The Crown Prince's Unwanted Bride

Chapter 4: Her Coronation

The prince removed the vest and he finally saw the face of his bride. He could read no emotion on her face, She was as blank as a wiped slate, She was really beautiful, there was no doubt about that. Tall and had very fair skin with thick black hair, dark green eyes and pink lips. He looked at her beautiful wedding dress and how it fitted her from head to toe. She was attractive, but he had to remind himself that she was not the one he loved.

He moved closer to her as if he was going to kiss her and he saw how she shivered in fear. 'not bad, at least the deities have eyes to pick something nice', He said close to her ears and moved away to look at her face.

He looked at her and turned to the guest, he caught another's stare. He saw tears in the young girl's eyes and a depth of anger and sadness that only he could understand, which broke his heart. He felt like leaving his bride in the altar to go meet her, but he knew better than to do that. He held the hand of his newly wedded wife' and they walked towards the king and queen.

Starlight has made up her mind not to make her face a sign board for people to see and read her fillings.

The way the prince moved closer to her as if he wanted to kiss her made her scared, thank the deities he only whispered In her ears, just that she didn't understand what he meant. After some minutes he held her hand and took her towards where the king and queen were sitting.

Starlight held her head high and decided that if this was her fate, she might as well get on with it. From a distant Starlight saw the king and queen smiling at them as they walked closer. In the last 8 years of her life, she has never been in front of the king and queen.

The prince bowed his head to his parents and said his greetings. She also did the same. Starlight's father also stood close and bowed before the king and queen with smiles on his face.

'You are welcome to the Lancaster family my dear daughter, I and my queen welcome you to the royal family'. King John Lancaster said, smiling down at her.

She raised her bowing head and gave a smile 'Thank you my king and queen'.

The king walked away with the prince along with her father.

The queen smiled at her and gestured for a maiden to come closer. The maiden came and bowed to the queen and to her also.

"My dear, here is Kimberly, she is going to be your right hand maid from now on.

She looked at the girl called Kimberly and then nodded her head to the queen. She had this homely look and Starlight felt like she would get along with her well. She has never got along with any maid offered to her since she was 12, but this time around she plans on doing that so as not to die of boredom.

"She will help you get ready for your coronation as the crown princess later today" The queen said.

"Thank you my queen, you are so kind" Starlight said and bowed her head in appreciation.

Kimberly gestured for her to follow her and they made their way out of the wedding hall. They walked through the castle corridors, the walls had beautiful paintings of warriors, kings and queens that have ruled in the past and drawings of rivers, flowers including other fascinating art works. As they walked they passed many maids and guards who bowed to her and looked at her in awe.

They turned in another direction and walked up the long stairs. It was so tiring waking up these long stairs, but thank god they gave her a flat shoe and removed a part of her gown.

They got to a big door and Kimberly pushed the door open and they went inside.

Starlight looked around and fell in love with the place immediately, it smelled like fresh flowers. There were beautiful paintings on the wall which were painted in white, the window had white cottons, and there were two long gray couches. There were also beautiful artifacts on some side tables.

Kimberly looked at Starlight's awed face and smiled, it seems you love it your highness. Starlight looked at her and smiled, 'yes I do, it reminds me of my own room back home….. I had everything in white, gray and cream...I love bold colors'.

'Really Milady, It seems you and the prince already have something in common'.

'What do you mean?' Starlight asked, wondering what she meant.

'This is the prince chamber Milady and as you can see it has everything in white or gray just like you said you did'.

"Oh" Starlight opened her eyes in realization.

"But well.. it means nothing".

"Uhh?" Kimberly turned not hearing much of what she said.

"Nothing," Starlight said and walked into the open view. It was so beautiful out here. It was a beautiful open area that had a lot of fresh flowers surrounding it. It had a table and 4 chairs surrounding it.

Just standing here, she got a better view of the whole palace.

"The palace is so beautiful and big," she said out loud without realizing it.

"Yes your highness, it's a beautiful place" Kimberly said and smiled

'You don't have to call me your highness when we are alone Kimberly, just call me Starlight and nothing else, formalities are for the king's court, do you understand?'

Kimberly suddenly covered her mouth to stop herself from exclaiming at what she had just heard. The punishment for such rudeness,if she was caught, would be terrible. She looked at the new princess and said finally, 'Yes, your highness', and in a stammering voice corrected herself 'I mean, Starlight.

Starlight smiled at her and held her hand, 'it will just be when we are alone Kim. I want to view you as a friend Kim and I want you to view me as a friend too'.

Kimberly was still in shock, but just nodded her head in agreement. Kim was a beautiful girl with black short hair, and average height.

They headed inside and Kim opened a door to the room. Starlight thought she already saw enough beauty. The room was so beautiful and smelled like Vanilla which was different from the smell in the living room. The bed had a white mattress and duvet, the window in the room had gray cotton and there was a big mirror in the wall with a dressing table, which she thinks was bought for her.

'Milady you have to freshen up, so you can prepare for your coronation as the grown princess'.

'Okay Kim'.

Starlight remembered something and turned.'Where are my things?'

'They are already kept in the closet, your highness?'

Starlight raised her brow at her and she immediately corrected herself.

'I mean Starlight'.

Starlight smiled at her. She started searching for the closet. "So where is the closet".

"Oh it's right here" Kim walked to a door and opened it.

She pointed inside the door and Starlight walked closer to behold a walk in closet.

She walked inside and opened her mouth in awe again. The walk-in closet was very big and led to the bathing room. It also has a very big mirror like the one in the room.

Kim was right when she said they already had something in common. Although she never had a walk in the closet, that was one of the things she wanted to have. And here right in front of her, her husband already had it, he indeed had good taste like her, she wondered what else they had in common. Starlight thought about all these as she walked into the closet.

Her things were on the right hand side of the walk-in closet while he was on the left. 'oh, he loves wearing bold colors like me, ' she said quietly to herself for Kim not to hear.

She was getting impressed back to back by the prince's taste. She started thinking that just maybe…

But immediately shakes her head to stop thinking that..

Kimberly prepared her for the next occasion.

She sat down waiting for Kim who left the room, when she suddenly came back with a beautiful ball gown with flower designs.

Starlight stared at the gown and shook her head. "I love flowers, Kim, but I do not like flower gowns or gowns with multi colors'.

'Oh mine, I'm sorry Starlight….I should have asked you what you would like before…..bringing it', Kim said and brought her head down, she already did something wrong on her first day of serving the crown princess.

Starlight smiled, stood up and touched her shoulder. 'Its okay Kim'.

"Thank you Starlight. So what would you prefer to wear so I can go get it"

'I wore a flare wedding gown. So since it's my coronation'……..Starlight paused and thought for a second, her eyes lit up and she smiled when she thought of the best thing to wear.

"I know, why don't you go get a cream fitted gown and a flare net that is long that we can add to the waist line.

"But…..my...I mean Starlight, you are supposed to wear a ball gown for the occasion".

"I know, which is why I said you should bring a very long lace net, we are going to add it to the waist line for it to seem like a ball gown somehow…...I just...want to wear something a little bit different Kim' starlight said smiling.

Kim smiled and nodded her head and went ahead to get what she asked for.

In no time she was all dressed in her beautiful gown with a net on the waist line flowing in the back.

Accompanied with her personal maid Kim, she walked out of the room and headed to the ballroom.

Oh...let's not forget that she ate her lunch while they thought about a dress to wear.

She appeared in front of a very long staircase, below the staircase was a crowd of people drinking and dancing. She became nervous and looked at Kim who gave her an assuring smile "Go ahead starlight, they are all waiting for you"

Starlight nodded her head and smiled one last time. She turned and faced the stairs and started walking down, Not before making sure her face had no emotions.

Announcer: 'Behold Everyone, The Prince's Bride And Crown Prince Of East Kingdom!!

The light turned to her direction and everyone turned to behold the new bride and crown princess coming down the stairs.

The crown prince's attention went to the stairs and he saw his new bride walking gracefully and elegantly down the stairs. He won't deny though, that she was indeed born for this.

He walked closer to her, because as his new bride he is supposed to help her down the stairs. He stretched out his hand and she took his hand.

He glanced at her from head to toe and smiled, but changed his expression immediately.

He saw that she still had that unreadable expression on her face. He helped her to come down from the stairs and they walked towards the direction of the throne.

………….

When he held her hand, she wasn't looking at his face at all. But she heard him suddenly choke and she looked up at him, but noticed he immediately changed his facial expression. He helped her down the stairs and they both walked towards the king.

Some people in the crowd admired her beauty and dress, they felt the deities made a good choice. Some sneered at her because of jealousy, while there were other groups of person's who stood at one side with complete hatred and anger in them. A girl amongst them, held a grip on the wine glass on her hands as she stared at Starlight with hatred.

"I'm supposed to be the one standing with the prince and the one wearing that crown!" She said with fire in her eyes.