Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 116570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
When the carriage stopped, and the door opened again, the sound of the people gave me goose bumps.
Taking a deep breath, I was helped out by none other than Wolfgang, who stood tall with the Sliver Eagle Medal of Courage pinned to his suit for his act of saving me.
“Welcome, ma’am,” he emphasized, nodding his head to me.
I wanted to say it was too early for the ma’am, but it really wasn’t. I was at the door already.
“Here you are.” Eliza smiled as she handed me my bouquet comprised of the flowers of the nation. “Don’t worry; I have you covered from back here.”
She moved behind me to fix my train. It was too much for just one bridesmaid, so shockingly enough, Sophia stood with her. She wasn’t wearing black for the very first time, and instead, wore a soft gray. I looked back at her, and she just nodded. We weren’t friends. We weren’t enemies. We were just two women who had fallen in love with princes and now supported each other whenever we could. And that was enough.
“And I have you from the side,” my mother said, coming up next to me. This was the reason why she had chosen to be the mother of the bride. Because, in Ersovia, both parents walked you down the aisle, and if one wasn’t there, then the other did it alone, so long as they were family.
“Please don’t let me fall,” I whispered to her.
“Have I ever?”
“Yes.”
“Not this time. Come on, we’re walking,” she replied, and when I entered, everyone stood. The sound of the music drowned out the sounds of the crowd.
Slowly, I began my walk down the red carpet to where Gale stood, dressed in a black and gold royal suit, with his mother beside him dressed in full regalia, scepter, a white and golden robe, and the same golden crown I had worn during that state dinner. As there was going to be a coronation today—on my wedding day—I did not wear a crown to enter. But I did not focus on her for long. Instead, I turned my focus onto Gale, who smiled wide even though we were both told to keep our composure.
Seeing him smile made me smile.
I was getting married to him.
Dear God.
Thank you.
Truly and sincerely with everything I have and I am.
Thank you.
Odette.
I could stand and watch her walk to me all day.
It made me want to dance.
It made me want to run down the pews and shake everyone’s hands.
We had chosen this day because, to us, it really was our wedding day. It also happened to be so many other things, but the only thing that mattered to me right now was this part. I’d care about the other parts in a moment, but this one was for all the world to see that Odette was my wife. It was my favorite.
We weren’t supposed to talk.
However, when she reached me and put her hand in mine, I couldn’t help but say, “You are more than what beauty can describe.”
Her eyes watered, and her lips wavered, but she held back and only said, “Cheesy.”
Oh, how I wanted to laugh. But again, I had been warned many times. Be composed. So I held back my laugh and stepped forward with her.
The archbishop talked and talked in front of us. There was something about the power of sacred marriage or such. But I barely heard anything else. My heart was drumming too loud in my chest. It was wrong, but I wanted to tell him to hurry it up. All I could do was wait and wait until he finally said—
“Prince Galahad, please repeat these words...”
Facing Odette, I squeezed her hands. “I, Galahad, take you, Odette, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward. For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God’s holy law. In the presence of God, I make this vow. For the good and the glory of Ersovia.”
“Miss Wyntor, please repeat these words...”
She squeezed my hands back. “I, Odette, take you, Galahad, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward. For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God’s holy law. In the presence of God, I make this vow. For the good and the glory of Ersovia.”
“The rings.”
They were presented to us both, and as we slipped the ring on each other’s hands, we both said, “I give you this ring as a sign of our marriage. With my body, I honor you. All that I am, I give to you, and all that I have, I share with you within the love of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”