As promised, lovelies, here's the second chapter that I'm uploading today as my Christmas gift to you all. Hope you all have a great time with your families and friends on this happy occasion.

Enjoy, darlings~ :D

Merry Christmas!

P.S. I do not own any of the Hollow Crown characters. I only own Odette and any other OC you might encounter along the way :)

Union

"[...] How I came by this crown, o God forgive... and grant it may, with you, in true peace live."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"My Lady, I pray you, do avert your sorrow..."

Faintly smiling at Elain's plea, Odette then heaved a sigh; she had spent the last two weeks mourning with her beloved Hal and the other Princes. Her eyes had no more tears to cry for she had drained them weeping over the King's grave.

"It would be unbecoming of me, beloved Elain, and it would be a lie for me to smile, so soon after my father's death. I prayed that God would grant him days enough to see us married... but such is the fleeting nature of our life, when, like a thread of silk, so easily it breaks."

"It is not well that the Lords should see you so distraught."

"Let them see me so!" she retorted, donning the black veil she had worn over her head those days. "Let them know I was no liar when I called him father!"

With those words she now left the chambers, heading to the throne room; along the way she found the younger Princes who halted to await her.

"Good morrow, fair sister." John greeted her with a light bow, the twins following suite.

"Good morrow, my dear brothers." she replied with as much of a smile as she could muster.

Walking with them, she looked upon their faces only to find them odd.

"You look upon me with some fear... ever since your father's death."

As their silence stretched on, she paused in her stride and motioned them to stay.

"Do not believe that Harry or I shall love you any less. He is your brother, he loves you all... and God is my witness that so do I. The crown shall not take him away from you. Upon my soul I vow that such will not come to pass."

Seeing the struggle on the twins' faces to hold back their smiles, she opened her arms and embraced them both. After releasing them she set her hands upon John's cheeks and kissed his forehead.

"You are our family and we are yours..." she said encouragingly.

When their smiles did finally show their relief, only then did she continue on her way to the throne room. Less than an hour later she was standing upon the steps, at the right side of the throne. Below her John and the twins stood to the same side of the room, the Earls and Lords of Henry's Court divided on both sides. With thrice a knock upon the heavy doors, the guards now opened them to let Hal enter, flanked by four soldiers, his father's royal coat upon his back. Halting the soldiers he stepped closer by himself, and turned to sight his brothers who bowed to him.

"This new and gorgeous garment, majesty, sits not so easy on me as you think. Brothers, you mix your sadness with some fear."

Unable to restrain a chuckle any longer, he now spoke again.

"This is the English, not the Turkish Court."

Allowing them to smile more relaxed, he once more reverted to his serious expression.

"Yet weep that Harry's dead and so will I. But Harry lives, that shall convert those tears by number into hours of happiness."

"We hope no other from Your Majesty." John replied.

Briefly grasping his hand with a smile, Hal then turned to sight the Lord Chief Justice, the one who had been tasked by Henry to tail him in his younger years, before Odette had come along.

"You all look strangely on me... and you most. You are, I think, assured I love you not."

Stepping forward, the elder male did now speak.

"I am assured, if I be measured rightly, Your Majesty has no just cause to hate me."

"No? How might a Prince of my great hopes forget so great indignities you laid upon me?"

"I then did use the person of your father; the image of his power lay then on me. Question your royal thoughts, make the case yours... be now the father and propose a son, hear your own dignity so much profaned, see your most dreadful laws so loosely slighted. Behold yourself so by a son disdained, and then imagine me taking your part, and in your power, soft silencing your son."

Keeping quiet but a moment longer, Hal then nodded to the man.

"You're right, Justice, and you weigh this well. Therefore still bear the balance and the sword."

The sight of the elder man's expression – as he then came to realize the Prince had indeed discarded his old ways – rendered Odette unable to fully hide a smile. Gracefully bowing when Hal ascended the steps to the throne and finally set his eyes upon her, she once more straightened and had to fight a fierce inward battle, to hold her joy at bay upon sighting the wonder which had befallen all the court. Never had she imagined that Hal's words would truly come to pass so fully... indeed he was now like the sun shaking off the shivy clouds.

Turning to face the court, the Prince now briefly watched their awed expressions before speaking.

"The tide of blood in me has proudly flowed in vanity till now. Now does it turn and ebb back to the sea where it shall mingle with the state of floods and flow, henceforth, in formal majesty."

Seating himself onto the throne, he drew a deep breath.

"Now call we our high court of parliament! Set and prepare the coronation."

oOoOo

"My Lady, sister, do come with me. My royal brother asked to see you."

Sighting John in the doorway to her chambers, as Elain had opened after his knock, Odette now walked away from the window and went to follow.

"Is my Lord well?"

"I fear it is only nervousness which plagues him."

Softly laughing at the young man's reply, she nodded.

"Fret not, for I shall cure it before the Archbishop arrives."

Leaving her at Hal's door, the younger Prince departed whilst Odette now knocked upon the wooden surface.

"My Lord, your brother said you sent for me."

It actually surprised her that Hal himself was the one to open the doors, rather than a servant.

"Are you well?" she asked, upon entering and closing the doors behind her. "Where are the servants?"

"I sent them away a few minutes past, when John set out for you."

Smiling lightly she moved to his bed from where she retrieved the crimson and golden robe he was supposed to wear over his tunic.

"Come... you should have been ready by now. The Archbishop is due to arrive any minute."

Stepping closer at her beckoning, the Prince did smile and leaned down to steal a kiss.

"My love, what would I do without you?" he stated humorously whilst she circled him to help him don the robe.

"You would likely miss your own coronation..." she retorted in jest.

Smiling up at him, she soon fell prey to a concerned gaze when his smile faded.

"I wish my parents had been here today... and yours..."

Again smiling, she leaned up and kissed his cheek.

"They are... I do believe they watch from Heaven, and they rejoice to see how you have changed."

Setting his hands upon her cheeks, the Prince again smiled and settled his forehead onto hers.

"I did just notice, my fair angel... blue compliments your figure and does make me sin merely by seeing you."

Chuckling at his remark, Odette leaned back to look him in the eye.

"Remind me never to praise you again, my Lord."

"You'll have to, after I am crowned." he smiled jestingly.

"If you deserve it... now come with me."

With those words she stepped to the doors and went with him toward the throne room. Two hours later she was standing next to the throne, with Hal seated upon it, whilst the Archbishop finished the service to anoint the new King, bestowing upon him his father's name, the fifth of that line. With the crown set upon his head, the crowd did now burst into cheers of God save the King! whilst he stood, awaiting the clergy to move forth before following with Odette in tow.

He would have held her hand, God knew how much he wanted that, had he not had to bear the signs of power, the scepter and the sovereign's orb. Soon after stepping out of the throne room toward the outer gardens where they could be seen by the rest of the people, Odette sighted – much to her horror – Falstaff struggling to get to the row of guards separating the clergy as well as her and Hal from the crowd.

"God save your grace, King Hal! My royal Hal! God save you, my sweet boy!"

Using all her willpower to maintain her composure, Odette looked up at the back of Hal's head in awe when she saw him stopping in his stride, whilst Falstaff broke through the row of guards and halted a few steps away from her. For a moment she felt her trust in the new King waver, but the sight of his stern face when he turned around did ease her heart.

"My Lord Chief Justice, speak to that vain man."

"Have you your wits?" the elder male scowled at Falstaff. "Know you what it is to speak?"

Looking back to Hal, the knight now spoke again.

"My King! My Jove! I speak to you, my heart!"

"I know you not, old man. Fall to your prayers. How ill white hairs become a fool and jester. I've long dreamed of such a kind of man, so surfeit-swelled, so old and so profane. But being awaked, I do despise my dream! Make less your body hence and more your grace. Leave gormandizing, know the grave does gape for you thrice wider than for other men."

When Falstaff lightly shrugged, Hal now stepped forth with a stern, almost menacing glance.

"Reply not to me with a fool-born jest! Presume not that I am the thing I was. For God does know, so shall the world perceive, that I have turned away my former self. So will I those that kept me company! When you do hear I am as I have been, approach me and you shall be as you were... the tutor and the feeder of my riots. Till then I banish you, on pain of death, as I have done the rest of my misleaders, not to come near our person by ten mile."

Sighting the tears building up in the old man's eyes, the King did now glance away whilst speaking.

"For competence of life I will allow you, the lack of means enforce you not to evil. And, as we hear you do reform yourselves, we will, according to your strengths and qualities, give you advancement. Be it your charge, my Lord, to see performed the tenor of our word."

With those words he made to turn around and proceed, only to sight Falstaff as he attempted to approach Odette who widened her eyes and took a step back, the old man likely aiming to grasp her hands in a last desperate attempt to sway either Hal or her to his side.

"Do not dare lay your sullied hands upon my Queen!" he ordered, stepping in between her and Falstaff. "I shall not have you taint her purity with your vile touch... I would have you hang before such passes. My Lord, remove him!"

With the Justice grasping Falstaff's arm, Hal did now glance to Odette and turned back to the clergy when she nodded.

"Set on."

Once they had set foot outside Odette sighted John leaving with the Justice back toward the entrance. She would have gone with them to see Falstaff arrested – for she was almost certain the younger Prince's mind was set on that – but she had no way of leaving Hal.

It was not until three hours later that they returned to the throne room, after Hal had returned the sovereign's orb to the Archbishop who was to place it back into the altar; for her part, all she wanted was to rest. The day had been more tiresome than she remembered it would be; for she had had to walk alongside Hal's horse all the way and now she felt like standing upon needles. Yet still her joy surpassed her pain... many a night she had prayed that Hal would come to be a worthy King, and he had not disappointed her.

Now with the Court gathered in full before his throne, Hal did take a moment to simply watch all of them, his father's words still ringing in his ears. He knew them to be true – any one of those Lords could one day turn against him – for the wounds received in wake of Northumberland's betrayal still ached. His father's wisdom he would not surpass, that much he knew already; still, he did intend to heed those warnings nonetheless. But first things first...

"Sir John, our brother, come forth." he called.

Watching as the young male jolted at the surprise of being called forward, he awaited until the Duke had bowed before him.

"What is your wish, my liege?"

"You are the eldest of our father's sons, after our royal person; therefore we would charge you with a task which to us is of great importance."

"Name it and it shall be done."

"The Duke of Willoughby did perish at Shrewsbury, as you well know. And our Queen, his only child, now calls our castle her home. Therefore we bestow her father's lands unto you, for you have proven a wise ruler over your domain at Bedford. It would displease us for his lands to fall into ruin, with no member of his bloodline left alive, save our fair Queen."

Widening his eyes at those words, John now glanced to the young woman standing near the throne; his expression did relax when Odette nodded with a light smile, after which he bowed again to his brother.

"Your will be done, my sovereign King. I shall care for it to the best of my abilities."

"Good. Then to our next affair..." he said, once more looking to the nobles. "We have decided upon our wedding date, to be set no further than two months from today."

oOoOo

"Are you not up yet, child?"

Shaking her head as she stated that, Elain then grasped the covers and pulled them off the young woman only to find her wide awake in bed.

"Do you mean to be late for your own wedding?" the maid scolded her, not without a shade of amusement.

"O do not remind me, beloved Elain..." Odette pleaded whilst sitting up. "The mere thought of today was enough to scare sleep away from me most of the night."

"To hear you speak like this, I would believe you do not want to get married."

Standing from her bed, the young woman leaned to kiss her maid's cheek.

"Here I am, feeling as though my heart will burst, and my beloved Elain sees fit to joke around." she stated in jest.

Merely smiling without a word, the old female now ushered her mistress into the bath she had prepared for her, a mixture of aromatic oils and flower extracts having been added to the water to soften her skin and leave a delicate fragrance lingering about her.

"I have your dress ready, child..." Elain said, once more entering the room about half an hour afterwards. "Are you sure you wish to wear that one?"

"My mother wore it at her wedding... if she was bold enough to wear white, would I not be the same? I am my mother's daughter, am I not?" Odette replied with an amused smile.

"Child, your mother was not a Queen..."

"I will wear a blue ribbon weaved into my flower crown. That will suffice..."

Shaking her head with a light smile, Elain then finally exhaled a sigh.

"Very well, I shall tell the royal gardener to add a ribbon to your crown."

"What flowers did he put into the crown?"

"Orange blossoms, as is custom, and the white roses you asked for."

"Tell him to add more than one ribbon and have the ends flow along my hair; and ask him to add blossoms to each ribbon. I will need no more jewelry than that to adorn my head."

"Child, a Queen should wear more intricate jewelry..."

"Flowers will suffice." the young woman replied, interrupting the maid. "For they are more beautiful, in their fleeting grace, than any gold or silver."

"Very well, very well... I shall tell the gardener."

Smiling at her success, Odette now stepped out of her bath, wrapping a clean white linen around her to dry herself.

"Before you go speak to the gardener, do ask my liege to come see me for a moment, provided he is not too busy."

Understanding that her mistress wanted a few minutes alone with her lover, the maid nodded and finally left the chambers heading to the throne room after one of the servants had told her that the King was there. Indeed, upon approaching the open doors to the throne room, she sighted Hal standing near the throne, speaking with his brothers. With Thomas alerting him of the approaching maid, the young King turned to face her whilst the elder woman bowed to him.

"Your Majesty, my Lady requests that you come see her in her chambers, provided you are not preoccupied with other matters."

"Tell her I shall be there soon." he nodded with a trace of smile.

"I cry you mercy, my liege, but I am to see the gardener first; my Lady wishes some changes to be made to the wreath of flowers she will wear today."

"Very well, then you may go..."

With those words he once more looked to John who offered him a knowing smile.

"You should go see her, my liege. I shall speak to cousins Warwick and Westmoreland, in your stead."

"I truly am blessed to have a brother like you." Hal retorted with a smile of his own.

Leaving the three younger Princes he now left the throne room and soon enough found himself knocking onto the door to Odette's chambers.

"My Queen, your maid said you urgently require my presence." he stated with a trace of humor in his tone.

Once the young woman opened the door, he failed to hold back a chuckle at her stern expression.

"I asked her to tell you not to come, if you were busy."

Embracing her whilst he stepped inside and closed the door behind him, the young King now leaned down to claim his lover's lips for a loving yet passionate kiss; only God knew how much he had missed her those two months, when they had barely spent any time together as he had been too busy settling into his new role, whilst Odette had been too busy overseeing the arrangements for that very day.

"And so she did tell me..." he said once he had found the willpower to part their lips.

Though she rolled her eyes at his antics, Odette did end up smiling as well.

"You are incorrigible..."

"Am I wrong to believe you called me because you are nervous?"

"Not... entirely..." she retorted, pursing her lips at him.

Chuckling, the King now once again wrapped her in his arms, setting her to rest against his chest whilst he pressed a loving kiss to her forehead.

"You are the most beautiful Queen this land has ever known..." he whispered soothingly. "And I am proud to be the envy of all men, for having you."

"Thank you, my Lord..." she replied, setting her arms about his waist before leaning back to look up into his eyes. "You do know I plan to wear white, yes?"

"My fair Odette, custom or not, blue does show better on you and makes me fall into sin simply by looking at you."

"All the more reason to not wear it today..." she laughed. "I cannot have you thinking improper things whilst the Archbishop marries us."

"Then would you allow me to think such things during the feast?"

His retort actually left her speechless for a few seconds, allowing the young King to seize the moment and steal another kiss from her.

"You, a King?" she finally said in jest. "I do believe your father's eyesight was blurred that night... it seems he crowned the wrong son."

"Say what you will, my beautiful angel..." Hal chuckled. "But tonight you are mine."

Though it took her a moment to understand what he was speaking of, the young woman now cleared her throat whilst she felt her cheeks warming up.

"Yes, I know it is custom to consummate the marriage on the wedding night. Provided we are not much too tired for such... leisurely activities... then my Lord has permission to bed me tonight."

Leaning down to kiss her cheek, the King now took a deep breath of the lingering scent of flowers on her skin.

"It may be custom, but we are royalty... and customs curtsy to us. I desire to have you out of love and passion, not simply to fulfill some ritual which no one even recalls the beginning of."

"My permission is given regardless of when you choose to make use of it, my Lord."

oOoOo

"As is our custom, should anyone present know of any reason for which this man and this woman should not be joined in the sacred bond of marriage, speak now or forever hold your silence."

The Archbishop's first words were what actually made Odette snap out of that state similar to a dream that she had been in ever since Hal had left her chambers and Elain had taken to helping her get dressed for the ceremony. Her heart again began to flutter as a caged bird... she recalled a similar sensation when her father had first told her that she was to marry Harold. Yet this time something was different, for she no longer dreaded her future. Yes, her heart was pounding so loudly that she could barely hear anything else; still she discreetly glanced to her right and sighted her hand in Hal's gentle but firm grasp, her eyes then traveling upwards to his dark blue clad torso and his serious expression where his joy was only betrayed by a shade of smile at the corner of his lips... and she knew then beyond any doubt, that at his side was where she belonged. No matter if he was a King or a commoner, her rightful place was right there, holding his hand.

When that circle of contemplation made her lightly squeeze his hand, the King did now glance from the Archbishop to her, his lips settling into a warm, reassuring smile whilst he returned her gesture. With no one speaking up against their union, the cleric now turned to them.

"Should either of you know of any reason for which you should not be wed, confess it now."

"With God as my witness, I know not of any such reason." Hal replied, once more setting his blue eyes upon the Archbishop.

"With God as my witness, I know not of any such reason." Odette said, following suite.

Nodding lightly, the cleric then pulled himself to full height to speak again.

"To all present I say: we are gathered here, not to witness the beginning of what will be, but rather what already is! We do not create this marriage, because we cannot. We can and do, however, celebrate with Henry and Odette the wondrous and joyful occurrence that has already taken place in their lives, and the commitment they make today."

His eyes once again moving from the younger Princes, the nobles of the Court and the inhabitants of London gathered there, to the pair before him, the elderly male continued.

"Love should have no other desire but to fulfill itself. But if your love and needs must have desires, let these be your desires: to melt and be like the flowing brook, that sings its melody to the night; to know the pain of too much tenderness; to be wounded by your own understanding of love and to bleed willingly and joyfully; to wake at dawn with a winged heart and give praise to God for another day of loving; to rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy; to return home at eventide with gratitude; then to sleep with a vision of the beloved in your heart and a song of love on your lips. Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other. Now you are two people, but there is only one life before you. You are born together on this day, and together you shall be forevermore. You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days. But let there be spaces in your togetherness, and let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another, but make not a bond of your love; let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your soul. Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone. Even the strings of a lute are alone, though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping. For only the hand of God can contain your hearts. And stand together yet not too near together: for the pillars of the temple stand apart, and the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow."

"I shall keep all of that, for as long as I live."

Nodding at the King's reply, the Archbishop looked to Odette whilst she repeated Hal's words. Once more nodding, the cleric now extended his arms as though to embrace them.

"Then vow yourselves to one another here, before God, your family, your friends and your subjects."

Releasing Odette's hand, the young King now turned to face her whilst his beloved did the same. Taking a deep breath to quell his own racing heart, as well as to make sure he fully recalled the vows he and Odette had received in written form from the Archbishop, he then finally spoke.

"I Henry, take you Odette to be my wife, my partner in life and my one true love. I offer you my solemn vow that I shall cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I shall trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live."

Extending his right hand to her as he stated the last phrase, he found himself relishing in the subtle blush which came to her cheeks. Closing her eyes for but a moment, the young woman then did speak as well, inwardly praying to God that she would not forget any part of the vow.

"I Odette, take you Henry to be my husband, my partner in life and my one true love. I offer you my solemn vow that I shall cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I shall trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live."

Setting her right hand in his at the last words, she now fell silent allowing his loving gaze to soothe her flustered state, whilst one of the deacons approached the Archbishop handing him the rings. Whilst Hal had agreed that Odette was to wear her mother's wedding ring, he had chosen a golden one, similar to hers, yet with no precious stones set into it for he desired it to show that his love needed nothing more than hers to be complete. With the Archbishop handing him the diamond encrusted ring, the young King once more spoke.

"With my body, I thee worship; with my heart, I thee cherish; would all that I am, I give unto you; would all that I have, I share with you from this day until forever done."

Whilst he set the ring onto her finger, Odette remained silent, only replying when he again looked into her eyes.

"I shall forever wear this ring as sign of my commitment and the desire of my heart."

Returning his smile, she retrieved his ring from the Archbishop and repeated her husband's vow whilst setting the golden band onto his finger. Once he too repeated her reply and they had set the rings onto their left hands, the cleric once more extended his arms to speak.

"Before God, your family, your friends and your subjects I declare you husband and wife. Long may you rule our nation in peace, wisdom and prosperity; long may you live together in love, harmony and good will."

With the pair turning to face the ones gathered there, the Archbishop retrieved a smaller golden crown from one of the deacons and raised it in view of the crowd before setting it onto Odette's head.

"Young Princes, my Lords and Ladies, and citizens of London... I give to you, your Queen." he stated as he once more extended his arms outwards. "Long may she live in prosperity and temper our King's rule with the gentle touch of mercy. Long live the King and Queen!"