Giselle

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It’s been three days since I last saw Raphael. It was starting to bother me. Could I have upset him in some way because of which he avoided meetings with me? The butler said that he had urgent urgent business, so he won’t be able to pay attention to me for a while. Of course, I was very upset, but I was lucky that my mother was there, so her company brightened up my lonely days in the castle.

I noticed drastic changes in the behavior of the servants and this could not but please me. After Raphael announced his desire to marry me, everyone around me began to treat me with even greater honors, as if I had already become their queen. It really boosted my ego.

That day, I was so euphoric from the recognition of our feelings that I couldn’t sleep properly, I had a huge surge of energy that had nowhere to release. If only Raphael would visit my chambers...

I wrapped one arm around my waist and rubbed my cold bare shoulder with the other. Every time I touched my skin, I imagined that it was Raphael’s hands caressing me. I wanted it so badly.

Of course, he was kind to me, courteous and attentive, complimented me and sometimes held my hand, but it was so little. I absolutely missed these tactile actions. I wanted to hold hands more, spend more time together, I wanted to kiss and cuddle with him. Yes, to be honest, I wanted to do terribly obscene things with him, I was ready to give myself completely to him.

But he didn’t take anything from me and it was terribly annoying.

But there was a warm thought smoldering in me that soon we would get married and he would not escape bodily contact. I will become his queen, his beloved wife.

From the very morning I was in a kind of elated mood, energy was bubbling in me. I took a bath and let Scarlett help me get dressed. She was a very convenient servant, such can be seen from afar, those who want to curry favor with the owner.

For the third year, it was she who reported to me about everything that was happening in the castle, she and Clarice were my ears and eyes. In return, they received illusory patronage, but it was just dust in their eyes. Who will make friends with the servants? Certainly not me, the future queen.

My mother, as usual, absolutely unceremoniously burst into my room. This was another privilege of the rulers – they are not obliged to notify about entering someone else’s room, especially if it is their own daughter. From the unexpected intrusion, I shuddered a little and pulled my dress, not yet fully dressed, to my chest.

- Mom?

- Hurry up, you need to get dressed. - she pushed the servants aside with a quick, fussy step and began to turn out the wardrobe with clothes, throwing dresses on the bed.

- Mom, in case you haven’t noticed, that’s what I’ve been doing. And yes, good morning.

- Good, good. – she waved it off and handed the maid a dark blue satin dress, quite strict in details, restrained, but emphasizing the status and importance of the person who wears it, such a secular business.

It was one of my least favorite dresses. Precisely because of his restraint, it was more suitable for married women, and not for those who are trying to attract male attention. I don’t understand how it ended up in my wardrobe, but I didn’t argue with my mother.

- The butler informed me that Raphael is asking to see you. And it’s probably something very important. He invites you to the throne room. So get dressed soon and we have to go. – mom hurried me.

- Us? Wasn’t it just me he invited?

But she seemed to ignore my words. Well, this is not surprising, mom always felt obliged to be in the very center of events in order to have more reasons for gossip. Not that I blame her for it, but maybe it was really something important? I wanted to be alone with Raphael, without extra eyes and ears.

The morning calmness was replaced by bustle. And now I was already standing dressed in this stylish, but strict dress, in front of the doors to the throne room. Nervous and anticipatory, convulsively biting her lips.

The guards announced my arrival to the king and then opened wide the massive gilded doors behind which he stood...

My beautiful...

My manly...

My incomparable future husband.

My Raphael.

Mine!

A timid step forward, and he deftly and gracefully rose from the throne chair, giving me a radiant smile that drove me crazy every time. He slowly began to descend the steps down to me, holding out his hand, which I immediately grabbed and respectfully, with great pleasure, dropped into a curtsy.

- My king. - Smacking my lips swollen from bites, I addressed to him.

- Giselle. – every time my name came out of his lips, my heart did incredible somersaults, it was so sensual that nothing else would have brought me more pleasure. – You dazzle my eyes with your beauty, my charming princess.

I giggled softly, covering my mouth with my free palm.

- I’m happy to be here and dazzle you. - I replied coquettishly, enjoying our fleeting playful mood.

- Serena? I see you’ve decided to join us too. It is wonderful. – he abruptly moved away and turned his attention to my mother, which made me swallow a caustic lump.

- Oh, I’m sorry if I misunderstood and you wanted to be alone. – mom’s disgusting acting irritated even more.

- Not at all, it’s very convenient that you’re both here. Because my statement today should be heard by you too.

I was intrigued and immediately discarded grumpy thoughts about the clingy mother, pricking up my ears in only one direction so as not to inadvertently listen to important information.

The door creaked softly behind me, and I turned around to see that several more people had entered the hall, among them Duke Jorel, Duke Parmont and Raphael’s sister Amanda. I didn’t know the others.

Everyone except me, Raphael, as well as my mother and Jorel, dispersed on both sides of the throne room. The king made a sound like he was clearing his throat, slightly tilting his head to the side and arching an eyebrow, and looked cynically at our adviser. That’s right, even at the dinner party, I felt this mutual dislike. And now it was as if he was pointing him to his place. But Jorel, though cautious and calculating, is still a smart person. And he didn’t need to speak in words to set the direction of movement towards the rest of those present, taking my mother with him.

We remained standing in the center, surrounded by many curious and not very curious eyes, and I continued to wonder about the reason for this early meeting. Raphael tightened his grip on my hand, slightly pushing it forward and pulling me closer to the throne.

Stopping a step away, he turned to me and looked intently, as if he was studying me, as if he was looking for something in my eyes.

- I have called all of you here to announce my impending marriage to Lady Giselle, Princess of the Kingdom of Adaman. – cheers, whispers and soft applause broke out in the hall. – Some of you already know about our intentions, but I also want to say that the wedding will take place on the third day from today.

Joy was replaced by bewilderment on the faces of those present. Everyone was puzzled by this statement and they could be understood, because at the moment I myself was dumbfounded and did not know how to react.

No, of course I’m insanely glad that I won’t have to wait for several long painful months, but at the same time I couldn’t understand why such a rush. What about the dress? An experienced seamstress will take at least two weeks to prepare a dream dress. What about all the preparations for the ceremony?

As if he understood my thoughts, Raphael smiled at me and patted me lightly with his hand.

- It’s all right, you have nothing to worry about, my dear. Everything will be prepared in the best possible way.

- But is it possible to prepare everything in such a short time, King Raphael? - my mother intervened. – I have already appointed responsible people with whom we have discussed all the details of the upcoming wedding, but it is impossible to do everything in two days. What is the reason for such urgency?

- I just want to marry your daughter as soon as possible, Serena. Make her your queen. Is it forbidden to desire this? I no longer have the patience to wait a few months. I want it in a couple of days. – he spoke as if it was a common thing to arrange such celebrations in a matter of days. – Don’t worry about the preparation, my people will have time to do everything in time, especially since it will be a private wedding.

- Private? – the mother was taken aback. – It’s unheard of for my daughter to get married on the sly from everyone. I have already instructed to prepare invitations and even compiled a list of influential people who must certainly attend this celebration. What kind of nonsense is this?

I understood her indignation and supported her with every fiber of my soul. I absolutely did not want my wedding to take place behind closed doors. I wanted a lavish, rich celebration, the best I’ve ever seen so far, so that I could rub the noses of all my supposedly girlfriends with the grandeur of this wedding.

And now what? Right before my eyes, my own plans are crumbling like brittle broken glass. I was in despair and looked with my eyes for support from my mother and even this obnoxious father’s adviser.

- There’s only one thing I don’t understand, Serena. Is this your wedding or is it mine and Giselle’s? You are so active and indignant at my words, as if I am personally destroying your best day in life. – Raphael continued to press his line, not giving his mother the freedom to maneuver.

- Of course it’s your wedding, but... - she faltered and he didn’t fail to interrupt her to shut her up.

- Exactly. Our. Therefore, it will be as we decide, not you. - He snapped and turned his gaze back to me while I desperately tried to fight my inner madness.

- My king, what about my wedding dress? - I asked a little uncertainly, with a slight resentment in my voice. – No seamstress will have time to sew my dress.

I was at the initial stage to break down and cry, and then throw a tantrum about it. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

- Dear, Giselle. - he gently touched my cheek with his hand. - How would you like to get married in my beloved mom’s wedding dress? This is the only thing that I have preserved from her in perfect condition, and I would be immensely happy if you went down the aisle in her dress. It’s certainly not grandiosely chic by the standards of modern fashion, but it has its own charm. I would be very happy if you would agree to this.

Of course, I was extremely saddened by the fact that I would not be able to choose the dress myself, but he turned everything around so that I could not refuse him. I couldn’t defame the memory of his dear dead mother. That would be an extreme act of disrespect. Therefore, I will have to agree, even though I have never seen this dress in my eyes. Maybe it is absolutely catastrophically terrible and smells of antiquity?

But after a quick brainstorming, I realized that no dress could stand in the way of my ascension to the throne with the man I loved, and so I immediately accepted his terms. So be it, let it be a quick private wedding, it’s not so important compared to my ambitious goals.