Negotiations with the Ren Empire were at hand, and tension hung thick in the air, but our wedding preparations were still underway.
Today, we were to visit the church where the ceremony would take place. I had suggested postponing it, but Eric rejected such a notion and insisted that we would not allow the Ren Empire to pressure us into changing our plans. Thus, we went to the church as scheduled.
“I’m sorry, Leia. I understand why you wanted to postpone this.” Worry crept into Eric’s voice as he sat beside me in the carriage.
“It’s all right, Eric. I think you were quite right to adhere to the schedule.”
And I meant it—Eric had been quite convincing on the matter. With our wedding date fast approaching, continuing our preparations unimpeded sent a strong message to our adversaries. Eric wanted to show his strength during negotiations, I was sure of it.
“Thank you, Leia. I’m ever grateful for your kindness and flexibility.”
“Oh, don’t be silly. I’m your future wife; it’s the least I can do,” I answered with a smile.
“Haha! You really are too modest.”
Eric gently caressed my right hand. It seemed like he was touching my hands a lot these days. Was it because our hearts had grown so close? I hoped so.
I’m still not used to it, so it makes me so nervous when he touches my hand…but it feels good.
“We’re here. Are you ready?”
“Of course, Eric.”
“Good. Then let’s go.”
With a satisfied nod, Eric helped me out of the carriage. We were at the chapel of the Aegis Church where I had been ordained as a saint. In the very building where I gained my sainthood…Eric and I would vow before God to be husband and wife.
“This place is just as serene as I remember it,” Eric remarked.
“It certainly is.”
The church was a grand edifice that evoked times long past. The ceiling was high, and sunlight shone through stained glass.
This church really is unlike any other.
I felt the same sort of holiness when I was ordained as a saint here. And it was certainly holy. This church was one of the sites where God manifested according to the Aegis Faith. The clergy, holy servants of God, maintained the church. Besides prayers, their duties involved daily cleaning and maintenance to preserve its holy atmosphere.
In this holy place, Eric and I will be wed…
Feeling a sense of awe and gratitude, my mind raced to the not-too-distant future where the ceremony would take place.
“Welcome, Prince Eric, Saint Leia. Please come in.”
When we entered the church, a man dressed in a bishop’s robes greeted us. He was in attendance at my saint’s exams and one of my most trusted associates. Because of that, I felt safe entrusting our entire wedding to him.
“Thank you for having us today, Father.”
“But of course. Now let’s get straight to it.”
He escorted us to some seats. Then the bishop opened a holy book and explained the sequence of the wedding to us.
“First, you will both read your vows. Then you will exchange rings…and lastly, you will kiss. Is that all right?”
“Yes, Father,” Eric said.
“I’ve no objections, Father.”
After he received our consent, the bishop cleared his throat and resumed speaking.
Ahh…I knew we were going to kiss, but I just now realized that we were going to kiss in front of everyone during the ceremony. I knew that this was typical for weddings, but…it still felt kind of embarrassing.
Just the thought of it made my cheeks burn.
“Once you have the rings, you should send them to me as soon as possible. One time, the groom lost his ring and there was a huge scandal. Naturally, I know neither of you would do such a thing, but we still like to take precautions.”
“That makes perfect sense,” I said. “Rings are indeed very important.”
“Yes, the ceremony can’t start without the rings,” the bishop laughed awkwardly.
“Well, we can go over more specifics of the exchanging of rings on the big day. Today, I merely wish to review the general flow of the ceremony.”
“Understood, Father.”
After that, the bishop walked us through the steps of the ceremony until we had it memorized.
“Now, Prince Eric, Saint Leia, that will be all for today.”
“Thank you, Father,” Eric said. “Leia, we’re going back to the palace.”
“Oh, all right. I have a fitting next, right?”
“That’s right. We still have time to spare, but I want to get you back early just in case.”
“Understood.”
“Good, let’s go.”
We left the church, got back in the carriage, and headed back to the palace.
“We arrived sooner than I expected. I’m going back to my study. What about you?”
“I suppose I’ll stay with you until it’s time for my fitting.”
As soon as we stepped out of the carriage at the palace, someone called out to us.
“Prince Eric! Lady Leia! Have you just now returned?!”
“Oh, Nash. Didn’t know you were here.”
It was Nash, the dessert chef. “Yes, Your Highness. I’m going to be providing dessert at your wedding reception, so I’ve come for a consultation.”
Eric and I exchanged our greetings with Nash. I last saw him at the party, and I noticed that his gaze was now stronger, more cheerful.
“All right,” Eric nodded. “Well, as long as you’re making the desserts, I know they will be great.”
“Yes, I can’t wait to taste everything.”
“Thank you, I’ll try to live up to your expectations. Well, I must be on my way.” Nash gave us a quick bow and pivoted toward the palace gate—but he suddenly stopped in his tracks. “Um…Prince Eric? I know it would be out of line for me to seek your advice, but you see…I have this nagging suspicion that somebody has been watching me for the past several days.”
When we gave him a curious look in reply, Nash took a determined breath and said, “I feel like someone’s watching me.”
Someone watching him? Well, that’s something we can’t ignore.
“You think you’re being spied upon?” Eric asked.
“Yes. Actually, I felt like I was being tailed on the way to the palace just now…” he continued, worry crossing his face. “At first, I thought it was remnants of Algrene loyalists who have a grudge against me, but I didn’t feel like I was about to be attacked. It was just creepy.”
Nash’s theory wasn’t entirely far-fetched. There were surely some Algrene loyalists in the nobility who had suffered a great loss and resented Nash, now that their leader was stripped of title. But surely, those people would resent Eric and me even more, and we hadn’t felt like we were being stalked—which made this all the stranger.
“All right. Well, inform us immediately if anything else happens. And be vigilant. I’ll send a few guards with you.”
“Oh, thank you, Your Highness. You are too kind.”
Eric arranged a few bodyguards for Nash to accompany him safely back to his shop and to stay with him for a while after. He should be safe for a while, but who in the world could possibly be spying on him?
We sat on the sofa in Eric’s study and went over what just happened.
“You don’t suppose it’s really Algrene loyalists, do you?” I asked.
“I find that questionable as well. It’s a bit late for that, I think.”
“I see what you mean. Yes, it has been a while since the rights of dukes were reformed. If they were going to try something, they would have done so during the unrest.”
“Exactly. Well, let’s just keep our eye on him for the time being. We have a wedding to plan, and we need to make some progress on negotiations with the Ren Empire as well.”
“Yes, we sure do…” I nodded emphatically. I was excited about our wedding, but we had a mountain of problems to conquer first… An ominous chill hung in the air all around us.