Kingdom

02. The Wedding (2)

Nori follows the King down a long corridor, a few servants escorting them. The music and laughter of the celebration fades away in the distance. The night is young but Nori is already exhausted. She wants to lay down and rest. But the hardest part of this wedding is yet to follow. The Princess has to endure what comes next so she can become a real Queen. She needs to play her cards well. There is too much at stake.

They enter a huge room, lit by thousands of candles - the King's bed chambers.

The room looks exquisite. There is a fine selection of expensive objects, elegant swords, and countless books put on display. Beautiful art pieces and meticulously detailed maps are hanging on the walls. This is a welcoming area, it is where the King invites his close friends or relatives to have tea or discuss private affairs. In the faraway corner of the room, hidden behind soft vales and wooden dividers is where August's actual bedroom probably is. Despite all the fancy decorations, the King's chambers are more simple and elegant than the Princess anticipated.

Nori thought August the Second's rooms would be far more lavish, flamboyant, and overflowing with tons of riches. Considering how much treasure the King is rumored to have acquired from his conquests, Nori believed his Palace will look more like a storage room than a living space. Contrary to her expectations, however, Daegu Royal Palace's interiors are elegant, refined, and aesthetically pleasing.

The air in the room smells of flowers and sweetness but the King orders for the doors to his private garden to be opened. He seems to prefer the fresh air of the evening more than the heavy smell of aroma oils. The Princess is thankful to sense the evening breeze entering the room. But yet again, her chest tightens and she feels like slowly suffocating. This time it is not due to magic but due to growing anxiety rising in her heart.

The Princess is led by a court lady to sit on the soft pillows right next to the garden doors. Her heavy makeup is removed and her face is refreshed with rose water. Delicate cream is placed on her cheeks to soften the skin, a new layer of lipstick added to her lips to make them look inviting, various shades of black and grey painted over her eyelashes to make her eyes more expressive.

The King is sitting close by, waiting for his Queen to be prepared, his face and hands carefully cleaned. The Princess's eyes move towards him and find him looking at her with curiosity. Her heart jumps when he catches her gaze but she resists the urge to look away.

Be brave, she thinks, be brave.

They look at each other for a long moment. Like two predators who meet in the night, they are studying each others' intentions. How dangerous is that stranger? What is the other one thinking? What is the other one planning? Could a steady alliance be possible between the two of them? Can they trust each other?

Do not cross me, do not try to go against me or you will regret it. This is what Nori reads in those piercing eyes - a warning.

"You are ready, Your Highness", the servant girl says and the Princess moves her eyes away from the King's.

After a few more arrangements, all servants leave the room. According to the local tradition, the King himself should undress his wife on their wedding night. No one else is allowed to see or touch her body that night. Not even her court ladies.

The King and his bride are all alone now, sitting close to each other on the soft pillows.

"This is such a beautiful garden", Nori says admiring the nearby trees and flowers, only partially lit by the light spreading from the room. There is a small path starting from the King's room and waving around through the trees, going further away into the night. The garden looks wild, almost like a forest. Nori could tell, however, that everything in it was carefully planned and arranged. But she can't see how far ahead the garden spreads as the darkness of the night is swallowing the distant trees.