After Emmelyn and Lily had breakfast with the children, they took a short rest by sitting in the terrace and admiring the garden.
"Let's get you ready for your wedding dress," Lily whispered when she and Emmelyn walked back to Emmelyn's chamber. There was a hint of playfulness on her expression.
Lily acted as if Emmelyn was her younger sister who was about to get married. Her attitude made Emmelyn feel so touched.
She remembered she wasn't even close to her own sisters.
When they arrived back in Emmelyn's chamber, they saw the big wooden bathtub was already filled with warm water and many flower petals. A really nice fragrance wafted in the air.
Emmelyn subconsciously closed her eyes when she smelled the fragrance. She turned to Lily and asked what it was.
"Ahh.. it's my secret recipe," Lily winked. "I'll give you the ingredients later. It consists of many special herbs and flowers. It will make you smell so fresh like the blooming flowers in spring. Plus, it will also make your skin supple and moisturized."
"Ahh.. thank you so much! I would love that!" Emmelyn hugged Lily and then got ready to take a bath. Two maids swiftly came to help her undress.
Emmelyn was pampered and indulged to the max on her wedding day, as per Lily's instruction. After the lovely bath, the maids gave her a massage, careful not to touch her tummy, and made her feel so relaxed and happy.
They had quick bites for lunch and then Emmelyn got into her dress.
It was a really beautiful soft pink dress that brought out the colors of her eyes and made her beauty stand out even more.
Mrs. Coultard made it for her on Mars' order. It was quite loose so she wouldn't feel squeezed in it.
"You look so beautiful," Lily gushed. She walked around Emmelyn to admire the dress from all angles and clicked her tongue several times. "This is perfect! I wish I had a dress like this when I was pregnant."
"You think so?" Emmelyn was beaming when Lily complimented her dress. All brides wanted to look beautiful on their wedding day. A beautiful dress was a must.
"Yes, I am telling you the truth," Lily said. "You have a great figure for a pregnant woman and I think you will look great wearing anything. But this dress material and color especially makes you look really gentle and feminine. I love it!"
"Why, thank you..." Emmelyn smiled sheepishly.
Mars also said the same thing about this dress back in their castle. He was the one who insisted that Emmely should bring this dress for their wedding day.
Now she knew that Mars had a great taste for a man.
If Lily, a woman with a good fashion sense could appreciate her looks in this outfit, that meant Emmelyn really did look great in this.
She decided to trust Mars's taste for her future fashion choices.
"Now, let's get your hair done," Lily waved and a middle-aged woman came immediately with a comb and several hair accessories. "This is Lula. She is our best hairstylist. She will make you look like a goddess on your wedding day."
"Your Highness," Lula bowed down to Emmelyn and smiled. "Let me know if you have any special preferences."
Emmelyn thought about it for a moment. All brides in Wintermere usually let their hair down. She didn't know about the style in Draec.
"Can you just let my hair down, but make it nice?" Finally, she replied. "I don't like to style my hair in a bun."
"Yes, I can do that," Lula nodded. She made Emmelyn sit on the chair while she was working on her hair. It took Lula almost one hour to care for Emmelyn's hair and gave her what she wanted.
"You look amazing," Lily commented after they were done. She gave Emmelyn a small mirror to check her appearance.
As soon as she saw her reflection, Emmelyn let out a muffled shriek.
Lily was right! She did look amazing!
Her hair was styled with several little braids on the sides and the rest was let hang down to her back. Emmelyn never dolled up like this before. Even she was astounded by her transformation.
The dress was ready, her hair was perfect... now, the jewelry.
Emmelyn walked to the dresser and took out a small pouch filled with several pieces of jewelry.
The crown prince gifted them to her before they went to Southberry. He said he wanted to see her looking bedazzled on their wedding day, even though it was a secret wedding.
There was a white gold chain decorated with several blue diamonds that she put on her hair, two bracelets with similar designs, and earrings. The maids helped her put them on.
When they were done, even Lily gasped in admiration.
"You are the most gorgeous bride I have ever seen in my life," she praised Emmelyn. "You are glowing."
Emmelyn lowered her head and smiled sheepishly. Her heart was filled with happiness to the brim.
"It's time," Lily whispered. "Let's get you married."
***
The intimate wedding would be held in the castle's inner courtyard. There was already a beautiful pergola in the middle of the garden. Spring really came early in Southberry as the garden was now filled with so many types of blooming flowers.
As far as the eyes could see, it was flowers and greeneries that became such a feast to the eyes. The pergola was filled with vines that provided shade and Lily asked their servants to decorate it with hundreds of roses.
The venue for the small intimate wedding looked really like it came out straight from a fairy tale book.
When Mars arrived, he felt so grateful that his cousin really went all out to host his wedding. Even though it was a secret wedding, somehow he felt that Emmelyn would love it as much as he did.
This was perfect!
"It's time," Athos said to Mars. He winked at his cousin and then turned to his butler. "Go get my wife and the bride now."
"Will do, My Lord," said the butler respectfully. He went inside the main building and ten minutes later, he came back and announced loudly. "The bride has arrived."
A harpist slowly played beautiful music on her harp to welcome the arrival of the beautiful bride.
Suddenly, the atmosphere turned solemn.