26. Cataleya
“Could you run me through the schedule again please, Ellie?” I ask Cedrick’s wife. Despite being heavily pregnant, she’s volunteered to help me with planning this wedding and honestly, I don’t know what I’d do without her.
“Alright,” she replies, shifting in her chair to get more comfortable. “At nine a.m, you have a meeting with the calligrapher. Ten is the wedding cake tasting. At 11:30, the florist will send over the arrangements for you to check over.”
She takes a quick breath, shuffling some papers before continuing with gusto.
“At one p.m., you’re meeting the royal tailor for the final adjustments to the wedding gown. Then at three, the musicians will be here to go over the final song list for the ceremony and at four, the caterers will arrive with the reception menu for you and Christian to taste.”
“That’s a lot,” I reply with a laugh.
Ellie shoots me a knowing look and grins. “That’s a royal wedding for you. Luckily, I love this stuff.”
“Well, I guess I’ll have the kitchen bring my breakfast into the meeting with the calligrapher. Sounds like I won’t have time to sit and eat today.”
“It’ll all be worth it though, trust me,” Ellie replies, leaning forward and touching my arm. It’s a sweet gesture, and I press her hand for a moment in thanks.
“Better get to it then,” I say with a happy sigh.
“Oh and by the way,” Ellie adds just as I’m about to leave. “There’s no way you’re going to the dress fitting without me. I need that in my life.”
“Deal,” I tell her with a laugh. I wish I had time to stay and chat more, but I’m already late. I shoot her a wave as I rush out the door and into the day’s first meeting.
Most of the day carries on like this—rushing from one place to another while Christian takes care of a thousand other tasks that need his attention. The grand wedding date is looming and between that and his regular royal duties, we’re both stretched to our limits.
Somehow, though, in the midst of this, Christian manages to support me, as I learn when he turns up to accompany me to the cake tasting.
“I thought you had a meeting with your advisors today?” I ask as he offers out his arm to take me to the limo.
He just shoots me a smile. “I delegated that to someone else,” he tells me. “I didn’t want you to have to do everything yourself.”
The offer is touching, and I can’t help but feel my heart flutter at the gesture. Even though he can’t be present at every meeting that day, he manages to accompany me on every trip, even if just to drop me off and pick me up again. And, of course, he drops in when he can.
We taste the cakes together, deciding our favorite in unison. He joins me in the parlor between meetings to discuss the floral arrangements, and we even manage to share a quick lunch before I need to leave again for the tailor’s.
It’s only when one p.m. rolls around that I send him on his way.
“You’re not supposed to see the dress before the wedding,” I warn him teasingly. “I have Ellie for that.”
Christian shoots a smile back at me. “I wouldn’t dream of jeopardizing that tradition. But I will bring you both there myself.”
I smile, and when Ellie joins us, we all talk excitedly about the wedding on the way to the limo.
“This wedding is going to be incredible,” Christian tells us with a smile.
The thought of it has me almost giddy, but I manage to reply with a more appropriate level of enthusiasm.
“Only fitting for the Prince and his lady,” I reply with a grin.
“Alright, love birds,” Ellie interjects, waving a hand. She fans herself with the other hand. “Save it for the wedding day.”
The limo pulls up to the tailor’s then, and Christian steps out of the car with us. It’s entirely unnecessary, but I can’t say I don’t love the farewell.
Before he leaves, he plants a gentle peck on my cheek and the warmth of it sends a tidal wave of desire rushing through me. In fact, it takes several moments before I’m able to collect myself and turn to the tailor for our appointment.
Ellie just shoots me a knowing look.
“Alright, Elsa,” I say to the tailor, trying not to let my feelings show. “Where do you need me?”
The tailor joins Ellie in a knowing smile but doesn’t dare say anything. It’s only after twenty minutes of adjustments, that Elsa allows me to look in the mirror.
The sight makes me gasp. It’s the first time I’ve seen myself in a fitted gown, and it almost brings me to tears. I really look like a bride, the white lace dress hugging my body before spilling down into an enormous trailing skirt.
Suddenly, all the feelings I’ve been trying to hold back come rushing in when I imagine our wedding day. I try to tell myself it’s just a temporary arrangement, like we agreed, but the lines are well and truly blurred by now.
“You look gorgeous, Cataleya,” Ellia tells me, running her eyes approvingly over the dress.
“Yes, if you don’t mind my saying so, My Lady,” Elsa chimes in. “Prince Christian is going to fall even more in love with you when he sees you like this.”
The words shock me, so much so that I’m lost for words. Elsa and Ellie take this as a good sign, because they both smile up at me. It’s not until Elsa turns away to adjust the hem of the dress that I let the weight of her words sink in.
More in love with me… The words echo in my mind, and I have to fight them away.
The thought of it is dangerous because it’s making me crave for something more. As tempting as that train of thought is, I know I can”t let myself long for that. The moment I do, this will all become far too complicated.
By the time the fitting is finally over, I’ve more or less managed to get my thoughts under control and instead concentrate on the next appointment for the day.
When Ellie and I reach the castle though, it’s in a state of chaos. Assistants and advisors are running around in a panic, security has been increased, and I can’t get a straight answer out of anyone. When we finally catch sight of Liza, we call her over, trying to read the wild expression in her eyes.
“Liza, what on earth is going on?” I demand, glancing over her shoulder as another posse of advisors rushes past.
“Massive wildfires,” she tells us in a strained voice. “Almost the entire Kayan Forest has been destroyed, including several villages. And also, the Soria Palace.”
At this last part, she gives me a pained look as if in apology. For a second, I’m struck silent, taking in the weight of Liza’s words. Soria Palace is where the wedding is meant to take place, and my heart breaks as all our plans seem to be ruined in one fell swoop.
Ellie and Liza both know what this means to me, and for a second we all stand together in shocked silence. I know there are much larger questions I need to be asking, though, and I push aside my own troubles to focus on what’s more important.
“How many Solvarians have been affected?” I ask.
Liza shakes her head. “I don’t know the exact numbers yet. But initial reports are in the thousands. We’re still getting information from the ground.”
I nod, recognizing the weight of this revelation. And, of course, the weight now rests on my shoulders.
“Thank you,” I tell her as it all sinks in.
Ellie and Liza shoot each other a glance before the two of them hurry off together.
I’m left to contemplate this terrible turn of events. Not only that, I need to contemplate what to do about it.
I make my way to Christian’s study, seeking solace from the chaos unfolding around me. Setting myself down at his oak desk, I suddenly feel the immense pressure that the throne holds. There’s something about sitting here, in the place of the Prince, the future King, that causes me to freeze.
My hands grip the leather arms of his chair, and although I’m terrified of doing the wrong thing, I know I need to step up and earn my place as a leader. This is the thought that hangs in my mind when the door to the room bursts open.
Christian stands there for a second before rushing to my side.
“Cataleya,” he says, and his voice reassures me.
“What do I need to do?” I ask him, looking up into his eyes with something between fear and determination.
He takes a moment, and I can see pride in his eyes, as well as something else.
When he answers, it’s with a reassuring smile in spite of the situation we find ourselves in.
“What would the Queen do?” he asks me.
His voice is low, strong, and I recognize what that look in his eyes is. It’s faith. Faith in me as his Queen.