Time Flew Like an Arrow
Time flew like an arrow.
The wedding day arrived in the blink of an eye.
It was dawn, before even the sun had risen.
“Are you fully awake?”
“Yes. Though it would be more accurate to say I haven’t slept yet.”
“Why?”
The two of them had left the still-quiet Berk Mansion with the servants in tow and arrived at the temple behind the Royal Palace.
It was a temple dedicated to the dragon by the founding king of Ibanes. This place, which also served as the royal family’s private chapel, was where their wedding would be held today.
At Curtis’s question, Chloe grumbled in a voice thick with sleep.
“There was too much to study.”
Until the very morning of the wedding, Chloe had stayed up all night studying.
Mostly the procedures she would have to perform during today’s wedding ceremony.
Even simplified, it was still a royal wedding, and there were many things that had to be observed.
“Did you think becoming royalty would be easy?”
“It was easy for Your Grace.”
“True enough. I was born and found myself royal.”
The man who had become royalty so easily answered like that and gave a small laugh.
Chloe, meanwhile, kept her lips thrust out in a pout.
He said he wouldn’t make me work overtime. I never imagined he’d make me study all night.
But seeing that Curtis’s eyes were bloodshot as well, Chloe chose not to add anything else.
He, too, had probably gone nearly the entire week without rest because of this wedding.
“This is my first time here.”
“Of course it is. Even among the Royal Guard, only the elite are allowed inside.”
The temple was small, but elegant and beautiful.
Its white exterior seemed to blend naturally with the surrounding forest.
As a sacred place, one that only royalty could enter except during major ceremonies, it appeared to have been built differently from other structures, with its wild beauty deliberately brought to the fore.
Though the season was high summer, the dawn air was cool.
Chloe had privately assumed no one would be there, but one man was waiting for them in front of the temple.
The moment the two came within speaking distance, he opened his mouth.
“Sir Amboise. If you are being threatened, please tell me even now. No matter what it takes, I’ll protect you from my uncle.”
Chloe saluted and answered at once.
“Loyalty. I’m fine. Thank you for your concern.”
At Chloe’s reply, the man standing before her pressed a hand to his forehead and mimed the onset of a headache.
“Aigoo. You may speak comfortably. You’re about to become my aunt.”
There was neither mischief nor falsehood in his cheerful tone.
Chloe lowered her saluting hand.
“I thank Your Highness for your consideration.”
The man, Crown Prince Frederick, stared at Chloe for a moment, then turned his head toward Curtis beside her.
“Uncle. I have always thought you were remarkable, but this time, I am truly impressed.”
“Having an idol within the family who impresses you anew every time is a blessing. Be grateful to God.”
“The Crown Princess asked me to convey her congratulations as well.”
The two exchanged a light handshake.
They were uncle and nephew, but with so little difference in age, they looked more like friends.
Curtis had already told her, in fact, that their relationship was closer to friendship than anything else.
“Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Frederick de Ibanes. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Chloe Amboise.”
“Loyalty. I am Chloe Amboise.”
“Oh dear.”
Crown Prince Frederick narrowed his eyes playfully.
He was handsome in a pleasant, likable way, and his ready smile was the sort that naturally drew goodwill from those who saw it.
Chloe almost fell for it when he told her she could be at ease.
But after experiencing quite a variety of high-ranking personages over the past few days, Chloe had learned that, at times like this, it was better to become a somewhat rigid person.
“My apologies. As I have not yet formally married, I am still merely a soldier of Ibanes. Please forgive me for causing concern to Your Highness.”
“Good heavens. I’m already starting to think you may be far too good for my extraordinary uncle. Very well.”
The prince smiled gently and offered Chloe his hand.
“But you will accept a handshake, won’t you?”
“It would be an honor.”
He’s quite sensible, and easygoing by nature too.
Chloe thought so as she shook his hand.
“I apologize for troubling you.”
“Not at all. It is my pleasure. To think I would be entrusted with my uncle’s sanctification ceremony and blood-oath ceremony.”
On top of that, he did not hesitate to say pleasant things.
Chloe straightened with genuine satisfaction and entered the temple.
A royal wedding consisted chiefly of the main ceremony, the sanctification ceremony, and the blood-oath ceremony.
The sanctification ceremony was a rite in which one declared before God that one had no shame in becoming a member of the Ibanes royal family, while the blood-oath ceremony was a rite that bound blood to blood.
Each ceremony required one priest of the temple and one member of the royal family to serve as witnesses.
Originally, both the sanctification ceremony and the blood-oath ceremony were supposed to be held before the guests.
Naturally, even for convenience’s sake, most royal weddings took place in the Royal Palace.
Both the priests and the royals were there, after all.
The King forbidding the Grand Duke from entering the Royal Palace had also been a way to interfere with the wedding.
But as if mocking him, the Grand Duke had immediately requested permission from Crown Prince Frederick to use the temple at dawn that very day.
He intended to hold the wedding in the temple.
Faced with the logic that the dragon’s temple was outside the Royal Palace, and therefore ought to be acceptable, the King flew into yet another rage.
In truth, more than the logic itself, he was probably displeased that Curtis had acted as though he had anticipated his obstruction.
But by then, rumors had already spread far and wide.
The Crown Prince granted permission, saying that refusing to allow the wedding would only make the royal family look even more ridiculous.
In addition, he even volunteered to be the Grand Duke’s wedding witness.
However, the Grand Duke was not pleased by the idea of conducting a wedding for many guests over many long hours.
More precisely, he was worried about the Crown Prince.
If Frederick left the prince’s palace for a long time to attend a wedding that lasted all day, there was no telling what sort of spiteful mischief the King might commit.
For reference, Chloe had not understood that remark at first and had asked him to explain.
“But the prince is His Majesty’s son, isn’t he?”
“My elder brother possesses the qualities of a truly excellent sovereign.”
He had expressed the fact that even his son received no special treatment and was subjected to his spite equally in that fashion.
In any case, thanks to that, Chloe had ended up meeting the two of them at the temple before dawn on the day of the wedding.
Chloe looked again at the Crown Prince walking ahead of her.
Even if he was heir to the throne, being hated by the King could hardly be pleasant.
Did he truly cherish his uncle, or was he protecting the royal family’s dignity?
Whichever it was, Chloe thought for the first time that Ibanes’s future might turn out decently after all.
At any rate, the Crown Prince’s conduct was the most royal of any royal she had seen.
Of course, setting aside the fact that the only royals she had seen were the King and Curtis.
Just then, Crown Prince Frederick, who had been walking into the temple, spoke to her.
“Is there anything you’re curious about? We are soon to become family, so if you have any questions about the royal family, you may ask comfortably.”
“…Forgive me, but I heard His Majesty’s wrath was considerable.”
In other words: Aren’t you afraid of your father?
Crown Prince Frederick winked.
“Fortunately, my noble father has not seen fit to have another son.”
No, wait. She had the feeling she had just heard something she absolutely should not have heard.
“Of course, if my father goes and remarries like my grandfather did, then I’ll be in serious trouble.”
Curtis, the son born from “Grandfather’s” remarriage, answered expressionlessly from beside him.
“As jokes go, that one is not amusing.”
“Hahaha!”
The Crown Prince even clapped as he laughed.
Chloe thought to herself.
I think Ibanes’s future might not be all that decent after all.
The sanctification ceremony ended faster than expected.
Chloe got the oath she was supposed to recite during the ceremony wrong twice, but the priest pretended not to hear it both times.
“Thank you.”
“You are a new member of Ibanes, come in accordance with God’s calling. I expect we shall meet often.”
The moment she finished exchanging greetings with the priest and turned around, the Crown Prince whispered secretly beside her.
“That means he wants a generous donation.”
“….”
She suddenly wanted to finish the blood-oath ceremony quickly too.
But before that, there was something Chloe had to do.
Originally, after the sanctification ceremony, the royal who was taking a spouse had to offer a prayer to the dragon in the temple.
Something along the lines of: thank you for protecting the country, here is a new family member, please look kindly upon them.
However, as soon as the sun came up, Curtis became properly busy because the Royal Guard squad leaders had arrived at the temple.
The Royal Guard was scheduled to perform the ceremonial sword salute at today’s wedding.
“However simplified the wedding may be, I am still the commander of the Royal Guard. It would look proper for the Guard to perform at least a ceremonial salute.”
That much was true.
In the end, the matter of prayer was concluded with Chloe doing it in Curtis’s stead.
But Chloe was gripped by a strong suspicion: Did that man shove this onto me because he didn’t want to do it?
Because of the long, long prayer she had to offer.
How hard had she worked last night to memorize that prayer?
If not for this, I could have slept at least two hours last night….
As she waited for the temple priests to prepare the prayer room, her eyelids grew heavy.
What if I fall asleep while praying?
Chloe forced her eyes wide open to wake herself up and looked down from the temple terrace where she stood.
The squad leaders of the Royal Guard, including faces she knew well, had gathered around Curtis and were reporting something to him.
Probably checking the order of the ceremony.
In the midst of it, her eyes suddenly met those of Ezra, the 2nd Squad Leader, who had been looking around.
Ezra’s eyes widened, then filled with delight.
Seeing him immediately try to say something with only the shape of his mouth, Chloe swiftly turned her head away.
That damned bastard. He’s dying to tease me, isn’t he?
Chloe had been on leave all this time.
Which meant she had not had any chance to make contact with her friends in the Royal Guard.
If anyone asked how she had friends when only three months had passed since she had been assigned there, well.
They could be described as comrades united before a common enemy.
Among them, the ones Chloe was especially close to were Georges and Ezra, the 1st Squad Leader and 2nd Squad Leader respectively.
Both of them had probably seen the newspaper and nearly had a fit.
After that, they would have been dumbfounded, but that would only have lasted a moment.
How am I supposed to handle those bastards teasing me when I return to duty…?
Hey, didn’t you used to curse the Grand Duke to hell and back? When did sparks start flying? This is huge. Did hatred turn into love? Huh? What did you like about him? Working overtime three days in a row? Or getting worked to the bone under the blazing sun? Our Chloe, were you secretly a masochist and we never knew? So you’re the Grand Duke’s wife now? Come on, Chloe, say “Grand Duke Berk is a son of a bitch.” Isn’t this kind of an industrial accident?
And so on.
Just thinking about it drained her energy.
Why are these bastards so loud even in my imagination? Shut up a little. Huh? I said shut up.
“Why are you marrying Grand Duke Berk?”
“Shut u—my apologies.”
Chloe, proud soldier of Ibanes, had nearly told the Crown Prince of Ibanes to shut up.
Seeing Chloe hurriedly bite her lips inward, Crown Prince Frederick looked dazed for a moment, then burst into laughter.
“I understand. I often hear the same question dozens of times myself. When that happens, regardless of who said it, profanity comes out first.”
“My apologies….”
And he had to point that out too….
Chloe wanted to die.
Crown Prince Frederick chuckled a few more times, then cleared his throat and asked,
“Let me ask again. Why Grand Duke Berk?”