Chapter 75: Welcome in Russia
Nevertheless, when the forest ended, it took away her worries with it too. The broad roads of Russia came, the chocolate-haired girl shivered in the abrupt chilly waves. Hiwatarian realized it. That’s why, picking up a blue woolen shawl from the seat, he wrapped it over the shoulders of his wife. She blushed and murmured a thanks to the prince. Tala helped Julia cover herself with a warm veil as the dual-haired girl only smiled at him. As the Russian people saw the royal chariots heading towards the castle, they left all their jobs and stood in two separate rows by the sides of the highway, colliding with one another to have the glimpse of the noble couples. Guards tried to stop them though the task was hard. Women in long sarafans started sprinkling rose petals at the princes and their brides. Jubilations buzzed and resonated everywhere:
“Hail prince Kai Hiwatari and princess Hilary Tachibana Hiwatari!”
“Hail prince Kai Hiwatari and princess Hilary Tachibana Hiwatari!”
“Hail prince Tala Valkov and princess Julia Fernandez Valkov!”
“Hail prince Tala Valkov and princess Julia Fernandez Valkov!”
Decorate the welcoming platters,
Play the trumpets, don’t save anything for later,
The good fortune has finally stepped in our kingdom,
Now, there’ll be only happiness, no sorrow and boredom.
“Natalia! Vera! Sasha! Irina!” The empress of Russia stood up from her throne in her room, “Looks like our children and the brides have arrived. Go, get everything and welcome them in the castle!”
The chariots halted in front of the royal, gypsum-built castle of Russia. All the guards tapped the ground with their spears and crouched before the princes to show them honor. The beats of the drums increased, tunes from the flute spread all over the icy country. Everyone was loudly jubilating by the names of the newly wedded princes and their wives. Maids were showering flowers from the different levels of the palace. Kai and Tala got down before their soulmates, after Bryan, Ian and Spencer had landed. Both the redhead and the dual-haired Russians stretched their palms towards the twin-haired Latina and the brunette. Flushing, the girls kept their hands on theirs and with their help, they finally kept their feet on the soil of Russia.
Following it, the rainbows descended on the fountains. Birds tweeted happily. Bumblebees and butterflies hovered around the flowers which had bloomed just then in the naked trees, along with the emerald leaves. The temperature of the air increased, adding the warmth of Japan to the coldness of Russia. The sun shone brighter than always this time in the sky. The thick sheet of the dense fog was no more, severed by the sunrays. All the subjects of the icy kingdom noticed the sudden but positive, comfortable changes in their weather. In blissful vibes, they thanked their new brides. The regal couples walked across the red velvet carpet with golden fringes and ascended the marble stairs.
Look at the beautiful brides,
They’re Russia’s beauty and pride,
With blushing footsteps, when they enter the castle,
Their red-tinted toes just remove all the hassles
Of our daily life. Like the sun and the moon,
they’re sunshine and moonshine, giving us happiness soon….
Queen Apraxia was standing there with a silver platter in her hands, filled with flower petals, a brass kettle of steams, a metal staff and a small goblet of cherry juice. Beside her, there was Natalia with the same stuffs. Princess Sasha, princess Vera and princess Irina were standing right by them with more flowers. Seeing the brides, they sprinkled the roses at them. Apraxia held the kettle before them according to a ritual so that the evil eye could never touch them in their lives. They drank from the cherry juice at first. Then, the grooms shared the drinks, putting their lips at the same spaces blessed by the lips of their wives. All the four people blushed as the female guardians silently giggled.
The entry for the grooms and brides was majestic, covered with soft blue and red velvet runners, bedecked with golden and silver fringes at each side. For each step of all the feet, platters of white and red rose-petals were posed in the distance of every fifteen centimeters. Kai tightly held Hilary’s hand; her fingers also were entwined around his. Tala and Julia’s palms collided with each other and got locked in the same process. The women bent their bashful eyes as the orbs of their husbands were outstretched, proud of their soulmates. Trampling the petals as they bloomed like a full flower beneath the angelic feet of the couples, the princes and their brides entered. Guards again knelt down on the ground in reverence, hitting the floor with the lances. Trumpets deafened everyone; drums got engaged in a fierce competition with them.
Here they come, the revered goddesses of Russia,
Coming with love and fortune, they’ll shower Ambrosia.
Standing beside the phoenix-prince and wolf-prince,
From the kingdom, they’ll remove all the sadness and sins.
