Chapter 12

-What's this all about? - I asked, raising an eyebrow. Kay had begun to reveal something, but my fierce, angry look stopped her.

-Come on, Kay, watch your tongue. I understand everything, and you keep your spirits all to yourself, - I said, turning my head away in annoyance.

-Well, it's going to happen sooner or later, and by the way, your dress should be here soon. I can't wait to see you in your wedding gown. And I promise not to peek at what happens between you two at night. But I can't promise not to eavesdrop, - she said, grinning, and I hadn't really been peeking on you, lover of embarrassment.

-Kay, I'll nail you,  -  I shouted, raising my hands menacingly.

-And what do you plan to do? - she asked, tilting her head.

-One more word, and you'll speak with an accent, - I replied, and we both burst into laughter, - My favorite curse, who doesn't love it?

After returning to my room and some time later, around lunchtime, someone knocked on the door. Kay was the first to jump up, and they brought in a beautiful dress. It was a snowy white dress with a huge, voluminous skirt and a shimmering bodice. I removed my extra clothes and was left in just my underwear. They draped me in this dress, and I faced the mirror. It looked flawless. Blue crystals adorned every detail. Then they tried to put a huge veil with embroidery on me.

-You look absolutely stunning. A few more diamonds, and you'll be like a princess, - Kay said.

-Yeah, well, it's strange. I'm getting married, not to an idiot, - I replied, - And what will your response be to that?

-Actually, we kind of hated my first husband. My marriage to him was strong, especially when I ran away from him for six months. I went to the seaside estate, and to my happiness, it now belongs to me, - she said happily.

-With a guy like him, that's a good idea. Once everything settles down, you'll go to the Duke's. The story will calm down, and everyone will be happy, - I said and twirled in the dress, - I'm taking it all off, and I need better hairpins; mine won't do.

-Yes, miss, - the maid said, helping me undress and put my clothes back on.

-And a bigger bouquet, - I said and called it out as she left.

-It sounds like you want to use it as a murder weapon, - Kay said.

-You know me too well, - I replied.

A mysterious letter appeared on my table. I opened it and nearly fainted. It was the royal seal of the Crown Prince. "Dear sister, you may already know the truth, but our father is very ill. What remains of him is dying. His mind was destroyed by our stepmother long ago. Only a lifeless body remains. I need your help, as does the entire royal family. After your wedding, appear at midnight. There you will learn everything you need to know. Beware the portal. Brother?!" It seems the Crown Prince knows everything. And I know who told him.

But there's no time for that now. The most important thing is to figure out how to get rid of this situation. The first step will be to remove the curse. Then poison everyone and watch her next steps. I need to get the indicator. If it changes color after contact with magical toxins, everything will be fine. It's a good plan.

I opened my grimoire. Potion... where is it? Here, I found it. Yes, here's the recipe I need. I look for the right container and pour all the ingredients. But where to find Eastern blue crane tears? You can't get them now, luckily they don't spoil. I twist the handle of the knife, and it lights up purple. Excellent, everything went perfectly. I pour the potion into a vial and use a spell to turn it into mist. I have an action plan. And why am I doing all this in someone else's room?

-What are you doing here, Princess? - he said, and hugged me around the waist.

-I'm trying to save our future, - I replied, and turned my head slightly toward him, - They'll want to kill us.

-And? - he asked, kissing my neck, - I'll always be able to protect you, Princess.

-Then why are you playing with me? - I asked, and he unbuttoned my dress and loosened the corset.

-And how do you breathe in this thing? - he asked, - Do you remember my promise?

He kissed me on the lips and completely took off my dress, sat me on his lap. He let my hair down and continued kissing. He was ready to do it forever. Kissed the chest. And he was ready to continue. Only the sound of trumpets broke the silence. He pecked me on the lips and we started to get dressed. And in the middle, everything was still burning, our faces were red, but he managed to control himself and leave me alone, even though they didn't catch me. It would be inconvenient. Very.

I tried to put myself in complete order and collected my hair. Well and. I was lucky. I straightened the dress with several jerks. Ot. And who did it bring? And I thought that pipes are no longer in fashion. Well, at least it saves my honor. And they don't give normally. Damn, what's it called. Well, the minuses of our education and erotic novels.

I went downstairs and noticed a large number of people. And how it happened. I nervously adjusted my dress and went down to the crowd. little brother I thought you wouldn't want to meet your sister. And I thought that you forgot about me. Did you come to see the wedding, you yourself have a wife, and you came to see something incredible for our world. A woman marries because of her own desire, not because her family forced her to. And he and his wife are perfect, he is my black-haired male copy with the same look. And his wife, like the golden-haired Lady Laurent, is several years younger and blue-eyed.

- Congratulations,  I said and bowed.

- You too. I don't understand why you are in such a hurry, - said my brother, as it turned out.

- We have our own motives, - then I looked at my daughter-in-law, she is barely eighteen, for which I have been staring at my brother for several minutes.

- I think there is no point in continuing this conversation, - he said. Smart thoughts, brother, although your wife is not as cunning as your sister.

- Thank you, - I answered. No one asks such questions during a witness conversation.

Well, then what are we going to do? Just sit here and look at each other sadly? I am now a great seer, but what good does that do? Everything happened as I predicted. The Crown Princess and I have no common topics to talk about, and those two do not wish to talk about their affairs in front of women. I continue drinking my tea, squeezing my hand even tighter. Let's express our thoughts and find a way out of this situation. Please do something. I am asking you.

- And how did you understand it, with my husband's stepmother? - my daughter-in-law asked me. It's just that I have a rare gift and it gave me such a great gift.

- Logic is iron, - I said and smiled excessively, - When certain events happened, the attempt on my life and the rest gave us a wide enough evidence base to suspect the worst.

- What about you, the missing princess? - she asked without complacency. On the same principle, my dear. And how else?

- Please, - I said and with a sharp jerk threw my pendant to the center. The crown prince took off the second part of it.

- Unbelievable... - he whispered and connected them. And he raised his eyes at me, - After all, you were saved.

-I should have died, - I said, - My corpse would leave behind more bodies. You still wouldn't have survived.

- And this character... I thought it would be as soft as possible, - he said.

An awkward silence settled between us again, and I fell silent. Because, to be honest, I had much more interesting things to say. But I don't like family quarrels. All four of us were silent and tried to get out of this situation. Now the main thing is not to say anything superfluous. I'm getting married tomorrow, and that puts an end to my whole past. There will be no more Miss Constance Calabrio or Princess Constance de Griss. From now on, I will only be Countess Costance Cortes. New times have come. New life.

The morning came quickly. And I was on my feet from exactly six o'clock. And I had to prove myself all day to our ideal of a wonderful wife. Three maids ran around me trying to knead my body. Well, my hardened muscles gave them a lot of trouble. First, I climbed into a warm bath. Rose petals were floating in the water and four maids were running around me. And this amount of attention to me was tiring. And what is all this for? They rubbed me with some oils, cut and filed my nails while applying a manicure.

Rubbed with oils, dried and combed hair. They even pulled out all the hair between the legs and plucked out the eyebrows. Now all the skin was like a baby's. And why do those men need so much. And it hurt like hell. And I looked at the beautiful black nails. Black manicure is the best that could be invented, it goes with everything. Even to wine.

But these lacy panties and a corset, how did they come up with this. And why is all this to me? I'm already beautiful, even without all that. And they simply could not understand my terrible misunderstanding and anger. How can it be with mine.

And now these three kindergartners tried their best to hide the remains of my tan and kept rubbing my face with rice powder. Then they applied make-up, drew eyebrows, painted lips. They pulled the hair into a bun and twisted the locks. They fixed the veil with several shiny silver lilies. I put on a dress and was completely ready. I look simply fabulous. And how it all happened.

It could be said that it was the happiest moment in my life. And he had to become the most amazing. I was getting married. At least I will stay alive and live until that moment. And I love my fiance. And this is strange for us. I got into a white carriage. He tried specifically. And Kay is sitting here in a pink dress. And she doesn't even look funny. It just suits her so well. And here I am in a white marshmallow dress. The world is so strange...

- You're the neater one, - she said and looked at me mockingly, - I don't need you fainting at my own wedding.

- I won't faint. Everything is too good for me to collapse in a daze, - I spoke calmly, but despite everything, my fright was really visible.

Nothing surprises me anymore. At least that's what I hoped for. We have been shaking on that cobblestone for a long time. And I was ready to argue about it. But we stopped in front of a strange building. It was the temple of the goddess Sannana. Giant. Snowy. Even in the middle of winter, flowers bloom there. I got out of the carriage and some little girls were carrying my veil. And Kay, my only psychological support has fled. That's how it is possible. Everyone was lit by a torch. Like many people. I lowered my eyes in fright and grabbed the bouquet with my nails. Once only by looking up to the mountain. And he stood there.

Cold and unmoved. Such as at the beginning. Like when we first met. But in an instant his face brightened. And a smile slipped on him. And even my lips burned inside her, then she lowered her eyes. Then the organ broke the silence and soft music with the sound of heels. Each turned to look at me. My breath went astray at the beginning of everything. Step by step again. Everything is closer and closer. To my unpredictable future.

-Are you worried? - He quietly told me this, turn green knowing the answer.

"Very," I said and lowered my eyes again.

A priest in a long purple ritual tunic and a strange headdress of the same color entered the hall from behind the altar. Around his neck hung a strange amulet in the shape of a sextagon, possibly made of gold or electrum, with a massive green-blue stone in the center. In his hands was a massive scepter with the same stone and made at my discretion from the same material. Behind him, two boys in white cassocks, one of them was big, brought a massive book in a black binding with a giant pink stone, resembling in its shape a heart on a palyaturka. And at the end of the procession, a young journeyman entered in a green cassock with a copper censer in his hands.

The choir began to sing. And four began to read some strange prayers in an old language that I did not know. The unfolded book on the pedestal rustled with yellowed leaves. The young guys held over our heads, it seems, wreaths, and we held candles in our hands. Someone's hands took the candles from us and joined our hands and placed a towel embroidered with gold on them. At the end of the reading, he asked for our mutual consent. For our affirmative answers, they brought us gold wedding rings. He carefully put one of them on my ring finger and I repeated after him.

- Now together, - he said and only after hearing the permission he immediately kissed me, a short moment and we turned to the exit.

There in the distance I noticed a woman in a tunic of unhuman beauty. She hid the sun with long, curly blond hair that had golden curls. Her skin was as pale as snow, and her lips were bright red sponges. her eyes were blue as the sky. She stood there giving us a beautiful smile. And then it snowed. A strange thought flashed through our heads. The curse is lifted. So it was a goddess.

To the applause of the audience, we left the hall, and no matter how hard anyone tried to stop us, we confidently moved forward, stopping only once when I had to throw the bouquet. And luckily for Kay, who emerged somewhere from the hall, he poured it into her hands. So the duke and her fiancé immediately understood what his chosen one wanted.

It was just the two of us. All the rest followed us. I knew that the road would be long. But my newly married husband and I still had a bit of a fight. Our conversations remained only about what should happen in the future. How will we solve all this? But it seemed to me that something went wrong. And Adrian felt it too.

So we left for the territory. Music was playing inside, and the guests had already reached the estate. The tables were visibly falling from the food and the three other guests, despite all my protests, were already having fun in the room. With shouts of congratulations, we went to the center of the hall. And the holiday began. Whirling around in the dance, the hem of my dress was above the ground. Turn after turn. Movement after movement. We got angry and broke up. And the guests watched our dance. We left the center of the hall and went to the table. I immediately started eating.

- I see you are very hungry, dear wife, - he asked and ran his hand around my waist.

- Yes, as a bride, I didn't even have breakfast, - I said and shoved a salad in my mouth offended, - Because a woman, a woman. I just want to eat.

- And how can it be like that with you, - he said jokingly, from a sarcastic jerk, it's not funny, my dear man.

The guests danced around for a long time, showering us with greetings at the same time. When all this action ended and everyone began to return to their homes. We started moving towards his, and maybe now mine. He carried the bed to me in his arms. I stood up and, under his kisses, threw off the wedding dress that I immediately took to his place. I should not be ashamed of that. First hide, and then undress, beloved, in front of witnesses.

"Now when you want me, I'll have to change my plans," he said and, trying to keep the conversation going, he undressed.

-What are you talking about? - I asked while he took off my remaining clothes.

"That's about it," he said and tore off the remaining clothes from me.

The smell of perfume from me gradually filled the room. Under the light of the candles and the moon, my naked body shimmered. And he looked at me enthusiastically. And then covered my lips with a kiss. His strong arms wrapped around my waist. My breathing went astray, I felt like I was suffocating and my heart was racing. He played with me. He kissed the neck and went down little by little. Emotions flooded me. And he kept on going. His steel muscles brushed against my skin. Our first wedding night went on for a long time, although it seemed to me that nothing had passed.