Duke (Story - Forever and Always)

In a matter of minutes, he’d be a married man. It was an odd - almost foreign - thought, but Duke didn’t exactly dislike the idea of being bound to Amra for the rest of his life.

The grove was alive with the sounds of nature and excited chatter - and in the early-morning light, the field of flowers below them and the giant redwoods that towered above them felt especially magical. The grove was, in a way, sacred. And ever since Duke could remember, it had always played a crucial role in his family’s history.

Now, it was Duke’s turn to say his vows in the same place where his father, his grandfather, and his great grandfather had said theirs.

The preparations for the wedding had been completed. There was a red carpet that led from the grove’s entrance to an arbor beneath the giant redwoods, and on both sides of the carpet were beautifully carved oaken tables and chairs. Amra’s family sat on the left, while his family sat on the right, and everyone was abuzz with excitement.

While everyone mingled, Duke sat by his lonesome at an empty table. Amra and her entourage had yet to arrive, so the prince had some time to reflect on the life-changing event that was about to join his household to Amra’s for the rest of their lives.

Not so long ago, Amra had been a mere thorn by his side - a spoilt brat that constantly begged for attention that he wasn’t quite willing to give. It went on in that manner for months, and he remembered how she would butt in at the most inconvenient of times - often while he was hard at work with his generals or trying his damndest to reach an agreement with an important diplomat.

He would be at work and Amra would appear, out of the blue, to tug at his sleeve and whine.

She would pout and plead at first to try and win him over with cuteness and charm, but it never worked. Duke had always prided himself in being a patient man - slow to anger and always willing to act logically. After all, those who gave in to their impulses and feelings were weak, and weak was the last thing Duke wanted to be.

Duke wielded his emotions the same way a swordsman wielded his blade - precisely and gracefully. He was a man of logic and self-control, and as such, Amra’s display of volatile emotions only made him look down on her when she first came to live at the castle.

Duke was good at denying her trivial wishes, but the moment he said ‘no,’ the niceties would fly out the window and her true stuck-up, spoiled brat persona would end up clawing its way to the surface. In the end, Amra always got what she wanted.

When he treated her with indifference, she’d threaten to get his father (and by extension her own father) involved in their “relationship problems” and the last thing Duke wanted was to get the kings involved in something as trivial as that, so in the end, he always said yes.

Looking back, Amra had always been more cunning than him in that regard.

Back then his disdain for her had been crystal clear, and yet, she could still make him do things he had no intention of doing. It became a sort of mental warfare, and as time passed, Duke found that he began to enjoy their mental bouts of emotional chess.

What started out as disdain turned into indifference, and then throughout the years, the indifference melted away and turned into a certain kind of fondness that he couldn’t quite explain. And now, Duke was sitting in his family’s grove as he waited to marry his bride-to-be.

“Are you getting cold feet, sire?”

Duke was so lost in thought, that he hadn’t noticed his trusted adviser take a seat beside him. In fact, it was only then that Duke became aware of how he was furrowing his eyebrows. He looked serious on the best of days, even when he was merely lost in thought.

“No, quite the opposite actually.” Duke smiled lightly, surprised at his willingness to open up. “I’m looking forward to my wedding. In fact, I’m quite excited.”

Back in the day, Duke had been rather vocal to his trusted circle - he was marrying Amra for the sake of his kingdom. It was purely political with no love involved whatsoever. It wasn’t uncommon for princes and princesses to bind their houses for political reasons, so it was more surprising when he actually started to take a liking to her.

“Is that so, sire,” his adviser smiled in return. “We’re all incredibly happy for you, ah, and speaking of your bride-to-be,” the adviser gave Duke a sly smile. “Looks like she’s here, sire.”

Duke looked up to see Amra and her entourage at the edge of the grove, and as soon as he caught sight of her, it became impossible to tear his eyes away.

His bride-to-be wore her hair in two neat twin-tails, and her dress - a stunning hue of orange and black - made her look as if she were a phoenix rising from the ashes. More than that, the tight waistline coupled with the looser hemline accentuated his bride-to-be’s already wonderful curves.

Duke had never been the nervous sort, and he’d never been a romantic - life was mostly work and no play considering the ongoing war - but at that moment, he could say with certainty that Amra had taken his breath away.

“Cat got your tongue, sire?”

No. He wouldn’t get flustered, he was in control -- by the Gods, Amra was stunning.

Duke’s insides churned, and for the first time in a long time, he was nervous. Not even the generals of the opposing army could make him feel this way. 

He wasn’t sure when exactly he started to feel this way about her, but there had been a clear shift in their relationship when Amra practically took a knife for him in the gardens. Duke had kissed her speechless that day, and from then on, things had always been different.

He started to see her more appealing qualities. Amra was loyal, brave, and relentless in her pursuit of what she wanted. Once Amra set her mind on something, she stopped at nothing to get it. The latter had always been a quality Duke had disliked, but over time, it became another thing about her that he couldn’t help but admire.

Duke stood up and approached his bride-to-be. “Amra,” he greeted her with a soft smile and a look that showed his clear fondness for her. “You look absolutely stunning today.”

She smiled at him and reached for the crook of his arm. “And you look as dashing as always.”

Amra had always been the more affectionate of the two, and she hugged his arm close as the entourage around her dispersed to assume their positions in the ceremony.

Now that both of them were present, it would only be a matter of time before they were asked to walk down the aisle and exchange their vows.

***

Arm-in-arm, Duke and Amra walked down the aisle until they reached the arbor beneath the giant redwoods.

They were about to get married, and Duke could feel his heart hammering against his ribcage. To everyone else, he looked like the same stoic prince – unfazed and as solid as the redwoods that surrounded them. However, on the inside, he was having just a little bit of a freak-out.

Married. It was a heavy word.

“Well then,” Duke leaned over to whisper into Amra’s ear. “Shall we go and get married?”

Amra was quick to smile in response. “Nothing would make me happier, Duke.”

Once they reached the altar beneath the arbor, the couple turned their backs to each other and intertwined their wings. It was merely tradition, but to Duke, it felt like an extremely intimate moment – the precise point in time where two lives intertwined to become one.

They stayed together – intertwined – for a moment longer before they broke apart. Duke then reached into his front pocket and pulled out a sleek silver necklace. At first glance, it looked practical and simple, but if one stared long enough, they’d notice the diamond embedded into it.

Duke placed the necklace on his bride to be, and she reciprocated by pinning a brooch to his suit.

Vows were exchanged and the wedding officiator asked the question everyone was waiting to hear: do you take Amra as your lawfully wedded wife? 

There were no doubts anymore. If anything, Duke could actually see himself falling in love with her. Perhaps, he’d already started falling long before they walked down the aisle arm-in-arm.

There was no hesitation in his voice when he spoke the words the crowd had been waiting to hear since daybreak: “I do, forever and always, I do.”

“I do,” Amra said in response.

 There was a moment of tender silence before Duke leaned in to seal the promise with a kiss. He meant every word - for better or worse, in sickness and health, for richer or poorer, until the very end of their lives.