The Lady of My Choosing Chapter Twenty

 Chapter Twenty

Suddenly It Happens

    The day of the wedding dawned beautifully with the golden rays of sun streaked across a pale blue sky. Birds were singing and bells were ringing joyfully. It seemed as if the weather was determined to be obstinately contrary to the wishes of everyone else involved.

    That morning Edward spent alone in his room, staring out the window at the distant horizon. He could not abide the sound of the bells... to him they sounded like a funeral dirge. On an old chest lay the little glass slippers, sparkling in the sunshine like a thousand jewels. Cinderella had left them at his door just before she had left... forever. They were all he had left of her.

    In the hour before the ceremony was to take place, Prince Edward, looking as if he was preparing for his own funeral, entered the silent, empty church, knelt at the altar, and prayed. He hardly knew for what he prayed unless it was grace to go through with what he knew to be his duty. And as he ended his prayer, he looked up, tearfully, and whispered his love to Cinderella. His apology.

    "Dear Cinderella, forgive me. I have no heart for what I must shortly perform. My heart is yours and yours alone. I would not have you grieve for what was... not to be. It's only in fairy tales that the prince... marries the lady of his choice. The real world is not so kind. There are no private kingdoms. Only public ones. I have loved but once. I have loved but you. And I have lost you... twice."

oOo

    Far, far away in Sylvania, Cinderella sat in the garden, all surrounded with the flowers. Caroline and Sarah had left her to her thoughts and were talking quietly in another corner of the garden. There was a swing in the garden and Cinderella often spent hours sitting out there, listlessly pushing herself back and forth.

I can't forget the melody...

Although our song is through.

The love we shared, the dream we dared,

Was just a prayer that can't come true.

I tried to stop remembering.

But till the day I die,

Within my memory will ring the melody

Of the song that was you and me.

Although our song is through...

I can't stop loving you...

For I can't forget the melody.

    "And what, might I ask, are you doing here?"

    The sudden and unexpected voice startled the girl from her silent reverie. The very sight of the woman who stood before her, with such a look of trial and longsuffering, brought back a rush of bittersweet memories.

    "Oh!" Cinderella cried. "It's you. You gave me such a shock!"

    "I should hope so." The fairy sighed. "That is nothing to the shock you've just given me. Why, you shouldn't be here at all! That's not how I planned it. Oh, really! I sometimes wish I could retire. Unless I'm on the spot to take care of every little detail, something always goes wrong!"

    Having heard the voices, Caroline had hurried to rejoin her friend. At the sight of the newcomer, she stopped short and stared. And the newcomer stared back at her, in obvious dismay.

    "You!" cried the lady. "What are you doing here? Have all my plans messed up that badly? Oh, dear."

    "I... didn't expect to see you again," Caroline said slowly, thoroughly surprised.

    "Nor I you," she returned, shaking her head. "Didn't the prince knight John? It was all supposed to work out... what could possibly have gone wrong?"

    "Nothing has gone wrong with John and I," Caroline frowned. She felt certain that this woman was an angel of some kind... after all, all that she had spoken of had somehow come true. But... she was still rather confused.

    "Then why are you here instead of back in Euphrania, with him?" the woman did not give Caroline time to answer for she suddenly broke into a smile. "Of course! I see it now! You came to help Cinderella. You have such a sweet and generous heart, I should have known all along." But now she turned back to Cinderella, speaking rather disapprovingly.

    "I know exactly what happened. You stayed beyond the stroke of midnight, didn't you?"

    "Yes." Cinderella sighed regretfully. "Oh, but please don't scold me! I'm unhappy enough as it is."

    "Well, of course, you're unhappy." the lady shook her head. "Any girl would be unhappy if she were missing her own wedding."

    "Wedding?" Cinderella's head shot up, her face suddenly gone white. Caroline drew in her breath sharply.

    "Yes," she stated matter-of-factly. "The prince gets married today. I had the date underlined in my diary. Why else do you suppose I am dressed like this?" she spun around, the full skirts of her sparkling purple gown billowing out.

    "Who..." Cinderella faltered, her lip trembling. "Who's he marrying?"

    "Well, at the moment, the wrong girl, obviously." The woman raised her eyebrows. Caroline wondered vaguely why Sarah was suddenly so quiet.

    "Oh, it's too irritating!" she continued, impatiently. "I had it all mapped out. Well, I suppose I shall simply have to rise to the occasion and do something spectacular yet again, and spectaculars always take so much out of me."

    All three girls by now were staring at her in utter confusion. The woman sighed resignedly.

    "Just come down off the swing." Cinderella slid down, obediently, as the woman continued. "It was the same with Snow White. All the same, you young girls. Never do as you're told. Men are much easier. I suppose you know that well enough." This last she said to Caroline, with a meaningful nod.

    "Who on earth is she?" Sarah spoke at last, whispering to Caroline. "What on earth does she think she can do about all this? That's just... not possible!"

    "I heard that!" the woman cried indignantly. "You must trust me!" She snapped her fingers and instantly, in her hands, were the glass slippers. It was as if at that moment the girl realized that it truly was going to happen. Those slippers made dreams come true. She had tears trickling down her cheeks as she slipped into the beautiful, magical shoes. Within moments, she had been transformed into a beautiful bride, all dressed in shining white, with a wreath of flowers in her hair. Sarah was all but trembling with fright, her eyes wide with shock.

    "And now for you..." the lady turned to Caroline, smiling mysteriously. "Don't you worry, dear. You'll be with your John sooner than you think."

oOo

    The strains of the organ echoed through the crowded cathedral as Prince Edward stood at the altar, waiting for his bride. John was at his side, and his eyes were scarcely less troubled than his friend's. Princess Kate, her face whiter than her gown, was walking slowly down the aisle on her father's arm. Edward was not even looking at her but staring off into the distance.

    As she reached him, he took her hand, cold and trembling as it was, and led her to the altar. Motionless, as though in a trance, he stood there, as the priest spoke the benediction... words that were meant in blessing but which sounded to him like a curse.

    At the back of the room, a trumpet suddenly sounded... not the loud brass trumpets all were accustomed to, but a light, silvery, fairy sound.

    Suddenly, suddenly it happens and the dream comes true...

    A few turned to glare in annoyance at the offender who sat in the back row, smiling as if very pleased with herself. But their attention was quickly drawn away for there, in the doorway, stood another bride. She glanced nervously down the aisle, almost as if frightened, but at a nod from the stranger who had blown the trumpet, she began slowly down the aisle. The congregation had turned and was staring at her, wondering what may possibly be happening. Up at the front of the sanctuary, John turned, and his eyes grew wide in surprise.

    "Sir," he whispered, nudging Edward's arm. "Sir!"

    Edward turned and a change came over his face. From horror and dismay to pure joy. It seemed to him as if an angel stood there in the aisle... his beautiful love all arrayed in white and shining with the sunbeams just behind her. Leaving his bride at the altar, he advanced down the aisle to meet her. And as he took her in his arms, the congregation stood with a gasp.

    Oblivious to all around him, Edward held her close, so close, as if daring the world to try and take her from him again. She belonged to him, and he to her, and they would never be parted again.

    It all happened so fast. The rush of emotions that swept over the Princess Kate overwhelmed her. As she saw her bridegroom rush to meet the stranger with love shining in his eyes, she felt the world suddenly spinning around her. As she collapsed, she felt strong arms around her. Opening her eyes, she looked up into the face of her rescuer and, just as it had before, her heart stopped beating. It was him... the man whose name she had never known but whom she had loved for so long! And he was looking down at her with something in his eyes that she had never seen in the eyes of the man to whom she was betrothed. Could it be? Love.

    As he turned from the half-concious bride in the arms of the Duke of Montague, John looked up. There, in the doorway, more beautiful than ever before and smiling at him so radiantly, stood the maid of honor. His Lady Caroline.

oOo

    "In the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen."

    The final benediction was pronounced over the newlyweds and the best man and maid of honor smiled at each other. The bells began to ring out once again, this time with pure joy. The people were happy for their prince had been reunited with his lost love. The shadow that had seemed to settle over the kingdom was lifted. The queen nodded approvingly and the king beamed. It wasn't so bad, after all, that their son should wed a Euphranian girl. That, at least, showed patriotism! And he was happy. What more could royal parents ask for?

    Apparently, a lot.    

    But, thank goodness, the magical mystery of love had provided even for that.

    That evening, the walls of the palace rang with music and laughter. In honor of the marriage of Prince Edward to Cinderella, a grand ball was being held. The evening shadows were swiftly falling but inside the ballroom was brilliantly lit with the flickering light of hundreds of candles. Edward and Cinderella, oblivious to all around them, as was to be expected, danced together in the center of the room. The king and queen followed the young couple with their eyes as they whirled across the floor, glancing from time to time at each other and smiling happily. And Queen Edith, pacified by the return of Lady Caroline, was sitting quietly, nodding her head to the music.

    Owing to the rather chaotic day, Caroline had scarcely had time to collect her wits about her. As she stood with John in a corner of the ballroom, vainly trying to gather her scattered thoughts, her brother approached her, with a lady on his arm. Poor Caroline had barely recovered from the shock of the magical ending to her friend's near-tragic story. To find herself suddenly in Euphrania, hundreds of miles from where she had begun the day, was shocking enough. But the news that her brother was shortly to communicate was quite another story.

    She didn't even notice the lady at first for she was only too glad to greet her brother, whom she had not even seen at the ceremony only a few hours earlier. But then he presented her and Caroline recognized, with a start, the rejected princess from the near-disastrous wedding. In all the confusion, she had forgotten that there had been another bride.

    "My dear sister," Charles was saying, absolutely beaming with pride, "This is the Princess Kathryn of Neuburg. Isn't she a perfect vision of loveliness? Indeed, she is!" He lowered his voice and added, somewhat confidentially, "And she can speak Euphranian!" Princess Kathryn blushed and Caroline simply stared in amazement. She couldn't seem to find her tongue...

    "And Kathryn has promised to become my bride!" Charles continued, his large eyes brimming with happiness. "Indeed, I can scarcely believe it. Isn't it perfectly wonderful, dear Caroline?"

    "I... can scarcely believe it myself..." Caroline stammered, trying in vain to find something sensible to say. "I... am so happy for you, Charles... really I am... so happy..." she broke off suddenly, for she found she was crying. And then she laughed, throwing her arms around her brother and then the astonished Princess Kathryn.

    "Forgive me, your Highness," she realized suddenly her lack of propriety and for a moment feared that the stately princess would be offended by her outburst of emotion. But the girl was smiling and grasped Caroline's hand.

    "I am so glad to meet you!" she cried. "Charles was just telling me what a wonderful sister you are to him and he is so certain that we will be good friends. I am so hoping that we shall!"

    "Of course, we will be the best of friends!" Caroline answered in happy relief. "We shall be sisters soon and, you know, I've always wanted a sister!"

    "And I as well!" Princess Kathryn fain would have said more but Charles, who had been talking with John, turned back to her, offering his arm with an elaborate bow.

    "Shall we dance, my lady? Indeed we must, the music is so enchanting."

    As the couple moved to the floor, John turned to Caroline and, imitating Charles, with a humorous glint in his eyes, bowed also.

    "Shall we dance, my lady? Indeed we must..."

    "Don't, John," Caroline covered her mouth to stifle a rather un-lady-like giggle. But she accepted his offer and they joined the other couples in the dance. It was the first time since the night of the bride-finding ball that they had danced together. As if half-fearful, Caroline turned to glance at Queen Elinor. Her aunt was nodding at her, smiling, and the approving look in her eyes warmed the girl's heart. She felt, suddenly, that her happiness was truly complete for all the others around her were also happy.

    She had noticed, out of the corner of her eye, Sarah approaching Edward's new companion-at-arms. He seemed a rather shy young man and barely responded to Sarah's happy chatter. But he didn't hesitate when the young girl grabbed his arm and pulled him into the circle of dancers.

    Something must have been in the air that night for never had everyone seemed so happy. The crowning surprise of the entire evening came at last, as the king rose suddenly and offered his arm to Queen Elinor. In a stiff, stately sort of way, they too joined the dance. Never since the night of their own wedding, had the king and queen danced together, and the incident caused quite a stir in the court. But Caroline realized, as she saw them share a smile, that they really did love each other after all.