Lucinda smells the kitchen. A delightful aroma fills her senses. “Is it ready yet?” She asks Zakasi.
“Almost.” he replies, grabbing a towel to open the wood burning stove.
“It smells devine.”
“Once this is ready, we will go to the garden. We have to let it cool.” Zakasi says as he opens the hatch. He pulls out a light and fluffy pie. He sets it on the counter and inspects it. “Alright, time to cool.”
The pair walk from the kitchen into the main dining area. Maids are decorating the chairs and tables in black and purple. Floral centerpieces of purple are intricately placed on each table. Zakasi inspects each table as they walk past. Just past the right side of the grand staircase, a large, glass door awaits. Zakasi opens the door to the garden patio. Flowers of many colors adorn the area. A large cherry wood gazebo towards the middle overlooks the entire garden.
“We can do the ceremony here.” Zakasi says pointing to the gazebo. Male demons of various skin colors surround the gazebo. They are hanging drapes of black and purple and some are placing floral arrangements.
Lucinda smiles. She knows her mother would love how this is coming together. “I wish you could be here, mom.” Lucinda says quietly, to herself.
“What was that?” Zakasi asks.
“My mother would love how things are going.” Lucinda begins. “She would have been so happy to see me get married. Even if it was to someone I just met.”
Zakasi smiles at Lucinda. “I wish I had the pleasure of meeting her.”
“She was someone everyone loved to meet. She was everything a princess, or even a queen in her case, should be. She was poised. She was beautiful: body and mind. And she was the love of my father's life.” Lucinda’s smile weakens. “I feel as though she would be disappointed that I don’t want to be a princess anymore.”
Zakasi tilts his head. “Why not? Doesn’t every girl dream to be a princess?”
Lucinda chuckles. “Yes, but when you are princess, you have your whole life planned for you. From the time I was born, I was told I would be the next ruler of Hell. I have everything done for me. I have no freedom. I have someone to bathe me, someone to prepare all my meals, someone to dress me. I can’t walk the palace grounds without someone walking with me.
“It gets tiresome. Having my whole world dictated down to the minute. Lessons in the morning. Charity events in the afternoon. Overseeing the kingdom throughout the day. Shadowing my father. If I’m lucky, once a week I have archery lessons. Equestrian lessons twice a week. And cotillion lessons daily.”
“Cotillion lessons daily?” Zakasi sounds shocked.
“Yes.” Lucinda looks up at Zakasi. “To make sure I keep my etiquette up to date.” Lucinda looks away and groans. “And dance lessons twice a week.”
This makes Zakasi raise an eyebrow. “Dance?”
Lucinda rubs her wrist. “Waltz, foxtrot, pavane, gilliard, the usual ballroom dancing.” She clasps her hands and the two stroll through the garden. “I have two hundred years of practice. I shouldn’t need constant refreshers. But my father insists on the lessons to ensure I am ready for every ball and gala.”
“So, you hate being princess?”
“Yes. It is incredibly monotonous. Same routine, different day.” Lucinda stops by a lovely rose bush. She smells them and smiles. “I keep talking about me and asking about Xylek, I haven’t asked about you.”
Zakasi smiles. “What would you like to know?”
“Well, let’s start with how long have you run this inn?” The princess says as she rises from her bent position.
The giant with a soft expression thinks for a moment. He begins to speak. “About a decade now.”
“Did you always want to run an inn?”
“Truth be told, when I returned home, I wanted something to do. The inn was in my family for a few centuries and I wanted to try my hand at that.” Zakasi grins. “I more or less wanted to fight most of the time. Wrestling, boxing, taekwondo, anything really. So, I did it professionally for a while. I was a champion among the demons. Especially my clan.
“I went into the military like my father, hoping one day to join the royal guard. But an injury left me with fewer options.” He rubs the back of his neck. “I tore a ligament and fractured my knee in a fight. Some days, it's harder to walk than others. Even for demon healing, it will be another century before I’m cleared to fight.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Lucinda says with disappointment in her tone. “Do you want to fight again?”
Zakasi slows his pace. “Sometimes. I still teach others different techniques.” He chuckles softly. “I’m the one who taught Xylek to fight.”
The two stop at the gazebo. Foxgloves and wolf’s bane are being hung with care around the structure. Baby’s breath and ferns are placed to give some added touches. Lucinda admires the colors of purple and green. It gives the light colored cherry wood a soft look.
“We can roll out a purple carpet if you’d like.” Zakasi offers
Lucinda thinks for a moment. “Maybe black.”
Zakasi nods. “How about your bouquet?”
“Maybe similar to the decorations?”
“We could do flowers your mother loved,” Zakasi says with a tender voice. “So she is with you on your special day.”
This makes Lucinda smile warmly. “Roses and cherry blossoms.”
Zakasi nods slightly. “Those seem a bit out of the color scheme, but we can make it work.”
Lucinda and Zakasi start their way back to the inn. As they walk, Zakasi speaks to his employees. He lets them know to retrieve a black carpet for the aisle. He also explains how to set the altar in front of the gazebo. Zakasi reminds them that this is a royal affair and must be taken with the utmost perfection.
Back in the kitchen, the innkeeper cuts the cheesecake with a long knife and places the dessert on a small plate. He offers it to the bride to be. She takes the dessert and tries a small bite. Her face lights up and a smile appears on her face. A sound of enjoyment hums from her lips.
After swallowing the bite, she says, “This is excellent.”
Pride appears on Zakasi’s face. “Did I forget to mention I’m also a baker?” He sits down. “What other desserts would you like?”
“Can you make a chocolate mousse?” Lucinda says with excitement. Zakasi, with a smile on his face, nods to the request.
The door to the kitchen swings open gently, revealing Xylek. He flashes a smile to Zakasi. “Is that cheesecake I smell?”
Xylek’s brother grins. “It is. Care for a slice?”
“Yes, please!” Xylek rushes over and pulls up a stool.
After devouring his portion of the sweet treat, Xylek begins chatting with the other two. He starts off by saying the dining hall looks nice. Then, he goes on to talk about the discomfort of getting fitted for a suit.
He turns to Lucinda. “By the way, they said it is your turn to get fitted.”
Lucinda nods as she lays her fork onto the empty plate. Before she can stand, Zakasi speaks up.
“What food would you like for the reception?” He asks, realizing he had missed something.
Xylek grins wide. “Roasted pig!”
Lucinda thinks for a moment. “Also offer some turkey.”
Zakasi pulls out his parchment and quill. He writes down the ideas. Lucinda stands up and exits the kitchen.
At the palace, Lucinda is greeted by a demon named Eldowin. Eldowin, a small, thin creature, smiles sweetly at the princess. She leads Lucinda to a new room, one filled with several gowns.
“What would you like to try on, Princess?” the demon asks. Her voice is a soft and welcoming sound.
The princess tells the consultant her wish to be married in her mother’s gown. Eldowin smiles widely. She fulfills the request. Lucinda is fitted into a long charcoal gown, a train that stretches several feet, and a tight fitted corset.
“This fits you as well as it did your mother.” Eldowin says to Lucinda.
Princess Lucinda admires herself in the gown. She tugs on the tight fitted sleeves. Suddenly, a sensation overtakes Lucinda’s emotions. She begins to cry. Tears of frustration and joy trickle from her eyes. This is the moment she dreaded. The moment that everything begins to settle. She will be getting married in the morning to a demon she does not know. She won’t have her mother to help her through this event.
Falling to her knees, she sobs. She can’t stop crying. She never cries like this. Centuries of being told what to do, where to go, how to behave, comes crashing around her. She doesn’t know what to do any more. Eldowin stands in stunned silence. No one has ever seen the princess cry.
Then she thinks of something. What if she didn’t go to the ceremony? What if she left in the night, left and never returned? Maybe then she could be free. But then she remembers her father. He would do anything to find her. And when she is found, she will have to endure this punishment and more.
“Princess,” Eldowin softly says, reaching a hand out to Lucinda. “What is wrong? Is it the gown?”
Lucinda takes the consultant's hand and stands, wiping her eyes. “The dress is beautiful. It’s just I wish I could have my mother here to see me in her gown.”
Eldowin frowns. “Your majesty, she is still in your heart. She would have loved to see you in her gown.”
“I know, Eldowin, thank you.” Lucinda wipes her eyes again.
Later into the night, Lucinda prepares for bed. She brushes her silver hair and begins to braid it back. She thinks about her day. How it all started with her escaping the palace once again to now her being married off to a demon she met just that afternoon.
She thinks about her plan to run away again. She shakes her head knowing the plan would never work. What is she to do? What is a better punishment than to be married to a commoner? The scar of wrath seems more pleasant than being betrothed to someone who is only meant to be her bodyguard.
Lucinda lies in bed, staring at the ceiling. Maybe this wedding won’t be too terrible. She still doesn’t know how she feels about the ordeal though. And she is running out of time to figure it out.
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