The days flew by, and in the blink of an eye, the wedding day arrived.
Dawn, before the sun had even risen.
“Are you fully awake?”
“Yes.
Though saying I haven’t slept yet would be closer to the truth.”
“Why?”
The two, having left the still-quiet Berk mansion, arrived with their servants at a temple behind the Royal Palace.
The temple where the founding King of Ivanes enshrined the Dragon Deity.
It was a private sanctuary for the royal family, and where their wedding would be held today.
At Curtis’s question, Chloe mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.
“There was too much to study.”
Chloe had stayed up all night studying until the morning of the wedding.
It was primarily focused on the intricate wedding procedures she would observe today.
Even though it was simplified, since it was a royal wedding, there were many protocols to observe.
“Did you think becoming royalty was easy?”
“Your Highness became one easily.”
“That is true.
I was, after all, born into royalty.”
The man who became royalty easily replied as such and smirked.
Regardless, Chloe’s lips were pouting defiantly.
He said he wouldn’t make her work overtime, but she never expected he’d make her study all night.
However, seeing that Curtis’s eyes were also bloodshot, Chloe did not bother to add more words.
That man must have also barely rested all week due to this wedding.
“I’ve never been here before.”
“Naturally.
Entry here is restricted to only the most elite of the Royal Guards.”
The temple was modest in scale, yet exuded an elegant beauty.
The white outer walls seemed to harmonize well with the surrounding forest.
Being a sacred place, and since only royalty could enter except during major ceremonies, it seemed built to emphasize the wild, untamed beauty of its natural surroundings.
Although it was midsummer, the dawn air was cool.
She expected to find no one else, but a man was waiting for the two of them in front of the temple.
The man spoke as soon as the two came within close range.
“Lady Amboise.
If you are being blackmailed, please tell me even now.
I will protect you from my uncle’s machinations no matter what happens.”
Chloe responded with a crisp salute.
“Yes, Your Highness!
I am fine.
Thank you for your concern.”
At Chloe’s answer, the man standing before her rubbed his temple in a mock display of distress.
“Oh, come now’.
There’s no need to be so formal.
Soon you’ll be my aunt.”
There was no malice or guile in his cheerful tone.
Chloe lowered her saluting hand.
“I thank Prince Frederick for his consideration.”
The man, Prince Frederick, stared at Chloe for a moment before turning his head to Curtis standing beside her.
“Uncle.
I have always thought you were a force to be reckoned with, but this time I am truly impressed.”
“It is a blessing to have an idol in the family who impresses you anew each time.
You ought to offer a prayer of thanks.”
“The Princess Consort asked me to convey her congratulations as well.”
The two exchanged a brief handshake.
They were uncle and nephew, but due to the small age gap, they looked like friends.
Curtis had hinted that they were indeed almost friends.
“Let me introduce myself formally.
I am Frederick de Ivanes.
A pleasure to meet you, Lady Chloe Amboise.”
“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness!”
“Oh, my.”
Prince Frederick’s eyes crinkled with playful amusement.
With his handsome features and easy smile, he was naturally charming and disarming.
If she wasn’t careful, Chloe might have been lulled into his invitation to speak casually.
However, having experienced a colorful array of hig h-ranking individuals over the past few days, Chloe had realized that in times like this, it was wiser to maintain a certain formality. Follow the newest chapters on novelping dot com.
“I apologize.
As we are not formally married yet, I am still merely a soldier of Ivanes; please forgive me for causing concern to Your Highness.”
“My, oh my’.
I am already starting to wonder if you are far too good for my formidable uncle.
I understand.”
The Prince offered his hand to Chloe with a gentle smile for a handshake.
“But you will accept a handshake, won’t you?”
“It is an honor.”
‘He is quite sensible, possessing a genial nature,’ Chloe thought to herself as she shook his hand.
“I apologize for the trouble.”
“Not at all.
The pleasure is all mine.
To think I get to officiate my uncle’s Sanctification and Blood Oath ceremonies.”
Furthermore, he didn’t hesitate to say pleasant things.
Chloe puffed out her chest and entered the temple, her heart lightened.
A royal wedding consists of the main ceremony along with the Sanctification Ceremony and the Blood Oath Ceremony.
The Sanctification Ceremony was a ritual to announce to God that there was no shame in becoming a member of the Ivanes royal family, and the Blood Oath Ceremony was a ritual of binding bloodlines.
Each ritual was guaranteed by one temple priest and one royal family member, respectively.
Originally, both the Sanctification and Blood Oath ceremonies were customarily conducted before guests.
Naturally, for convenience, most royal weddings took place at the Royal Palace.
After all, both the priests and the royalty were at the palace.
The King banning the Grand Duke from entering the palace was also intended to thwart the wedding.
But as if to spite him, the Grand Duke immediately requested permission from Prince Frederick to use the temple at dawn that very day.
He intended to hold the wedding at the temple.
Faced with the logic that the Dragon’s Temple was outside the palace and thus acceptable, the King flew into another rage.
In truth, rather than the logic itself, he was likely more irked that Curtis had seemingly anticipated his obstruction.
However, rumors had already spread far and wide.
Arguing that refusing the wedding would only make the royal family a greater laughingstock, the Prince granted permission.
Furthermore, he even volunteered to be the witness and guarantor for the Grand Duke’s wedding.
However, the Grand Duke was disinclined to hold a prolonged wedding with numerous guests.
To be precise, he was worried about the Prince.
If Frederick was absent from his residence for an extended period to attend an all-day wedding, he couldn’t imagine what kind of spiteful tantrums the King might unleash.
For reference, Chloe didn’t understand that remark at first and had asked back.
‘But isn’t the Prince His Majesty’s son?’
‘My brother, the King, possesses the qualities of a remarkably excellent ruler.’
He meant that the King threw tantrums equally without favoring anyone, even his son, but he delivered it with characteristic dry wit.
Anyway, thanks to that, Chloe ended up meeting the two at the crack of dawn on the wedding day.
Chloe regarded the Prince walking ahead of her with renewed interest.
Even if he was the heir to the throne, being hated by the King could not be a pleasant experience.
Whether he truly cherished his uncle or was looking out for the prestige of the royal family.
Whichever it was, Chloe thought for the first time that the future of Ivanes might be decent after all.
In any case, the Prince’s conduct was the most befitting a royal among the royals she had seen.
Of course, though, admittedly, her experience with royalty was limited to the King and Curtis.
As Prince Frederick stepped into the temple, he addressed her.
“Do you have any questions?
Since we will soon be family, if you are curious about the royal family, please, feel free to ask.”
“My apologies, Your Highness, but I’ve heard His Majesty the King’s wrath is considerable.”
‘Aren’t you scared of your dad?’ That was the essence of her inquiry.
Prince Frederick gave a conspiratorial wink.
“Thanks to my esteemed father not having any other sons, I am safe.”
No, wait, a disconcerting realization dawned on her.
“Of course, if my Father remarries like my Grandfather did, then I’m in dire straits.”
Curtis, the son born from the ‘Grandfather’ remarrying, replied expressionlessly from the side.
“That’s a rather poor attempt at humor.”
“Ha ha ha!”
The Prince laughed, clapping his hands with mirth.
‘I guess the future of Ivanes isn’t that decent after all,’ Chloe thought.
The Sanctification Ceremony ended more quickly than expected.
“Thank you.”
“You are a new member of Ivanes who has come by divine calling.
I hope we meet often.”
As soon as she finished greeting the priest and turned around, the Prince leaned in to whisper conspiratorially.
“That means he wants a large donation.”
Chloe remained silent.
Chloe now wished for the Blood Oath Ceremony to conclude just as swiftly.
But before that, there was something Chloe had to do.
Originally, after the Sanctification Ceremony, the royal spouse was traditionally required to offer a prayer to the Dragon Deity at the temple.
A prayer to thank the Dragon for protecting the country and to seek its blessings for the new family member.
However, Curtis became busy in earnest with the sunrise, as the Royal Guard squad leaders arrived at the temple.
The Royal Guard was scheduled to perform a ceremonial arch of swords at today’s wedding.
‘No matter how simple the wedding is, am I not the Captain of the Royal Guard?
It would look good for the Guards to perform the arch.’
That was true.
In the end, it was decided that Chloe would do the prayer instead of Curtis.
But Chloe was overwhelmed by a potent suspicion: ‘Had he just dumped this chore on her because he simply didn’t want to do it himself?’ This was because of the unfathomably long prayer she was now expected to deliver.
How much she had agonized over memorizing that prayer the previous night.
‘If not for this alone, I could have slept for two hours last night…’
As she waited for the temple priests to prepare the prayer room, her eyelids grew heavy.
‘Am I going to fall asleep while praying?’ Trying to force herself awake, Chloe widened her eyes and looked down from the terrace where she stood.
Squad leaders from the Royal Guard, faces she knew all too well, were surrounding Curtis and reporting something.
It was likely a check of the ceremony’s order of events.
Her gaze fell upon Ezra, the leader of Squad 2, who was scanning the area, and their eyes met.
Ezra’s eyes widened, then filled with a look of welcome delight.
Seeing that he was about to mouth something to her, Chloe swiftly turned her head away.
‘Damned bastard.
He’s dying to tease me, absolutely dying for it.’
Chloe had been on leave this whole time, which meant she hadn’t had a chance to contact her close friends in the Royal Guard.
If anyone asked, “You have friends when you’ve only been transferred three months ago?” she’d answer that they were comrades-in-arms, united against a common foe.
Among them, Chloe was particularly close with Georges and Ezra, the leaders of Squad 1 and Squad 2, respectively.
Both of them must have flipped out when they saw the newspaper.
They would have been dumbfounded next, but that would only last a moment.
‘How am I going to handle those bastards’ teasing once I return to duty…?’
“Hey, you used to curse the Grand Duke so much.
When did you two hit it off?
That’s wild!
Did hatred really turn into love?”
“What did you even like about him?
Working overtime three days in a row?
Or getting chewed out in the scorching sun?
We never knew you were a masochist, Chloe.”
“So, you’re a Grand Duchess now?
Come on, Chloe, try saying ‘Grand Duke Berk is a son of a bitch’ now.
Isn’t this technically an industrial accident?”
Just thinking about it drained her energy.
‘Why were these bastards so loud even in my imagination?
Just shut up, huh.
Shut up.’
“Why are you marrying Grand Duke Berk?”
“Shut u… I apologize.”
Chloe, a proud soldier of Ivanes, had nearly told the Prince of Ivanes to shut up.
Seeing Chloe hurriedly clamp her lips shut, Prince Frederick looked stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter.
“I understand.
I often hear the same question dozens of times.
In those moments, curses tend to come out first, regardless of who the speaker is.”
“I am terribly sorry….”
‘He actually pointed it out…’ Chloe wanted to die.
Prince Frederick chuckled a few more times, cleared his throat, and asked again.
“I will ask again.
Why is it Grand Duke Berk?”