My heart is yours

Chapter 7
"The wedding preparations"

The whole principality was getting ready for their prince's wedding. They hired additional employees from the village for the kitchen; cooks, waiters etc… the wedding was in three days and the prince was still on a business trip. Candy was glad, if she met the prince at the altar for the first time, she wouldn't see the difference. She spent the 3 days before her wedding trying on wedding dresses; she had personnel tailors who were sewing a new wardrobe for her, worthy of a princess. She could choose the models, create them modify them and she was having fun doing it with her mother.

- Candy, said her mother, you're very lucky.

- Because I have all those dresses? Said Candy.

- No, but…

- Mum, I would give up all this in a second, if I could live with Tristan.

- Candy! Said her mother, you must not speak that way… we're at the castle, walls have ears…

- And windows have eyes…no one knows who Tristan is, mum… you don't know his name either…

- Candy….begged her mother.

- Ok. I'll stop. When are the others getting here?

- The day before the wedding.

- Great! I can't wait to se my brothers and sister, I miss them so much!

- And your friends are going to come here too…

- Annie and Patricia? Oh thank you mum!

- You're welcome, honey.

She hugged her mother.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Dame Eliza had spies everywhere and they have heard Candy talked about "Tristan" with her mother… But they needed more precision and more details to be able to use the information.

- "Tristan" said Dame Eliza, who the hell is Tristan?

- I don't know, madam said the spy, but she said that she would give up everything she had now, if she could be with him…

- Really? The little English girl is a tramp… we have to try and found out who this Tristan is and bring him here so the princess will be unfaithful… good job… but it's not enough. Continue to listen to everything she says…

- Very well madam, said the spy.

- I'm going to get rid of that little slut…

Her twin brother who had just arrived asked her what she was talking about.

- Eliza, what are you plotting?

- I'm going to get rid of the prince's fiancée …

- The prince's fiancée? Why?

- Because I want to marry the prince…

- Every young girl in the country also wants to marry the prince, but he already got a fiancée…

- That stupid queen of England couldn't find another husband for her goddaughter?

- The prince must have done a deal with the queen of England, and she is one of the most powerful leaders in the world and the prince wouldn't want to compromise his relations with her…

- That's why I'm going to make sure the fiancée is dishonoured, so the prince won't be to blame…

- Eliza, Oxenbourg needs the support of England, don't go and ruin everything…

- The princess is going to ruin it by herself. I just learned that she would be ready to give up the throne for a certain Tristan…

- Tristan? That's all you have? You're going to have to do better than that…

- I'm going to pull it off, and I will marry the prince…

- But the princess has to be a virgin… and Eliza you and I know that…

- Neil! Please… let me get rid of her first…

- Good luck, because, she's an angel…

- Who's got a lover…

- The Queen had her examined… she will not send her goddaughter if she was a slut…

- We'll see…I'll get rid of her!

- You're playing with fire, because if your plan backfires, you'll be ban from the castle forever and the prince….

- The prince has never seen his fiancée; he doesn't care about her at all. He keeps cancelling their scheduled meetings

- He won't be able to avoid her forever; he will see her at the altar…

- After he marries her, without knowing what she looks like… he knows me, he thinks I'm beautiful…

- You're daydreaming, said her brother laughing, but be careful; he could fall in love with her…

- Neil he's avoiding her, he's not in love with her, he's in love with me…

- You're deluding yourself; the prince never said he loved you…

- Oh he loves me! He was not very enthusiastic that the queen of England had send him a "postal parcel"

- "Postal parcel"? That's how you see the prince's fiancée?

- But that's what she is literally. She has to marry him without asking any questions….

- Because the diplomatic relations with England are in the line… and I saw the future princess, she's really beautiful… and it's too late, the marriage have to happen, everything is ready… and the prince knows he has a duty to fulfill… but if you say he's in love with you, you could become his mistress…

- I don't want to be his mistress; I want to be the princess…

- Because, you're not right? The prince's mistress; he doesn't even look at you…

- Stop saying that! The counsel said that if he doesn't marry her, I'm the next in line… the little English girl and her queen came and ruin everything…

- Eliza, I'm advising you to give up. To let the prince marry his fiancée.

- I could get her killed? What do you think?

- She's got guards everywhere…

- I know. That's why I want to expose her. She's got a lover and I'm going to find him and bring him here…

- Even if you find him, who says he's ready to come here and testify?

- I'm going to offer him the world so he will bring her far away from here…and if I don't find him, I would find an impersonator to play the role and simply discredit the princess' reputation…

Neil had an exasperated sigh and looked at his sister. She was really mean and vindictive and she was capable to hurt the future princess. The prince, who was not attractive at all, had a lot of concubines they say. Neil had seen the future princess and he thought he wouldn't have any problem being married to such a beautiful creature and that it was a pity that she was going to marry an old coot like the prince.

- Eliza, be careful, this could backfire on you… I have to go… I'll see you later.

- Bye bro…

Dame Eliza continued her scheming to ruin the future princess.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Candy's brothers and sisters arrived at the castle the day before the wedding, with Candy's friends. She was surprised to see Annie and Patty's suitors, the Cornwell brothers; Alistair and Archibald.

- Hello everybody, and thank you for coming! Said Candy kissing them one by one.

- We wouldn't miss this for the world! A royal wedding! Or is it a princely wedding? Whatever! It's your wedding Candy we wouldn't miss it for the world! Said Annie smiling.

- Thank you Annie, said Candy come to my wing of the castle.

- Candy you have to tell us…, started Patty.

- Yes, Annie, said Candy let's go…

- So sis, said James, I miss you… you could still change your mind…

- No way, James. The ceremony is tomorrow, said Candy laughing.

They all went to Candy's wing and they had a lot of fun. Candy had her tailors ready to make dresses for her friends and her little sisters.

- Your own tailors, said Annie, you lucky she-devil!

Candy was always smiling. Her family and her friends were there. She was happy, but she couldn't stop thinking about Terry. But she continued laughing when she thought about him; so she smiled a lot…She joined Annie in a little living room and she decided to talk to her about Terry without saying his name, calling him "Tristan".

- Candy, you really look happy, said Annie

- Annie, you're my best friend, can I tell you a secret?

- Of course, Candy… but first, I wanted to thank you for the Archibald thing… another one would've taken advantage of the moment to steal him away from me…

- Even if I was madly in love with him, I would never do that to you Annie, you love him…

- I know and thank you Candy. I've followed your advice and I became a little more harder on him and you were right, he wants me more…

- That's good. Said Candy smiling.

- Candy you're more cheerful than usual. You're about to marry a perfect stranger and you're on cloud nine… or is there another reason…?

- Annie, what I'm going to tell you, you can't tell another soul…

- Ok…

- You learned about the problems I had, while I was coming here?

- Yes, you were kidnapped by thugs, said Annie, and we were all very afraid for you …

- I was saved by a gentleman, and we went to hide in a little house in the woods….

- Oh, and you spent the night with a man alone in the house? Oh Candy…

- I know, if people knew about it, they could cancel the wedding…

Candy told Annie everything that happened with "Tristan" in the little house, she didn't know that a spy was hearing every word and she was going to make a pleasure telling Dame Eliza everything…

- Candy…

- I now know what it is to be in love, Annie; I love him so much that my heart bleeds…

- Oh Candy… but you seem so happy…

- He asked me to smile and to be happy and smile when I think about him, so that our story will not be a sad one, to see the good side; we had the privilege to have those feelings, happy and sincere… to not see the impossible side of our love…

- "Tristan and Iseult" said Annie, oh… my poor Candy!

- No, Annie, don't be sad. Be happy for me. I'm going to fulfil my duty…

- But Candy…

- Annie, I can't dishonour my parents and let alone the queen… she held her end of the bargain and she opened a Charity Centre for the poor… how's the centre by the way?

- Very well, we're able to help so many people and so many sick children… it feels good to help people, I now understand your passion…

- That's good, Annie, I'm happy, I can't wait to start here…

- You think you'll be able to convince your husband?

- If I was able to convince the queen, whom everybody was afraid of, to open a Charity Centre for me, I can convince my husband…

- I don't doubt it for a second, said Annie laughing; let's go join the others…

They joined the other and they ate together. Everybody wanted to put Candy at easy, but she was smiling so much, that she was the one cheering them up… the prince who had come back from his trip, was too tired to see his fiancée…

- Well, he doesn't seem too eager to see you, said Jimmy ironically

- Oh, he will have to see me every day for the rest of his life, he's taking his time and I'm in no hurry to see him either…

- Candy said Jimmy, you're way too happy…

- Happy? Yes, I'm going to become a princess; it's the dream of every little girl in the world… and it's going to be a reality for me said Candy laughing…

Annie was looking at her smiling. Candy was incredible, instead of being sad, she was happy for her impossible love, happy to have all those feelings for a man, she will never see again…

- Now, the future bride is going to bed, she needs her beauty sleep, she has to be more beautiful than a rose for her big day… said Annie.

- Can I sleep with you? Asked Josie her little sister.

- But of course, my bed is big enough for at least six people said Candy laughing.

- Thank you Candy, I missed you, said Josie.

- I missed you too, said Leo.

- You'll come and spend as much time as you like here, every time you want to…, said Candy.

- Ok, said Jimmy, we're going to let you sleep, future princess…

They got out after kissing Candy and Josie stayed with her for the night. Candy wrote to Tristan, to tell her that she loved him with all her heart and that she was going to marry a man for duty and obligations and that she had to sacrifice their love for the good cause. Candy slept peacefully and she dreamt about her dear "Tristan".

oOoOoOoOoOo

Meanwhile in Dame Eliza's quarters, her spy was telling her what Candy had told Annie.

This is too good to be true, said Dame Eliza smiling, she spent the night alone with a man in a little house in the woods? But I need you to find that man! You have to find me this "Tristan"!

- But I think it's a nick name, she doesn't want to say his real name…

- Who cares! It's enough to compromise her. But we won't be able anything to stop the wedding… but as soon as we found her lover we're going to make her look bad in front of the prince, that's even better! With her angelic looks, she's got a lover! The slut!

She burst out laughing and started to think how and where to look for Tristan, the lover of the future princess of Oxenbourg for now and the princess of Oxenbourg starting tomorrow.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Terry was in his bedroom, getting ready to go to bed, but he couldn't stop thinking about Candy. To see her on that tree, saying goodbye to her, and asking her to be happy when she thought about their impossible love, was a delight and a torture at the same time. He loved her with every fibre of his being and he wanted so much to with her, just one time… but he had to preserve her for her husband, otherwise she would've been dishonoured…. He was eager to go to bed because he dreamt about her. "The man of my dreams" that's how Candy called him and she was the "woman of his dreams", because from now on, they will only see each other in their dreams.

oOoOoOoOoOo

The big day finally arrived. In the morning, everybody woke up with a big smile for the principality of Oxenbourg's big day; the princely wedding… In the kitchen, they have started to cook at dawn and even the night before. It's not everyday that the prince got married. They were also saying that the future princess was goodness incarnate, by those who had the privilege to meet her or who were part of her staff. The prince was very lucky. But the rumour that the prince hasn't met his fiancée yet, was also circulating. People were saying that if he went to see the princess, so nice, good and so beautiful on top of all that, he was going to fall madly in love with her.

The religious ceremony was going to take place in the big cathedral of the city and the reception will be at the castle. We could see the flowers arriving, they were white; orchids, roses and lilacs…

Candy woke up with her little sister and servants were there to bathe her, do her hair, her make up and get her dressed for the wedding. Candy took a bath in warm water full of bathing salts and aromatics herbs and perfume. She didn't do a thing beside move. They did her heavy hair in a very nice up do. They put a tiara with the veil in lace.

- But I can't see anything said Candy.

- Don't worry, said Annie, you're going to be at your father's arm and you'll just have to follow his steps, straight ahead…

- There's no chance I could get lost said Candy smiling.

She was a little said, because a part of her wished she would've married Terry… But it was not the moment to think about that, she had to be strong. But she felt a little discouraged…

"Don't be sad…" she heard in her head.

But she couldn't help being melancholic.

"Tristan, she said in her head, I love you so much, and forgive me for what I'm about to do".

The wedding dress was really one for a princess in white satin immaculate. She had to wear a crinoline with it.

- Who the hell invented this Candy; it's kind of uncomfortable…

- It's for the skirt to be bigger…

- I know that…but you could see a man invented this, he didn't think about the weight of the material…oh well…

- Are you ok, Candy? Said Annie.

- Yes, I have a duty to fulfill Annie…

- You always think about others, you should think about you too…

- A lot of people are counting on me, the queen's political relations are on the line… and my parents' honour …

- Nothing is more important than your honour…

- Maybe not, but I can't disappoint all those people. I'm going to fulfill my duty and I will be the best princess this principality has ever had…

- Ok, said Annie, you've got more courage than me…

"Lord Jesus, give me the courage to fulfill my duty, said Candy in her head".

- Tristan, she said out loud.

- Have courage Candy, said Annie, let's go… you're going to put a noose on your neck…

Candy, put her shoes on last and she got out of the room with her friends and her servants. She went downstairs and she got into the carriage where her father was waiting for her. She had the veil covering her face and no one could see the tears she was trying to hold off, but who were coming down despite her efforts, on her cheeks. The carriage was on its way to St. Paul Cathedral in Oxenbourg.