9| Groomless Wedding

The grand hall of the Welerian palace gleamed in glam from the crystalline chandeliers that hung from the vine-lined ceiling, trailing down the pillar, adorned with white petal roses.

With the long rows of wooden seats lined with flowered vines, the entire hall emitted a sense of mystical enchantment by the forged garden ornaments and design, glimmered by specs of crystalline light and sorcery.

But within the mesmerizing allure of the Eden-theme wedding, the seated guests of the high nobility of the Werlerian kingdom, had their questioning gazes locked on the altar as harshened whispers spread like wildfire within the crowd.

There was no need for thought on the type of words the venomous tongues spat in pure discrimination and hate, within the silence of the sacred ceremony — most especially after the bride had strolled in and up to the altar.

Slyteena stood rigidly in place, feeling the weighting effect of the piercing glares directed at her as hushed whispers filled the tense air. 

Her fingernails dug deeper into the handle of her rosey bouquet, keeping her lifeless gaze on the marriage certificate lying on the altar surface.

Along the bottom margin of the sheet was her name written in bold ink, to the left side of His Highness' name, with the only thing lacking was both their signature below their names.

Sylteena's eyes slowly trailed to the empty spot to her left.

The groom was missing.

With the chaos in the hall still subtle, the air was charged with both concern and bewilderment altogether.

How can a groom be late for his own wedding?!

More than half an hour had passed in the ceremony, and the groom was nowhere to be found.

At the corner of the hall, Her Royal Majesty Rebecca stood before the small gathering of her guards; her brows knitted into a deep scowl, and her tone darkened and harsh.

"What do you mean you can't find my son?!"

The guards lowered their heads.

"We searched everywhere, Your Majesty, but we could—"

"Mother!" The voice of her youngest son caused her to look up, seeing him walk in and towards her with another group of guards trailing after him.

"Did you find him!?" Was the first thing she asked, feeling a vein pop on her forehead.

Wilhelm finally stood before her before shaking his head with a grimace. "He isn't in the castle."

Her eyes widened.

Taking a glance at the seated guests at the center of the hall, Rebecca's eyes immediately locked on the particular official who sat on the front row surrounded by a pair of knights of a unique armory.

The Phoenix's Imperial Adviser.

Seated in the attire of a surcoat with pants, the woman of authority, the Phoenix's imperial adviser, had her legs and arms crossed with a disapproving frown impressed on her lips.

Rebecca noticed as her foot tapped repeatedly, depicting her lack of patience as she stared at the groomless altar.

Her Majesty gulped, snapping her gaze back to Wilhelm.

"We have to do something... Now!" Her voice trailed with urgency and uneasiness. "If Lady Veronica decides to report this to Her Highness, it will not end well for our family name!" She could feel the cold sweat prickling down her back.

Wilhelm grimaced, "I understand, Mother, but we have searched every cranny and post, and he is still nowhere to be seen."

"But you gave me your words that he wouldn't leave this palace!"

"I did! I knew he was in his chambers all day... He must have snuck out when we went to welcome the bride."

"Bullocks..." Rebecca cursed under her breath, tightening her fists until he knuckles turned white.

What was she going to do now? Was the only question lingering in her already uneased mind. 

This was an obligatory ceremony imposed by Her Highness of Thembelo, the Phoenix. It would be nothing close to acceptable if the Phoenix found out her orders were blankly disregarded... Her jaws tightened. 

But how was a wedding supposed to go without a groom?

"Your Majesty?"

A cold chill ran down Rebecca's spine as a stern tone called from the side. The voice of the last person she'd want to be confronted by at that moment.

Her forehead was already coated with a sheen of sweat as her eyes gingerly raised to the approaching figure followed by Imperial Knights in white.

Lady Veronica halted, a deep crease impressed above her brows.

Queen Rebecca gulped softly before turning to face her current fear. "Uh- Oh... L- Lady Veronica..."

Despite the eyes of Lady Veronica being shrouded by a black blindfold, the sense of a demeaning glare spiking into her flesh caused Rebecca's skin to crawl.

"I can see your son decided to host his wedding ceremony elsewhere without informing us?"

Rebecca quickly shook her head. "N- No, Lady Veronica, he is just... Um- You know something urgent came up at the last minute and he was oblig—"

"Very well then." 

Rebecca and Wilhelm's brows arched high as they watched Lady Veronica wave a dismissive hand before adding, "His presence will not be needed after all."

Rebecca's head crooked to the side. "Pardon?..."

Were her ears deceiving her? Or did Lady Veronica finally agree to dismiss the wedding between her son and that abomination in a wedding dress?

She felt the tickling tug at the edge of her lips. "R- Really?... We should cancel the wedding?" Her heart felt a spark of hope again...

"I do not remember uttering such bizarre words," she turned to face the wedding guests.

"The wedding must still go on. After all, both parties mustn't even be present."

Rebecca's expression became only more and more confused as she watched Lady Veronica march up to the altar to then whisper something to the matrimonial officer who stood opposite the mute bride.

The officer's expression quirked into that of shock, before nodding his head reluctantly and stepping away from the altar.

Sylteena on the other hand, had been so mused in her own thoughts of self-damnation and misery as she watched the floor, failing to notice the presence of Lady Veronica whispering to the marriage officer in front.

"Lady Sylteena?"

Her brows shot high at the sound of the title attached to her name, snapping up her eyes to meet the blindfolded face of the lady standing next to her on the altar.

Her figure was tall and toned, slightly more muscular than the average woman, with her long red strands wrapped into a bun and her eyes shielded by a black blindfold.

The woman was dressed in a surcoat and pants; a dressing rarely seen on a female of these parts. Sylteena blinked twice in surprise, taking a deliberate moment to assess the woman's appearance again. Her gaze then shifted to the Knights in their white armor adorned with a dragon seal on their chests, marking their attention-demanding presence.

A seal worn only by the imperials of one of the most powerful kingdoms. Thembelo... The Dragon Kingdom.

Sylteena's eyes widened.

"Allow me to introduce myself," said the bold voice of the strange woman, recoiling her attention before offering a subtle bow.

"I am by name, Lady Veronica, the Imperial Adviser of the Phoenix."

Sylteena refused to morph her face into an expression, maintaining a steady, blank stare at the high-ranking authority before her.

The Imperial Adviser... Of the Phoenix herself?... Her entire being felt shrunk in such a divine presence.

Lady Veronica let out a light chuckle.

She then snapped her fingers, beckoning one of the Knights to step forward to offer her a stamp box cushioned on a red pillow.

Picking up the stamp in a passive manner, Veronica then turned to the unsigned marriage certificate set on the altar before them. 

She cleared her throat softly before raising her voice to resonate the hall. 

"By the sacred authority vested in me, under the divine auspices of the Supreme Phoenix and her illustrious sovereignty, I hereby pronounce and declare this union of Sylteena Benedict and Anthony Von Kane to be lawfully wed, confirmed, and legitimized."

"By the powers invested in me, I decree that this matrimony shall be bound together in indissoluble unity, strengthened by the sacred bond, trust, and fidelity."

"May the divine Phoenix, the symbol of eternal renewal and wisdom, shed her benevolent radiance upon this union, guiding and sanctifying your journey together, now and forevermore."

The sole of the stamp met hard with the parchment surface between the empty signature lines. Sylteena's eyes peeled wide along with all the seated guests as Veronica finally turned to face the audience.

"Thus, I hereby declare and proclaim this wedding to be duly solemnized, in accordance with the laws of Weleria and the sacred principles of love and commitment."

The corners of Veronica's lips curled into a smile as she turned her head toward the astonished Queen, who stood there drenched in shock and disappointment. Even Prince Wilhelm couldn't apprehend the sudden turn of events beyond normalcy, staring with dropped jaws.

Veronica let out a light huff before facing Sylteena. "Congratulations... Your Highness."

Sylteena's face was blenched, and her eyes were unable to blink, feeling the rigidity of her limbs as her breaths drew even more shallow and strained.

At that very moment, her bewildered mind could not grasp any logical reasoning.

Lady Veronica, along with her imperial knights, all lowered their heads. "Blessings upon Her Royal Highness, Princess Sylteena." She pronounced, subtly sending a bone-chilling command throughout the crowd as they all stood in harmony, lowering their heads to bow to her.

"Blessings upon Her Royal Highness, Princess Sylteena," they recited.

The bouquet tumbled from Sylteena's fingers, landing softly on the carpet with a sound that resonated like a drumbeat in the heavy silence that surrounded her.

She was now... The crowned princess of Weleria?