The First Queen

7 - A Nice Day for a White Wedding

The next couple of weeks went by in a blur of wedding planning and avoiding both Athena and Julius and surrounding myself with the likes of Aliana, Xanthe and Dallin... Xanthe is fine, Aliana and Dallin... Not as much.

Those two are as thick as gossipy, schoolgirl thieves and always seem to find the more 'presentable' form of everything.

At the time, Xanthe was accompanying me to the ceremony after I had been dressed and styled by Aliana and Dallin.

"Excited?" Xanthe asked me and I shrugged, "You've been quiet recently, Lady Elia."

"I suppose..." I sighed and Xanthe stopped me in my tracks.

"Elia... What is on your mind?", Xanthe's eyes found mine and I couldn't help but blurt the truth-- It was like a wave crashed over me.

"I don't want this wedding," I confessed and Xanthe nodded.

"You think I don't know that? Come, Lady Elia, you do a pathetic job of hiding it! Let me give you some advice: Deal with it. You know why you did this, so don't forget that." She told me and I nodded.

"Okay... You're right... Why are you right?" I asked her and she rolled her eyes.

"Let's do this." She grumbled and started to drag me further down the hallway towards the cathedral.

As the doors opened, my nerves only skyrocketed but I pushed forward despite the aching throb in my back from where my corset is tightest.

I first saw Athena who was dressed in her robes and was stood beside Julius. Gods, what I'd do for her to be standing beside me...

Xanthe left me at the altar and the priestess had begun reciting her notes.

"Today, we are here to unite His Grace, Duke Julius Summergarde of House Summergarde and Her Regency, Princess Elia Blackstone...", she continued, but I ignored it all. "Do you, Duke Julius, take Princess Elia as your wife in sickness and in health?"

"I do." He smirked and I tasted bile in my throat.

"Do you, Lady Elia, take Duke Julius to be your husband in sickness and in health?" She asked me and I nodded.

"I do..." I sighed.

"I now pronounce you, Prince Julius Summergarde and Princess Elia Summergarde, as husband and wife." The Priestess recited and I had to fight back a gag.

The only time I'd like to be called a Summergarde is if I was wed to Athena... Nope. I can't think like that.

. . .

The festivities followed after the ceremony and I was stuck in the presence of both Julius and Athena which I did not enjoy, particularly the dance I had to perform with Julius and the tense silences between Athena and I.

But once the night was over and Julius retired to his quarters along with most of the guests, I found myself alone in the ballroom.

Flashbacks of my father's poisoning raced through my mind but I was thrown out of my devastating thoughts by the sound of footsteps coming towards me.

I turned to face Athena who was still in her robes.

"Are you well, Miss Elia?" She asked me and leaned against the table.

"Of sorts," I answered.

"That doesn't sound promising..." Athena muttered quizzically.

"I just don't want this life... I preferred it when I was back in Aerilon with Palestina and the drunken, mercenary lotharios that the inn attracted..." I grunted and Athena knelt down beside me, forcing me to look into her eyes.

"Elia... I understand that you're homesick... Is there anything I can do to help?" She wondered and I chuckled dryly.

"...You wouldn't do it..." I murmured, turning back to look at my twiddling thumbs.

"Elia, look at me." She demanded and I did so, suddenly feeling the power in her captain-like tone... It was a massive turn on but nothing could happen. "I would do anything for you. My duty lies with the Blackstones for the time being and because you are a Blackstone, that means my duty lies with you."

"Athena, you don't get it..." I grumbled.

"I do. You don't want to get married and you don't want to be Queen-Consort but we all need to do things we don't want to do." She hissed at me and I rolled my eyes, "Don't get sassy, Elia."

"Don't get sassy, Elia." I mimicked and Athena's hand gripped my shoulder tightly with a strength that shocked me to my core.

"Elia. What is on your mind?" She snapped at me and I let out a shaky breath.

"This." I breathed and pressed my lips to hers.

We kissed, long and slow and passionate. Athena settled into the kiss pretty quickly and started to run her fingers through my hair which made me shiver with pleasure. I moaned against her lips and, with her other hand, she traced the taut lines that run down my neck and stopped at my collarbone.

Her lips were so soft and she tasted like raspberries but when I tugged my lips out of hers just to catch a breath, she immediately pulled back in panic.

"I-- I shouldn't have done that!" She stammered, getting to her feet and checking over her shoulder. "What if somebody saw us!?

"Athena!" I shouted, trying to grab her attention.

I clawed at her shoulders but she jolted back and paced for a few seconds before striding out the door, leaving me heartbroken and in a heap of sped-up breaths.