Chapter 91: Two Hearts Wed
NATHAN
The Emperor took me to his private quarters and asked me to sit. Eunuch Ye brought some winterberry wine, and we drank for a few minutes. Ye had been directed to bring both the tailor and the robes directly to us.
It took about half an hour, and I was feeling the effects of the wine by the time the fussy little man with his short gray hair, wire-rimmed glasses, and tape measure around his neck finally arrived.
"Goodness, goodness. You’re a tall one, aren’t you?" He pointed at one of the three assistants he had brought with him. "You, get me a stepladder. I have to measure this brute to make adjustments on the robe. Good lord, not that robe. We need the bigger one. How many did we bring? Five? I might have sew two together. Was your mother a mountain, sir? Goodness, goodness."
Luckily, I had enough wine that the tailor’s ongoing chatter made me less likely to throttle him.
The Emperor watched the whole thing unfold and he was thoroughly amused by the whole affair. The little man went up the stepladder and had to stretch up on his toes in order to pulled the measuring tape across my chest.
"You, the one with the unfortunately red hair," he said to another assistant. "You’re a bit taller than I, so measure the mountain’s arms. Goodness, goodness."
They switched places, and the red-haired assistant went about measuring my arms.
"Is this really necessary?" I asked. "Do I need a wedding robe?"
"What? You want to marry your bride naked?" asked the Emperor. Then he guffawed. "I"m kidding. Sophia is doing her part to dress up for the nuptials, so you should, too."
"Ow!" I looked over my shoulder and saw the tailor with a pin cushion in one hand, three pins in his mouth, and one in his hand. "Did that really hurt? Haven’t you been whacked with maces and swords? Soldier, weren’t you?"
"What does that have to do with you jabbing me in the---OW!"
"Okay, that was my fault. But your muscles are like iron. How can you even feel this tiny pin?"
"It’s sharp, and I still have nerve endings," I said through gritted teeth.
I looked over at the Emperor and he was turning red as he laughed his royal head off. He swiped tears from his eyes. "Oh, Nathan. This is the most I’ve laughed in a long time. Do continue, tailor. It’s quite entertaining."
"For you," I muttered. "Don’t you have a marriage to annul?"
"Right. Ye, bring parchment and pen and ink."
The Emperor busied himself with writing the Imperial Decree annuling the marriage between Sophia and Jace. While the pain-in-my-ass tailor finished up his poking and prodding and began the work on my wedding robe, the Emperor wrote a second Imperial Decree declaring that Sophia Maria Rosebright was bestowed the title of Grand Royal Princess, which I think was a title he just made up.
Another decree was written so that I could be named Champion of the Northern Realm. And the final decree granted a marriage between me and Sophia.
"Well, the paperwork is done," said the Emperor with a satisfied smile. "How’s the robe coming, tailor?"
"Here, brute, put it on and see if I need to make adjustments."
"I’m the Duke of Golding," I told the tailor. "Duke. Of. Golding."
"I’m the Imperial Tailor," he snapped back. "Imperial. Tailor."
Two of his assistants, neither of which was the red-haired boy, helped me on with the robe. The tailor whirled around me like a tornado with glasses as he measured and pulled and tucked.
"One more adjustment, and it’ll be done." He ripped the robe off me and then he and the assistants all gathered around the garment and chattering like a bunch of squirrels, they worked on the robe.
"How much longer?" asked the Emperor.
"A few more minutes, Your Imperial Majesty," said the tailor.
"Ye, how are the preparations for the bridal chamber in the White Jade Palace?"
"Done, Your Imperial Majesty."
"Don’t forget the nuts and dates. We wish Nathan and Sophia a houseful of children."
"Of course, Your Imperial Majesty. I will go and make sure this is done as well as do a final check." Ye hurried away.
"Does he always have to say Your Imperial Majesty?" I asked.
"Yes. I’m the emperor. What’s he supposed to call me? Benton?"
"I mean, he could."
"Not if he wanted to keep his head on his shoulders. There are boundaries between subjects and their emperor, dear boy. Titles are reminders for respect and for the rule of law. We can’t have people calling me whatever they want. It would shatter the whole system, and the world would fall into chaos and ruin."
"You truly think that?"
"No, Brute Mountain. Ye is a stickler for etiquette. I can’t even get him to reduce Your Imperial Majesty to YIM, which I think is a much cooler way to acknowledge me."
"Whatever you say, YIM."
The Emperor grinned. "You’re a fast learner, Nathan." He shook his head, still amused. "I think my sister would like you very much. And I think she would approve of this marriage between her daughter and the Duke of Golding."
"I would love to have my mother-in-law’s blessing," I said. "I suppose yours is the closest I can get."
"Yes, sadly." He sighed. "All these years after she disappeared and not a single clue about what happened to her and the rest of the Rosebrights."
"The Willowmarches may have more to say about what happened now that they’re in prison."
"The dungeon does tend to pry open the mouths of Nobles unused to suffering." He shrugged. "I wasn’t aware of their involvement until recently. They did a good job of covering up their connection to it. And they protected the Pagemoores, too. Probably to hide my niece from me."
"Greed can make people do stupid things," I said.
"Yes. And greed is a hole that can never be filled. More power, more money, more whatever. It doesn’t matter. It will never enough for people who seek those things for their happiness."
"It’s finished!" The tailor lifted the robe with a proud smile on his face. "Let’s get you into your wedding robe, brute!"