Adelaide awoke to a gentle shaking of her shoulder.
"Please awaken your Grace, you do not wish to be late for your own wedding."
Called out her chamber maid gently and respectfully.

She lifted her groggy eyelids and immediately took into account the dull pounding of her head.
After Iolas had left her, she had lay awake briefly, dazed and quite confused by her actions, and then his; but the sleep had quickly claimed her with great thanks to all the mead in her system.

"Of course... the wedding." She mumbled, slowly sitting up and  rubbing her eyes with the heel of her palm. That last word felt foreign in her mouth, as it were from a different language.
"Glad to see you awake your Highness, I am quite excited for this day myself. I cannot imagine how you must feel."
Her faithful chambermaid chimed excitedly, drawing back the curtains to let the bright morning sun slip into the large room.

"Thank you." Were the only words she could muster, because though her stomach was roaring to life with a whirlpool of emotions, she wasn't entirely sure if excitement was in that mix.
"I shall be right back with your breakfast, and while you eat, I shall draw your bath. The stylist shall be here in 30 minutes, but I can send word  for him to wait a little longer if your grace would like more time in the bath."

"No need. 30 minutes will be fine."
She didn't want more time alone than necessary, for time alone meant she would be a prisoner to her thoughts, and at the moment, that seemed to much to bear.

Simon adjusted his cravat neck tie and with a deep breath he stepped through the last remaining door between him and his wedding. He had awoken early, not from excitement, but from guilt.
His innards tore him apart at the thought of what this day would do to Delilah. So quickly, he had bathed and dressed himself before heading to the infirmary; he had to check on her, to apologize profusely yet again, but she had been nowhere to be found, and neither were any of her belongings, and her horse was not in the stable.
He knew she had left; likely unable to bear the wedding of the man she loved to another.
Pushing open the door, the first thing that caught his eye was not the beautifully arranged alter, or even his parents, who sat proudly in the first row, but instead, way in the back, a familiar woman in a sea green dress.
Delilah sat with her hands folded, eyes to the floor, expressionless.
The murmuring of the crowd at his arrival forced her to look up.
Her midnight sky eyes caught his own and the expression was sad at first, but she forced it away and gave him a small, polite nod.
He couldn't believe it, as if this woman could not amaze him more, she was here to support him, even as he was breaking her heart.

The Queen gripped the the skirts of her enormous white wedding gown and stepped out of the small open carriage that had taken her to the now damaged, but still somehow breathtakingly beautiful cathedral.
As her feet hit the ground, her eyes wandered to the left peeking out the side of her veil, and toward the direction of the docks, over several of the buildings, she could just make out the top mast of the southern isles flagship, the motion of the beautiful crested flag being risen as they prepared to depart caused her heart to do a tumble in her chest.

He had not left yet, but it would be only moments now.
The creakiing of the enormous doors being opened for her and the sudden feeling of hundreds of pairs of eyes now on her snapped her attention back to the church. At the end of the long carpet between the rows of pews stood Simon, next to the vicar, waiting for her
Her handmaid picked up her train and with no father or brother to escort her down the isle, it was a trip she would have to make alone.

She focused on Simon, dressed more regally than she had ever seen in the silken and embroidered colors of her nation. He smiled at her, bringing her peace just like he had when they were children.
Melodic violin music began to play, signifying her entrance.
This is the right thing to do.
She reassured herself before stepping into the church.