Following their prince came the dark-skinned, daunting, but appealing King Aramus of Mar-El and his extraordinarily beautiful queen, both mounted on horses that had their necks hung with sea-blue silks that undulated like water.

Next to them rode the large and fearsome, but attractive King Mars of Firenze and the new pride of Wodell, his Dellish queen, Silence. They, too, were mounted, with their horses’ necks draped in crimson that was edged with green.

Behind them, also side by side, rode the beautiful and proud Princess Elena of the Nadirii with the ferociously handsome Cassius, the Prince of Airen.

The rump of her horse was blanketed with a purple silk edged in coral with a white oak leaf in the middle.

And it was noted widely, Prince Cassius’s horse had his neck draped with two silks.

One the black of Airen.

The other…

Coral.

Following them were the surprise guests at the wedding, the Ice Princess of faraway Lunwyn and The Drakkar, her husband and the most powerful man of that realm. This power was proved, for as they rode, a lone dragon soared over their heads.

At their sides were those some had heard were Lord Apollo and Lady Madeleine, Lunwyn’s top general and his wife.

Behind them rode three lines, five across, of harpists who played while sitting in low carts pulled by manned horses.

And this was when they knew the grand finale was near.

She would soon be there.

And the frenzy grew fevered.

Following the harpist were ten lines of ten girls aged from eight to twelve, these selected from schools across Wodell in honor of their educational aptitude. They tossed splendiferous autumn leaves to the cobbles.

And behind them, as the crowd grew nearly silent in expectation, a long pause in the route many figured was designed in order to increase that expectation (and it was).

But eventually, it came.

And the din was deafening when it did.

The Wedding Carriage.

An extravagant conveyance made of brass and gold, lacquered in yellow and orange, the royal shield on the doors. Covered, it had two liveried footmen at the back, two at the front, four Dellish soldiers in dress greens marching at each side, and the liveried driver with his forest-green, velvet top hat sat on a bench festooned with orange fringe and gold ribbons and tassels.

Through the windows they could see her.

Her dark hair up and away from her lovely face in curls threaded in lace ribbon the color of juniper, this tumbling over her left shoulder.

She wore extravagant earrings and an intricate necklace of green tourmaline and diamonds.