Part 38

Caitlin stood just outside the Grand Ball Room of the Central Kingdom Royal Palace. Her father smiled at her as she took his arm.

"You look beautiful honey." Said Thomas

"Thanks daddy."

Caitlin turned and smiled at the preteen girl that was assigned to make sure that the train of the wedding dress didn't get caught on anything. The train only extended about three feet behind Caitlin, which she was grateful for. If her mother had, had a say it would have been closer to ten feet. That would have been a nightmare to walk with. The double doors opened and the wedding march began to play. Taking a deep breath Caitlin nodded and Thomas began to lead her down the aisle. Caitlin looked at Barry who was watching her with a smile a mile wide. When they reached the end of the aisle Thomas kissed his daughter's cheek. He then turned to Barry.

"Take good care of my daughter." Said Thomas

"Some how I think Cait will be the one taking care of me." Said Barry

"You are probably right." Thomas agreed.

Caitlin kissed her father and took Barry's hand. They both turned to face the minister.

"We are gathered here today to join The Crowned Prince Bartholomew Henry Allen of the Central Kingdom and Princess Caitlin Danielle Snow of the Snow Kingdom in marriage. I have been told that these two wish to exchange their own vows. Princess?" said the minister

"Barry, when I first agreed to a possible marriage between the two of us, I never expected it to be anything more than a marriage to seal an alliance. But it only took a matter of days for me to realize that it could never be just that. I have always feared that if anyone outside of my family ever got to know the real me, that they would see me as a monster. But you never did that. You accepted me for who I really am and not who I show the world. You melted the ice I had placed around my heart to protect it. You opened my heart to love. Barry, I love you and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life by your side."

"Cait, I still remember the first time I saw you. We were both little kids. I had gone to the Snow Kingdom with my father for a meeting. I had gotten bored and wondered out to the garden. You were there avoiding your nanny. What I didn't know then was that you wanted nothing more then to have a friend. Unfortunately I was caught and taken back to my father. It was later that night talking to your brother I learned your name. When we finally officially met you had grown to be a beautiful woman. What I found out as you slowly let me in was that the inside was even more beautiful. Cait, I love you more than you will ever know. I know that you are going to make the perfect Queen to my King one day. Today we begin what I hope will be a long and happy life together."

They exchanged rings and sealed the marriage with a kiss. They then moved into another ballroom to greet their guests while the Grand ballroom was set up for dinner. Caitlin stood next to Barry as the guest walked in. She watched Barry smile as Oliver Queen came in with his wife Laurel. Oliver took Caitlin's hand and placed a gentle kiss on it. Caitlin smiled at the son of the President of the Arrow Republic.

"You look even more beautiful then you always do Princess." Said Oliver

"Always a charmer Mr. Queen." Said Caitlin

"Not always Princess. You should see him when no one is around. He will sit around the house in his boxers drinking whiskey." Said Laurel

"Laurel, I am sure that the Princess doesn't want to hear about that." Said Oliver

"Mr. Queen thank you again for your help in stopping Zoom and his army at my brother's wedding." Said Caitlin

"It was the right thing to do. Congratulations and I wish you a long and happy life together." Said Oliver

Oliver and Laurel walked off and Barry and Caitlin continued to greet the guests. Caitlin felt Barry tense up as the next guests approached. She looked to see Julian walk up with a girl who looked to be barely old enough to marry. Not recognizing her Caitlin knew she had to be from one of the minor noble houses in the Snow Kingdom and more than likely one of the younger daughters too.

"Congratulations Princess. I don't think you know Lady Stephanie Brown. Her father Lord Arthur Brown is the Ambassador to Gotham. We are to marry next year." Said Julian

"I am pleased to meet you Stephanie. Honey would you mind if I speak to Stephanie alone for a minute?" Said Caitlin

"Of course not. I will entertain Lord Albert while you do that." Said Barry

Caitlin led the younger woman out of earshot of Barry and Julian before speaking to her.

"Stephanie, I take it that you haven't been given much of a choice in this marriage?" asked Caitlin softly

"It is what my father wants. So it is what I must do." Said Stephanie

"Have you tried to tell him how you feel?"

"He won't listen. There is someone I have feelings for but he is not of noble blood so my father will not approve of him."

"Maybe you should think of yourself and your own happiness. Not what your father wants for you. While I don't believe that Julian will harm you, I don't think you will be happy with him. But if you do go through with this wedding and you feel like you are in danger go to my brother for help Ok?"

"I promise to think about it."

The two women walked back over to the men. Stephanie walked off with Julian. Barry and Caitlin finished greeting all the guests and then it was time to return to the grand ballroom which was now set up for dinner and the reception. At the end of the reception Caitlin stood on the balcony of the ballroom and tossed her bouquet over her shoulder. She smiled when she saw that Patty had been the one to catch it. Barry then led her to their suite. Then entered a sitting room that had multiple doors off it.

"The door on your left is a guest powder room. The one straight ahead is the main bedroom, the one I sleep in. The one to the right is yours if you want your own room. We each have our own private bath and dressing room. Yours can be accessed from either the main bedroom or the other one if you chose to sleep there. Cait, it has been a long day. There is no rush in us being intimate."

"Can I see the main bedroom? I mean before I make my choice."

Barry opened the door and Caitlin's eyes went wide when she saw it. The bed was nearly twice size of the one in her old room.

"I think that we will be fine sharing a bed. Barry, I am not my mother. If I had married someone other than you. I probably would want my own bed. But I trust you and more importantly I love you. Now what do you say we get ready for bed. The only help I need is for you to unzip my dress."

"Uh right."

Caitlin turned so her back was to Barry and he unzipped the dress as well as unbuttoned the button at the collar. Caitlin then walked through the door to her dressing room. Barry then headed into his and took off his uniform and put on a pair of pajama pants and a clean undershirt. He then walked out to wait for his wife. Caitlin walked out of her dressing room in a light blue night gown.

"Um what side of the bed do you want?" asked Barry

"Well think it makes the most sense for me to take the right. I mean that is the side with my dressing room and everything."

"Yeah I guess you are right."

"Besides like you said it has been a long day and I am too tired to do much more then sleep and maybe cuddle? I do get cold sometimes at night."

"We can cuddle if that is what you want."

"Definitely what I want. Barry, I want us to have a marriage like your parents not mine."

"I want that too. But forgot let's just get some sleep. Tomorrow we will go spend our honeymoon at this cottage on the far side of the lake. It's where my parents and grandparents had theirs."

"You have never taken me there have you?"

"No. It has always been used as a getaway for my family. I wanted to save it for something special."

"Sounds lovely."

Barry kissed Caitlin and both climbed into bed. Barry moved near the center where Caitlin joined him and laid in his arms. Both drifted off to a peaceful sleep.