Going Away to Be Married
Royal Capital, Prye City
On this day, the entire Royal Capital seemed to be infused with a boiling vitality.
The wide central avenue was already packed with people, with almost every household emptying out. The royal family had already announced to the world that Princess Louise was to marry Lord Karl von Schmidt, the hero of the Northern Territory, and today was the day the Princess would officially set off for the north.
Everyone wanted to witness this rare royal ceremony, the procession of Princess Louise marrying the hero of the Northern Territory.
The air was filled with a festive atmosphere and anticipation. People crowded behind the cordon formed by the soldiers' bodies, craning their necks and discussing among themselves.
"Have you heard? That Lord Karl is something else! In Carnford in the Northern Territory, he led a few hundred men and withstood an attack by 100,000 Sauron barbarians, routing them in a rout!"
"Really? An army of 100,000? What incredible heroes they must be!"
"Of course it's true! It's written in the royal proclamation! It says that he performed an unparalleled feat, which is why His Your Majesty betrothed the noble Her Highness the Princess to him as a sign of favor!"
"Tsk tsk, Your Highness Her Highness the Princess noble birth, a perfect match for such a young hero! What a match made in heaven!"
"Yes, yes, only a hero like him is worthy of a noble Princess!"
Besides praising the heroes and blessing the couple, many people also harbored small, practical hopes. According to royal custom, on such joyous occasions, rewards are often distributed to the people, and it would be good to share in the happiness.
Soon, in the distance, the crisp and rhythmic sound of horses' hooves could be heard, accompanied by the faint strains of solemn music.
The crowd instantly became excited, standing on tiptoe and craning their necks.
"They're here! They're here!"
The first thing that catches the eye is the Royal Knights ' ceremonial guard.
They rode identical, tall, pure white horses, wore gleaming silver-white breastplates, and draped themselves in gold cloaks embroidered with the Broomflower Royal Family, their helmets adorned with magnificent feathers.
The knights, wielding lances draped with royal banners, moved in perfect unison, appearing like celestial warriors descended to earth under the sunlight, eliciting gasps of amazement and cheers from the crowd.
Following closely behind was the large royal orchestra.
The musicians, dressed in brightly colored formal attire, played a solemn yet joyful wedding march. The grand music echoed through the Prye City, bringing the atmosphere to a climax.
Next up is today's absolute star, Princess Louise's car.
It was an extremely luxurious, Gilded Carriage, like a small mobile palace, pulled by eight magnificent white horses.
The carriage was decorated with intricate royal coats of the Broomflower Royal Family patterns symbolizing love and loyalty. The windows were covered with heavy velvet curtains embroidered with gold thread, completely concealing the interior.
Following the carriage was a long procession of trunks and baskets loaded with the Princess's dowry: silks and satins, gold and silver utensils, antiques and treasures... Although most of them were ostentatious and impractical, they still demonstrated the wealth and grandeur of the royal family.
At the rear of the procession was the royal infantry phalanx, their armor gleaming, their steps resounding, displaying the majesty and power of the royal family.
Meanwhile, royal servants, who had been arranged beforehand, began to smile and toss specially made "Princess Wedding Copper Coin" into the crowds lining both sides of the road.
These copper coins were not circulating currency, but were commemorative items specially minted for the wedding, with unique royal and wedding markings on the edges.
"They're throwing money around! Grab some lucky money!"
The crowd erupted in cheers, shouts of scrambling, and laughter.
People bent down to pick up the coins, not only for the meager loot, but also to share in the royal family's good fortune and to commemorate the grand occasion.
Those who received the copper coins excitedly showed them to their companions, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.
However, in stark contrast to the deafening noise and extravagant displays outside, Princess Louise, seated serenely in her golden carriage, possessed a cold and detached state of mind.
She wore the most magnificent wedding dress, a dazzling crown, and her makeup was so exquisite that she looked like a doll. She sat upright on a chair covered with soft velvet, her posture perfectly conforming to all the etiquette norms of Princess.
But those beautiful eyes were filled with a sadness and emptiness that seemed completely out of place with the festive atmosphere; there was not a trace of the shyness and joy that a bride-to-be should have.
For her, this was not a wedding, but a political exile.
She was about to leave the bustling and familiar Royal Capital she had grown up, far away from all her relatives, friends and everything familiar, to go to the remote, desolate Northern Territory border where a bloody battle had just taken place, to marry a "hero" she had only seen in portraits and legends.
The future was like a fog shrouding the Northern Territory, shrouded in uncertainty, leaving her with no joy whatsoever as she awaited marriage.
As if possessed, she gently parted the heavy curtains with her fingers, clad in pristine white velvet gloves, and gazed blankly through the crystal glass at the unfamiliar faces outside, cheering wildly and jumping for joy at her "happiness."
Excited faces flashed before her eyes, but failed to stir any emotion within her.
Those vibrant lives, those smiles purely for the sake of excitement, only served to highlight the loneliness in her heart.
In the midst of this numb scanning, her gaze suddenly fixed!
Through the gaps in the crowd, she keenly spotted a familiar figure!
Despite his ordinary civilian clothes and his deliberate attempt to hide in the surging crowd, her deep affection and unspoken understanding made her recognize him at a glance— Henry.
As if by telepathy, the instant she saw Henry, Henry's gaze also pierced through the noisy crowd and precisely found those familiar, watery blue eyes behind the carriage curtain.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
The clamor, the magnificent procession, the fluttering coins... all of it faded into a blurred background.
Their eyes locked in mid-air, a thousand words, endless love, excruciating pain, and helpless despair all surging forth in that single gaze.
He saw the tears and reluctance in her eyes, and she saw the heartache and struggle in his.
There were no words, nor could there be any words.
This brief yet prolonged eye contact was their final, silent farewell to fate.
The carriage continued forward without stopping, and the gap was quickly covered again by the curtains, and Henry's figure was soon swallowed up by the crowd.
Princess Louise slumped weakly against the back of her chair, her last shred of strength shattered.
She slowly closed her eyes, and two streams of scalding tears finally broke through her last line of defense, silently sliding down her pale cheeks and dripping onto her magnificent yet cold wedding dress.
The cheers outside the car were deafening, but inside, she felt as if she were in a desolate, icy wilderness.