First at Last

Chapter Twenty-Two

My stomach was knotted and my hands shook slightly as my new ladies-in-waiting dressed me and prepared me for the wedding. I stood in my bedroom at the palace, staring at my reflection in the tall, gilt mirror.

I wore an off-white wedding gown, with gold lace running along the sleeves and in little patterns along the skirt. The sleeves reached just past my elbows and were tight. The skirt was long enough to hide my feet and the train trailed behind me. Strands of my hair were held back with a pearl comb, and the rest fell past my shoulders in curls.

Alice stood with me as they worked on my wedding gown. She was very good at telling them what to do and giving them directions. She was the one to organize most of my wedding, with the help of the king and queen. Mother and Father had refused to get involved, but I had been alright with that, although I had reached out to them. However, Queen Alexia and King Henry were very helpful and felt almost like my own parents. After the initial shock of William's disobedience, the king had managed to forgive and forget and was very helpful--eager, even--in planning the wedding. He was actually a very kind person, though one would never know that just by looking at him.

Queen Alexia stood close by, watching the ladies work on my hair and my dress, smiling slightly. Occasionally, she offered some advice or something that they should change or fix, but mostly, she just stood by and watched. Throughout the process of planning the wedding, she would give me helpful advice for a married woman, and things that I should do, but, overall, she was a rather quiet woman, and did not speak up too much. Though, having her near was just as good.

Agnes finished lacing up my gown and smiled at me. "You look beautiful, Miss." After the engagement ball last winter, Alice and I had moved into the palace, since we were no longer welcome at our own house. I had hired Agnes for far more than she had been paid at the estate, and she had come with us, though I think she would have come, regardless of the raise.

I smiled at her, my cheeks heating up. "Thank you, Agnes."

Alice stood next to me and met my eyes in the mirror. "She is right, Erika. You look amazing. And, just think: by tonight, you'll be a princess! And married!"

I did not know what to say, so I continued to smile, nodding my head, and averting my eyes, so that I was looking down at the off-white silk slippers that matched my gown.

I loosed a nervous breath and turned away from the mirror, smiling at my sister.

A moment later, there was a sharp knock on the door to my room. The door opened to reveal Commander Gabriel. Alice grinned and went over to greet him.

Not long after William and I had gotten engaged, Gabriel had asked Alice, and, of course, she'd said yes. They were planning on getting married some time midsummer.

"I am to escort you to the wedding," Gabriel said, smiling.

The queen came over to me and gave me a quick hug. "Good luck," she whispered in my ear, smiling at me. "And you look absolutely stunning."

I returned the embrace and then took hold of Gabriel's arm, and he led me out of the castle and to the gardens where the wedding was being held. Alice followed behind us, saying nothing, but fussing with my hair occasionally. I think she was as nervous as I was, if not more so.

I smiled and swatted her hand away when she tried to fix my hair once more. There was nothing wrong with my hair. "Calm down, Alice."

She smiled sheepishly at me. "My baby sister is getting married! I have every right to be nervous!"

Before we had even made it to the palace doors, I could hear cheers and shouts. News of our wedding had spread like wildfire across Belhaven and it seemed as though the entire country had come to see me wed. They had to lock the gates at the beginning of last week so that the people could not break into the palace.