Quietly, but filled with almost touchable anticipation, August’s dawn brightened up early and swiftly. Richly scented with summer vegetation, freshness of the night was evaporating from the soil and rolling in thick, misty patches above the fields.
In a clearing not far away from the castle, lying among the morning mists she was listening to her heart’s beating. The first rays of the sun broke the mists, stretching their warmness across the field and reaching through the entrance columns, brightening the inside of a huge castle garden. In seconds, everything seemed to come alive and soon she could not hear the beatings of her heart anymore as they were overpowered by exited voices from the garden. The giggling of the girls arranging flower pots in the yard was joined by the fuss and the clanging of pots in the kitchen. She heard the noise of wooden chairs being moved as the long table has been set for meal. Everything was being prepared for the feast. After all, it is not every day that their beloved queen is going to be married. Feeling the love and connection with her people, she smiled and pleasant warmness filled her abdomen, lifting her chest in several, short joyful sighs, so overpowering that a mist of joyful tears filled her eyes.
‘Ah, there you are!’ A man’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
‘No,’ she giggled and jumped up, dragging her cloak above her clothes, hiding them from him, ‘you cannot see the bride in her wedding dress before the wedding.’
‘Oh, just one kiss for good luck? I promise I was not looking at your dress at all.’ He smiled and to reassure her that he had no interest in her dress, he respectfully pulled her cloak tighter around her, hugged her gently and they kissed. They looked in each other’s eyes for a long moment before exchanging another long and passionate kiss. She leaned her head on his shoulder and hugged him tighter. Her gaze went toward the bright sphere hovering above the castle and a worrying sigh escaped from her lungs. She closed her eyes in regret for letting it out, but he had noticed it.
‘What is it, my beautiful bride?’ He asked worriedly.
‘Nothing,’ she caressed his shoulder. ‘Nothing. I am so happy that I am afraid something bad could happen.’
‘You are worried about them?’ She grimaced in indecisiveness. She wanted to avoid that conversation. He understood and rubbed her back. ‘It is all right my love, I am sure they won’t hurt you or us, especially on our big day. Your sun will protect us.’ She looked at the sphere and then at his eyes, and smiled.
‘You are right.’ She gave him another brief warm hug. ‘Now, you go to your best man, and I have to go back and wait for you in the castle.’ He held her hand in his for a moment longer, looking into her eyes.
‘Before this day ends, we will be husband and wife and everything will be all right.’ He kissed her forehead and walking a couple of steps backwards, smiling at her, he turned and walked toward the nearby forest. She followed him with her eyes and just before he disappeared behind the trees, he looked at her and they waved to each other.
She went toward the castle with a heavy heart. No matter how much she wanted to believe him, she was still unsure. Marrying a mortal, it could be the last drop in an already overflowing cup of anger that was hanging above her. She sighted trying to get bad thoughts out of her head, he was probably right, this was their day and she couldn’t imagine that her kin could be so insensitive to punish her now.
In a clearing not far away from the castle, lying among the morning mists she was listening to her heart’s beating. The first rays of the sun broke the mists, stretching their warmness across the field and reaching through the entrance columns, brightening the inside of a huge castle garden. In seconds, everything seemed to come alive and soon she could not hear the beatings of her heart anymore as they were overpowered by exited voices from the garden. The giggling of the girls arranging flower pots in the yard was joined by the fuss and the clanging of pots in the kitchen. She heard the noise of wooden chairs being moved as the long table has been set for meal. Everything was being prepared for the feast. After all, it is not every day that their beloved queen is going to be married. Feeling the love and connection with her people, she smiled and pleasant warmness filled her abdomen, lifting her chest in several, short joyful sighs, so overpowering that a mist of joyful tears filled her eyes.
‘Ah, there you are!’ A man’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
‘No,’ she giggled and jumped up, dragging her cloak above her clothes, hiding them from him, ‘you cannot see the bride in her wedding dress before the wedding.’
‘Oh, just one kiss for good luck? I promise I was not looking at your dress at all.’ He smiled and to reassure her that he had no interest in her dress, he respectfully pulled her cloak tighter around her, hugged her gently and they kissed. They looked in each other’s eyes for a long moment before exchanging another long and passionate kiss. She leaned her head on his shoulder and hugged him tighter. Her gaze went toward the bright sphere hovering above the castle and a worrying sigh escaped from her lungs. She closed her eyes in regret for letting it out, but he had noticed it.
‘What is it, my beautiful bride?’ He asked worriedly.
‘Nothing,’ she caressed his shoulder. ‘Nothing. I am so happy that I am afraid something bad could happen.’
‘You are worried about them?’ She grimaced in indecisiveness. She wanted to avoid that conversation. He understood and rubbed her back. ‘It is all right my love, I am sure they won’t hurt you or us, especially on our big day. Your sun will protect us.’ She looked at the sphere and then at his eyes, and smiled.
‘You are right.’ She gave him another brief warm hug. ‘Now, you go to your best man, and I have to go back and wait for you in the castle.’ He held her hand in his for a moment longer, looking into her eyes.
‘Before this day ends, we will be husband and wife and everything will be all right.’ He kissed her forehead and walking a couple of steps backwards, smiling at her, he turned and walked toward the nearby forest. She followed him with her eyes and just before he disappeared behind the trees, he looked at her and they waved to each other.
She went toward the castle with a heavy heart. No matter how much she wanted to believe him, she was still unsure. Marrying a mortal, it could be the last drop in an already overflowing cup of anger that was hanging above her. She sighted trying to get bad thoughts out of her head, he was probably right, this was their day and she couldn’t imagine that her kin could be so insensitive to punish her now.