Several more voices joined in and Theo had to raise his hand to call for silence.
"You must all return by month's end because you are all invited to the royal wedding!"
Cheers of outrageous positivity surged up into the air. They were so deafening that Theo struggled to stop himself from covering his ears.
When the noise finally began to die again he offered his hand to Fleur. When she took hold of it, he lifted her hand high and announced, "I wish for you all to know this woman's name is Fleur and she is to be your queen!"
"Queen Fleur! Queen Fleur!" Theo's subjects began to chant. Wings began to flutter, clapping along with peoples' hands and the noise became deafening once more.
Chapter 18 - Fleur
Her wedding gown was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. The white material was sheer and tight around her torso before trailing away into a mermaid tail cut with a long train fit for any princess. The bodice had been decorated with orange jasper and brown tiger eye gemstones to match her wings and the beautiful golden coronet that sat upon a cushion on the vanity table in her bedchambers was encrusted with the same gemstones.
She could not take her eyes off the dress as it hung from the front of her wardrobe while her new handmaid brushed out her hair.
At first Fleur had refused to accept her own team of servants but Theo had quickly reminded her that it was not only expected of a queen-to-be to have servants but it also made jobs for those who might be in desperate need of them. Once she had begun to think of it that way, remembering her own need when she had been younger, she had begun to feel much more comfortable with it.
"Are you excited, My Lady?" Tressa asked, glancing at Fleur through the looking glass in front of them.
"How many times do I have to tell you?" Fleur demanded. "When we are alone in my private chambers you can just call me Fleur."
Sometimes she felt bad for saying such things, remembering how Delilah had often insisted the same thing. But then she also remembered the difference between her and Delilah. She would have actually liked to be friends with those who served her. The day that Theo had proposed to her she had vowed to herself that she would never become like the mistress she had once served. She would not allow power to corrupt her.
"I'm sorry, My...Fleur, are you excited?" Tressa corrected herself. Fleur began to fidget in her stool at the question. How could she not be excited? Or terrified? Or both? After all, tomorrow was her wedding day!
She never got the chance to answer because a knocking at the door behind them caused them both to almost jump right out of their skin.
"I wonder who that could be," Fleur wondered out loud, instinctively rising to her feet to answer the door. Before she could reach it Tressa beat her there, pausing only to glance at Fleur with a look that reminded her of the fact she was no longer the servant.
Fleur took a deep breath and stepped back into the center of the room, prepared to entertain whoever might be on the other side of the door.
She was relieved to have such a caring and thoughtful servant as Tressa. The young, fuchsia haired fae opened up the door only a few inches to peek out into the hallway.
A muffled voice hit Fleur's ears and although she could tell that it was male, she had no idea of what he said.
"You have to stall him! He mustn't come in yet!" Tressa gasped loudly enough to whoever was on the other side for Fleur to her.
She then slammed the door shut and, as if on a second thought, grabbed the key in the door to lock it.
"Tressa? What is it? What is the matter?" Fleur asked. Was the palace under attack? Had something bad happened to Theo? Were guests unhappy with their sleeping arrangements and they had come to demand more of the bride?
A thousand scenarios flashed through Fleur's mind but none so bad as what Tressa had to tell her.
"The king is on his way here," she exclaimed and when Fleur didn't say anything she began to gesture wildly around the room at all of the wedding items that were hung about the room. "He is on his way right now!"
"Oh, no! Quick, help me hide everything!" Fleur snapped and in an instant both women were rushing for the wardrobe to stuff the wedding dress inside.
"Don't worry about wrinkles! I will get them out as soon as he is gone!" Tressa promised and they barely managed to slam the door shut on the huge gown.
"What would I do without you?" Fleur panted, darting around the room to hide anything else she could find. They tucked her coronet into the top drawer of the vanity table along with her earrings, necklace and bracelet. Tressa kicked the golden shoes that sparkled with pixie dust beneath the four poster bed. They even double checked that the box containing her corset and underwear was tucked neatly away behind the chest of draws.
By the time they were finished they could hear the outraged voice of Theo demanding why he was not being permitted to enter his betrothed's room.
"You had better unlock that door and let him in before he injures one of the guards," Fleur suggested. She glanced in the vanity table looking glass to adjust her hair and unruffle her evening robe before moving back to the center of the room to welcome her king and husband-to-be.
Tressa took only a moment to adjust her dress and smooth her hair back before she twisted the key in the lock and pulled open the door.
The commotion in the hallway instantly died down and a moment later Tressa stepped out of the way to allow the king to enter.