In the Year of Our Lord, 1684

It was near ten o'clock when everyone decided it was time to retire. Gregor escorted Ingrid to their bedroom where she would be sleeping for the first time. He still had a bed in his former bedroom and he would use that. They entered the room and Ingrid looked up happily at Gregor.

"Tomorrow night, I will not let you leave," she said mischievously.

"And what if I try to leave?" he asked.

"I will lock the door and only I will know where the key will be." She bit her bottom lip and winked at him. "You will have to undress me to find it."

"I should love to do that," he chuckled nervously, "but I think I will not worry about the key once that begins." He looked at her closely. "Are you sure you want to do this? We can be patient and take it slow and perhaps wait a day or so to know you are ready."

"My love," she said calmly, her voice steady, "I do not want to spend any night without you in our bed. That is what a man and wife should do. It is whatweshould do." She kissed him sweetly. "I know you will be patient with me. It will be a lovely night. I know it will."

Gregor nodded. He was full of nerves and anticipation of their wedding night and he wished they did not have to wait any longer. "It is late," he said softly. "I should let you rest."

"I shall not rest knowing you are but a few rooms away."

"You could visit should you not be able to sleep," he replied with a wicked gleam in his eye.

"Now who is tempting whom?" she asked, pointing her finger into his chest. "We have but one more night apart, my darling, and then no more nonsense of sleeping in different rooms."

"I could hold you until you fell asleep," he said hopefully.

"As tempting as that may sound," she smiled wistfully, "I am suresomeonewould find out." Ingrid giggled at the thought. Delicious tingles were invading her virginal body at the thought of him next to her in bed. Rational thinking took over, however. "Kiss me goodnight, Gregor, and I will see you in my dreams and then at the altar."

Per custom, the bride and groom were not allowed to see each other past midnight and would meet at the altar for the first time on their wedding day. They would arrive at different times in separate carriages with the bride arriving first.

Without replying, Gregor moved forward and took his love in his arms. He kissed her lovingly and deeply, holding her close and caressing her back with his hand. They kissed for quite a while and Ingrid was almost to the point of disregarding all customs and scandal to spend the night with him. Before it became too heated, however, they stopped to catch their breath.

"Do you think that will help you sleep?" he asked.

Feeling all the wonderful sensations going through her, Ingrid knew it would even more difficult for her to sleep. "Yes, my love," she lied, "I will sleep better now."

Gregor stepped to the door and turned back before leaving. "I love you more than anything on this earth. I hope you know that."

"That is what sustained me during our times apart, Gregor," she said seriously. She walked to him and kissed his cheek. "Sleep well, my love," she whispered as she touched his face with her fingertips.

After he left, Ingrid closed the heavy door behind her and sighed. Sleep would surely be fleeting for her, but she knew she must try to rest. Ingrid found her trunk and unpacked her nightgown, slippers and dressing gown. She undressed in no particular hurry and wondered how she would undress for their first night together. Would she undress in another room or should she let him do it? The thought of Gregor slowly unveiling her excited her more than a proper woman of royalty should allow, but provocative thoughts had clouded her thoughts for quite some time now.

She knew they would both be very nervous being alone for the first time, so she surmised it would be best to dress into her night clothes in the other room and let them get used to each other before proceeding to other things.

The heavy drapes were drawn across the window, but she wished to have the moonlight fall into the room that night. Ingrid pulled them open before blowing out the candles. The moonlight cast eerie shadows throughout the room and Ingrid thought perhaps it would have been best to have one of the candles lit, but it was too late for that. She pulled the covers down to the end of the bed before she sat down. She was a bit uneasy and jumpy being in the unfamiliar room alone. Wishing for Gregor to be there to ease her fears, Ingrid laid down for moment. The bed felt wondrously soft and the pillowcases were made of satin. She rested her head on the pillow and within seconds, she was dozing.

Minutes later, she woke with a start and looked around in bewilderment as she forgot where she was. Every fiber within her told her to go to Gregor's room for she knew she would be truly safe in his arms. Her head once again ruled over her heart and told her to stay put. She stood up and took off her dressing gown and carefully folded it before placing it on a nearby chair.

The blackened sky seemed to beckon her as the moonlight streamed through the faceted windows, drawing her attention. Ingrid sat down on the sill and gazed at the brilliant moon, its brightness almost blinding her. How long she sat there, she did know. She thought of her love and missed him even though he was but a few rooms away. She never wanted to go another night without him being next to her with his arms around her. Oh, how she loved him so!

Soon, much to her surprise, sleepiness began to overtake her and she went to bed. After pulling the covers to her chin, her last thoughts were of Gregor and his gentle touch.

The morning light woke Gregor long before he was ready to face the day. His sleep was scant as dreams of Ingrid were constant. To make matters worse, they were not just ordinary dreams, but ones of her in various stages of undress. They were very real and vivid and it took all of his strength to stop himself from going to their room for a visit. He laughed to himself now as he thought about the possibility. How weak he was that he could not wait one more night. But, he also felt he could not endure one more night of being tortured by erotic dreams.

When he rose, he felt the unmistakable evidence that his dreams were very real indeed. His nightgown stuck to his thighs and when he lifted the hem, a white flaky film was evident on his legs and around the head of his penis.

Amused, but still a bit disgusted, Gregor went to his wash basin, took a damp wash cloth and began to clean himself. "Well," he said to no one in particular, "at least from now on, it will not be wasted."

Once he dressed, he went to the stables and took Storm for his morning romp. Along the way, he passed their bedroom and wished to greet his bride, but he did not. "Stupid tradition," he grumbled to himself as he strode past.

The ride was refreshing and exhilarating as Storm seemed to have extra energy that morning. They rode far into the forest until they reached the Zaxon river where Storm drank greedily from its rich blue water. Once done, Gregor tethered him before he walked the shore leisurely. Judging by the sky, he figured he had a few minutes before he needed to head back. The sky was cloudless and a brilliant blue, absolutely perfect for their day. He stayed there for only a few minutes as he did not want to be late for breakfast. Pressed for time, he climbed aboard Storm and steered him back to the palace.

He was greeted at the castle by Tschaikov, who said, "Where have you been, Sire? You are remarkably late!"

"I am?" Gregor asked. He eyed the sky and thought it not to be too late.

"You must hurry. Your bride is almost ready to depart."

"Then, I have at least an hour to prepare, do I not?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, but you must hurry," Tschaikov implored.

"Do not worry so," Gregor laughed, "I will not be late. Besides, they cannot start without me, can they?"

Tschaikov laughed. "No, Sire, you are quite correct in that, but you would not want to anger your bride, would you?"

"Good point. I would not want that. Perhaps tomorrow would be a better day to anger her!"

They both laughed at Gregor's joke before entering the castle. Being careful to avoid Ingrid, they used all of the back hallways to get to Gregor's room. A bath had already been drawn and Gregor wasted little time bathing. For this one day, he consented to being helped dressed and it good that he did have that help. His best dress uniform had been cleaned and pressed and after being dressed, Gregor had to admit he cut a dashing figure.

Being sure Ingrid had already left with her family for the cathedral, they walked down to the main floor. "Did you see my bride this morning?" he asked Tschaikov.

"No," he answered, but I heard she looked most beautiful."

"More beautiful than her sister?" Gregor asked jokingly as he adjusted his pearl white gloves.

Tschaikov stopped and looked at his king. "May I be perfectly frank, Sire?"

"Yes, of course you may."

"Her sister has beauty on the outside. That is true. But, from just the few meetings I have had with Ingrid, your bride is beautiful on the inside as well. You have the better person of the two, Sire, and you are lucky indeed."

Gregor clapped him on the shoulder. "And I have you to thank for bringing us together, my dear friend. I will never forget that." They stood silent momentarily. Gregor's eyes brightened and he smiled. "Come! I have a wedding to attend and we certainly would not want to anger the bride."

"At least not until tomorrow!" Tschaikov quipped.

Gregor laughed loudly and they continued to the carriage.

The town was in a festive mood and was just as boisterous as when Gregor was crowned. White banners and flags were everywhere and the children threw flowers in the direction of Ingrid as they passed slowly through the streets. When they reached the cathedral, her father and mother stepped out first before Wilhelm helped his daughter down from the carriage. A dozen young princesses straightened her twenty foot train before they began to walk to the steps.

To their right, a small commotion ensued as a very small girl of five or six pushed her way through and past the guards. She was poor, but obviously wearing her best dress for the festivities. In her tiny hands was a small bouquet of flowers.

"I am sorry, Your Majesty," the guard apologized as he tried to shoo the girl away, "she must have squeezed through."

The girl wiggled and squirmed as she tried escape his grasp. She held the flowers up and tried to say something to Ingrid.

"Wait a minute," Ingrid said to the guard. "Let her come to me."

"But, Your Majesty....," he began to protest, before Ingrid held up her hand to silence him.

"Come to me, little one," Ingrid said to the girl.

The girl shyly came forward and pushed the flowers to her. "These are for you," she said softly as she curtsied perfectly. "Mother said I could pick some for you."

Ingrid took them from her and sniffed them. They were every bit as fragrant as the ones from Gregor's garden. "They are heavenly. I will add them to my bouquet. Thank you." Ingrid was deeply touched by the gesture. "Where is your mother?"

The girl turned and pointed in the general direction of a woman who was clearly embarrassed by the actions of her daughter. Although she had once been a very attractive girl in her youth, years of hard work had made her rough around the edges. She too, was wearing what appeared to be her best dress. "Bring her to me," she told the girl.

The girl pushed through the crowd and dragged her mother back to Ingrid. The woman curtsied deeply and was clearly disconcerted and out of place. When she rose, Ingrid smiled.

"You are to be commended for having such a thoughtful daughter."

"Thank you, You Majesty," the woman murmured. "Please forgive her, for she can be quite impetuous at times."

"There is no forgiveness needed. She did nothing wrong." Ingrid looked down at the little girl once more. "What is your name."

"Rosalie," she answered.

"Rosalie, that is a beautiful name. I love it. If I ever have a little girl, I will name her Rosalie also because you were so kind to me." The girl smiled brightly.

Ingrid turned to her mother once more. "Do you have a seat inside the church?"

The woman shook her head.

"Then you and Rosalie will be my special guests." She turned to one of the guards. "Make sure they have a seat near the front so they can see."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Ingrid turned to Rosalie. "I must go now, but I expect to see you inside."

"Yes, ma'am."

Ingrid then turned once more and began to walk up the steps.

Gregor received thunderous ovations as his carriage arrived some time later. He smiled and waved to the masses and was clearly touched by their warmth and enthusiasm. After he exited his carriage, he also climbed the stairs to the church. Once inside, he was led to a side room where his father had once stayed those many years before as he waited for his marriage to his beloved Katrina to take place. Gregor sat down in a comfortable chair and waited for the signal. He was not overly nervous for this was something for which he had waited a long time. Perhaps seven months was not a long time in the literal sense, but for him, it had been long enough.

Overhead, he heard the cathedral bells begin to chime and he knew it was time. He straightened and walked purposefully to the front of the church nearest the first pew. The cathedral was packed and many people were standing and straining to see. Unbeknownst to him, a little girl and her mother were seated just a few pews behind Xenia and Marta.

A few minutes passed before the archbishop appeared and took his place next to Gregor. Within seconds, the massive doors were opened and a tall, willowy figure dressed in dazzling white appeared and was followed by twelve little princesses. Music began to play from the pipe organ from above in the choir loft as Ingrid slowly began to make her way down the aisle.

As she neared, Gregor found his heart racing. To say she was beautiful was a vast understatement and Gregor would dare anyone to say she was not the fairest in the land. He glanced to the side and saw Maria and Phillippe near Ingrid's parents. Maria looked bored and had a scowl on her face, making her look shrewish instead of the beautiful girl she was. As he had known for a long time, he was quite fortunate to be marrying the better of the two sisters. He would venture to say, and few would argue against him, that Ingrid looked every bit as pretty as Maria that day and that was probably what had left such a sour taste in Maria's mouth that morning.

Walking down the long aisle, Ingrid fought gamely to keep from crying. She saw Gregor smiling at her and looking absolutely handsome beyond words in his white dress uniform, red sash, and saber.

They were now next to each other and the archbishop led them up four steps where they knelt in front of the altar. He gave them his initial blessing and the wedding began. Sacred readings were read, hymns were sung, and incense was burned. Almost an hour passed before the actual vows began.

The archbishop had them stand facing each other and holding hands as he gave them another blessing before speaking.

"Gregor Aleksander Illiavich, you have come before God and man to pledge your love to this woman who stands in front of you. To you, I ask you to pledge your oath before earth and beyond so that all may hear."

In a clear voice, Gregor said, "I come here freely and without reservation to take as my lawful wife, Ingrid Constance Madeline Frankenmuth of Kesse. Know that before God and man, she has consented to be my wife and I know of no law which impedes such. If there is any man who is against this marriage, speak freely now or forever keep silent."

Gregor looked out over the audience and no one stirred.

The archbishop spoke, "And it shall be so noted that no one has objected to this marriage before God and man." He turned to Gregor and said, "Gregor do you wish to marry this woman, to love, honour, cherish, and seek no one else until your death?"

"Before God and man, I do declare that to be my wish," Gregor replied. He took a massive diamond ring from his pocket and presented it to the archbishop. The archbishop blessed it and gave it back to Gregor. Gregor looked at Ingrid and said, "I stand before you to declare my undying love and devotion to you. Take this ring as a symbol of my love for you." He then placed the ring on the shaking right hand of Ingrid.

The archbishop turned to Ingrid. "Ingrid of Kesse, do you wish to marry this man, to love, honour, cherish, and seek no one else until your death?"

Ingrid replied, "Before God and man, I do declare that to be my wish." Gregor gave her a simple gold ring and she presented it to the Archbishop, who blessed it and gave it back to her. Ingrid turned to Gregor and said, "I give you this ring as a symbol of my undying love and devotion to you." She placed the ring on his right hand.

The archbishop said, "Standing before you and God, Gregor and Ingrid have declared their love and devotion to each other and have presented rings as a symbol of this love. May God bless this union now and forever. Amen."

Gregor and Ingrid knelt once more as the tiara was presented to the archbishop. He blessed it as Gregor stood. It was then given to him and he turned to Ingrid. Ingrid then stood and faced her king.

"Ingrid of Kesse, do you come freely to take the responsibility of being mother to all of Ruudania?"

"I do," she said clearly.

Gregor stepped forward and placed the crown on her head carefully and moved several special fasteners in place.

Gregor then said in a loud voice, "As king of Ruudania and all of its borders, I declare you Ingrid, mother of Ruudania and protector of its children! Long live the queen!"

The spectators all shouted in unison, "Long live the queen!"

Gregor stepped down and stood beside his wife as everyone stood and applauded. Ingrid could not stop smiling and looked to her new husband several times as the applause refused to die. She saw Rosalie and her mother and with a gesture, showed them the small bouquet atop her own. The smile on the little girl's face was priceless and it was something she would never forget.

She also saw her sister and Phillippe. Her sister was clapping half-heartedly, but at least she was not sulking. Phillippe was beaming at them both and was almost oblivious to his new bride. He was becoming used to her moodiness by now.

A few minutes passed before the applause ended and the newlyweds were whisked back to the palace to begin the gala. On the ride back, their lips could not get enough as they kissed constantly and did not care who saw. If someone thought it improper, it did not matter to them. They were king and queen, were they not?

She thought of the girl and her mother and wished she had made arrangements for them to attend the reception, but she made up for that omission in the coming weeks. Learning that the mother was a widow and worked in a fledgling flower shop, Ingrid made sure she was hired as a gardener for their grounds and earned a decent wage for herself and Rosalie. In the future, Rosalie was hired as a nanny for the royal children, and there were many, including a baby Rosalie as Ingrid had promised.

The reception was a raucous affair as guests ate, drank, and made merry throughout the day. Even Maria got into the spirit of the day and apologized to both Ingrid and Gregor in private. Ingrid was truly touched and hugged her sister in acceptance.

The happy couple had very little time together as they conversed with as many guests as possible and made merry in their own way. Gregor drank nary a drop of wine for he wanted to keep his wits about him on this special day. Water was his spirit of choice and more than once held his goblet under Ingrid's nose for her approval.