WEDDING BELLS

[MUSIC RECOMMENDATION: AFTER LOVE ~ JENNIFER LOPEZ]

When Calissa arrived at the palace after receiving the invitation, gossips passed among the palace maids that the new girl will be the crown prince's concubine. Before then Kitanna already made it known to the Queen through a letter she sent, that Calissa was her work friend whom she had invited for the wedding.

Queen Almaria doubted every word the princess said, so she maintained decorum but heightened her guards and that of the Crown prince. Nix was made to work overtime, standing at the queen's door for days through the night and resting in the morning.

The preparations in the castle continued, and ministers and kings from other kingdoms were welcomed to the palace on the eve of the wedding.

On the morning of the wedding, just like any royal wedding, Khelan dressed extravagantly, wearing his heavy royal robes all red in colour. His bride, Larel, also put on her wedding robe, equally lavish and long, beautifully made with delicate floral embroideries, also featuring a touch of red. Her jade and jewelries glittered under the sun.

At exactly noon, the heavy bell rang throughout the kingdom as villagers gathered at the castle gate with gifts and flowers, praying for the long reign of the new king and queen, and for them to rule with greatness.

Inside the castle, Kitanna scanned the crowd of kings and ministers and gave out her best smile. She really lived up to her nickname 'the treasure of Morado. Her radiant smile gained her unnecessary attention and lingering gazes.

Kitanna was dressed in a light purple floral gown, fitted to her skin, flowing beautifully on the ground. Her tender shoulder was left bare, exposing her smooth skin, with her dark black hair tied up and bundled with two gold pins, leaving a few strands to fall on her face, covering the left side of her brown eyes. Kitanna didn't adorn herself with too many jewels, opting for a simple dot earring and a delicate chain on her neck to complement her dress.

She watched the wedding rituals take place, she couldn't help but smile because everyone here took her for a fool after everything they had already planned for her. Kitanna picked a bird feather that rested on her laps, she looked at it with so much interest forgetting the celebration she came for, the main reason she was sitting close to her mother.

Almaria was dressed in her finest attire, looking regal enough to be mistaken for the bride if not examined closely. She sat comfortably on her throne, knowing that after today, her son would ascend the throne, and she would be the strongest female in the kingdom , the empress dowager, the Queen mother. She would still hold sway. She gave out her very best smile. 

Once in a while Almaria used her side eye to look at Kitanna. They rarely shared this close space, the girl's presence was like a plague to her. The queen was on her toes, she didn't want to be caught off guard.

Nix's gaze swept through the crowd until his blue eyes fell on the princess. He looked at her with curiosity. Before now, Nix had never really taken the time to look at the princess. Even if the kingdom had one, he hadn't bothered. That was until the eve of the wedding when he received direct orders from the Queen.

'After my son's wedding, there will be a small wedding for the princess. On her way to her husband, I want you to make her silent forever.' Those were the Queen's words. Nix had never questioned any orders. Once he was told to kill, he didn't bat an eye. But the Queen ordering him to kill her own daughter created a turmoil of questions in his head. Nix looked at the seemingly harmless, spoiled princess in confusion. He watched her look at something on her hand with so much interest. She lost focus in wedding, she was lost in her own universe.

Kitanna felt the intensity of someone's gaze on her among the sea of leering eyes. She turned and locked eyes with the blue-eyed guard. She immediately grinned and subtly stuck out her tongue. Nix noticed this small act and quickly averted his gaze, keeping his eyes away from the princess who he must end soon.

Why was he staring out her? Kitanna asked herself, she decided to keep her eyes on him throughout the wedding ceremony. She dropped the feather on the ground and focused on the guard.

The high priestess commenced the wedding rituals, performing the traditional dance, giving the couple a bird to exchange, marking the completion of the first phase of the wedding. When the bird was handed to Larel, she did the dance as she had already practiced before, she tied the leg together and handed it over to her husband.

Khelan was so scared of holding the bird, but then when he turned to look at his mother, she gave him a hard stare. He quickly took the bird but during his dance, he mistakenly untied the rope on the birds and it flew away.

Everyone acted like it was normal, so as to continue with the next phase but one person among everyone snickered. Kitanna couldn't hold back her laugh that she felt tears almost dropping from her eyes. She turned to look at the guard but he still had the serious look on his face.

Clephas nudged the princess to stop laughing. She turned and mouthed "Kill joy" only to his hearing.

Almaria tried to maintain the smile on her face, but she was already turning red from embarrassment.

The next phase was for the couple to share their first meal together and it was a success. Khelan did not want to embarrass himself and his mother further, so he did his best.

After the wedding and coronation, it was already evening. Calissa looked as if she had cried her eyes out the entire day after watching the father of her child get married to another. She paced the room before eventually falling asleep.

Khelan and Larel moved to the king's chamber. The newlyweds were exhausted from the long day's activities, and it was time for the final step of the wedding, consummation.

"Just to be clear, I do not love you or have plans to touch you," Khelan stated, removing the heavy robes and changing into more comfortable undergarments.

"I know your heart beats for another, and so does mine. We are victims of our circumstance," Larel replied, grabbing the wine jar and taking a long gulp.

Khelan decided to have a drink with her, hoping it might help him forget his situation, and maybe he would sneak out later to meet his beloved Calissa.