In The Name Of Love

Chapter 29

Here's chapter 29 complete with completely ficticious ceremony I made up... enjoy...

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Dorina just stared at me for a moment when I got to the doors I was going to walk through.

"You look..."

I smiled and looked down at my dress. It was a simple ball dress in shape, not too poofy and not too layered. It was dark green, the first colour I wore here, and the embroidery around the bottom which reached up to the waist and up the bodice was actually spun in silver wire. It was strapless, but the wire which ran up to and around my neck was on almost invisible material that was silver in the right light, and was soft to the touch. It formed sleeves too and looped around my middle finger. Even so my ring stood out. The band was gold, but on the top it was hidden by a large oval emerald, so pure it was almost impossible. Around it sat a host of small circular diamonds, each as perfect as the last. It was an old family heirloom going five hundred years back. But it wasn't a monstrosity. It was... oh it was wonderful. I was surprised Elisabeta had been able to part with it.

I wore a choker of silver, diamonds and emeralds. It was newer than my ring by a few hundred years and I was given matching earrings and bracelet. My hair was mostly up exposing my neck, Carol had actually winked at me when he suggested it because somehow he knew Mircea loved my hair when it was like that, but there were a few errant curls artfully spilling around the bun he'd done.

"... beautiful," Dorina finished.

"Thank you," I smiled. "Oh, come here," I said and hugged her tightly because I hadn't had a chance to yet. She was in a really nice dress to, dark red against her tanned skin. "You look really nice. Who's looking after Grigore?"

"Our uncle and aunt. I'll bring him back tomorrow afternoon. Anyway, you need to go in there. Walk down the same staircase that you used earlier. Queen Elisabeta is waiting for you at the bottom. Once she's addressed everyone, curtsy deeply and stay down there until she tells you to rise. Look to Mircea for the curtsy cue. Don't bow your head, but look down," she calmly instructed.

"What's going on?" I asked.

She smiled. "Don't bow your head, ok?"

"Ok."

"And look at everyone for a moment before you go down the stairs."

"Cue the awkward wave," I joked and copied Mircea's jerky wave from the plane.

We both laughed but then she touched her ear and turned serious. "They're ready for you," she said. "Be calm. Be confident. But be soft."

I nodded and composed myself. I shook some nervous tension out of my hands, flexed my fingers and then dropped them to my sides. I took a breath and took a step forward. The doormen turned to the doors, one of them knocked on it lightly and then opened the doors.

"Say 'humbly'" was Dorina's final instruction before I stepped out there.

An announcer banged something on the floor and spoke in a clear, warm baritone. "Presenting Anwyn Olwenna Edris, and His Royal Highness Mircea Dragomir Petre, Prince of Romania."

Mircea was the other side of the room to me standing on his set of stairs. He looked over to me with a smile in his eyes. I smiled back and then at the same time we turned, looked out to the waiting guests and Elisabeta who was now wearing a full on crown. There was a lot of space in front of the stairs and the dais had been extended to form a raised dance floor. There was no lectern on it anymore. Just two footmen stood in the middle of the back, a few feet apart.