The King’s Wedding
Chapter 1
The King’s Wedding
Queen Amberjill watched from her seat on the balcony of honour as the exquisite and magnificent manner in which the royal servants arranged the grand wedding. The great hall that is used exclusively for the most important events could not have shone the way it does now.
The pillars that supported the structure were covered with gold paint. Personally, for the queen was too much. The walls were decorated with ribbons of white flowers, enveloping the whole place with its natural fragrance. Jasmines, she thought. The statues acquired as spoils of war by conquering other kingdoms were arranged and displayed to show all the guests the power of the king. “Mmm! Presumptuous, but effective.” The queen agreed.
On the floor, from the entrance of the room to the far wall, lay the finest and most expensive Persian rug that could be purchased. Handmade for hours and hours, by the artisan masters of Middle Eastern, as a special order for this occasion. And not to mention the table that can accommodate up to eighty people. Covered with many dishes made by the best chefs in the kingdom who fought against each other to develop the best delicacy, worthy of this occasion. Aswell exquisite sweet, and caramelized fruits brought from Asia.
The queen’s stomach, seeing the feast, roared with fervour, demanding to be attended. Unfortunately for her, only the members of the bride and groom family, the political delegates, and ambassadors from between the two kingdoms would have the privilege of enjoying it. That made her an outcast here.
Not her. She did not have legal power or weight in the kingdom of her husband. Nor she had royal influence or political power, it seems. She was not even a family according to where she was sited now, because he did not allow her to attend this celebration. She was just the queen.
Amberjill realized in the most painful way that her exclusive presence was only to fill a hole that had to be filled by past generations. And do not forget the heirs. According to the nobles, and commoners in this kingdom, her only role from their point of view. So far, she was not doing a good job.
Two years ago she was united in body and soul with the king, and so far, the heavens had not rewarded her with a son, or a daughter. The plans she and her king made for their future together, until just a few days ago, will not come to fruition now. Alas, the queen felt cheated.
For all this, Amberjill could only watch from a distance as her beloved king and husband took a second wife. If she were in her native beloved kingdom of Ruana, this would never have happened. The sacred vows of marriage are respected until death.
Getting married was a commitment that was revered and respected by its inhabitants. And for a king or queen, to break them, showed how little commitment royalty had to their subjects.
But apparently, that was of no importance to the people of Mahala. Since, without taking into account the queen’s well-being, they welcomed the new rival. The place where her beloved king and husband, King Alcott was from.
“Oh!” The queen let out a small groan of pain. “Father, how I wish you were with me now.” Even though she was no longer a child. But a 22-year-old adult. The longing that she had at that moment, was to feel the comfort, and protection of the arms of her father, king Lucian Bestermor.
Queen Amberjill was devastated. And only her father could tend to her broken heart. Sadly, her mother passed away when she was three years old, so she doesn’t know the maternal care. The sad queen longed to return to her father’s protective arms. But her fate was already decided. And she, herself, accepted it the moment she said “I do”.
Amberjill continued to eye all the guests with fascination. From where she was, she had never had the opportunity to see everything from a distance. Amberjill had always been the centre of attention. But not today. This day, belonged to Abba Katria of Badoro. The new and second wife of King Alcott.
Fortunately for her, the title of queen would remain hers. And the new wife would be just that, the second wife of the king. That didn’t comfort her in the least. Her king had promised her the world and beyond. That included his heart. Or so he had assured her. Also, he had told her that she would be the only woman to occupy his bed.
“Oh! But he never told me that he won’t share others' beds.” The queen cynically pondered.
The guests were already well known to the queen. By part of Mahala’s reign, that is. The same emissaries and politicians as always. No one new, so far.
In the future, she would have to socialize with the new retinue of Badoro’s kingdom that accompanied their princess, and now the king’s wife.
Taking inventory of all the new people, the queen’s curiosity focused on a man who belonged to Princess Abba’s private and trusted circle. This man stands out like a black bean in the middle of a plate of rice. In fact, the other way around. The race of Badoro’s people was darker and with black hair. This man seemed like he came from the kingdom of her father, Ruana. Hair like silver, and pale skin like the moon. But there was something that set him apart from his own race. His eyes were the colour of caramel.
The queen imagined that he would be the result of the mixture between a Ruanes, and a Badorian. It’s not that there weren’t such cases. Only a few to be precise. However, the result of this man’s combination was remarkable.
Amberjill swore that she will figure this man out. But for today, she will remain in the shadow, where her beloved husband left her.
