Abandoned
Some people admire the chieftain. They want to be like their kingdom’s crowned head. They follow them like a shadow. They see them as much superior and lordly. They dream and wish to be blessed enough to be born royalty. They think that the royals live an easy and opulent life. For Adelaide, these people are nothing but a bunch of fools. Only if the royal’s life could be as easy and as magnificent as they picture it to be.
Being the princess and only heir of Lovaria, an old-fashioned Kingdom, has never been easy for the princess. She always felt the pressure of being a woman. Some pity the King for having a woman as the heir, some are worried, some are kind and accepting, and some want Adelaide to get married and bear a boy – who could be the leader of the Kingdom. No matter how much they love her like a princess, they do not think that Adelaide could be the first woman to rule the Kingdom of Lovaria.
They just think that as a lady, it is her responsibility to get married, look pretty, give birth to a boy, and be a happy housewife. No matter how much Adelaide opposed such a thought – she cannot do much to change their mind. They were fed such concepts since they were toddlers – they do not tend to break the cage.
Adelaide did what would please the people of her Kingdom and her parents. She became the perfect princess. She would dress up, attend the events, meet the people, look pretty and when she is at home – she would let her mother teach her some basic cooking skills and knitting and help her father in gardening, as the King is fond of gardening, talk about the politics and sometimes paint. She suppressed her willingness to learn more about politics and leadership and became the princess everyone wants her to be.
Several months ago, she was told that King Davis Wildingham and his eldest son, Prince Fredrick Wildingham of Adorea, were coming to visit her Kingdom to meet her father. She couldn’t hold her excitement – she has heard so much about the Kingdom, but she never visited it since it is far away from Lovaria. She has heard about their bravery and audacity.
Their Kingdom is the only one that was able to defeat King Morgan McLeod of Khira, the evilest King of all times, that’s what she has heard. Lovaria being a small Kingdom was allowed to host the King and Prince of Adorea for three days. The Kingdom started to prepare weeks before they came, just to welcome them. King Redmond and the whole Kingdom treat them as the most valuable guests.
Adelaide when heard that they would be coming to her Kingdom, she was enthusiastic to meet the great leaders of the time, but she never knew that she would fall in love with the handsome Prince Fredrick. She never knew that the Prince’s gentleness, goodwill, benevolence, and allure would sweep her off her feet. They never talked for more than a few minutes, but one late at night a maid came to her room and handed her a scented letter. She told the princess that the letter was sent from Prince Fredrick.
From that night to the day the King and the Prince left – many letters were exchanged between them. And just in a small time of three days – she fell in love. The words he put in writing, the poems the Prince inscribe – all were enough to tell her that she was not the only one that was falling in love.
Adelaide being shy by the nature didn’t even go out to say goodbye to the good King and Prince – or maybe she didn’t go because she was too upset to say farewell. Although, she did see their horse cart taking the Prince away from her, from the balcony of her room. She wasn’t sure when she would be able to see him again.
That day she didn’t go down for lunch – she lied that she wasn’t feeling well and that she wanted to sleep. She was just upset, but that discomposure was short-lived. Her mother came to her room that evening and told her that before Prince Fredrick left he asked something from her parents. He asked her hand in marriage. She was over the moon.
In her Kingdom, the man has to ask for a woman’s hand in marriage to her parents first. Marriages without parents’ approval hardly take place in Lovaria. She didn’t even miss a single heartbeat to say yes. Of course, she was going to marry him. He was perfect.
Lovaria had another custom – here people think that if a girl is not married by the age of twenty-five – she is declared too old to be wed. Most unmarried girls over twenty-five are wedded to warriors – because no other man of the Kingdom would marry them.
Adelaide’s mother told her that this custom was started by her great-great-grandmother, whose sister wasn’t married and a warrior asked her hand in marriage when she was thirty. Back then, girls had to be wedded by the age of twenty. Since then, only warriors marry girls over twenty-five. Adelaide wants to end such bizarre traditions, but since she is just a lady – no one listens to her. She nearly escaped such tradition. She turned twenty-four a few months ago and now everyone was worried that she was not married yet.
After a couple of weeks, the King and Queen of Adorea came to visit Lovaria. This time their motive was to discuss the wedding. Adelaide thought that Prince Fredrick would come as well, but the King of Adorea told her that he was busy, therefore he couldn’t make it. She found the King of Adorea a kind, affectionate, devoted, and spiritualized person. He did not behave like he was the ruler of the leading Kingdom. Where else, the Queen was quiet and distant. She wasn’t behaving rudely, but she was very reserved. It was affirmed that the wedding would take place in two months.
The whole Kingdom rejoiced. The Princess that was aged close to twenty-five was getting married. Adelaide was happy as well, she was marrying the man she truly feels is right for her. She considered herself lucky to find a man like Prince Fredrick. He was a little old for her, but she didn’t mind it nor did her parents. For the next two months, the whole Kingdom celebrated the coming wedding of their Princess. There was happiness everywhere. Her dress was stitched by the best dressmaker of the Kingdom. Everyone around the Kingdom was preparing for the big wedding.
A few days before her wedding day, Adelaide went to meet the elderly of the Kingdom with her parents. Another custom of Lovaria was to get blessed by the elderly of the Kingdom before the marriage and ask them to pray for them. When she went to meet them, an old lady grabbed her hand and looked into Adelaide’s eyes. “Oh, dear.” She whispered.
Adelaide looked back at the old wrinkled face lady, “What happened, Amma?” She asked the lady. But, before Amma could say anything, her mother interjected.
“Adel, my dear, we have to go.” She said as she put her hand on her daughter’s shoulder. Adelaide turned her head to look at her mother before turning back to look at Amma, a 103 years old wise lady. Her intuitions are always right – it is like she can see the future. I wanted to ask her about mine, but my father came in and asked to have a word with me while my mother talked to the elderly.
Finally, the wedding day arrived. It was the first day when Adelaide met Prince Fredrick’s complete family. He had two sisters and a younger brother. His sister Sophia was darling. She came to see Adelaide in her room – where she was getting ready. She told her about her other siblings – who were in the church – which wasn’t far from the palace. She resembled much like her brother. Prince Fredrick and she have the same color of eyes, blue. They both are fair-haired. They both are tall. “You look very pretty, Adelaide.” The princess said as her eyes misted.
Adelaide smiled, “Thank you so much, Princess Sophia.” She replied. She grabbed Adel’s hand and squeezed it lightly, “Call me Sophia, my dear.” She said. She put her hands on Adelaide’s shoulder and turned her towards the mirror, “You are the prettiest bride I have seen so far.” She said as she stood behind Adelaide.
Adelaide smiled and averted her gaze at the length of her dress. Her beautiful white dress perfectly hugged her body. The needlework was overwhelming. The white embroidery over her white dress made it look flawless. Adelaide loved it so much that she especially went to thank the dressmaker and appreciated her needlecraft. The tail of her dress lay on the floor. She smiled as she looked at herself in the mirror.
King of Adorea angrily strides across the garden just in front of the church. He couldn’t believe it. He never expected this kind of behavior from Fredrick. He is his most obedient child. How could he be so insubordinate? All guests have arrived.
All preparations have been done. How could he abandon the wedding like this? King Wildingham crumpled the piece of paper his son left for him. ‘I am sorry, father.’ It said. He could marry the Princess of Lovaria, he said. King Wildingham knows that he forced his son to marry the young lady, but he had to do it. Fredrick knew how much is at stake.
There was a knock at Adelaide’s room door. It was her mother. Her mother looked at her beautiful daughter, “Oh my dear, you look so beautiful.” Her mother said as tears filled in her eyes. She looked at her daughter with grief-filled in her eyes. It wasn’t the grief of marrying her off. It was because the groom has left.
