Falling to Paradise

She wanted to disappear, right now if at all possible.

Angie glared at the woman looking back at her in the mirror, fully aware this was not the appropriate look a bride should have on her wedding day.

She wept the entire night before, her eyes completely swollen, her body thin and gaunt from skipping meals. She looked so hideous, she certainly did not seem like the same woman deserving of the title of the Albion Empire’s porcelain doll or the nickname, ‘Angel Incarnate’.

She didn’t want to admit it, but it was true.

Since the break of dawn, the maids had been circling around her, applying ice packs to take down the swelling and covering up as much of the damage as they could with makeup. But despite their best efforts, she looked so heinous, it would not be surprising if she passed out right now.

Maybe I should faint?

Right when a moment of relief popped up at her good idea, her face clouded over again.

If she could put off the wedding by pretending she wasn’t feeling well, she could put it off hundreds or thousands of times. She’d even fainted several times in a dramatic fashion in an attempt to catch the notice of the newly crowned Emperor.

But that same damned Emperor was the one pushing today’s wedding in the first place.

William Gardiner, the new Emperor who was cold enough to exile his own brother and former heir to the throne, and then force his brother’s former fiancee to marry a lowly man. He would drag her unconscious body to the altar if he had to.

[Annie] “Do you like it, miss?”

The maid asked as she smoothed out her hair. Angie furrowed her brow, wrinkling her nose like she’d heard someone make a distasteful joke.

[Angie] “Would you like it, Annie?”

Angie’s words should have sounded harsh, but her nose was all stuffy, and so it contained none of the disdain or dignity it should have. She sniffled, ordering Annie.

[Angie] “I think my corset is a little loose. Please tighten it more. I can probably cinch two or three more inches.”

No matter how unpleasant this marriage was, it was still an important day, and she would not be caught dead neglecting her appearance.

[Annie] “Yes, miss.”

Two maids clustered around her, tightening her corset as she wished. The lady was always sensitive like gunpowder set to ignite at any moment, so they did not wish to invite her scorn. As Angie took a deep breath while they cinched her waist, someone knocked at her door.

[—] “You must come down to the chapel, Princess.”

It was an unfamiliar voice, but given the words, they had to have been one of the Emperor’s servants. Angie’s dazed eyes shook.

[Angie] “I’ll go immediately.”

She held her hand to her mouth, pushing back the rising nervousness that seemed to push out of her chest at the words.

She had to be careful. The last time she got makeup on her white silk gloves, they ended up getting stained, forcing her to bring out another set of gloves, several times over in fact. If she did that again, it would only cause problems.

As the only daughter of Duke Gloucester, she could live with staining a pair or two, but who knows what would happen after this marriage? She would leave for an unknown region and become ‘Mrs. Fitzroy’, which meant every accessory and every set of gloves was precious.

Instead of biting her finger nails, she clenched her fists instead.

[Annie] “Miss, hold onto my and Sophie’s arms.”

With an unwilling look on her face, Angie linked arms with Annie and Sophie. Her crinoline skirt and tight corset restricted her movements, and so it wasn’t easy movement without a little bit of help.

Please, may lightning strike Aiden Fitzroy right at this moment. Or may he be caught in a typhoon and fly away.

All sorts of disrespectful thoughts floated in Angie’s head about the man she was about to marry.

Her dress was decorated with large frills and excessive lace, all colored in white. Like this, she looked more like a large whipped cream cake rather than a fanciful bride on her way to the altar.

Or please let the ground split and swallow me whole. Or let me collapse due to a stomach ache.

Like a pig being dragged to the slaughterhouse, Angie Gloucester’s mind was filled with all the disasters she would much rather endure than what awaited her at the end of this road. If God existed, then he would know just how wrong this marriage was.

It had to be a mistake. For her, the angel Princess of Gloucester, to marry a man like this, it had to be some sort of terrible, awful mistake.

But like every time she prayed to the heavens, God ignored her earnest desires.

God, please.

Angie’s breath was held, her tears resisted, as she stood before the wide open wooden doors.

The chapel, meant originally for worship, was shabby and dismal. The pews were crusting, the walls were gray and chipping, and the dimly lit candles were so grim looking, they’d better suit a funeral. As a child, Angie imagined a beautiful, noble wedding for herself—one filled with flowers, silk, and champagne.

Aside from the groom being not whom she imagined, everything was not how it should’ve been.

Angie inwardly cursed the God that had betrayed her.

Fine then, God. Don’t expect anymore donations to the church from me. And no more charity banquets either. Paler than ever before, Angie dragged herself and the trail of her dress towards the altar. I’ll never pray before bed or my meals. I’ll live like a total heretic.

Beyond the haze of her eyesight, she saw the pastor standing at the altar, along with Aiden Fitzroy standing in front of him, and also the Emperor.

Emperor William spoke some nonsense about how he came here to bless the wedding as a witness, but his true motives were so painfully obvious. Clearly he came here to make sure the marriage was carried through without any issues.

Angie grit her teeth, muttering a curse.

You’ll see. Starting today, I’m taking the fastest carriage to hell. You hear that, God? It’s too late to regret the loss of the most beautiful angel from heaven.

Angie’s expression turned darker as she glared at one of the candelabras on the wall, then busily glanced around the room. Disappointment set in as a fog glazed over her eyes.

He didn’t come in the end.

Her father, Duke Gloucester, was nowhere to be seen. The tears she’d held back were impatient, easily trickling down her cheek. He was upset with her—calling her a ‘useless girl’ for her failure to seduce the newly crowned Emperor.

[Angie] ‘I did everything I could, Father!’

[Duke] ‘Everything you could? What point is there in having a child if the one daughter I have can’t do this one, simple task?’

[Angie] ‘I just don’t think—’

[Duke] ‘I heard your attempts to catch the Emperor’s eyes went unnoticed. Don’t do anything shameful and do better.’

He was always a really demanding and intense man, but she never thought he wouldn’t attend his one and only daughter’s wedding

The tears pooled over her white wedding gown. Obviously Angie knew crying would only ruin her appearance, but she couldn’t help it. A wedding that was blessed by not a single friend or relative—and not even her only father.

[—] “Uh.”

The pastor seemed a little confused by the bride’s tearful face, but when he caught sight of the Emperor’s nodding head, he coughed and cleared his throat.

[—] “Well, then. We are gathered here today to bless the union of husband and wife here in the presence of both the holy God and the Great Emperor Gardiner.”

Angie’s crying grew louder. The words from the pastor’s mouth were like receiving a death sentence from the high court.

The groom, Aiden Fitzroy, shifted in discomfort, unable to hide the uncomfortable look as the shadows crept over his darkened expression.

I was wondering what Philip Gardiner’s fiancee was like, he thought.

He too, did not wish for this marriage but he didn’t think the bride would show off so clearly how much she hated it. He clicked his tongue under his breath. 

What a childish woman, unable to even control her emotions.

Although this was the first time he’d met her, something was strongly telling him they would not get along.

Unbelievable. He couldn’t believe a woman like this was going to be his bride. If the Emperor himself hadn’t ordered this marriage, he would’ve been far from this place already.

[—] “……That is it for the speech.”

Standing before the groom, who stood with his face scrunched like he had a headache, and the bride, who was crying like the world was ending, the pastor wrapped up the usually long wedding preambles in record time. 

Though he knew little about what was happening, he had enough sense to know no one wanted to be here long.

[—] “The bride and groom may now exchange rings.”

The custom in the Empire was for the man to put the ring on the woman’s finger and then kiss her, sealing the bond of their marriage.

Aiden glared at the pastor, then glanced back and looked at the Emperor. William tilted his head, speaking in a soft voice that did not fit just how abysmal the atmosphere was.

[William] “What’s wrong, Sir Aiden?”

Just above Aiden’s silver hair was the light of the sun shattering through the stained glass windows, casting colorful patterns onto his slightly tilted head.

Against the bright color of his hair were his red eyes—a symbol of the Imperial blood that flowed through his body, same as William. It was a crimson ruby color that would have been dazzling to behold, if it were not for the gloom they currently carried.

[Aiden] “Did you not prepare the rings, Your Majesty?”

His tone was stiff. The Emperor was the one who prepared all of this, so maybe asking him as apropos at a time like this. However, the Emperor simply let out a short ‘oop’ sound.

[William] “Oh, were they forgotten? I was so busy preparing the place and ensuring the wedding happened……I suppose I assumed Duke Gloucester would prepare the rings.”

It would seem he’d completely overlooked the possibility that the both of them would forget. Or perhaps he was simply not kind enough to care about something like that.

Aiden clicked his tongue again. How sloppy.

While Aiden rushed all the way here to the capital at the request of the Emperor, Duke Gloucester couldn’t be bothered to prepare rings. Hell, he didn’t even show up.

He turned his head coldly to the pastor.

[Aiden] “We’ll skip the rings.”

[—] “Pardon? Oh, yes. Let us proceed then.”

This whole process was messy, certainly not how any wedding ceremony should be done, but this wedding was wrong from the very beginning.

Sniffling, Princess Gloucester also seemed to have her own fair share of disagreement.

[—] “Now, the bride and groom may exchange a kiss to promise eternal love to one another.”

‘Both’ of their disapproving gazes immediately flew straight towards the pastor after his quiet declaration. Angie was the first to make clear her dissent.

[Angie] “L, let’s skip that part, too.”

She was already reluctant to kiss a groom she didn’t even like, but then he didn’t even prepare rings properly. It wasn’t just a custom, it was a requirement and yet he failed to do something so simple. Unlike Angie, he wasn’t even wearing the proper attire for a wedding.

I don’t care how much of a rush he was in, she scolded. I can’t believe he showed up wearing such a worn down uniform.

Angie valued appearance and timely clothing, and so no other insult could be greater. Even if she didn’t do it specifically for this man’s eyes, she was still wearing clothing that showed respect for her partner—a dress from a famous foreign dressmaker.

It was made from expensive fabrics and eye-catching lace and she barely managed to get it ready in time.

It would’ve been the perfect dress had she become Empress just as was planned.

On the contrary, the man across from her wasn’t wearing any high end suit but rather a shabby military uniform. 

Angie stared down at the fraying ends of his worn out sleeves, subtly shaking her head in disapproval, then turning away. He makes a mockery of Duke Gloucester, she thought.

Aiden audibly clicked his tongue again, awkwardly turning his head away too. He was also very much in favor of skipping the kiss—though he couldn’t understand why she was glaring at his clothing with so much anger in her eyes.

[—] “Oh, um. Very well, then. I hereby declare you husband and wife.”

This was a very trying ceremony for the poor pastor. He slammed the bible shut, his back drenched with sweat as he scurried out of the chapel. He’d officiated many weddings in his years of service to the church, but never before had he ever experienced such a strange and uncomfortable wedding.

Bang—

The aged pianist, sitting at the grand piano, was nearly dozing off at the awkward silence, only jolting awake after he heard the door slam behind the fleeing pastor.

His fingers trembled as he began to play along with the black and white keys.

He was an old man, his memory faded, and by mistake he ended up playing the beginning of the mourning funeral song, but quickly corrected his mistake. Despite the blunder, not a soul made a single comment about it.

Actually, perhaps the funeral song would be the perfect background music for the wedding.

It was an unwelcome wedding, held between Aiden Fitzroy, the bastard son of the Imperial family and military soldier, and the Princess Angie Gloucester, who dreamed of becoming the Empress before she ever dreamed of becoming a wife.

* * *

astralmech t/c: Just as a note, the author uses a lot of legitimate historical terms, facts, and items in this novel. I’ll be pointing them out as we go along just in case anyone finds them as interesting as I do ^^ To start, the sub title of this novel “A Marvelous Morganatic Marriage” uses the word “Morganatic”, which is an old term for a marriage between two people of unequal social rank.