Chapter 90: The Grand Wedding
Translated by XianPiete
As people were being seated by the ushers and last minute preparations were being made a shout could be heard from the groom's room and then the doors burst open unexpectedly, "Leeeeeroy! Jennnnnnkins!" Guy de Montfort confidently burst out from the groom's preparation room and started to walk to his assigned area. Olivier who was behind him laughed hysterically knowing that Guy had just come out at least ten minutes too early. The band wasn't prepared to start the music, the ushers hadn't managed to get everyone through the gate and into the wedding area, so Olivier, gently turned Guy around.
Olivier called out, "Just a little practice, please, stay calm everyone, we'll start on schedule."
"I hate you right now," Guy mumbled.
Olivier laughed harder and said, "I never told you to walk out yet. They'll let you know when it's time. Relax, take a few deep breaths."
Guy slumped down in a chair his face was bright red, "I' m a little nervous."
Olivier shook his head, his normal goofy smile on his face, "I can see that. Look here, no matter how nervous you are, Madeline is going to be much worse. I bet Doreen is practically begging her to go through with the wedding right now."
"You don't think she wants to marry me?" Guy looked a little concerned.
Olivier laughed and then shook his head no, "Brides just always freak out before the wedding, I was at one wedding for a princess in another kingdom where she jumped out of a tower window trying to avoid the wedding, she ended up breaking her leg and they brought her in a wheelchair to do the ceremony."
Guy opened his eyes wide, "That sounds terrible, was she afraid of the groom?"
Olivier shook his head, "They were childhood sweethearts, one of those couples you never saw without each other. She just got so scared of the wedding itself she bolted like a deer when you draw the string on your bow."
*****
Doreen helped Madeline and her maids finish putting together her extravagant wedding dress. Madeline frowned looking in the mirror and said, "Shouldn't I be wearing my formal mage's uniform for this event?"
Duchess d'Aumont frowned and said, "Absolutely not, young lady. You are a mage, yes, but on your wedding day, you need to look like a princess. As much for your own honor as for the honor of our family. We are giving you to your young man today, so you'll look your most beautiful."
Madeline pouted cutely and they all laughed, Doreen smiled at her and said, "I have never seen a more beautiful bride, Madeline. The dress, your makeup, your hair, all of it is perfect."
Madeline looked down as she looked in the mirror, "You're right, I do look beautiful, this is exactly the way I have always dreamed of looking on my wedding day." She cupped her somewhat larger breasts and smiled.
Doreen giggled and then asked, "Well, how do you feel? Are you scared? Do you want me to help you run away?"
Madeline shook her head and said, "No, I feel like I can do this, Doreen. I want all of these people to witness that I am not some unwanted woman. The most amazing and wonderful man in the world wants me as his woman and I am going to go out there and be that for him."
Doreen clapped happily and said, "Ok, well settle down a bit, we have a few minutes before we are ready to start. They'll come to knock on the door when it's time. You don't want to burst out there ahead of schedule and look like a goofball."
*****
The men guarding the border to Wütendes Menschenreich had a thankless job, because of the nature of Wütendes Menschenreich they had to be extra careful checking the merchants and peasants who fled the militaristic empire as they often found trained soldiers hiding in groups looking to sneak across the border to incite trouble or just act as bandits. They started to realize something was wrong when groups of men started to appear looking like obvious soldiers some of them even wounded. None of them were armed or armored but by the looks in their eyes, they were fleeing for their lives.
They stopped a small group and asked, "Why do you wish to cross the border?"
One of the men looked behind him and said quietly, "We are deserters from war, we just want to get back to our families, please just look the other way this once and let us flee? Please, I am begging you."
The guards frowned and then looked at each other, "Go quickly." The guard captain said, "If you try to act as bandits in Pays Des Abrutis, you'll find it much worse than fleeing the dogs from Wütendes Menschenreich, even they know not to bark at our border."
The men looked relieved as they nodded and took off at a good pace.
The guard captain said to one of his men, "Go inform the commander, we're going to be seeing a lot of these men coming through today, he'll want to tighten the border, we'll have to start stopping these men and holding them outside the gate."
*****
A knock came on the door to Guy's room. Olivier smiled and said, "Ok, now you can yell Lee Rod Chengins and go out there."
Guy said, "I think I am going to throw up."
Olivier nodded and said, "Do it out there where Diggory and Algernon can see it."
Guy said, "You are a dick, Olivier."
Olivier laughed hysterically, "It's time to go, why are you sitting there. You're holding things up, go, go!"
Guy stood up, straightened himself out, he checked himself in the mirror and then carefully opened the doors and started to walk up the aisle as the musicians played the House Montfort battle anthem. It sounded majestic and many of the men from House Montfort who were in the audience sat with straight backs a fist over their heart. You could almost see a tear in some eyes.
Duke Montfort, Diggory, Algernon and Murphy stood on the raised platform in a line as Olivier and Guy took their places at the front of the group. Duke Montfort placed a hand on his son's shoulder and said, "I'm so proud of you son, I never imagined you'd come so far. You enriched my family, built an empire for yourself and even married a woman that your family couldn't be more proud to see you marry." He gave the shoulder a squeeze.
Olivier smiled his normal goofy smile and whispered to Guy, "Do you think she'll run off?"
"Shut up," Guy hissed back in an angry whisper.
The bride's music started up and a gasp of awe could be heard as Madeline's procession started up the aisle. Duke Aumont looked majestic in his formal knight's uniform with all of his regalias from battles fought over the years as he offered his elbow to his daughter so that they could walk together to the stage. Madeline's dress was bright white, it shined in the light as she walked slowly with her father. She had a long train that made her look like an angel whose wings were laid back to the ground. Her face was covered by a thin white lace veil but underneath her bright red hair could be seen. She looked like an otherworldly beauty to anyone that stared and most did.
Doreen made her way up to the stage and stood with Ella, Duchess d'Aumont, Alicia, and two of Madeline's childhood friends. Duke Aumont took a moment to glare at Duke Montfort before he kissed his daughter's hand and then sat down in the front row aisle seat on the bride's side.
Due to the highly political nature of the parties being married, the pope himself came to act as the official for their wedding. He cleared his throat and stepped up and began, "Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder today. Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam..."
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l