Chapter Thirteen
The next few days flew by in a blur. Nel was definitely regretting her decision to procrastinate the wedding plans as that now meant that everyone had to work twice as hard to get everything else done on time. If she wasn't looking at place settings or decorations, she was picking the music selection and what food would be catered.
Gone were her days of volunteering at the hospital. There just wasn't enough time for it now, much to her ever growing disappointment.
Of course, it didn't help that Pauline had reminded her of the rehearsal. She had forgotten it. Then again, no one thought of weddings as something that had to be practiced.
(Even more concerning though was the fact that Lady Pauline still refused to tell her what the role of Patron Sponsor was. Nel was almost afraid for Duncan.)
Everyone else was just as busy. Lady Pauline took her role as unofficial wedding planner very seriously and had begun delegating jobs to everyone in an attempt to get it done before the actual wedding date arrived.
Will, Gilan, and Horace were told to help with the decorations while Jenny was, obviously, tasked with working in the kitchen and helping to prepare a cake big enough to feed hundreds of people. Alyss became the most worked courier in the castle as she traveled back and forth between everyone carrying further instructions.
Duncan and Atanyan were wrapped up in the creation of the marriage contract, one that George was assisting with for the translation aspect, legal advice, and his skills as a scribe. Selethen and Nellie would sign it during the actual ceremony, but as it was written to symbolize the uniting of so many countries in accordance with the treaty, there were a lot of details to iron out. Hours every day were spent figuring it all out with hushed negotiations on par with what had occurred during the treaty.
The only one who escaped working on the wedding was Halt. After 2 days of trying to get him to assist with any aspect of it and only meeting grumbled sarcastic responses and threats of grabbing Nel and hiding, Pauline was officially done with him and told him to report to Crowley. Halt then spent the days leading up to the wedding patrolling the fief and filling out Ranger reports.
Nel mentioned that Selethen had offered to help with the wedding plans and Pauline jumped on the opportunity. He was dragged to just as many food tastings as Nel and was told to help make many of the decisions.
This meant that Nel spent quite a bit of time with her fiance over the next few days, but there wasn't any time to talk, not like they had on their walk. They were always busy with some new wedding details and surrounded by at least half a dozen other people. It made it difficult to carry out any sort of conversation.
She actually began to feel sorry for him. It was obvious that he was trying to help, but it was also plain to see that he was completely overwhelmed. No one had been prepared for everything that needed to be done for the ceremony, least of all him. Selethen, it seemed, had never actually thought about what went into a wedding and looked caught off guard every time she saw him.
As Nel was shown another option for her bouquet before she and Cassandra were rushed off to their (hopefully) final dress fitting, she could only hope that things would improve once the wedding plans were caught up.
Arald groaned in satisfaction as he stretched, working the kinks out of his muscles. After spending the entire day in the saddle, it was good to be able to move around.
Smiling, David clapped his friend on the shoulder as a way of greeting.
"Have a good trip?"
"Nice and peaceful." he responded, looking up at the giant castle before him. "I didn't have any issues."
"Good." David nodded and the two began making their way inside.
"Before I forget, I brought something for Halt. Where is the old grump anyway?"
"Probably off on a patrol." David shrugged, "He was given the choice of helping Crowley with Ranger duties or helping plan the wedding."
"Given the choice?" Arald asked skeptically.
"It's the polite way of phrasing it." he joked.
Arald just laughed, "And I take it he didn't protest too much? Picking out flowers wasn't his dream job then?"
David just rolled his eyes, "'Father of the bride is in denial' is a better way of putting it."
"Every father is in denial about his daughter's wedding day." the Baron said, "It's the unwritten law of the universe."
"True." David conceded, "Can you believe it though? Little Nellie, getting married?"
"I know! It seems like just yesterday she was begging us to let her practice tying bandages and sneaking off to the stables."
The two of them walked into the entrance hall, immediately spotting their king surrounded by other people.
Duncan, upon seeing their arrival, smiled warmly and made his way over to them, "Arald!"
"Your Majesty." Arald bowed before returning the smile and shaking his hand.
"I trust your trip was well?"
"Very."
"That's good." Duncan said, still smiling, "Nellie will be so happy you could make it."
Arald scoffed, "I wouldn't miss this for the world!"
"I'm sure! Where's Lady Sandra?" Duncan asked, looking past his shoulder at the door curiously.
He sighed, "Sadly her sister became ill right before we had to leave. She had to stay behind to help her. She'll try to make it once Lila recovers."
Duncan nodded understandingly before gesturing to the group behind him, who had followed and waited patiently while the two friends reunited, "Here, allow me to introduce you. This is Erak, Oberjarl of Skandia, Svengal, Emperor Shigeru, and Selethen. We just ran into each other ourselves and decided to have lunch."
Arald nodded politely to each person as they were introduced. Duncan motioned to him next, "This is Baron Arald. He overlooks Redmont Fief where Aranel grew up."
"Nice to meet you all."
"You as well," Shigeru responded for all of them, "Would you care to join us for lunch?"
"Gladly, thank you."
The group began walking, making small talk along the way.
"How is Nellie doing? I haven't seen her in years."
"Busy." Duncan smiled, "The wedding is in three weeks and there is still plenty to do."
"I'm sure." Arald chuckled, "David and I were just talking about how it's hard to believe she's engaged."
David nodded, "It always seems that way when you know someone as a child."
"Kids grow up pretty darn quickly." Erak muttered, his thoughts drifting to the Herons. It hadn't seemed so long ago that they had gone through Brotherband training and yet he couldn't call them kids anymore.
"I agree." Shigeru put in, "My cousin had a son in what seems to be only five minutes ago, yet he just turned 10 this year."
Arald shrugged, "I can't argue with that. I guess no one just saw Nellie getting married in general though. Partially just because of how dedicated she's always been to her work, but also because her father must've scared off any potential suitor around. I'm not sure any even worked up the nerve to talk to her after Halt so much as glared their way."
"Halt has always been protective of her." Duncan agreed.
Erak let out a laugh and clapped Selethen on the shoulder, "That's one way of putting it! He certainly hasn't stopped trying to scare the Wakir here away!"
Arald looked at them in confusion, "Excuse me?"
Selethen gave a small sigh, "I take it you don't know, but I am Aranel's betrothed. Erak was referring to Halt's…interactions since I arrived."
"Oh…my apologies." he said awkwardly, "I hope Halt hasn't been too difficult."
"Nothing I can't handle." Selethen assured him, causing David to start laughing.
When they turned to look at him, he stopped, shamefaced, "Sorry, but I never thought I'd ever hear someone describe Halt as 'nothing they can't handle' without a death wish."
"He's certainly a character." Arald chose his words carefully, but couldn't help but smirk, "I still remember when he went through that phase a few years ago, back before the war with Morgarath, remember?"
"Oh, the moat phase." Duncan said fondly, "To this day, it's his favorite form of 'conflict resolution'."
The three old friends laughed at the memory while the others exchanged confused looks.
"What exactly do you mean?" Selethen ventured.
David clasped Selethen's shoulder, "Long story, but suffice it to say, don't make your father-in-law mad."
"It's not pretty." Arald agreed, still smiling.
"My son has scars." David nodded in agreement.
"I'm…not sure how to respond to that," he said hesitantly.
"No one knows how to respond to Halt." Duncan sighed, shrugging as if to say 'oh well, what can you do?'
"Would Nel be able to join us for lunch? I'd love to catch up with her." Arald asked, abruptly changing the subject.
The king nodded, "We'll swing by on the way, see if she's available."
They continued their walk down the hall, leaving the foreigners to exchange another confused, and concerned on Selethen's part, expression.
"What exactly do they mean, 'the moat phase'?" Shigeru whispered.
The others could only shrug before they hurried to catch up with them.
"So Pauline thinks she found a way for the Toscan delegation to be included?" Cassandra asked, confused and temporarily forgetting that she was supposed to be grabbing the veil.
"I think so," Nel replied a little out of breath as the seamstress finished tightening the dress. "Something about a Toscan wedding tradition she thinks can be incorporated."
"Well that's great. She's been determined to find a way to include all five countries in the ceremony."
"All that's left is Skandia. I don't know what her plan for that is, but I know she's been talking to Borsa about Skandian weddings." Nel tried to turn and look at her friend, but was put back in place rather promptly by the seamstress.
"Don't move!" she snapped at her before moving to begin work on the hemline.
Nel held herself as still as she possibly could, trying to ignore the chaffing of lace on her arms. She was in her dress fitting, Cassandra having just finished her own. She stood in the middle of her bedroom and was just praying for it to be over soon. She hadn't seen the dress yet, having told the dressmaker to use whatever design that she thought was best, but no amount of pretty designs could ever make this dress comfortable to wear. She knew that much at least.
"I'm almost afraid of what he'd suggest." Cassandra grimaced, bringing her back to the conversation, "He's not exactly the most diplomatic man I've ever met."
"You're just saying that because you don't like him." Nel said.
"Name me one person that does like him."
Nel tilted her head thoughtfully, "Erak?"
"Head up!"
She held back a frustrated groan and apologized instead, following her instructions.
"Tolerates him and respects his abilities." Cassandra pointed out, "It's not the same as liking someone."
"Either way, we can't discount his advice just because of personal feelings." Nel mumbled.
"Head up!" the seamstress barked again.
Nel bit back an annoyed reply again.
Cassandra walked back into her friend's line of sight, veil in her hands, "I know, I know, but I wouldn't pin your hopes and dreams for a perfect wedding on him."
"I'm not going to, " Nel assured her, "But if he can offer some help, we should at least consider it."
"Don't slouch!" the seamstress yelled, "We only have time to alter a dress, not fix mistakes caused by you not keeping still!"
Nel just held her tongue and stood up as straight as she could. She knew that the woman was only doing her job, but her patience was wearing thin, both from the stress of the last few days and the constant yelling.
Cassandra reached up, gently placing the veil on Nel's head and readjusting it until she was happy with it. "Fine, but only if Pauline has final approval on anything he suggests."
"That seems fair."
The blonde girl nodded her agreement. "She's really worked herself to the bone since you got engaged."
"I really need to find a way to thank her." Nel said thoughtfully.
The seamstress stood up, done with the hemline, and began working on the veil. According to what she had said while Nel was putting on the dress, there was some sort of rule about how much a veil should cover depending on your style of dress, which Nel didn't know.
Nel was starting to realize that there was a lot she didn't know, but in this particular case, she was glad she didn't. She'd happily remain ignorant of all fashion for the rest of her life after all these dress fittings.
Cassandra stood back to watch and Nel risked a glance in the mirror.
It was horrifying. There was so much lace that she could barely see her own face, with puffy sleeves that stuck out at the sides. The giant hoop skirt that was digging into her waist had also, somehow, tripled the very size of that same waist, which should've been impossible considering how tightly the corset had been laced. Nel had felt like she was being cut in half while putting that particular garment on and even now she felt like she was being suffocated.
Turning towards her maid of honor, Nel grimaced, "How does it look?"
"Beautiful!" the seamstress jumped in, sounding gleeful for the first time all day before she moved Nel's head back to where it was before, "Designed it myself! You'll be glad you trusted me with your dress, miss."
Cassandra's face contorted as she took in the entire sight, hiding the expression horribly, "You always look beautiful Nellie."
Nel actually rolled her eyes at the deflection.
The seamstress put one last pin in place before stepping back to admire it, "That's it. Dress is done. We'll have all the alterations finished in about two weeks."
"C-Can I get out of it now?" she asked nervously.
When she nodded, Nel felt like collapsing in relief. Reaching forward, she took Cassandra's hands to help step down from the tiny platform she's been standing on. Had she mentioned that the shoes were as uncomfortable as the dress and impossible to walk in?
The princess started giggling, "What, having problems moving in your new dress?"
Nel chose to ignore her, waddling over to the privacy divider in the corner of the room.
The seamstress began undoing the ties on the back of the dress. As she did so, Nel heard a knock at the door and Cassandra moved to open it.
"Hello." Lady Pauline's greeting drifted over to her.
"This is a surprise." Cassandra said, "What's the occasion?"
"What's a surprise?" Nel called out as she finally got her arms out of the lacey traps that they had been put in.
"Impromptu lunch. I was as surprised as you." Pauline answered Cassandra, "How is it going here?"
"We were just finishing the dress fittings." Cassandra was explaining.
"And?"
"And it would be better if I could breathe!" Nel called out, meaning for it to be a joke, but it sounded more annoyed than she intended.
The seamstress huffed at her, "I told you before, the height of fashion requires a tight corset for the shape of the dress, otherwise the ensemble just doesn't work!"
Nel just knew that Pauline and Cassandra were trying not to laugh, even without having to see them. But, as she finally stepped out of the dress and hoop skirt, she finally snapped, "Well fine, then you can wear a corset designed for a tiny child and laced so tightly that you can't breathe and then I'll stand back and tell you to suffer for the sake of beauty! How's that sound?!"
The seamstress (Nel really should've learned her name at some point) huffed at the outburst, looking incredibly insulted, before grabbing the fluff disguised as a dress and marching away.
Nel instantly felt horrible, groaning at her own words almost as soon as she said them. She followed the other woman out from behind the privacy divider, "I'm sorry, I didn-"
The apology fell from her lips as she stood frozen at the sight in front of her, all thoughts of her rude comment instantly forgotten.
Everyone else stood there in shock as well, having watched as she brazenly walked out in nothing but her still-too-tight corset and slip.
And she meant everyone, as apparently, Pauline hadn't entered alone. Pauline had apparently run into a small crowd of people on her way up and, worst of all, Selethen stood at the front of it, gaping at her with the most dumbstruck expression she'd ever seen.
Nel let out a loud and embarrassed 'Eep!' before practically launching herself back behind the divider, certain that her deep blush could be seen right down to her toes.
"It might be best to do lunch another day," David suggested awkwardly.
"That'd probably be best." Duncan agreed quickly.
She heard them leave the room a moment later, seeming to rush out. As soon as the door latched, Cassandra appeared around the divider, "You sure do like leaving impressions, don't you?"
Nel thought that everyone would forgive her for throwing her shoe at the princess.
Meanwhile, in the hallway right outside, the men were having a very different conversation.
Actually, there was no conversation at first. They were all standing in the hallway in an awkward silence as they tried to get over their surprise.
Then Svengal let out a low whistle.
"Who knew what kind of curves she was hiding under those dresses of hers?" he smirked at Selethen cheekily, "You're a lucky man."
Erak visibly groaned at his friend's words. Svengal was among the most blunt and tactless Skandians he had ever met, something he had gotten used to over the years, but that was taking it too far. Almost everyone there was now looking at Svengal as if he were the one they had just seen in a corset. Erak opened his mouth to tell Svengal to shut up, but Selethen beat him to it.
"I suggest you hold your tongue, Jarl Svengal." His tone was harsh and he glared evenly at the massive Skandian without any trace of fear, "I will not allow you to disrespect Aranel in any way, especially over an accident like this. Her modesty, and therefore her curves, as you so 'politely' put it, are none of your business, which you would do well to remember. Aranel is a lady and deserves to be treated as such."
Svengal stared at him, thoroughly chastened (especially after looking at Erak and receiving a murderous glare in return) before he eventually nodded, "Understood."
"Good." Selethen responded before turning to the others, "If you'll excuse me, I think I'll just take lunch in my room."
As he walked away, no one saw his fists, clenched in anger as Svengal's words played themselves over and over in his mind, his blood boiling. He had to convince himself to not turn around and punch the man, something he knew would just make everything worse.
For the first time since arriving, Selethen couldn't wait until he was married, just so he could officially be on his way home.
Professor: This isn't my favorite chapter. I had to rewrite parts of it multiple times before I finally thought it was good enough to post. I'm still not completely happy with it.
Hopefully you all enjoyed it though!