Fall in love deeply

The coachman pulled the carriage in front of the cathedral. The door of the royal carriage opened and Charlotte stepped out. She heard the common people's cheering voices and recalled the day when she was married to Mathieu. 

She stepped out of the carriage while the two attendants adjusted Charlotte's dress. 

Her hair was unbound and updoed with red rose flowers. A white lace veil draped over her head and face. She had put on light makeup. Surprisingly, the wedding dress was perfect for her slim body. She had carried a bouquet of red and white roses and looked at her front.

The priest was waiting for her outside the cathedral. He led her inside the cathedral, where her father was waiting for her on the aisle. Hundreds of people from royal and noble families were seated on both sides of the aisle. 

Charlotte scooped her hand around his father's arm. She looked ahead and saw the Duke was ardently looking in her direction. Her brows furrowed to see him, and her eyes turned misty. 

A month ago, Mathieu was standing at the altar, smiling at her. She was extremely excited about saying wedding vows with Mathieu. However, he was no longer there. 

The people in the hall whispered among themselves upon seeing Charlotte was glued to her place. 

"Charlotte," she heard her father's voice and came out of those thoughts. She wanted to run away, but she could not do that. Not now anymore. She did everything she could do to run away from Édouard, but he was adamant about having her. She had to accept that her fate would soon be interlocked with Édouard's. 

She took a deep breath and took a step forward with her father. Marcus walked straight with a smile on his face. Marcus gently grasped the hand of his daughter and placed it above Édouard's hand upon reaching the altar, who had curled his fingers around it. 

Marcus took a step back and got down the aisle. 

Charlotte stood to the left of Édouard, facing the priest. The priest took their right hands and placed them over each other. He blessed them and after a while, Charlotte pulled her hand away from him. 

"Say after me: I take you to be my wife and my spouse and I pledge to you the faith of my body, that I will be faithful to you and loyal with my body and my goods and that I will keep you in sickness and in health and in whatever condition it will please the Lord to place you, and that I shall not exchange you for better or worse until the end," the priest said, looking at Édouard, who recited the same words as the priest had told him. Charlotte also recited after the priest, once Édouard was done. 

"Please exchange the rings," the priest said. The priest blessed the bride's ring, which Édouard had handed him earlier. He handed it to Édouard, who forwarded his hand to take Charlotte's hand. He inserted the ring on her fourth finger. 

Charlotte's eyes glinted as she saw the red emerald ring. Édouard lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. She blinked a few times before quickly withdrawing her hand. He wasn't supposed to do that. Her cheeks flushed red because of Édouard's sweet gesture. 

The priest then handed the ring to Charlotte. Édouard forwarded his left hand and waited for her to insert the ring. She inserted the ring in his fourth finger and looked into his eyes. He had a wide smile on his lips. 

In the background, the harpist started to play light and calm music on the harp. 

"The groom may kiss his bride," the priest stated. 

Charlotte had almost forgotten about it. She got nervous and wondered how she would escape it. She wasn't ready for it. Her heart palpitated because of the nervousness. She could not even say anything to Édouard in front of so many people. 

She tightly held the bouquet in her hand when Édouard lifted her veil. She pleaded with him through her eyes not to kiss her. He was her husband now, so there was no way that he would stop himself. 

Édouard leaned down and she shut her eyes tightly. He smiled to see that reaction from her and kissed her cheek. People present in the hall clapped for them. 

"I pronounce you both husband and wife," the priest announced and blessed them.

Charlotte opened her eyes and peered into Édouard's eyes. "You look beautiful," he said. The blush on her cheeks became prominent, and she immediately lowered her head. 

He held her left hand and she again met his gaze. He took her out of the cathedral. The people of Wexnon cheered for their Duke and Duchess. Édouard waved at them, and reluctantly, Charlotte lifted her hand to wave at them. She smiled at them and then got into the horse carriage.  

Rainard closed the carriage's door, and the chauffeur pulled the reins on the two horses, and the carriage moved ahead. 

Charlotte looked at the enthusiastic faces of the people. They were happy for their Duke, who had finally married. She wondered if Beromont's people were happy or were they cursing her for moving ahead with Édouard? 

Suddenly, she again felt Édouard's hand on hers, and she tilted her head. Before she had pulled it back, he laced his fingers with hers. 

"Your Excellency, could you please leave my hand?" She asked. 

"I didn't grab it to leave it," he stated. 

"My mother will converse with you. I want you not to say anything to her which could hurt her sentiments," Édouard said. "I saw her smiling after a long time," he added. 

"I am not fool enough to say something which could hurt Her Majesty. Also, I am not angry at anyone except the Duke. He is the one who forced me to marry him," she retorted. 

"You love to argue with me. Don't you know that couples who fight or argue a lot with each other fall deeply in love?" He asked, and they both tilted their heads to look at each other. He smirked at her while she frowned at him.