The Hidden King's Stolen Wife
Chapter 138: The Wedding Day

Chapter 138: The Wedding Day

Soleia stared at herself in the mirror. This was the morning of her wedding, and her stomach was threatening to twist itself into knots. She was in the private room of the church, after being rudely awakened at the break of dawn to prepare for her wedding. She was shoved into a hot bath and scrubbed clean.

The maids then fluttered around her, styling her hair into an elegant chignon. They powdered her face to conceal the dark circles, and applied rouge on her cheeks and lips to give her the image of a blissful bride, oblivious to the turmoil brewing in Soleia’s heart.

Soleia wet her lips. It was nearly time for her to walk down the aisle. She could hear the excited chatter of the guests as they streamed through the open doors of the church, eagerly taking their seats. She glanced down at herself, smoothing through the folds of her dress.

She was wearing an elegant ball gown, encrusted with diamonds at her bodice. They blinded her every time she took a breath, as the shifting fabric reflected sunlight streaming in from the open window.

Soleia had never been clad with this much luxury all her life. Her father had dipped into the royal treasury, adamant about giving Soleia an exorbitant wedding dress to suit the utter spectacle that was her wedding. Even if Soleia would have preferred a simpler gown and had the design sketches to prove it, it was simply impossible― King Godwin refused to make it seem that he couldn’t afford to marry his third daughter in style in front of visiting royalty.

The only thing that grounded her was her favorite pair of selenite earrings, along with the aquamarine necklace Celestina had given her.

"Are you sure you don’t want to eat anything?" Bellaflor asked. She and Celestina were making a last-minute visit to check on their youngest sister, just in case she had prenuptial jitters. "You’re starting to look a little pale. It’ll be a while before the wedding feast starts; you need to keep your energy levels up."

"I can’t swallow a thing," Soleia confessed. "I feel like vomiting."

"Don’t do it in this dress," Celestina said, patting her back lightly for fear of damaging her outfit. "It’s overwhelming, but it’ll all be over before you know it."

"We have to go now," Bellaflor said, casting one last glance at Soleia. She took the veil from the maids and fastened it securely to Soleia’s tiara, before letting it fall over her face. Soleia’s world was draped in a gauzy white.

"No matter what happens, we are very proud of you," Celestina said firmly as she squeezed Soleia’s hands. "Hold your head up high, dear sister."

Soleia’s eyes welled up with tears and she nodded shakily. Her sisters vanished through the door to take their seats, leaving her alone with the maids. She stared at the door, hoping―

"Princess?" One of the maids asked cautiously as she watched the princess stare unblinkingly at the closed door. "Are you waiting for someone else to come?"

Soleia’s lips curled up into a small bitter smile at the innocent question. As if Sir Ralph would visit her at this time when he was clearly needed at Orion’s side as his man of honor. It was best that he kept his distance from her.

But still, her heart ached all the same. She wanted him to see her in this blindingly bright wedding dress, for him to crack jokes about wedding cakes and suncatchers. Instead, there was only a solemn silence in the room as she stood alone with no one for company.

Another maid helpfully chimed in. "Princess Soleia, Prince Reitan is already at the venue. He’s very excited for today!"

"Thank you for telling me," Soleia said. She was ashamed to note that her brother didn’t cross her mind at all. Taking a deep breath, she took one last long look at herself in the mirror.

The woman reflected had a grave look on her face, as though she was attending a stranger’s funeral. Soleia tried to smile.

Better.

Now she looked... happier.

She turned on her heels and the maids eagerly helped her carry the long train of her dress. One passed her her bouquet of flowers, and she nearly staggered under its weight.

It was time to meet her destiny.

***

"Here comes the bride!" The guards announced, and the trumpets began to play to herald her presence.

The melodious strings of the orchestra filled the air, and Soleia took one foot in front of the other, escorted by Prince Reitan and Prince Desmond, who walked in front of her. They strode forward as seriously as they could while scattering flower petals along the aisle.

Prince Desmond was even counting the steps out loud in a series of four, throwing petals only at the second count. Her heart warmed when she saw Reitan follow suit. All too soon, her walk was over.

Orion was waiting at the other end of the aisle. Even through the gauzy veil, she could make out his hazy outline.

He looked very handsome in his pure white suit with a white long cloak of his own. It made him look less like a bloodthirsty general, and more like a cultured noble. Soleia noted with irony that their outfits matched― was Orion the bride, or her? Orion’s hair was also styled to reveal his high forehead, and on his shoulders were his multiple medals, highlighting the achievements he made for the kingdom.

This was Soleia’s husband. She trained herself to keep her eyes on him and to not let them stray in Sir Ralph’s direction. But it was difficult to fight her instincts.

Sir Ralph was standing slightly behind Orion, dressed in a simple black suit, yet her eyes were drawn to him.

But he was staring at the ground, so Soleia turned her gaze back to Orion and his cerulean eyes. However, she quickly frowned. That was strange. His eyes... they weren’t as blue as she remembered. If anything, it seemed slightly gray, as though it was tainted by something else.

The priest began to speak before Soleia could ponder over it further. She shook her head, dismissing the thought. The veil did block quite a bit of her vision. It could just be throwing everything off color.

"We are all gathered here today under the grace of His Majesty, the glorious King Godwin, to celebrate the union of Princess Soleia and Duke Orion Elsher. Life has thrown them many obstacles..."

Even in her nervousness, Soleia wanted to snort. To think the priest would substitute God with her father!

The priest continued to prattle on, praising Orion’s feats and her father’s generosity. Soleia’s feet were starting to ache.

Then, she felt her earring fall to the ground.