The next morning we were once again awakened by a knock at the door.  This time, however, it was a knock we were expecting. It was the morning of our wedding, and hours of fussing and grooming at the hands of the Palace servants awaited us.

But to my surprise, they didn’t take us to one of the many dressing rooms scattered throughout the Palace. Instead, we were led to the First Prince’s private meeting room. Andrian and I exchanged glances, both wary of what this unexpected meeting might entail.

When we arrived, the First Prince and Amelie were waiting for us, along with Marquis Heinrich. All three of them were smiling, so whatever the reason we had been summoned there for, it didn't seem like it was bad news. 

“Good morning,” the First Prince greeted us. “Lord Erris cast a sound barrier for us earlier, so you can speak freely.” 

“Your Highness,” I acknowledged him with a bow before turning to the others, “Amelie, Marquis Heinrich. Has something happened?”

“No, nothing has happened," Amelie assured me, "Well, nothing bad, at least. Some additional guests arrived this morning, and one of them specifically requested to see you before the wedding.”

“I hope I haven’t overstepped,” Marquis Heinrich cut in, "but I visited the beast camp last night. When I attended your joining in the Beastlands, I found it quite disheartening that I was your only countryman in attendance, and I feel no better about how few of the beastmen will be in attendance here. We’re supposed to be celebrating the cooperation of our nations, after all. My intention was to bring that Thoma fellow and perhaps a couple of others back with me, but I met someone unexpected while I was there. I took it upon myself to invite said person back to the Palace to attend the wedding.”

Both Andrian and I were perplexed by that statement. Every member of the delegation was carefully chosen and there shouldn’t have been anyone unexpected in their midst. 

Before we could inquire any further, I heard a familiar voice behind me ask, “Well? Can I see my boys now or not?”

“Dad?!” Andrian exclaimed, spinning around before the words had fully left the speaker’s mouth.

I turned to see Uncle Alek standing in the doorway, a wide grin stretched across his face.

“Well, come on now,” he said with a hearty laugh, holding out his arms expectantly. “I came all this way. Where are my hugs?”

Before I knew it, I was caught in a three-way bear hug with Andrian and his father. After being around my own father again, I appreciated Uncle Alek’s warmth and kindness even more.

“But how did you get here?” Andrian asked, pulling back slightly, “And why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

“I didn’t think I’d be able to,” Uncle Alek explained, “but Rixon showed up at the cabin and said the higher ups told him to cover my station so I could follow after you. I’d already missed the delegation’s departure, but I caught up with them at their camp the day after you guys were brought to the Palace. Since you were already gone, I figured I’d missed my chance to see the wedding. But then Heinrich here showed up at the camp last night, and when he found out I was your dad, he offered to bring me back with him.”

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t wipe the giant smile off my face. I glanced at Marquis Heinrich, who looked very pleased with himself after witnessing our reunion.

“Thank you, Marquis,” I said softly, “Having him here means a lot to both of us.”

The Marquis dismissed my thanks with an awkward wave of his hand and replied, “It was nothing. Consider it a part of your wedding gift. Which reminds me, I have a gift prepared for both of you that I'd prefer to give you now, rather than at the celebration.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out two long, thin boxes, handing one to each of us. Inside the box, I found a small dagger nestled in an ornate sheath. The handle was made of a smooth ivory inlaid with gold, and the blade was thin, razor sharp, and only a few inches in length.

“Boot knives,” the Marquis explained as I examined his gift, “the sheath is designed to hook onto the top of your boot. A man should never be caught without a blade when he needs one.”

“Thank you, Heinrich,” Andrian said as he gazed down at the beautifully crafted knife, “I look forward to an opportunity to use it.”

“I had a feeling you would, General,” Marquis Heinrich answered him, “The craftsman who made these also made mine. I once took out the eye of an ice wolf with it, and I can assure you with certainty that the blade is very effective, despite its size.”

The Marquis knelt down and showed me how to attach the small blade to the cuff of my boot. Although the boot only came up to the top of my ankle, the knife was small enough to be completely hidden within. I was very aware of its presence against my foot, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. I imagined I would soon get used to it being there.

“I hate to rush things along, but we don’t have a lot of time before the ceremony begins,” the First Prince interrupted, “Falyn, General Andrian, I'm afraid you must be off. The servants are waiting outside the door for you. I will ensure your father is well taken care of and has a proper seat for the ceremony.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” I replied before turning to Uncle Alek and giving him another hug, “And thank you for coming all this way. We’ll see you at the celebration after.”

“I wouldn’t miss this any more than I would have missed your joining ceremony,” he said in a serious voice, “I know you had a tough time here, kiddo, but this is your home and these are your people. Even if you never return to Vrayna after this, I think this ceremony will mean just as much to you as the other one.” 

Andrian jumped on his dad, pulling him into another big hug, and I heard him whisper, “Thanks Dad,” as he was pulling away. 

Before we could leave, Amelie wrapped me in a tearful embrace, overwhelmed by the emotions circulating the room. But unlike before, these were happy tears. She smiled brightly as we left with the servants who had been waiting for us outside the door. 

This time, the servants led us to a bathing room, where we allowed them to scrub, scrape, and oil us until they were satisfied. I couldn't deny the healthy glow of my skin once they were finished, but I couldn’t help but feel that a simple bath would have been more than enough after all the work they put in for the welcome banquet. 

While still in our robes, we were fed a modest meal of sliced fruit and sharp cheese, served with a mild tea poured over ice. We would feast at the celebration afterward, but tradition dictated that we eat only a little before the ceremony. 

Once we had finished our meal, we were led to a dressing room to be attired for the ceremony. The older woman with grey streaked hair was there waiting for us, along with Amelie, who seemed to have taken charge of our wardrobe. Her usual gentle countenance had been replaced by a domineering aura as she commanded her fellow servants.  

When she noticed our arrival, her face lit up with a bright smile.

“My Lord and General,” she greeted us with a small curtsey, “We have your wedding garments prepared for you. I hope you will be pleased, as they are outfits of my own design, combining the noble traditions of Vrayna with the practicality of the Beastlands. I wanted you to feel comfortable at your ceremony, but without sacrificing the elegance and style one would expect of a noble groom. Please consider them a gift from this humble servant in celebration of your union.”

“Thank you, Miss Amelie. You are too kind,” Andrian replied, “I’m certain they will be perfect.”

Without hesitation, I wrapped my arms around her and lifted her in an enthusiastic embrace. The other servants gasped, clearly scandalized. Propriety be damned, even if I couldn’t thank her with words, I could still show my appreciation. 

Forgetting herself for a moment, Amelie laughed melodically and playfully swatted my arm. “Hugging an unmarried woman in front of your fiancée… Have you been in the Beastlands so long that you have forgotten your manners? And if you want to thank me, live a long and happy life together.”

“That’s the plan,” Andrian informed her, “A happy life, free of manners.”

“Well, you will still need them for a little while longer,” Amelie warned us, “You still have a wedding ceremony and a celebration to attend. I can make the two of you look like gentlemen, but you are the ones who will have to act the part. This humble servant expects both of you to be on your best behavior.”

“But of course, Miss Amelie,” Andrian promised, forcing himself to keep a straight face at her sudden sternness. 

Satisfied, she gave a small nod before returning to her role as the First Prince’s personal maid, “Now, if it pleases you, my Lord and General, I would like to show you my design.” 

I nodded enthusiastically, ignoring the stares of the other servants. 

Amelie guided us to a couch and had us sit before retrieving a garment rack hidden from view. Hanging on the rack were two matching suits made of a shimmering black fabric, somewhat reminiscent of clothing one would find in the Beastlands. Both suits had loose, flowing, wide-legged pants and a high-collared, buttonless jacket that would hang open when worn. The shirts, however, were entirely Vraynia in style. 

The shirt Amelie had designed for me was made from a form-fitting white lace, adorned with hundreds of miniature emeralds. Andrian's was white silk with tiny diamonds lining the collar. The necklines plunged into daringly low V-shapes that would leave quite a bit of skin exposed. If a woman's dress were to feature such a design, she would be shunned for her immodesty, yet when worn by a man, it was considered fashionable.

“I noticed that you wear matching necklaces, so I altered the design of the shirts to show them off,” Amelie explained as we admired her work, “General Shidah explained to me that they are the Beastlands' equivalent to rings.”

“They’re perfect, Amelie,” Andrian told her, looking as pleased as I was with her designs. 

“Then let’s get you dressed so we can finish preparing you,” she instructed, clearly eager to see us in her creations. “We only have two more movements before the ceremony begins, and there is still a lot of work to do.”

I winced when she said there was still a lot of work to do. We had already spent two movements being brutally bathed, and I had been pampered enough to last a lifetime. But there was no escaping it, so we donned the suits and braced ourselves for whatever grooming awaited us next.

The servants braided Andrian’s hair again, this time weaving silver beads into the tiny strands. For me, they dusted my hair with flecks of gold that shimmered in the light, then used a fire-heated rod to twist it into ringlets, sealing them in place with the melted gold. 

I wanted to balk when they brought out cosmetics, but Andrian accepted it so easily that I felt compelled to do the same. Fortunately, they only wanted to add minor accents, fine lining around our eyes and a light dusting of bronze powder on our cheeks. 

A clock chimed, signaling it was time to depart.

“It’s time!” Amelie chirped happily, grabbing both of us by the arm. “Your escort will be here soon.”

Sure enough, as soon as she’d said that, a knock sounded at the door, and the Palace knights entered. I was pleased to see both Evan and Gentry among them, even if they only greeted me with a formal, “My Lord.”

The ceremony would take place in the garden, where the largest number of nobles could gather, and was set to begin at the third movement of descent. It was shortly after the second movement when we began navigating our way through the maze called the Golden Palace. 

The corridors were quiet, not a single servant in sight, all of them focused on pleasing the guests awaiting us in the garden. The Palace knights remained on high alert as we passed through deserted stairwells and empty chambers, as if they were expecting some sort of attack. 

Thanks to our ever vigilant escort, we arrived in the garden without incident. The entire outdoor space was filled with nobles and Royals, far more than were in attendance at the engagement banquet. It was daunting to see the hundreds of people that awaited the spectacle that would be our wedding. 

“Lords and Ladies!” a servant announced, his strong tenor voice echoing over the chatter of the nobility, “Please take your seats. His Highness, First Prince and Crowned Prince of our glorious nation, future King Elantro de Vray, shall address you before the ceremony begins!” 

At his words, the nobles hastily found their seats and silence fell over the garden. Beyond the endless rows of seats, a stage had been constructed, where a Palace official waited to perform the marriage rituals. 

As the last murmurs faded, the First Prince made his entrance. He walked out onto the stage, dressed in a shining golden suit, ready to begin the ceremony.