Page 17

The temple is similar to the ones we have at home, which puts me a little at ease as I walk inside with my aunt as a chaperone.

There are a surprising number of people here, and I imagine that a lot of them are here because it would be a political faux pas for them to decline an event like this, as opposed to being here because they want to see me marry Arthur.

I look to where the altar sits with a large golden cup at the centre.

Arthur is to the right, looking at me with an expression that can only be described as adoring, even from this distance.

My heart skips a beat and I have to resist the urge to hurry quicker towards him.

I'm certainly less nervous about the attention on me now that I have the reminder that I don't have to do this alone.

As I get closer to the front, I see other faces I recognise, including those belonging to Arthur's siblings. I nod to them, hoping it's the right thing to do, and wishing I'd gotten to attend more weddings over the past few years so I could have had some idea of what to expect.

His father waits near the front of the aisle and I pause in front of him, dipping into a curtsy.

"Your Majesty."

"Princess Solana," he responds. "Duquesa."

"Your Majesty," my aunt responds, curtsying herself, but wobbling a little as she does.

Veronica is on her feet in moments, helping my aunt to take a seat and not have to worry about standing longer.

Done with the greetings, I turn to the front where Arthur is waiting. He smiles when he sees me, and I light up inside, realising that I'm not even slightly nervous. There's nothing to be nervous about.

I slip my hands into his and the head priest and priestess of the temple step forward with a ribbon. They wrap it around our hands, binding them together. I don't take my gaze away from Arthur's, knowing how important this is.

"Prince Arthur, you are to recite the vows first as the host of the marriage," the priestess says.

Arthur nods and looks at me. "Princess Solana of Someil, I welcome you into my family. Here you will be loved, here you will be protected, here you will be cherished in the way that you deserve to be."

I know the words are just the standard ones of any marriage done in our faith, but they still send a thrill through me thanks to the weight Arthur himself is putting on them. To him, they are not just words, he means them.

"Princess Solana, if you would recite the vows," the priestess says.

I clear my throat. "Prince Arthur of Falhaven, I accept your welcome.

In this marriage, you will be loved, in this marriage, you will be protected, and in this marriage, you will be cherished in the way that you deserve to be," I say, smiling slightly at the end of the words.

I'm glad he went first, even if that's only because his is the family I'm marrying into.

If we were getting married in Someil, and he was joining my family there, our positions would have been reversed.

"You are bound by the vows in the sight of the gods," the priest says as the priestess hands me a cup of wine.

I take it from her, though it's a struggle considering the ribbon around our hands, especially as it would be seen as bad luck for it to slip off.

"I offer you this cup as a sign of my devotion," I say, holding it to Arthur's lips so he can take a drink.

The priestess takes pity on us and helps us move the cup from my hands to Arthur's so that he can repeat the gesture to me. The wine is surprisingly good, though I don't drink much of it.

She takes it back and sets it on the altar before returning to stand before us. "May you be blessed by all of the gods and go forth in your bounty," she calls out.

"May the gods guide you, through your lives together, and through your duties to Falhaven," the priest says.

"May the gods guide us," we both repeat.

"Go forth from this place married, as partners in all things," the priestess says.

"Go forth, Prince Arthur of Falhaven," the priest says as he unwinds the ribbon from around our hands. "Go forth, Princess Solana of Falhaven."

A strange feeling settles within me as I hear the words.

I've always known that I was going to be marrying into the Falhaven Royal Family, but now it is being said out loud, it feels more real.

Maybe it's not hearing it out loud, maybe it's because now I have a more concrete idea of what my marriage is going to be like.

Arthur takes my hand in his and leads me out of the main temple and into a small courtyard where there's no one waiting. Probably because all of the guests are still inside.

"That went well," I say.

"One thing could have gone better," Arthur says.

"Oh?"

"I could have gotten a chance to kiss my wife."

"You do now," I respond, stepping closer and wrapping my arms around his neck.

He closes the distance between us and kisses me deeply. I can feel how much he cares about me in his touch, and I can sense how much hope he has for the future, because I have it too.

"I love you, Solana," he murmurs against my lips.

"I love you too," I respond. "And I look forward to our life together."

"It's snowing," he says, holding out his hand and catching a couple of flakes on his hand. "That feels like a good sign for our wedding day."

"It does," I agree, watching the flakes settle on his eyelashes. I cup his cheek in my hand and lose myself in the deep blue of his eyes.

I hope to see many more snowy days at Falhaven Castle, especially when I get to see them with Arthur by my side.

Thank you for reading Love Letters & Lemon Drops , I hope you enjoyed it!