A/N:
I don't even have to ask if you guys enjoyed the double updates last week. You guys blew me away with your response and I want to thank you so much!
Now for another milestone of this story that you guys have been waiting for!
Title: The Duke & The Swan without Wings
Author: MarieCarro
Beta: Alice's White Rabbit
Pre-reader: Brierlynn03
Genre: Historical Fiction/Drama/Romance
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Edward Cullen, the Grand Duke and second son of the King, must find a bride. Isabella Sinclair, daughter of Countess Catherine and Duke Charles, was born out of wedlock and has neither titles nor land to her name. Could she be the bride Edward's looking for? But how is Isabella to marry a man of the royal family without a proper dowry?
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
{CHAPTER 30}
"It's time, mistress," Jane said softly from the door, and Isabella turned from her reflection to her lady's maid with smile full of anticipation.
Finally, the day she had been dreaming of since Edward first uttered his proposal had arrived. While some of the thoughts floating in her head couldn't quite reconcile she would, at last, marry the man she loved, her mind was mostly settled and ready for their life together to begin.
She was wearing the same purple gown she'd worn at their engagement ball, as it was the most beautiful and expensive one she owned, and she knew Edward had particularly liked the color on her. He'd said it signified her importance, not just to him, but to everyone, and the confidence it had given her made her skin glow like a polished pearl.
"Jane, be honest," she said and held her arms away from her body. "How do I look?"
Jane's responding smile was brilliant, and her eyes glimmered with the beginning of tears. "You look like a woman about to have her dreams come true." She reached out her hand, offering to give her mistress some extra strength and courage, and Isabella gratefully accepted.
Her cheeks heated up with a flush of color when her thoughts turned to Edward and how he was waiting for her at the church with the bishop, and then let out a relaxing sigh. She met Jane's eyes and nodded. "Let's go."
They walked through the halls of Spensley to the carriage waiting outside. Isabella was given a cloak, for it had begun to snow. A sign of good fortune for her and Edward's marriage—the snow promised fertility and wealth—but cold all the same.
Edward stood outside of the church and waited, searching for the carriage Isabella was supposed to arrive in, and clutched the handkerchief she'd embroidered for him all those months ago. He was beyond elated their wedding was now, but he remained cynical and cautious, uncertain the day would progress without more obstacles.
While Charles and Mariella Swan were no longer an issue—locked away at Fort Hollow as they were while awaiting their trial—the duchess of Swanselm and her daughters were still free and very unhappy about the duke and dowager duchess's current residence.
The Swans' had been unable to accept their defeat and had indeed made one last attempt at ruining the betrothal by claiming it had been made under false pretenses since the duke didn't know he was promising Isabella to Edward but to a Marquess of Masen. As had been anticipated, as soon as Charles asserted a prince had visited him in disguise and played chess to win one of his daughters' hands, folks around Elmstown thought he'd started to look a little too closely at the bottom of the bottle and had lost his wits completely.
He had never been popular in his own duchy, and the rumors started by Renée and Philip had spread like wildfire and only fueled people's dislike for him. With the suspicion that he liked his spirits too much, his reputation was demolished, and no one believed a word he said.
But the news of his mad ravings had reached Edward, and he immediately contacted his father, saying he wanted nothing more to do with Charles or Mariella Swan. They were now the crown's problem, and Thomas sent officers to Swanselm Castle to arrest both of them for treason and conspiracy.
They had considered holding their trial before the wedding, but after some contemplation, they decided it would be easier to declare them guilty if Isabella, as one of the main people they'd offended against, was already an official member of the royal family. Therefore, the trial was moved to the week after the wedding.
When Edward finally spotted the carriage, he relaxed his fist and smoothed out the wrinkles he'd made in the delicate fabric of the handkerchief before gently pushing it under his sleeve. A day hadn't passed since it was given to him that it wasn't on his person, and today would certainly not be any different.
Traditionally, he wasn't supposed to stand outside the church when Isabella arrived; however, since she had no male blood relatives who could give her away, the two of them would walk down the aisle together.
Deep purple fabric contrasted against the light powder of snow on the ground, and just as his breath had been taken away when he first saw her wear that gown, he was once again struck similarly this time. That gown would, forevermore, be his favorite on her.
He held out his hand for her and stepped close until their noses almost touched.
"Isabella, my love …" he said, unable to tear his eyes away. "You take my breath away."
She smiled and ducked her head. "I don't think I will ever get used to your eloquent compliments."
"Good because I like to surprise you." He grabbed both of her hands and raised them up between them to kiss her knuckles. "Are you ready?"
"I've been ready to marry you for months."
Edward curved her hand around his elbow, and then escorted her inside with Jane, wearing her best dress, in tow, ready to assist her mistress at any moment.
The church was filled to its full capacity, and some even had to stand at the back because everyone who hadn't attended the engagement ball wanted to get a look at the woman who had successfully capture the Grand Duke's heart.
From the moment Isabella's knees hit the pillow in front of the bishop, she couldn't tell what happened during the ceremony. She was too aware of Edward kneeling next to her and knowing they were being joined together for life.
Less than a year earlier, she would never have believed she would marry a man she loved as much as she loved him, and even less so that he'd also be a prince. She'd hoped that the man who would take her as his bride would be kinder than the duke, and that had been her only wish. She'd had no illusions of love, or wealth, or status, but as she now opened one eye a tiny sliver and saw the entire royal family sitting in the very front, she let it sink in that she had somehow been granted all three.
Despite being somewhat distracted, the bishop's words rang clearly in her ears as he posed the questions of consent, and then inquired for the ring, which Edward produced from the pocket of his breeches.
"Bénedic, Dómine, ánulum hunc, quem nos in tuo nómine benedícimus: ut, quæ eum …"
Isabella hadn't seen it before, but she instantly fell in love with it. The metal looked delicate, for it had been fashioned into a thin band of vines and stalks until the ends met and enveloped the rose-shaped cluster of diamonds. It didn't look new, so she was fairly certain it was a family heirloom, and that made it even more special. It was everything and more she could have wished for in a ring she'd wear every day for the rest of her life.
Gently and lovingly, Edward slid the ring onto her finger, and then raised his emotional, glittering eyes to meet hers. He appeared to barely listen to the bishop because as soon as the speaking faded out, he was already cupping her face and moving his lips in sync with hers to the background noise of the guests murmuring in approval, a wide smile never leaving his face in between the kisses.
When they parted, they stared at each other for a stunned moment, unable to fully comprehend they'd at long last reached the point they'd worked so hard for. They were husband and wife, and nothing had hindered the ceremony.
It was true there were yet a couple of steps they had to take before nothing could dispute their union, but they were both soaring above the clouds and didn't worry about those minor issues.
The most important step would be the one neither of them wanted to wait for a second longer, but consummating the marriage at the church with all of the guests present wouldn't exactly be deemed appropriate, even if it would then mean no one could contend the validity of their union.
As much as they detested it, they had to wait until after the guests had their fair share of festivities and felt they'd properly celebrated the couple.
Everything had already been prepared by the servants at Spensley, and the estate was soon filled with milling guests either enjoying the provided food, or dancing to the music, or simply strolling around the beautiful winter landscape the garden had turned into.
Isabella was glad she wasn't expected to ever leave Edward's side, and they mostly stood at the edge of the crowds—her head leaning against her favorite spot on his chest where she could listen to his heartbeat, and his arm securely wrapped around her waist—and accepted well-wishes and toasts of good fortune.
Their affectionate stance and touches would finally be uncontroversial, and they both thoroughly enjoyed it.
Rosalie, Alice, and Esme all wanted to congratulate and steal Isabella away, but she firmly said she'd give them all the time they wanted the next day, but for that evening, she only wanted the company of her new husband, and fortunately, they all understood her reasoning.
While all three of them had fallen in love with their husbands at different stages of their relationships since they'd been arranged, they could appreciate Edward and Isabella's extraordinary situation and wanted to honor their wishes.
Night had long since fallen when they felt it was safe for them to leave the ballroom for their private quarters. Neither of them were interested in the pomp and tradition of the wedding night preparations, so instead of alerting the servants, they used an unoccupied hallway to flee and didn't slow down until they reached Edward's chambers and could lock the doors.
Both of them started laughing once they were safe, and all the tensions built up within them from having to act according to their status and titles and smile at all the guests for the entirety of the night melted away. Isabella had never seen the inside of Edward's rooms before, but she found herself not caring once the laughter faded away. She'd have more than enough time to study it in detail in the morning.
Now, she placed herself in front of him and used his eyes to look deep into his soul where she found only love for her.
"Kiss me as if you don't have to stop," she told him and gladly allowed his frame to swallow her up as he stepped forward and granted her request.
A/N:
Full Ring Blessing in Latin: Bénedic, Dómine, ánulum hunc, quem nos in tuo nómine benedícimus: ut, quæ eum gestáverit, fidelitátem íntegram suo sponso tenens, in pace et voluntáte tua permáneat, atque in mútua caritáte semper vivat. Per Christum Dóminum nostrum. R. Amen.
It happened! They're married. In front of witnesses. In a church.
The Swans are in custody and Maria, Eleanor, and Henrietta will feel some reprecussions, but first, I do think we have a wedding night to enjoy, right? ;-)
Until next week,
Stay Awesome!