the aisle, the two meet on the altar, at the end they give the ring to the other and finally seal the union with a kiss" Arthur said, Agatha cringed, she couldn't even give Tedros a handshake, how could they expect them to kiss? In front of what would probably be a huge crowd, a crowd filled with the most judgmental people ever. Judgmental royalty.
"Does the kiss need to be on the lips?" Agatha heard the voice, but she didn't realize it was her own. She clamped her pale hand to her mouth, her face was almost as red as her lips. They would probably laugh at her for asking such a silly question. And indeed, Arthur did chuckle
"Of course you do, I know it may seem a little awkward, but a tradition needs to be respected" Agatha couldn't help herself and rolled her eyes, Charles seemed to notice because he shot her a questioning look. Agatha looked away quickly. This whole wedding scheme was rotten.
"Seems this generation has never gone to a wedding, or seen one. Tedros asked me the same question last night, apparently you can take it better, he let out the loudest groan I've heard in years" When Arthur said that, Agatha smirked, she would've liked to do that, but this made her look better than Tedros, a thing which he deserved.
"Father!" Tedros exclaimed loudly, clearly ashamed of himself, Agatha's smirk got bigger, only to the prince's annoyance.
"Moving on from that, I recall yesterday Agatha asked me about guests, and seeing as Gavaldon's distance is estimated to be about 18 to 21 days, the best thing would be to send a carriage tomorrow at sunrise. You still would want guests, right?" Arthur asked, Agatha's eyes lit up. She could have Sophie and her mother! At her wedding! She could imagine it, her mother looking at her with sad yet proud eyes, for doing what she should. And Sophie, oh Sophie would be delighted! She would want a dress made by Arietta, and would love the castle! It all seemed wonderful in Agatha's mind.
"I think my mother and my friend are the only ones, so just two people." Agatha said, she just needed Arthur to say yes
"Alright then, I'll send two guards to Gavaldon, I'll see who I pick, do you think Tristan and Chaddick would do it?" Arthur replied
"Not really, they were already tired with 'such a long trip', I recommend someone else" Tedros said, apparently Agatha wasn't the only one who knew about the guards' irritation towards the trek to Gavaldon.
"I'll have to see then, no one else?" Arthur asked Agatha, she then remembered Arietta and Nerida. How could she forget?
"Um, actually, you see, in the last day, my maids have been awfully nice to me, and they have done so much already, so much I haven't even asked, that I feel it would be wrong not to invite them, of course, if you allow it." Agatha said, looking at the tapestry, she realized everybody gave her confused looks, or at least surprised.
"Maids at a royal wedding? That's unheard of... I mean, is not wrong but, if that's what you please, I guess we should allow it, to be honest, you do deserve it." Arthur complied, Agatha sighed in relief. Arietta and Nerida would explode into squeals! She couldn't wait to see their faces, she could hear Arietta rambling about what she should wear.
"Thank you" Agatha said at last, feeling extreme gratitude
"Wedding invitations should be sent in about two days, after all, foreign royals are coming over, and so they need an early invitation, with the fastest delivery possible. Oh, and how long would you like your guests to stay?" Arthur said, Agatha hadn't even thought about that part
Three weeks, a month, six, their whole lives'Agatha thought, she didn't know how much to ask, a week was definitely not enough, a month seemed to be perfect, she just really needed Sophie and her mother.
"Is a month okay? Maybe four weeks instead of five? If that's not a lot, of course" Agatha replied, Arthur seemed to think about it for a moment, Agatha silently hoping he would accept.
"Four weeks will be okay" He finally said, Agatha sighed again
"To avoid too many people, the ceremony will be held at the castle's chapel, then we'll go to the big hall and have the reception, we're accommodating about 375 people, it may go up to 400, at this rate" Arthur declared. 400 people?! That was way too many people watching Agatha, seeing everything she did, how she walked, her hair, her dress. 800 eyes watching her.
"Isn't that too much?" Agatha asked, suddenly worried
"No! That's perfect, we'll even have space left" Arthur reassured her, "Now Charles, if you could leave us, that would be great" Both men got up and shook hands, then Charles left, leaving the two teenagers with the king, he suddenly looked stern, and he was, because the words that came out, were like a tirade.
"Now, don't believe I don't know the animosity between you two. Last night Tedros came in saying you were 'alright', which was disappointing, because I knew he meant you were not, and that led me to believe, something happened. So today, you don't even look at each other, and both ask the same stupid question about the kiss! I had to do it, my father had to, so you will!" Arthur seemed to be finished, but he just paused "You need to try! You just met yesterday! Don't give up so quickly, solve whatever problem you have, at least act like you tolerate each other. Tedros, we spent a good amount of time looking for Agatha, she's as good as it gets, and I think she is truly worthy, so far at least, she's all you asked for. Agatha, please, I know it's hard for you, but try to look past his outside, he's a good person" Arthur then just looked tired, and pleading, it was a strange combination. And what was that 'all you ever asked for?', because that was not how he looked yesterday, it seemed as if he was repulsed by her, which was how she felt about him.
Arthur sighed, he got up off his seat.
"I need to go, I recommend you two start apologizing, if needed, or just talk, I don't want another failed marriage in my lineage" And with that, he left. Failed marriage? Arthur was being so intriguing, leaving all these question hanging. Agatha and Tedros sat awkwardly, neither spoke, neither looking at the other. Agatha sighed, she then spoke:
"Why do we have to end up like this, again? I honestly think we should just give up, what's the use of this? We'll never work together, you should've just taken the first princess you saw, you could already be married, maybe even have a kid" For the first time today, Tedros looked at her, he hadn't even noticed she was wearing makeup, her eyes were looking somewhere in the walls, anywhere but directly at him. He suddenly remembered what Tristan said, for the millionth time today, curse him for that question.
"Because, he thinks you're a good person, he says you're worthy, because you don't want to marry me for interest, or because of how I look...He honestly wants me to be in love, not just be married and not even like each other. That's why he went on this whole search" Tedros said softly, Agatha faced him hesitantly, why did this needed to be so complicated? Why did she needed to be involved?.
"I, I don't really understand the whole love concept, but I know you can't just push it, which is exactly what he's doing, why is he so pushy? Is not like we could end the marriage, we'll have to stick together." Agatha reasoned, she didn't know any marriage that had always been about love, why so much for this? She thought she had seen Tedros look darkly for a moment, she thought it must have been her head playing a trick.
"That's exactly what I said! But, is more complicated than what you think, is...forget it, all you need to know is that he wants me to be happy. Which I don't think I will" Tedros expressed flatly, Agatha shrugged indifferently.
"I don't think I'll be too happy with you either" Agatha said dryly, both looking at the other coldly. "Unless one of us eloped or something, I wouldn't do that, that's even stupider"
"Tell me about it" Tedros mumbled under his breath, Agatha raised an eyebrow at him, he just shrugged it off. There was something weird about Arthur today, and it seemed it was rubbing on Tedros, it was as if they were hiding something from her, something important.
"Are you hiding something? Like the reason why your father is so eager about you having a marriage filled with love?" Agatha inquired, curiosity rushing through her blood
"Is none of your business, really" Tedros said sharply, Agatha rolled her eyes at him
"Fine, have it your way, I'm leaving, I honestly don't know what I need to do now, but I know it has nothing to do with you" Agatha stood up and walked all the way to the door, she was almost out of the room when Tedros called her.
"Wait" He said, making Agatha turn around. He walked almost all the to where she was standing, a small distance between the two.
"I suggest something" Agatha raised her eyebrow, as if to question any idea he had, "What if after we... get married, we do a sort of, truce. We can still dislike the other, but we just don't verbally show it"
"So, technically we hate the other, but no insults?" Agatha asked, it was a curious deal, but then again, she was getting married in three weeks, this was almost normal. Almost.
"Well, yes" Tedros said, Agatha shrugged yet again, what did she even have to lose?
"I guess it could work" Agatha agreed, maybe it would help dissimulate the mutual dislike, at least when in public.
"I would say it'll trick the crowds, if we act like we remotely like the other, we fool them, but behind closed doors, we don't have to dissimulate" Tedros uttered, surprisingly, Agatha agreed.
"You have a deal" Agatha said after a pause
They both left after that, none saying anything to the other.