The day of the wedding arrived. Robin had been in my room again during the night and this time I had a small bunch of Love-in-the-mist upon my dresser. The delicate papery flowers were held together by one of my favourite ribbons and I smiled, exasperated, to myself as I noticed this.
"No wonder I can never find any of my ribbons!" I said to myself as I picked up the accompanying note.
"I am looking forward to dancing with you today, Robin." I forgave him as soon as I read this.
I ran downstairs to meet Loveday and we went to her room to prepare ourselves. Miss Helitrope came along to help us dress and she was in raptures over Loveday's white dress of raw silk and her Honiton lace veil. I wasn't surprised, she looked so beautiful and pure joy seemed to emanate from her. My own dress was silk too; but it was a deep blue, like the blue of the sea on a summer's day. I had started to put my hair up, but Miss Heliotrope stopped me and instead I wore my hair down, but decorated with tiny silver stars which sparkled in the sunshine which seeped through the windows. I wanted to carry the flowers that Robin had left for me that morning and Loveday, as ever, was happy to oblige me.
Birds sang loudly in the trees outside the house as we made our final preparations,
"Listen, Loveday," I said "Nature is playing its own sonata in celebration."
"She is pleased that everything is finally coming to its proper conclusion." Loveday replied in her most mysterious manner. "There is only one more event that will need to take place and everything will have come to fruition."
I looked at her, my eyebrows raised at her words, but she didn't elaborate. Instead she reached over to place a kiss on my cheek and to ask me if I was ready.
"Are you ready?" I emphasised the word 'you'. She smiled and told me that she had been ready for years.
The ceremony was to take place in the garden and a pergola had been erected for this purpose. The garden looked beautiful and it seemed to me that it was the most perfect romantic setting for a wedding. Coeur de Noir was to give his daughter away, and we met him in the entrance hall of the house. He looked with pride at his daughter,
"My child" he said in his most sincere manner. "I am so happy that this day has come and we are all together. I realise now that in giving you away and in uniting our two households, I am not lessening the de Noir clan, I am ensuring its future." Then he turned to me, "Miss Merryweather, Maria, you look delightful. A true princess. I wonder if you will find your prince waiting for you today."
With that, he offered his arm to Loveday and led the way to Uncle Benjamin and the pastor.
The garden was full of people. It seemed that the whole of the village had turned out along with de Noir clan. It was a riot of colour and noise, which dropped to silence as we approached. I searched the crowd for Robin. I didn't see him at first as he had removed his feathers and his red scarf and had replaced them with my cravat. He had even removed his hat, although I suspected it was somewhere close, and the slight breeze was ruffling his brown curls. He gazed at me with a strange expression on his face before bowing slightly and smiling at me.
The ceremony passed without a hitch and Uncle Benjamin and Loveday were finally declared man and wife. I was so happy that I felt tears well up in my eyes. As we made our way back down the aisle, Coeur de Noir gave up his place next to me to his son. Robin offered me his arm and I slipped my hand through it and smiled up at him. We walked in silence for a while and I was aware that there were nearly as many eyes on us as there were on the happy couple.
"Why is everyone staing at us?" I whispered to Robin. He looked down at me and stroked my cheek.
"Because you are beautiful, Princess" he replied. "How can they not look at you?" I blushed at his words and looked up to meet his eyes. He was smiling at me and I couldn't resist replying,
"Well it's a good job I have such a handsome partner, then." He laughed and squeezed my hand as we followed the wedding party.
We danced together all night. I only left Robin's arms twice. The first time was for a dance with my uncle, while Robin danced with Loveday. The second was more surprising as Coeur de Noir himself requested a dance. We didn't talk much as we moved around the floor, but he was perfectly chivalrous and he did appear to be enjoying himself. As the dance drew to a close he issued me with an invitation to the castle.
"You really ought to get Robin to bring you up to see the changes we are making." He smiled and his eyes twinkled as he added, "I think you will be really most interested in our dungeons!" I could see immediately where Robin got his mischievous smile from and I laughed in reply.
Robin came over to claim me back then and as we span our way around the dance floor I felt pleased I had cured Robin's fear of dancing. It would have been such a shame to have not been able to dance. The thought that I might have danced with someone else never crossed my mind.
"My friends are so jealous of me," Robin whispered to me as we danced more slowly late in the evening. "They wish they could dance with a Princess." His hold on me tightened a little. "Even if she is little feisty." Our dance had slowed to little more than shuffling and I had almost forgotten we were with other people. I had been in a little world that was just the two of us and his words jerked me back to reality.
"Do you think we should have been more sociable?" I asked him, slightly worried. I pulled away from him slightly so that I could look up at him.
"No," he pulled me back tightly against him. "It was perfect just the way it was."
I sighed and relaxed again. He was right. It had been a perfect day.
