The day of Erdene and Arkan’s wedding was bright and clear.
From the break of dawn, small birds were fluttering around the branches, chirping lively, and the rays of light streaming in from under the curtains were white and clean.
Before going to bed, Erdene’s wish for a heavy rain was not granted.
The palace’s courtyard and hall were extremely crowded, with nobles from each region as well as the capital’s residents gathered. Whether they were acquaintances or strangers, they greeted each other politely in the Vetor style whenever they made eye contact, and stood there exchanging long greetings, making the hallway even more crowded.
They all had different expressions and appearances, but they had one thing in common.
“...Is the Princess of the Empire really that big?”
“They say her hands are so rough that when she holds a fan, it looks like a toad is biting her...”
“I wonder if Vetor’s formal attire will fit....”
“I don’t think she’ll be entering the wedding hall carrying a sword...”
The guests who attended the wedding, regardless of age or gender, were only interested in the Princess in question who could control the fearsome armies of Erdene and Hirschsten with a single finger.
Among them, there was also this opinion.
“His Majesty Arkan is as gentle as the spring breeze, but I wonder if he will be able to handle welcoming such a Queen...”
“No matter how much I think about it, His Majesty is too pitiful.”
“How can I feel pity for him when he is trembling in fear throughout his supposedly happy newlywed life?”
There was another opinion.
“I didn’t like seeing Marchioness Fiddler swaggering around, but Miss Sophia is a truly wonderful lady...”
“How heartbreaking it must be for Miss Sophia. If she had been in love with Your Majesty.”
The words that would have made the three parties involved—Erdene, Arkan, and Sophia—feel as if they had been stunned and fallen backward, were being passed around like a snowball.
So, just before the wedding ceremony began, almost all the guests looked bewildered and worried.
“What is this atmosphere?”
Arkan, who had stepped forward to the altar first according to custom, looked around in confusion at the heavy atmosphere that weighed down the hall decorated with flowers, silk, and fragrant candles. Some of the guests, misunderstanding his bewildered gaze, sniffled and wiped away tears.
Before going to bed, Erdene’s wish for a heavy rain was not granted.
The palace’s courtyard and hall were extremely crowded, with nobles from each region as well as the capital’s residents gathered. Whether they were acquaintances or strangers, they greeted each other politely in the Vetor style whenever they made eye contact, and stood there exchanging long greetings, making the hallway even more crowded.
They all had different expressions and appearances, but they had one thing in common.
“...Is the Princess of the Empire really that big?”
“They say her hands are so rough that when she holds a fan, it looks like a toad is biting her...”
“I wonder if Vetor’s formal attire will fit....”
“I don’t think she’ll be entering the wedding hall carrying a sword...”
The guests who attended the wedding, regardless of age or gender, were only interested in the Princess in question who could control the fearsome armies of Erdene and Hirschsten with a single finger.
Among them, there was also this opinion.
“His Majesty Arkan is as gentle as the spring breeze, but I wonder if he will be able to handle welcoming such a Queen...”
“No matter how much I think about it, His Majesty is too pitiful.”
“How can I feel pity for him when he is trembling in fear throughout his supposedly happy newlywed life?”
There was another opinion.
“I didn’t like seeing Marchioness Fiddler swaggering around, but Miss Sophia is a truly wonderful lady...”
“How heartbreaking it must be for Miss Sophia. If she had been in love with Your Majesty.”
The words that would have made the three parties involved—Erdene, Arkan, and Sophia—feel as if they had been stunned and fallen backward, were being passed around like a snowball.
So, just before the wedding ceremony began, almost all the guests looked bewildered and worried.
“What is this atmosphere?”
Arkan, who had stepped forward to the altar first according to custom, looked around in confusion at the heavy atmosphere that weighed down the hall decorated with flowers, silk, and fragrant candles. Some of the guests, misunderstanding his bewildered gaze, sniffled and wiped away tears.
When the door opened with the sound of a trumpet announcing the entrance of the bride-to-be, the atmosphere in the hall became even more somber.
This time, there was a mixture of pity and sharp hostility. Arkan was even more embarrassed.
For a moment, all the guests looked like damp hedgehogs...
However, the atmosphere changed in an instant.
It was literally a moment that was as short as a blink of an eye.
When the door opened and the flower girls with candles and flowers entered, the people who had been unable to take their eyes off each other opened their mouths as if someone had grabbed their jaws and pulled them out.
And they couldn’t close their mouths until Erdene stood next to Arkan.
“My God, what’s going on? That person, no... is that really the Princess of Hirschsten?”
“That hair! Look at that luscious black hair. How much must one comb it to have hair like that?”
“Didn’t they send someone else instead? A maid or something...”
This time, there was a mixture of pity and sharp hostility. Arkan was even more embarrassed.
For a moment, all the guests looked like damp hedgehogs...
However, the atmosphere changed in an instant.
It was literally a moment that was as short as a blink of an eye.
When the door opened and the flower girls with candles and flowers entered, the people who had been unable to take their eyes off each other opened their mouths as if someone had grabbed their jaws and pulled them out.
And they couldn’t close their mouths until Erdene stood next to Arkan.
“My God, what’s going on? That person, no... is that really the Princess of Hirschsten?”
“That hair! Look at that luscious black hair. How much must one comb it to have hair like that?”
“Didn’t they send someone else instead? A maid or something...”
“I heard she was incredibly big...”
“Didn’t they say her face was bloodshot and her teeth were black?”
The whispers reached Erdene’s ears through the orchestra’s music.
Most of it was just nonsense not worth listening to, but she had to bite her lip because she almost burst out laughing at the part about her “red face and black teeth.”
“Hmm, there was a rumor about that.”
It had been five years ago, in a short war.
She couldn’t even remember what tactics she used, but she could clearly remember the most terrifying and absurd rumors about her.
[Your Highness, it’s impossible for you to go out in this condition. Leave it to us and rest in the barracks... Ouch! What if you really throw rocks at me!]
[Shut up, Thelma. Tell me to go sharpen my sword again. Why are you making a fuss over a cold like this...]
She had thought it was just a cold, but when she got on her horse, her fever was so high that her eyes were spinning.
Wearing a helmet seemed to make her fever rise, so she swung her sword carelessly, her long hair fluttering from the middle, almost out of her mind.
In the process, hair poked her eyes and entered her mouth, but she didn't care.
In other words, the rumor that 'her face was red and her teeth were black' was created because Erdene, who had a fever from a cold, didn't even have time to pull the hair out of her mouth.
Erdene, who was lost in old thoughts, suddenly came to her senses at the sound of a bright bell.
The orchestra stopped playing, and the old nobleman chosen to officiate the ceremony—so old that even his robes seemed burdensome—stepped up to the stage.
“By the way, Vetor doesn’t have a state religion. Many inland kingdoms still maintain religion... Strangely, the country that is the center of gravity doesn’t.”
“Didn’t they say her face was bloodshot and her teeth were black?”
The whispers reached Erdene’s ears through the orchestra’s music.
Most of it was just nonsense not worth listening to, but she had to bite her lip because she almost burst out laughing at the part about her “red face and black teeth.”
“Hmm, there was a rumor about that.”
It had been five years ago, in a short war.
She couldn’t even remember what tactics she used, but she could clearly remember the most terrifying and absurd rumors about her.
[Your Highness, it’s impossible for you to go out in this condition. Leave it to us and rest in the barracks... Ouch! What if you really throw rocks at me!]
[Shut up, Thelma. Tell me to go sharpen my sword again. Why are you making a fuss over a cold like this...]
She had thought it was just a cold, but when she got on her horse, her fever was so high that her eyes were spinning.
Wearing a helmet seemed to make her fever rise, so she swung her sword carelessly, her long hair fluttering from the middle, almost out of her mind.
In the process, hair poked her eyes and entered her mouth, but she didn't care.
In other words, the rumor that 'her face was red and her teeth were black' was created because Erdene, who had a fever from a cold, didn't even have time to pull the hair out of her mouth.
Erdene, who was lost in old thoughts, suddenly came to her senses at the sound of a bright bell.
The orchestra stopped playing, and the old nobleman chosen to officiate the ceremony—so old that even his robes seemed burdensome—stepped up to the stage.
“By the way, Vetor doesn’t have a state religion. Many inland kingdoms still maintain religion... Strangely, the country that is the center of gravity doesn’t.”
Normally, royal events were presided over by the most authoritative person in the religious world, but Vetor was an exception.
It had been a long-standing custom that the King would preside over the wedding ceremony among the many people recommended by the officials.
Whether it was because of the officiant’s physical strength or because it was customary, the ceremony was not long.
After a brief explanation of the solemnity and importance of marriage as stipulated by the laws of the kingdom, he went on to explain the duties of the King and Queen.
In fact, it was a sermon that barely reached Erdene’s ears, and she probably wouldn’t think about it much in the future.
“Your Majesty the King and Your Highness, please sign your promise to solemnly perform the duties of marriage.”
Arkan picked up his pen first.
The decorative feather on the pen was almost as long as an adult’s arm, and it swayed back and forth as he wrote.
“Sign.”
Arkan whispered softly and handed the pen to Erdene.
Erdene looked down at the empty space with a slightly bewildered expression.
“What is that?”
Arkan whispered again.
Some people noticed that she was holding the pen still and began to murmur again.
However, when Erdene began to sign, the room became quiet again.
The elderly officiant, who had been waiting for the signature to be completed while being supported by the flower girl, opened his eyes wide. He then looked at Erdene with an expression of disbelief and said in a low voice,
“Your Majesty, please write it in the common language.”
As he said this, Arkan suddenly looked down at her signature.
Erdene Badd, the name was written in imperial script.
The moment Erdene was about to answer, Arkan took the pen from her hand.
To others, it seemed as if he had naturally handed the pen over to Erdene, who had finished signing.
“Yes.”
Arkan whispered.
When he quietly nodded, the officiant finished the ceremony, embarrassed.
Erdene turned to the guests, expressionless as she had when she had entered.
The guests were still bewildered by her beautiful face revealed through the long veil that hung on the floor and gave her thunderous applause.
The reception lasted late into the night, but Erdene had to leave early in the evening.
When the newlyweds were told that they had to have their first dance, she danced once with Arkan, and after that, she received congratulations from countless nobles whose names and faces she did not know, and her throat was sore from answering them one by one.
“Didn’t you shout even louder on the battlefield?”
Erdene, who had been complaining, turned to Sophia.
“When you shout on the battlefield, you don’t use your throat. You shout with your stomach and head.”
“I’ve heard that famous singers use their stomachs and heads to shout. Perhaps Your Majesty has a talent for singing?”
Erdene was about to reveal that she was terrible at tone-deafness, but stopped herself. The reason she had to leave the reception early was, of course, to prepare for the first night.
It had been a long-standing custom that the King would preside over the wedding ceremony among the many people recommended by the officials.
Whether it was because of the officiant’s physical strength or because it was customary, the ceremony was not long.
After a brief explanation of the solemnity and importance of marriage as stipulated by the laws of the kingdom, he went on to explain the duties of the King and Queen.
In fact, it was a sermon that barely reached Erdene’s ears, and she probably wouldn’t think about it much in the future.
“Your Majesty the King and Your Highness, please sign your promise to solemnly perform the duties of marriage.”
Arkan picked up his pen first.
The decorative feather on the pen was almost as long as an adult’s arm, and it swayed back and forth as he wrote.
“Sign.”
Arkan whispered softly and handed the pen to Erdene.
Erdene looked down at the empty space with a slightly bewildered expression.
“What is that?”
Arkan whispered again.
Some people noticed that she was holding the pen still and began to murmur again.
However, when Erdene began to sign, the room became quiet again.
The elderly officiant, who had been waiting for the signature to be completed while being supported by the flower girl, opened his eyes wide. He then looked at Erdene with an expression of disbelief and said in a low voice,
“Your Majesty, please write it in the common language.”
As he said this, Arkan suddenly looked down at her signature.
Erdene Badd, the name was written in imperial script.
The moment Erdene was about to answer, Arkan took the pen from her hand.
To others, it seemed as if he had naturally handed the pen over to Erdene, who had finished signing.
“Yes.”
Arkan whispered.
When he quietly nodded, the officiant finished the ceremony, embarrassed.
Erdene turned to the guests, expressionless as she had when she had entered.
The guests were still bewildered by her beautiful face revealed through the long veil that hung on the floor and gave her thunderous applause.
***
The reception lasted late into the night, but Erdene had to leave early in the evening.
When the newlyweds were told that they had to have their first dance, she danced once with Arkan, and after that, she received congratulations from countless nobles whose names and faces she did not know, and her throat was sore from answering them one by one.
“Didn’t you shout even louder on the battlefield?”
Erdene, who had been complaining, turned to Sophia.
“When you shout on the battlefield, you don’t use your throat. You shout with your stomach and head.”
“I’ve heard that famous singers use their stomachs and heads to shout. Perhaps Your Majesty has a talent for singing?”
Erdene was about to reveal that she was terrible at tone-deafness, but stopped herself. The reason she had to leave the reception early was, of course, to prepare for the first night.
She washed herself, changed into another dress that she had changed several times—Erdene thought it would be better to wear all the layers of clothing and then take them off one by one—and carefully applied perfume to her fingertips, toes, collarbone, and the hollow of her back.
“Your Majesty, you don’t look well. If you’re not feeling well, should I call the court doctor?”
Sophia, who had been watching Erdene’s complexion closely, asked.
Even though the warm candlelight was shining everywhere, Erdene’s face definitely didn’t look good.
Erdene shook her head and said.
“No, you don’t have to fuss. I’m not sick.”
“Your face is pale.”
Erdene’s expression became more serious. However, she didn’t dare to say why.
Sophia, who couldn’t stand it any longer, even dismissed all the other maids, but Erdene stubbornly kept her mouth shut and pulled the front of her gown with a snap to tie the string.
Sophia said.
“Your Majesty, I apologize for asking, but I think the sun will be high in the sky tomorrow when His Majesty unties that knot.”
Erdene, who had been tying the knot tightly in the same way as she would have tied a military barrack, lowered her gaze with an expression of “Oops.”
The soft silk string was so tightly tied that it seemed difficult to pull it even if it was just a little bit.
Erdene waved his hand and said,
“Fine. If you can’t untie it, then just dry it. If you want to untie it, just cut it. Anyway, what can I do now?”
“Your Majesty, you don’t look well. If you’re not feeling well, should I call the court doctor?”
Sophia, who had been watching Erdene’s complexion closely, asked.
Even though the warm candlelight was shining everywhere, Erdene’s face definitely didn’t look good.
Erdene shook her head and said.
“No, you don’t have to fuss. I’m not sick.”
“Your face is pale.”
Erdene’s expression became more serious. However, she didn’t dare to say why.
Sophia, who couldn’t stand it any longer, even dismissed all the other maids, but Erdene stubbornly kept her mouth shut and pulled the front of her gown with a snap to tie the string.
Sophia said.
“Your Majesty, I apologize for asking, but I think the sun will be high in the sky tomorrow when His Majesty unties that knot.”
Erdene, who had been tying the knot tightly in the same way as she would have tied a military barrack, lowered her gaze with an expression of “Oops.”
The soft silk string was so tightly tied that it seemed difficult to pull it even if it was just a little bit.
Erdene waved his hand and said,
“Fine. If you can’t untie it, then just dry it. If you want to untie it, just cut it. Anyway, what can I do now?”
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