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THE parade itself was a simple process. Jill would depart from the west gates of the castle, while Hadis would leave from the east. They’d travel along the outer edges of the imperial capital and finally cut through the central main street, arriving on the opposite ends of the stage, which was set in the grand city square in front of the castle.
Jill waved her hands energetically before retreating to the wings of the stage. Hadis was scheduled to arrive a bit later on the opposite end. While the dancers took the stage and enchanted the audience, final preparations were underway. Jill’s makeup was touched up, and she wore a thin, hooded cape that was made from lace. It was decorated with pearls and translucent, allowing one to see her faintly pink dress underneath. She looked divine. The layered fabric and lace resembled flower petals.
When redesigning the dress, the consorts declared that there was no need to look mature, and the ladies-in-waiting and seamstresses agreed. The dress ended just around Jill’s knees, which made her look the most adorable, and the warm, lovely colors accentuated her cuteness. Careful makeup made her skin glow, and her hair was loosely tied but kept down.
The theme of this outfit was: a fairy who wandered into a garden. The lace cape resembled a pair of airy wings, and the hood made her look a little secretive, like a flower bud. Jill’s face was difficult to see for dramatic effect. She’d do the big reveal when she received the flower crown at the end.
“Why don’t we talk for a few moments?” Fione suggested. “Being so nervous before the stage will only tire you out.”
Jill, who was taking deep breaths, gave a small nod of agreement. “Lady Fione, will you be returning to the Lehrsatz duchy after leaving the Empress’s Palace?”
“Not quite. I was thinking of owning an estate in Beilburg. I’ve wanted to try being a mother-in-law at least once in my life.”
“Huh? A-Are you planning on doing something to Miss Sphere?” Jill asked.
“I’ve met her once regarding the bazaar. She was a lovely lady.”
Jill had no intention of taking the consort’s words at face value. She stared at a smiling Fione dubiously.
“I simply asked why she’s hesitating to marry Risteard,” Fione said.
“Th-That was rather straightforward of you…” Jill replied.
A teary-eyed, trembling Sphere flashed across Jill’s mind. Fione wasn’t a good match for the lady.
“She gave an excellent reply,” Fione said. “She said that Risteard may die young.”
Jill jolted, but Fione continued happily, “She knows my son very well. Because of his strong convictions, he’ll spout unnecessary words and make enemies all over the place. She accurately assumed that he may die early. I don’t blame her hesitation, for she wishes to rebuild the house of Marquess Beilburg. I laughed so loudly.”
“Sh-Should you be laughing?” Jill asked. “Miss Sphere will never accept his proposal.”
“Oh, she knows that she can’t refuse, but she just can’t make up her mind. I understand why Frida’s annoyed, and so I gave her a piece of advice: to go around and apologize in his stead. She’ll be a good stopper for Risteard. I thought that she’d look displeased, but she happily stated that she was good at apologizing. I couldn’t stop laughing.” Fione turned away and giggled at the memory. “I assume that they’ll officially become engaged in the near future. I’m counting on you when that time comes; I heard that His Majesty may be against it.”
“Of course. I’m on Miss Sphere’s side, but…”
Fione would undoubtedly be a tough mother-in-law, though Sphere’s carefree kindness and strength that she occasionally showed might pull her through.
“His Majesty is ready,” Cassandra and Delia announced, returning from their final confirmations.
“Understood. This way please, Dragon Consort.”
“O-Okay,” Jill replied. Her nervousness caused her to almost trip over herself, but Delia immediately supported the girl while Cassandra swiftly smoothed out the wrinkles before cupping Jill’s cheeks in her hands.
“You don’t have to overthink it,” Cassandra assured. “Just think about His Majesty.”
“A-About His Majesty?” Jill asked.
“Indeed. Please take him to a beautiful garden of flowers.”
That seemed possible for Jill. She nodded, took a deep breath, and stepped forward, carefully avoiding the lace cape that fluttered behind her. The dress, cape, and flower crown were all part of a ceremony to signal her beginning. Flowers decorated the stage like a garden, but the ladies-in-waiting groaned that it simply wasn’t enough.
And so, Jill suggested an idea of hers, and the ladies scrambled around to make it happen. It was important to convey more eloquently than simple words that a real Dragon Consort was here, and the Dragon Emperor would reign over the empire.
As Jill stepped onto the stage, seeds were being discreetly sown, away from the eyes of the audience. The Three Dukes had wished for a new legend, but no doubt that the citizens had also shared the same feelings. Even Hadis did too. It had been three hundred years. Because the people’s faith in the Dragon God was waning, this was necessary more than ever before. Jill needed something visible and tangible, different from the barrier that the first Dragon Consort had erected.
Bloom! Jill thought. Within the Rave Empire, there was only one type of flower that would bloom with magic. The sown seeds, reacting to Jill’s magical energy, started to sprout. With every step she took, the dragon’s flowers glimmered and turned into buds. They covered the simple, man-made stage with their roots, and the stem and leaves, plump with magical energy, grew taller and larger. It was as though the stage was being transformed into a flower garden.
“What’s going on?!” a person from the crowd shouted.
“These are dragon’s flowers. Every time the Dragon Consort takes a step, the flowers are blooming!” cried another.
The moment Jill stepped toward the center, she emanated her magic from her feet, causing the flowers to all bloom at once. In a flash, the stage was covered in white flowers as the blooming petals spread farther out.
“Dad! The buds on my crown are blooming! It’s glittering!” a girl cried happily, wearing a crown of Jill’s design.
“It looks like the Garden of Resting Dragons…” the father murmured.
And he was right—this was the garden where dragons were laid to rest, and where the Dragon Emperor fell in love with the Dragon Consort. A moment later, Hadis appeared from the opposite end. His presence was overwhelming even in the magical garden. In fact, his silent figure accentuated the flowers further. Jill knew that a child like herself was no match for him—in fact, the three hem holders behind her didn’t hold a candle either. But for now, there was no need for her to think about anything unnecessary. She just needed to focus on Hadis, and nothing else. All she needed to do was smile at his arrival.
Hadis looked a bit surprised but smiled back and approached her. There was no need for any words. He quietly reached out with both arms; atop his palm, his magic glimmered a shimmering silver. The crowd gulped and watched on, forgetting to blink, and even Jill was entranced by the sight in front of her.
The flowers that she bloomed were guided toward the silver light and gathered on Hadis’s palm. The two melted into each other and were tied together with silver before emitting a rainbow glow. He was making a flower crown—it was being woven right in front of her eyes using the dragon’s flowers as it shimmered in all the colors of the rainbow.
“Apparently, this is what was done because she can’t weave a crown in her dragon form,” Hadis said.
“Huh?” Jill asked.
In the next moment, a blinding light flashed in front, and a crown of dragon’s flowers appeared in front of her with a silver shimmer. Under the light, it glittered rainbow—there was only one crown like this in the world. Hadis lifted it in the air, and Jill removed her hood. There was no need for her to kneel because of the height difference, and the Dragon Emperor laughed, claiming that he’d always be the one to kneel to his wife.
The moment the crown was placed atop her head, the magic splashed forth, raining silver specks upon the crowd. As applause slowly broke out, cheering followed soon after.