Chapter 68: Chapter 68

Very earlier this morning, before the first cockcrow people are already up in the palace rushing up and down to fix a few things before the wedding. The decoration team have been working all through the night.

Organising a royal marriage in a day, you all can imagine how tough and stressful it is for everyone in the Palace

The royal families are still asleep. However, at the sound of the first cockcrow, they all get up. Perhaps somewhere up before then.

"Get my stuff ready, and be fast about it," Bethany orders her lady-in-waiting, Madame Mae

Mae is an old woman in her late 60s, that is how she looks physical, only god knows how old she is. She's quite slow and this pisses Bethany a lot. On several occasions, she begged her dad, the King to change her lady-in-waiting in vain. All her requests have been rejected.

"OMG, how long does it take to prepare a bath?" Bethany chides.

"Sorry, my princess, it will be ready in a few minutes. For the main time, why don't you choose the dress you will like to put on after your bath?" the lady-in-waiting gaily suggests.

"You don't tell me what to do. More to this, it's your job, not mine. Make sure you find something good and light for me to put on while waiting for my beautiful white gown. Omg, I can't wait to put that on..." she giggles while the old woman is frowning.

"I hope after my marriage I will never have to see you again. You are as slow as a tortoise." she slurs and the old woman seriously feels bad. She has always tried her best to please Bethany all in vain. She's unpleasant and very mean.

"I hope so too" the old woman murmurs. "Can you repeat what you just said?" she warns. "It's okay, my princess, your bath is ready" the old woman moves away as she announces.

"Great," Bethany nods with a proud air as she enters the bath, "Oucchh... old woman, the water is damn cold" she rushes out as soon as she enters.

"Sorry, I meant almost ready, not completely... I'm going down to collect hot water" the old woman pokes fun at her as she moves away with a victorious smile on her face.

"You will pay for this old cranky woman" she slurs in a loud tone.

As soon as the old woman leaves, a maid moves into the room announcing "My princess, the tailor will be here in a while we have to start...". "Shut up, and move out. Now!" she scolds and the maid runs out.

While at the other end is Prince Gryphon a very gentle young fellow.

"Please, my prince which garment will you like to put on for the ceremony?" Sam asks. He's also a very sophisticated man, even his way of pronouncing is polished.

"Please, Sam, can we keep this for later in the day. For now, I want some light to put on. I'm so nervous" he says.

"Normally, my prince today is your wedding day, the best day of a man's life," Sam says.

"Why am I not feeling that way?" he whimpers nervously. "You will be patient and stay positive. I heard your promise is a well-trained lady. She has good manners, you will like her" he searches the wardrobe as he speaks.

"I hope so!" the prince fears. He's standing in the middle of the room waiting for Sam to come with his clothes.

"You will, just give yourself the chance to know her, with time love will come." he gently taps his shoulder "This is perfect" he places the cloth by the prince's side.

"Is everything set?. We need to start as soon as possible. I want this wedding to be celebrated quickly so that I can return to my kingdom" King Alfred says.

"It will be my friend," King Konan gives him a gentle tap on the shoulder.

"My King the Vicar has just arrived" a man rush to them. "Great. Get everything ready, we will start earlier than expected. I want everything and everyone to be set. I can't wait for this ceremony to be over" King Konan instructs with this said he leaves.

Everyone is getting ready for the ceremony.

Later, in the day the vicar is set at the altar which is decorated with all kinds of beautiful flowers. Gryphon in his grey garments meets the Vicar at the altar.

Everyone stands up when Bethany moves in, in her father's arms, some little girls throw flowers at the princess and her father as they move to the altar.

A man rushes in searching for King Konan but the King is still walking to the altar with his daughter. The man looks serious frightened and he's trembling in fear. King Alfred interrupt the young guy and pulls him to a corner with him.

"You can tell me, your King is busy?" king Alfred say. "I don't think it's a good idea" the man hesitates.

King Alfred places a few coins in his chest pocket "Come on, go on. I will transfer the information to your king. For now, he's busy with his daughter's wedding. Speak fast before they notice my absence" he tells.

"We've perceived King Demons and his troops crossing the border and they are walking towards our direction. They might be here a few times, I think before, night falls," he says with a trembling voice.

"Who knows about this?" king Alfred ask.

"I and a few guards. They are out there waiting for instructions" he says. "Okay, keep it to yourself until the ceremony is over. I will inform the King. Now leaves," he orders.

King Alfred immediately moves to his right-hand man and whispers a few words in his ears. After discussing, the man immediately leaves the palace. While king Alfred moves to his seat and observes the ceremony with a huge smile like nothing is happening.

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"Fifty men will stay here to watch over our camp, food and the horses, etc... We can't carry all these with us to the other side" says, Andrew.

"Why, I want all this to cross with us. We are settling there as soon as we conquer their lands. So why do you want to do things halfway?. Or are you doubting my plans?" the king rejects the suggestion.

"Don't be insane dad, we don't even have enough boats to carry all of us to the other side. The little boats that are even available are so small and can only carry thirty men or less. We are about five thousand, so where do you expect us to take boats and time to carry all these horses over there?. We will all sink" Andrew chides, furiously.

"Ok, ok. Twenty men will stay behind" the King says. "No, forty" Andrew rules. "Fine" the King moves to the boat. He trusts Andrew Judgement, still, he loves doing things in his way.

There are about 35 to 40 men per boat, thus the boasts are unstable and shaky. They take a long stick of about, ten meters long and plunge it into the river to estimate its depth. The stick goes down without reaching any bottom end.

"Fuck! I didn't know this river had become this deep. Damn, It's wasting our time" King Demons chide. They slowly but carefully cross the river and then reach the other end of the border.

"Dad, I think it's better we rest today and attack tomorrow. It will be dusk by the time we arrive at the gate of the palace. I think it's better, we fight in broad daylight " Andrew suggests.

"No!. This will give them more time to prepare. I'm sure they must have announced our coming already. I can't bear the risk of giving them more time to prepare. We are trekking to that fucken gate now and we are attacking today, whether in the dark or the rain" the King moves ahead leading his troops.

"Don't be stubborn, dad, you know that I'm right" Andrew follows him, hoping to make him release his error. Anyway, this is how he thinks.

"Don't forget you asked us to leave all our stuff at the other end of the river, so how do we camp tonight?... But it's fine, you don't have to bother about this because we will spend the night in the palace once I conquer these lands this night due to my marvellous strategy, usual..." the King scolds him.

Then he adds "Thinking about all these, I realise you trust this plan more than you want to admit." the King taunts.

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The formal part of the wedding is over, now it is the time for their run in the forest as a newly wedded couple. As they come back from their run, they move to their rooms to change like all the other members of the royal family.

King Alfred announces the sad news to King Konan "The bastard is very excited like a kid. He has no idea of what is awaiting him. I've been preparing for him for the past years. As greedy as he is I knew this day was going to come." king Konan says.

"I sent my right man to ask some of my troops to come over here. They might be here very early in the morning, or before then, hopefully. Still, we should prepare for any attack as of now. King Demons is an impatient man" King Alfred tells.

"At least, that's one thing we know about him which will play against him. Return to the ceremony and make everyone feel safe. I will join my army, I think they know what to do already. I will be back soon" King Konan say.

"Okay, great idea" with this said King Alfred moves to the hall.

They're all waiting for the couple to make their entrance. After which proceed with an opening dance by the couple. Then the festive part itself that is eating, drinking and dancing, etc...

The hall is full, however, not as full as that of Adam and Eve's wedding. This one is trice lesser. They are all eating and dancing while the palace is being attacked.