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After two days of not leaving my bed other than to visit the bathroom, I woke, well rested and completely terrified, on my wedding day.
After a quick breakfast and a cup of strong and very sweet black coffee, Kris and Milenka helped me out of bed and led me to a hot, perfumed salt bath.
The heated, scented water was heavenly and I managed to relax a little, even though I had to keep my bandaged leg dangling over the edge the entire time.
‘Not too long or you’ll turn into a prune,’ shouted Kris from outside the bathroom.
After twenty minutes or so of nagging, I finally left the luxurious tub of water.
I dried myself off and stared at myself in the mirror.
My large brown eyes and olive skin glowed after the salt bath and my long, dark hair was a sodden mass of scented curls.
‘The water will give your hair a lovely shine. Would you like it up or down?’ Milenka asked from outside the bathroom door.
‘I don’t know,’ I said, staring at myself in a stupor. My hairstyle was the last thing on my mind right now. Keeping my breakfast down in my swirling stomach was my number one priority.
‘She doesn’t know,’ Milenka, repeating my words said, and Kris erupted into fits of laughter. They were trying to lighten the mood.
‘I only found out I was getting married this week,’ I called through the partially open door, smiling to myself.
They both erupted into more laughter and when I stepped out of the bathroom, I found myself smiling and shaking my head. Their good humour was putting me at ease, pushing my nerves aside. And for that I was grateful. After all, it wasn’t their fault I was nervous on my wedding day. I’d made this choice. Whether it was the right decision or not, I had to wear it.
It’s the right decision. I’m sure of it.
My smile grew wider when I pictured Frano sleeping by the green pool on Island 27 and how the blue butterflies had fluttered around his head. That was the man I had fallen for. The one who had protected me and saved my life the day we escaped the island.
‘That’s better,’ said Kris, responding to my smile. ‘It’s your wedding day.’
I nodded, allowing her words to sink it.
The light crystal chandelier seemed to glow more warmly than usual, the furniture gleamed with fresh polish. Everything appeared brighter, better. I was making the right decision. I was certain of it.
‘Wedding jitters, my dear,’ said Kris, tears of emotion shining in her eyes.
‘Don’t start, you,’ said the younger maid, laughing. ‘Kris cried while she ate a bread roll this morning at breakfast.’
‘It’s my hormones thank you very much,’ said Kris, indicating her growing stomach. ‘And the roll was especially delicious and I was hungry.’
I envied the friendship between Kris and Milenka. Apart from my older sister, who was born many years before me, most of the village girls disliked me. It had started after the summer I turned thirteen when I spontaneously grew breasts and hips. When all the village boys began to take interest in me, ignoring the other girls, I became enemy number one.
The sea witch, the village girls would call me, accusing me of stealing their boyfriends’ hearts – when in fact I’d ignored all the boys.
Siren.
‘Hello, Nada...’ said Kris, presenting me with my wedding dress in her outstretched arms. ‘We lost you there for a minute.’
‘Sorry,’ I said, reaching out to touch the creamy satin material. ‘It’s beautiful.’
‘I sewed the tiny pearl beads myself,’ said Kris, straightening her back with pride.
‘Thank you, Kris. It’s the loveliest thing I’ve ever seen.’
‘Time to put it on,’ said Kris, her eyes misting over with emotion again. ‘I’m sure we’ll then see the loveliest thing we’ve ever laid eyes on.’
Milenka rolled her eyes and I couldn’t help but giggle as she and Kris helped me into my dress.
Once Kris had buttoned up all the pearl buttons running down the curve of my spine, she led me to stand facing an oval mirror.
I’m not much of a crier. My mother had cried far too many bitter tears for me to ever care to release my emotions. But in this moment, at the sight of myself dressed in the beautiful dress, the tears came.
‘Hush. No... no, no, no,’ tutted Kris as she dabbed at my eyes with a handkerchief. ‘No tears or you’ll be as red as a piggy, won’t she, Milenka.’
I sucked in a deep breath and nodded.
‘How on earth did Frano find a dress that fits me so well,’ I said, twisting to my side to admire the way the dress skimmed the length of my body and clung in all the right places.
Kris and Milenka shared a glance and swallowed down giggles.
‘Don’t tell me you measured me in my sleep,’ I asked, laughing already.
They nodded.
‘It was the only way because the nurse forbade us to get you out of bed for “this wedding nonsense”,’ said Milenka.
I smiled. ‘Well, you both did a wonderful job. Thank you so much. I mean it.’
Within an hour I was fully made up, my hair half up and half down and slightly curled so that it fell down my back in a cascade of dark, shining waves.
Last of all came the golden, light crystal crown, which Frano had insisted upon me wearing.
‘Ready?’ asked Milenka, her smile wide.
Kris squeezed my hand and I nodded. I was as ready as I was going to get. Was any woman ever ready to get married? To share their lives with another human being? I sucked in a deep breath and breathed out. At least I’d had a say in the matter. Frano hadn’t forced me. Saying yes had been my own decision.
The doors opened and six guards awaited me. Flanking me, three on each side, we made our way, ceremoniously and slowly so that I could manage with my injured leg, down the long corridors towards the main double doors which opened to the city.
Pretty music played over the soft hum of the crowds who had gathered to witness my union with Frano.
The guards began to move through the door and I shuffled along to keep up. The cheerful roar, as soon as I became visible at the top of the staircase, was deafening.
At the base of the staircase, thousands of people crowded the square, waving and smiling my way. My heart skipped on its beat and I hurriedly searched below for Frano. I breathed a sigh of relief when I found him standing beside a large fountain – the one Lukas had mentioned. A bronze statue of a female stood proud at the centre of this fountain, raising a large, glowing light crystal, in the shape of a moon, above her crowned head.
Frano waved at me and I raised my hand and waved.
A young girl stood in my path and sprinkled the staircase with pale pink petals, leaving a pretty and fragrant trail for me to follow, leading all the way down the steps and towards the fountain until it finished at Frano’s feet.
Though I descended each step with care, a searing pain tore through my calf muscle each time. One of the guards broke rank and offered me his arm, which I took gratefully. But instead of the kind guard, it was my father I pictured leading me down the staircase, his sun-weathered face beaming with pride, his strong arm linked through mine as he led me to my future husband.
Sweat beaded down my back by the time we reached the base of the steps and I was relieved when my escort led me to Frano’s side.
Frano took me into his arms and pressed his lips to my forehead, clutching me to his side and facing the grey-haired minister who stood smiling, dressed in a white suit with a golden collar.
My leg throbbed, which made it hard to concentrate on the minister’s words, but when he asked us to join hands, I smiled up at Frano, forgot my pain, and gave him my full attention.
After he spoke his vows, it was my turn. I kept it short and sweet.
‘I promise to love and respect you and to always stand by you, Frano.’
Frano bent to kiss me. It was a long, slow, sensuous kiss that sent tingles right down to the tips of my toes.
The crowd roared in approval.
‘I present to you, King Frano and Queen Nada.’
A young woman dressed in a crisp white uniform with a frilly apron handed Frano and I a golden chalice each, while another filled them both with red wine.
Other maids moved through the crowd, handing out tiny crystal glasses to the people and filling those with red wine also.
Frano and I brought our chalices together with a clink and pressed them to our smiling lips. Frano tipped his head back and drank it all in one go so I did the same.
He laughed, throwing his head back and put an arm around me, much to the delight of the crowd.
‘I think I’ve met my match in you, Nada,’ he whispered in my ear. ‘I’m the luckiest man alive.’
‘I’m the lucky one,’ I said, grinning, feeling the warmth of genuine happiness flooding my heart.
‘May I have this dance, Queen Nada?’
I handed my empty chalice to a young man standing beside me and took Frano’s outstretched hands. He led me to a clearing beside Kraja’s fountain and we danced by the sparkling water and the light of Kraja’s light crystal moon.
Others joined us and introduced themselves to me, mid-dance, and soon the entire city danced with us. Though I tried my best to remember the names of the people Frano introduced me to, especially the important ones, they all faded into a blur. Everyone, the men and women, were all equally beautiful. I wondered if there was something about the light crystal which enhanced their features.
Frano wrapped his arms around my waist and gently pressed me against him, taking my weight off the injured leg. He bent his lips to my ear.
‘You know, I'm going to quiz you on all these names when we get back to a bedroom.’
I smiled.
‘Won’t we have something better to do?’ I asked.
Frano growled from the base of his throat and kissed my neck, the heat of his lips melting away the throbbing pain in my leg. All I wanted to do right now was disappear into the bedroom with Frano.
Frano must have read my mind because he scooped me up into his arms.
The guards carved a path through the celebrating crowds and we made our way back up the grand steps, back into the castle and all the way to our bedroom.
Frano paused at the double doors and glanced over his shoulders at the waiting guards.
‘You may leave now, and return for the ball in two hours’ time,’ he said, and their footsteps disappeared down the hallway.
Frano stared deep into my eyes and pressed his lips to my forehead.
He was going to do what millions of men had done before him, and carry his bride across the threshold and into his bed.
My stomach fluttered and my heart stuttered all over the place.
‘Ready?’ he asked, his arms trembling now from holding me for so long.
Heat flared in my cheeks, but I nodded. Happy that Frano was the sort of husband who checked with his wife before making decisions. We were a team. A dynamic duo.
I stared deep into his eyes and smiled softly.
‘Yes. I’m ready, Frano.’
As the doors closed behind us, Frano carried me across the room and gently laid me on the bed.
My pulse quickened as I watched him remove his suit jacket, his tie, and his shirt, before he laid down beside me.
‘I don’t want to hurt you,’ he said between kisses against my neck and my lips.
I shifted my leg so that I could inch closer to Frano and feel his hard body flush against mine.
‘It doesn’t hurt. I’m fine,’ I said, my voice husky with desire.
Frano pressed his lips to mine and kissed me deeply. My body melted beneath his touch as his hands caressed me in places on my body that had never known a man’s touch.
‘Undo my dress,’ I whispered, rolling over to my side and presenting my back.
‘Curse these pearl buttons,’ he groaned as he slowly unfastened each and every tiny button. ‘My hands were shaking,’ he laughed as he carefully rolled me back over and slid the dress off my shoulders and down to my waist.
‘Keep going,’ I said, my eyes fixed on Frano as slid the dress over my hips and down my legs, his eyes travelling the length of my body.
He tossed the dress aside, removed his pants and moved over me, his eyes and his body filled with an animal desire that flooded my veins with pleasure.
‘I love you, Nada,’ he whispered as he rained kisses on my lips, my neck and my breasts and gently shifted my hips until I was beneath him.
‘I love you too, Frano,’ I whispered back, believing my own words.