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If Maud had to describe her emotions with one word, it would be "stuffy".

She feels stuffy in this dress, and she surely can't be the only one who has thought that on their wedding day. While the men get to wear relatively simple suits, she is stuck in an elaborate white wedding gown. It's long and wide, stretching out over the floor. A white veil falls in front of her face, blurring her vision and making her foggy brain even foggier.

A woman's wedding day is often falsely described as a moment of happiness in fairy tales. But the truth is, in many cultures and counties, wedding days are rarely days of happiness. The ones organizing the whole thing lose a lot of money, and the ones getting married are often either nervous or unwilling. In some places, it's forbidden to smile on your wedding day, and in some places you're expected to smile even if you feel sad. Maud feels like that. Like she is forced to smile. But she doesn't feel sad, just terrified. Nervous and jittery, all kinds of emotions exploding inside of her.

It's an odd day, a woman's wedding day, and it's often followed by an odd night. A bride has a hard time understanding what comes after the wedding, what married life is all about. Maud has an even harder time understanding that. She feels nervous on so many levels. She feels unprepared too, knowing that she isn't as knowledgeable as her brothers have made her out to be. Eventually the truth will come out, her fiancé will find out that she is one of those peasant-to-royal princesses and be enraged and disappointed in his choice of bride. She could never be as good of a queen as any of his other candidates. The only good thing about her is that she can bear children, her brothers have made that very clear, and perhaps Adelio feels the same way.

Maud is standing in front of closed church doors. Inside the big cathedral, thousands of guests are waiting for her entrance. Adelio will be standing at the very front, by the altar, waiting for her with the same stone cold look that he always has. Takao and the other princes and royal guests from other kingdoms will have a front row seat, including her uncle and cousin Rose. For many, it will be their first time seeing her. And also their last, as she will soon be on her way to a completely different word. The kingdom of Red Lion. A place where people from this kingdom rarely go.

Maud doesn't know what to think. What should a bride be thinking of before her wedding? Should she be nervous? Scared? Happy? Should she think back to her childhood, to her family? Which one? Her new family, or her old family? It's hard for her to think at all. In this stuffy dress. She looks very beautiful though, Maud knows it. She just saw herself in the mirror before coming here by carriage from the palace. There is a bouquet of purple flowers in her hands, symbolizing the mix of the two nations, blue and red, and except for her white dress and veil she has many purple decorations everywhere. Her earrings, her necklace, and her shoes are all in the mixed color. The wedding is in that same theme, some parts are red, some parts are blue and the cathedral itself is decorated in purple. Makai has really thought it all through, he wants it to go perfectly.

Maud doesn't want to ruin that. She is terrified of ruining it. In a world like this, a girl like her doesn't get second chances. Today she will marry the crown prince from the next kingdom, and hopefully carry his heirs as soon as possible. Not tomorrow, but today. Today she will gracefully and shyly smile as she is led down the aisle to her future husband, and she will say yes without hesitating. The church will be filled with people, people who she has fooled into believing in her grace and perfection, when in reality she is so much less. Everything will go perfectly, just like how Makai wants it, and Maud won't complain or ruin it. This is her moment to shine, and hopefully not burn in the process.

"Are you ready?"

Maud nearly screams, startled by her brother's sudden presence. She turns around, as much as she can in the big dress. Makai walks up to her, dressed in a fancy black velvet suit, with golden buttons and a purple bow. He smiles, but it's not kind or understanding. Not even on a day like this can he show any kind of compassion or familial care. All he cares about is his own agenda and he has made that very clear throughout the past few weeks. Maud can't believe that it's a man like him that will lead her down the aisle, and not the father who actually raised her.

But the world is a cruel place. Maud knows that she will never meet her real parents, and never see her fake parents ever again. This moment is all she has. And this will be the last time she will think of her father or mother again. The future has no time for people who dwell on the past. So instead of showing her defiance, Maud lets her eldest brother take her hand. He will walk her down the aisle, and after that she'll have a new man by her side. Maud doesn't even look at him, nor does she answer. But for Makai, that doesn't matter. Not even as they stand in front of the huge cathedral doors, looking like small ants in front of its golden greatness.

"Don't mess this up. This is the last time he can back away, so make sure it doesn't happen"

Maud wishes she could have the choice of backing away from this. She wishes she could turn around and leave the capital, with her wedding dress and all. She could run back home. Come knocking on her parents door, dress ruined and feet tired, and ask that they take her back. But it's a fantasy. Maud wouldn't even make it to the end of these stairs, even if she gave it her all. Her everything isn't enough, because she is a woman. But Maud feels suddenly determined. Just because she doesn't have anything now, doesn't mean that it will look the same way in the future.

"Don't worry, big brother-"

She calls him by his title for the first time, a sudden show of determination. Saying that he might be evil and powerful, but she as his sister has every ingredient in her to become the same.

"There is no place that he could run, where I wouldn't follow"

Words that could sound so romantic, but are said with such a grave tone. Maud won't back out of this, and neither will her fiancé. She'll make sure of that. Makai smirks, and signals with his right hand. He takes a firm grip around Maud's arm, and gets ready to walk her down the aisle, playing the part of a loving brother saying goodbye. The guards who see his signal quickly rush to open the doors. They are heavy and made out of the finest white stone, so it takes a while. It's a dramatic entrance. The doors squeak open slowly, and the music starts playing loudly from within the cathedral. It echoes out onto the street.

The beautiful building opens up to them. Makai doesn't rush, he waits until the doors have opened completely. Maud lets her eyes wander like it's the first time, as they begin to walk down the violet carpet. There are two rows of white stone benches on each side of the cathedral, and on the walls there are statues of the angels and prophets. The ceiling is incredibly high and round, with golden decorations splashed onto it. Somewhere from behind them the wedding music plays. Maud sees it all from behind her veil, looking out onto the people in the cathedral. She doesn't recognise a single person. They are all dressed in their finest, smiling at her as if they have known her her entire life, but Maud doesn't recognise a single face. It's upsetting.

So instead she focuses on what's at the end of the aisle. Her destination. Adelio stands there, wearing a prince uniform with all his war-medals on them. His suit is black and red, and he stares at her from behind his black hair with unreadable eyes. He looks scary like this. He always looks terrifying, and that's not how someone is supposed to look on their wedding day. Maud hopes that she looks different. Pretty. Gorgeous. Cute. Wonderful in her white dress. She hopes that she looks like a wife. Or maybe she hopes that she looks like someone Adelio likes.

Makai smiles like a man who has just won something big. They reach the end of the aisle, only a few steps left. The music plays so loudly that Maud can barely hear her own thoughts. Everybody is looking at her. Their eyes pierce into her, it's almost like they can see every little thing that she is hiding. On the front row, Maud sees her brothers. The rest of them, that is. Takao is sitting closest to the altar, next to an empty place that will soon be filled by Makai. He is smiling just like Makai is, but he looks less manipulative while doing it. He doesn't have the privilege to look openly evil like Makai has. He also isn't reckless, like Nico and Noor, who look just as smug as their eldest brother does. Just because they are like that. Reckless.

Adelio approaches them soon enough. Maud watches him come closer. To some extent, he reminds her of a dragon. A red dragon, with black horns and eyes. Staring at her with such intensity. He is strong like one of those mythical creatures, and tall. Just like a dragon, his eyes hold a certain sense of mystery. The same kind that is probably in her eyes too. Is he hiding something? Maud can't believe that she is thinking about this on her wedding day, at the altar, in front of thousands of people. And yet she is. Looking at him right now, it makes almost too much sense. Just like her, he is hiding something. Maud wants to know what that is. What is he hiding?

"She's all yours"

Makai lets go of her arm, leading her right up to Adelio's side. He gives Adelio a smug smile and chuckles, quietly enough for nobody else to hear. The music drowns out his words. Adelio glares back, being as subtle as possible while doing it, to not attract attention to himself. He knows that Makai has now won. There is nothing he can do except take it with a stubborn glare. Maud knows this, just by looking at him once. Her brother has won over her future husband. She doesn't know if she should be happy about that. Who's side is she on now? Her brother's or her husband's? She's at that special moment of being in between.

Old legend says that the moment when a father, or brother, gives away their sister or daughter to her new husband, is a very delicate time. That is the one moment when a young girl is the most vulnerable. Vulnerable to the demons that are out to get her. And even though she might wear a veil to hide her face, or make her friends wear the same wedding dress as her to confuse the demons, it's still a very dangerous moment. And if the demons catch her, at that moment when her hand is given from her father to her husband, she goes crazy and runs away from the wedding. Could a demon catch her right now? Maud reaches her hand out to accept Adelio's outreached arm. Could a demon catch her right now and make her run away? Like a crazy bride? She wishes she had that privilege.

Even as a princess, she doesn't have such a privilege.

Maud lets Adelio hold her arm. They walk down the last steps of the aisle together, the priest standing expectedly in front of them. The music continues to play. No demons have managed to catch her. They wouldn't dare. The strongest warrior on the continent is going to marry her, of course they don't dare to even try. Maud was wishing for useless things. They walk up the stairs of the altar, Adelio helping her walk despite her difficult high heels. Once they have reached the priest, they are instructed to stand opposite of each other. Maud turns around and stands still, staring right up at her fiancé, who doesn't look back.

"We are gathered here today, to witness-"

Maud zones out. Adelio's face is just like that. Something that makes you zone out. He doesn't look like any man Maud has seen. Not that she has seen many men. Being raised at the farm and then under fierce protection at the palace, she doesn't have much experience with the opposite sex. But looking at her fiancé right now, he looks different from all other individuals of the male species. Not in a bad way, though. His face is somehow beautiful at the same time as it is handsome. Maud finds herself liking the feminine twist of his face, his sharp jaw and nose, his piercing eyes and his soft black hair. At least she likes the way he looks.

Adelio doesn't look at her though. It's almost like he can't bear to do it. Maud wonders why. His eyes are turned away, as he looks at the priest instead of at his future wife. Maud isn't jumping to conclusions here. It's obvious that he is avoiding her eyes, from the way that he glances once and then immediately looks away. Why is he avoiding her? Is it because he feels guilty? The thought suddenly pops into her mind. Maud doesn't understand it. Why would he feel guilty? Why would she even think that? She sees it in his eyes, she concludes. She understands his expression, just for a moment. He looks guilty, those are the shy eyes of a guilty person. What is he guilty of?

"Princess Margaret, do you take Prince Adelio as your lawfully wedded husband?"

Suddenly all attention is on her. Maud snaps out of her zone, shocked at how fast the time went by. She looks at Adelio with wide eyes, happy that he can't see it because of her veil. She only has a second to stall, otherwise she would seem hesitant about the marriage, and Makai would rage at her afterwards. Maud gulps. Adelio looks at her. He actually looks at her now. The guilty expression is gone, replaced with an expecting one. He is expecting her to say 'I do'.

She has said yes before, it's not that hard. She said yes to the engagement ring. Maud glances down at her hand. The ring that she gave to the priest this morning is suddenly there, someone must've given it to her during the ceremony. She really zoned out, didn't she? It's a beautiful red ruby ring.

"I do"

Thankfully, not a second too late. The priest turns to Adelio. Her fiancé for the next twenty seconds.

"And do you, Prince Adelio, take Princess Margaret as your lawfully wedded wife?"

Maud looks at him. She doesn't have to wait. There is no time for her to think. Adelio stares right back into her eyes this time, no fear or hesitance or guilt. He looks awfully cruel as he says it.

"I do"

The priest smiles. Everybody smiles. Makai must be smiling the most right now. Adelio doesn't smile, and neither does Maud.

"Then I pronounce you man and wife"

Maud had time to find that funny. Man and wife. How stupid. It should be husband and wife, at least. What if it was husband and woman? That sounds weird, doesn't it? Obviously it does. That says a lot. She is his wife. He is a man. And yet this man is now her husband. She's going to spend the rest of her life with this man. How funny. Maud can't laugh.

"You may kiss the bride"

The priest adds, although not in his usual, loud, announcement-like tone. Rather he says it in a cheeky way. Maud would've found that annoying if she wasn't so nervous. Adelio walks up to her. He can't back away from this. She can't back away from this. He raises her veil away from her face, and she feels almost exposed. She sees his eyes widen, just the tiniest bit, at the sight of her face. They have never stood this close before. Maud can see every perfection, and every imperfection of his face. He really is beautiful, just like how she described him before. He is even more attractive up close, if that's even possible.

He leans in. Maud doesn't move. She doesn't want to lean into this, but surprisingly she doesn't find herself backing away either. The kiss comes suddenly, even though she had several seconds to prepare. His lips come in contact with hers, and Maud feels her cheeks burning up. What is this strange feeling? His lips are so soft, she doesn't want to let go. It's just a quick kiss, Adelio's lips move once. And yet it seems so important. It feels so strange to have this cold-hearted man suddenly be so intimate with her. And it feels so strange, because his lips are so soft and for some reason that is odd.

The rest are living in their own world, and Maud is living in hers.

Time has stopped.

She knows who's side she's on now. Her husband's.

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