in question.

MAXAMILIAN MILBOURNE, XXIV

[isla-bennett]

Gigi followed her future husband up the stairs and focused extra hard on each step. Suddenly walking in heels, something she’d been doing for the better part of her life, was a seemingly impossible task. Though she tried hard not to show it on her face, Gigi wasn’t exactly thrilled by the ceremony. In fact, if she were in the audience, she thought she would’ve been dozing off well before the “I do”’s started. By now, she found herself feeling an array of things–the first was that she wanted her knees to not be locked so she could run away from this and the fear of what her future might be, the second was that she wanted the wedding to end so she could talk to the person across from her, her husband, and get to know him at least a little bit. What did he think right now? Was he repulsed? Did he love the tradition? She needed to know. Being an active participant in that section had her the most nervous of all. She had written her vows with a little help from her father’s speechwriter, who made a note to have Gigi promising such mundane things. Sitting on the sideline while her husband went on to rule and making herself seem like just a piece of arm candy. But Evangeline had promised herself that, despite being forced into this marriage, she would not let herself be controlled. She would continue to be herself, a person who seemed to be the opposite of the bride she had proven herself to be. She wouldn’t let this, or him, dull her (though she realized that it was a harsh accusation to make of a man that she had not yet even spoken to). Gigi finished reciting her vows and put on a smile (one that finally felt a little bit less forced), repeating, “Until death do us part.” Now, admittedly, she was completely ready for the ceremony to be over and to meet this handsome stranger.

[maxmilbourne]

As the words of her sacred vows had come to an end, all Max could ever think of was how much he wanted to know everything about her. Every detail, every quirk, all existing ideals that he could possibly let his brain to remember. His family was not very generous with the information they were aware of concerning her, telling him only all about the obvious, that is her being a part of the royal family. But if they were to divulge into a much more personal subject of getting to know her, they’d all be silent before one pipes up to assure his knowledge to be given the enough information right after their ceremony. He couldn’t wait much longer though and as the feeling of the reality that is spending whole of his eternity with her had attached itself perfectly into his mind, he couldn’t help but feel excitement replacing the anxiety over the fact of finally venturing out the world with someone he is still yet to know by his side. The priest had spoken again, uttering words he himself didn’t mind to understand. And as he reached the end part of his speech, the line of you may kiss the bride had appeared to close the statement. He took both of her hands again, leaning in just as time started to click and the silence of the room had filled all of his senses. He didn’t know whether he should take in the first move or let her adjust to him first, and so he remained still just a few inches away from her plump lips. His mouth had turned dry, awaiting for any movement to come from his bride. Max leaned in even closer, his nose near attaching to hers and with a last intake of breath, he had let his lips touch hers. And he can truly assure you, that the feeling of kissing her may be one of the best he had felt throughout his years. 

[isla-bennett]

When the doors first opened, Gigi’s eyes were on the floor ahead of her. The last thing she wanted was to trip over herself and cause a ruckus or embarrass herself. Surely if she looked up and stared for too long she’d be too distracted to walk properly. Her father held onto her shaky hand and suddenly Gigi was grateful for her arm being snaked around his. Her anxiety was making her feel a bit faint. Normally, she thought, she would have honed in on all of the exhilaration, of staring into the abyss and not knowing what the outcome would be. But now, she was walking into the rest of her life and she didn’t know how she would find ways to make it happy if she needed to. It was then, she decided, that she couldn’t hide from him anymore, the man at the end of the aisle. Her husband. Handsome, she could check off on her list. She was going to stick to the positives, she decided. And even if she only had that one for now, she could hold onto it. When she met him at the altar, she hoped that he couldn’t feel how her hands shook as she wrapped them around his arm. She took a deep breath, gave him a smile and nodded her head. Maybe he was just as nervous as she was, and he had already taken the initiative and spoke. And it was a nice voice that he had. She wondered what he could possibly thinking about all of this—if he was excited or disappointed by her, even if she supposed that it was too late now. But still, as afraid as she was, there was a strange comfort in knowing that someone was in the exact same position as she was.

[maxmilbourne]

Max climbed the short flight of stairs with his blushing bride in his arms. He felt her shaking as he guided her up closer to the decorated altar. Although, even if he would continuously deny it until the end of time, he too, was shaking inside in pure anxiety. The ceremony was the uttermost epitome of the exact feeling of watching the paint dry. He had not care about the babbling of the priest before him and his bride, but for the sake of his family, he had remained to look interested with every word that he preached. Time flew rather fast, much to his satisfaction, and if he felt scared throughout the whole start of the ceremony, he had felt even more when it was time for him to speak of his vows. The situation of meeting only his wife to be during the day of their wedding didn’t help him one bit with the vows, but if he were to attest that he is more than the cocky and daring prince he was ought to be described as, he’d decided to write his vows as a promise to be beyond those words. “Until death do us part,” And with that, he sent a reassuring smile at the woman he faced as he held her hands cooped inside his in pure admiration. He admits, he found her the most gorgeous girl he had ever encountered even beyond all the women in his land. And if he were to spend his entire life with her, at least he thought, no matter how selfish it sounded, they’d be able to present beautiful heirs to their kingdom. 

[isla-bennett]

Evangeline stood in the mirror, ringing her hands as she tried to make herself perk up. Today was her wedding day, and if all the novels taught her anything, it was that today was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. But yet there she stood, feeling a little sick (whether it was with worry or excitement or a combination, she didn’t ), and feeling grateful that someone expert had come to fix her face into a warm blush. Her mother looked near tears every time she took in the sight of her daughter in her gorgeous dress, and her father beamed with a pride she hadn’t seen in some time. The more she looked at it, the more she wondered if she’d ever actually seen it at all. It was a transaction, she knew. Her father wanting to secure his alliance with a nation far from home. Gigi understood that, she just wished she wasn’t the eldest daughter anymore, even if she put on a brave face. It was easy to when her sisters were so excited by the whole ordeal, by the pure white of her dress and the bouquets and the grandeur of it all. And sure, it was fabulous—more than that, even. But still, all Evangeline could feel was the apprehension—what would her husband be like? Would be be handsome? Arrogant? Funny? Cruel? Or worst yet—would he be boring? She’d never met him before, how could she be sure? And yet there she was, preparing to sign her life away to the tune of Here Comes The Bride. Gigi straightened her spine and shook out her shoulders. She could do this, she thought. She’d been the brave one plenty of times before—the loud one at parties, drinking and carrying on and not letting a thing in the world get to her. She could do this. She could promise the rest of her life to a complete stranger—right? Shake the thought, Gigi instructed herself as she took another deep breath. “Let’s do this,” She said decidedly. This was her life. This was her wedding. And she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t at least a little bit curious to see what sort of life was waiting for her behind the doors.

[maxmilbourne]

The moment the large doors had opened to reveal nothing but a blurry white sight to him, Max was too preoccupied with his own anxieties to bare a single second witnessing the other people that wasn’t his soon to be wife enter the grand palace. He looked down, suddenly finding the floor quite interesting all the while trying the hide his terrified nature. This was it, this was the moment that would dictate his whole life for him. Whether it may be prosperous or the exact opposite of it, he was sure that there was no backing down now. Seconds had turned into minutes and before he knew it, he felt a nudge on his side that had resulted for him to immediately look up and lock eyes with the girl already halfway the red aisle. He assumed it was finally her, being the last person walking down towards him. Speaking of his first impression of hers wouldn’t exactly matter considering the situation, but if he were able to share it, his first though of her was how gorgeous she looked in her dress. His lips were slightly apart, taking in one deep breath before he adjusted himself on the same spot. He hopes his family would be proud of him after this. He admits, his younger years had created quite the aches of different sorts to his parents and felt as if he had disappointed them. But now, this was one way to prove them wrong. That he, being the eldest son of a royal family, can be the responsible one as expected of him. And with that last adamant decision that was instilled into his brain, the princess soon then reached the altar. As practiced, he pulled the bottom of his coat down before he went to greet her. With a small smile, he propped his elbow towards her way, awaiting for her hands to wrap around it. “Ready?” He whispered to her, deciding that it may soothe any similar tension she had been feeling like him as he continued to have his eyes glued only to her. This was finally it and no amount of his childhood teachings could have prepare him to the future that awaits.

[maxmilbourne]

Arranged marriages must never be rebelled about. You are either in it and claim all of your family’s proudest possession or if not, you’ll see yourself out into oblivion. This has always been one of the causes of rebellion in royal families. Either of which different ways of revolting always end up in tears or worse; bloodshed. But, nevertheless, the case has already been closed and for Maximilian, whether he preferred to remain unmarried until he found the perfect woman for him, he had no other options but to comply to his family’s wishes to marry a princess he had never met before. Hilarious it may seem, it was not his decision for meeting his soon to be wife during the exact day of their marriage, yet there he still stood at the altar, anxiety gripping onto him as a terrible burden and butterflies roaming all around his stomach- a feeling he had never once encountered before. He had countless of fears during that day. Whether or not his bride wouldn’t be how he imagined her to be, or will she be possessing the personality of an uncivilized monkey. All were roaming around his brain as if it were their prey. His brother who stood nearby him as his proud best man gave him a reassuring smile as he might have seemed to notice Max’s trembling hands as he awaits for the anticipated arrival of the princess. This is not a very good idea and whoever had thought to not arrange a meeting of them both beforehand, be damned! As so Maximilian’s not the easily forgiving type. And so, when the sudden sound of screams and people scurrying around as if the building was on fire, he knew she had arrived. He had taken multiple intakes of breath to calm himself down and before he knew it the traditional song had played in the background of which to accompany the bride as she walks down the long aisle. 

Will it be an I do?