"You are now going to be a wife, Gulf."

Gulf gently pinches on his red small ears and nods.

"His interests are now yours."

Gulf knows that, of course.

"His home..." Gulf's mom laughs gently, rubbing some rose cream on his cheeks. "... palace is your home now."

Gulf nods again.

This is all his mom ever talks since the King proposed this marriage alliance.

"I know how young people think they can have two homes. That is not a good way of thinking. Kids are so arrogant now. Your husband's home is yours. He is your only family. Hear that, son? You will not taint our family culture, will you?"

"Never, mae... I will do whatever he asks."

"Good. You do not have a home here anymore. Understand? I will not accept you in, if you think you can come here after a fight." His mom giggles but he knows it is no joke.

Gulf feels a pang. This is his home too; his dad built it for him too... no, not anymore. He is going to be a wife in a few hours and wives have no home.

"I am telling all this for your own good. Your husband is our King and the Emperor of all the provinces. He needs a support, that is you. He does not need another burden. So, do not become one and bring shame on me."

"I will never, mae. I... I..." He is in love with his King. He fell in love even before he even knew what love was. Never even in his dreams had he imagined, that person will consider him as the wife-to-be and to know that the love is reciprocated a tenfold, Gulf cried for solid two hours in his bathroom.

He is young; barely 19, his fiancé is his first ever crush and he is getting married to him.

"Getting him as your husband is a blessing to our family and you treat him as such, alright?" Gulf smiles; of course he will.

"Do you know how much he has given to you already?"

Gulf blushes again. A hundred gold blocks, diamond jewelleries like Sea Crystal, Mountain heart and Desert Symphony. There is only one such crystal each four hundred years and Gulf is now an owner of all three.

"No husband ever does that much to his wife these days. He loves you and you better be thankful."

"I am thankful, mae."

"Good. I do not want you to turn up like those people who do not know the value of family."

Gulf's mom has nothing to worry. Gulf will love his King like no other man has been ever loved. He cannot wait to be the perfect wife of his perfect husband. He is ready. It is almost like he has already reached the epitome of his life and he has nothing more to aspire for.

His mom puts on the heavy golden veil over his head to adjust it before removing it again.

"Your father will walk you down the lane." His mom does not look into his eyes and tries to leave. "If... you want sometime. Have it now. Do not ever face your husband with teary eyes. It is off-putting. He needs to see happiness every time he sees you. Get it? A good wife is the reason for his husband's smile. Call me when you are done."

He smiles until his mom has closed to door but the tears brimmed to his lashes though he has looked up.

His father...

That right should have been his beloved dad's. He would be so happy to see his only son getting married to the love of his life. His dad would not care if his husband is King or a fisherman.

"Dad... my love is my King." He fists his palm and bumps to the air, giggling a bit. "I am not supposed to cry this day or any days from now own... but I miss you so much... Are you happy up there? Mom is happy. Uncle Prema will walk me down the lane, now that he is my father. Silly me. You might be the know-it-all now. I do not know what you are doing up there but... when I get married will you please be there... if, it is not too much to ask? I love you, dad. I miss you."

He sniffles, takes his silk kerchief and wipes his watery eyes and nose. Then he gently dabbed power and other concoctions on his face to cover up the evidence of his tears and redness.

"Come in."

His mom comes in again without looking into his eyes starts dressing him up. Soon, the room starts filling in and garments after garments gets piled on him, until every wisp of breath starts to feel suffocating inside his chest.

"You are so lucky, Gulf. This silk costs a gold bar for yarn." One of his childhood friends starts gushing on his attire. He smiles trying very hard not to pant. They weigh like gold bars too.

"The more a husband loves the costlier his gifts are..." His mom pinches his cheek and he smiles at her happiness.

Soon, he hears the loud sounds of the army bands and their servants rush to his room. "The King... The King... the mighty lion... the provider of our lands and homes..." They try to rush all the formalities away. "is here a couple of miles away. The messenger has brought this for the bride."

"QUEEN!" His mom shouts angrily and the servant falls on the floor.

"My apologies... Queen mother... I..."

"FIFTY LASHES!"

"Mae..." Gulf takes her hand. "What..."

"You do not know anything Gulf! This is on purpose. Who send you to insult my son? He is not just any bride..."

"Mae, this is a good day, the auspicious day in our life; my life. I am still a bride. I will be a queen but not at the moment. Spare him the pain, please, my mother."

He thanks the man on the floor and accepts the gift and letter.

"This is my King's letter." Gulf blushes and his mother ushers everyone out.

"It is bad luck to receive gifts from husbands on an auspicious occasion. It is never a good news!" Gulf shakes his head at his mom's sour face. "Maybe you should not read it, yet. What if, the King changed his mind and decides not to marry you? Your future... your image... our family... this will bring shame for us for so many generations and..."

"Mae..."

"You do not know anything Gulf! Do not read any letters on a good day! It is always bad news!"

"The King is already a couple of miles away. Why would he call off wedding now?"

His mae shuts her mouth for a moment but then spits. "Not a queen yet but already treating me with disrespect!"

"I will never disrespect you even when I am the queen, mae. Let me read this. Maybe he has some suggestions."

Dear Queen,

Yes, you are already my queen. I know this day you will be too busy but can I have another taste of your strawberry pastry? I know I will have to wait till tonight to taste it from your sweet lips but give me something to save this poor man in love. I hope you will be wearing the lavender attire; they are my favourite. Make me the happiest man ever, my beloved.

Gulf blushes and hides from his inquisitive mother but finally tells her the message.

"Lavender?!!! Oh God!!! We are in gold!!! We have to get you changed!!! Where are my useless dogs? Get in here and get your Queen ready."

His mother starts fussing and the room suddenly starts to fill up with a whole lot of people he does not even know. Gulf was turned, twisted and pulled until he has to sit before he faints and then viola! he is in lavender.

"The King is right. Lavender and silver is the better choice!"

Yes, in lavender, Gulf looks ethereal. The silver dusting all over his wedding attire make him a figurative celestial star. The bright red pigment on his lips is replaced with light pink sheened lavender lip colour. It perfectly accentuates his features including his cheek bones and his trusty valets are already gushing over his beauty.

Gulf just wants to breath.

"Come on. Off you make strawberry pastry." Gulf cannot move properly but twisting his face to show his tiredness is not approved. So the poor boy drags his stiff muscles to the kitchen and makes the strawberry pastry his soon-to-be-husband has personally requested him, in the love note.

Gulf heard a small 'The King is here' and he starts blushing from tip to toe.

For the King's wedding, the excitement is minimal. It is to be expected, given the ceremony is at Gulf's mansion. It is considered to be historical that the wedding is at the bride's.

Yet, Gulf thinks there is something really romantic that his King has come through mountains to his small village for his hands... to take him away as his bride; as his prized possession.

The flower petals are white and lavender under his feet as he crushed them gently to walk to his husband.

"Gulf Tharawar Pesnipatrewong Chertoreyan IV!" The armed military General shouted and the boy startles a little.

"Keep your head down!" His mom hisses and he obediently looks at the petals again. Yet, through the veil he peeks at his love, his soon to be husband, his King, his Emperor, his life looking as stoic as ever just like in his pictures.

Trumpet horn blows and Gulf blushes again. Mom says now the whole village knows he is not of this village anymore.

That means, they also know his is wedded.

That also means they know he is going to be loved.

"Kneel."

They have gone through this rehearsal a hundred thousand times but Gulf understands how difficult is to bend much less kneel with a proper full royal wedding attire on. The heavy diamond studded metal belt around his tummy makes his kneeling so difficult. It digs to under his ribs and he really struggles to breath.

Gulf basically falls to the ground but then he notices a big figure standing next to him.

His love.

His soon-to-be husband.

His King.

His Emperor.

His life.

Gulf used to curse at the moment when he accidently went through his dad's political text books. He was just curious as any eleven years old were. What was so enthralling about these boring shiny books that made his dad forget about their evening games? They were supposed to run around in muddy fields chasing leather balls; not waste a perfectly fine evening by signing papers.

Then he saw someone who just figuratively jumped from the paper to his heart and decided to stay there forever poking at his senses.

Mew Suppasit Jongcheveevat Mahayawrentuyoth.

The crown prince of all the islands of Galoddhikeera and Gulf could not take his eyes off the picture. Literally.

It was not funny, how Gulf got so taken with a simple picture. His brain could not understand what it saw or something equally ridiculous.

Not just for that day, or week or next week or month or the next one after that... Gulf kept on staring at the picture trying to stop the crazy feeling in his heart. He had to keep on looking or he would feel restless.

He stole it; the magazine of course. His father did not even notice but Gulf really wanted to forget the picture or the man, so he could go back the way he was but his eyes refused... even when he closed his eyes, his mind begged to have another glace at that perfect sharp jaw, well aligned teeth or on some ridiculous days, how the veiny his hands were.

Those days Gulf could not even go out of his room.

As luck would have it, soon all his dad's magazines started to fill with this handsome man... no, Angel? Gulf did not know at the time. And it was not just pictures anymore; small bits and pieces of information of the crown prince.

Mew's dad had passed away around the time and the palace had decided to let the subjects know about their next ruler.

Mew is compassionate. He is gentle as he is strict. He is forgiving as he is punishing.

Mew is everything a man should be.

Around thirteen years of age, Gulf had finally got a bit control of his brain a bit. He could sit through his classes without wanting to run away and stare at the multitudes of pictures he had amassed by then.

Of course, no one knew.

Gulf was a very timid I-won't-talk-to-until-you-talk-to-me-kid who became even more hidden and shelled after his dad's demise the next year. He would only awkwardly smile and shuffle away when people made an effort to be friends with him.

So, his crush – he had figured it out by then, became not only his very intimate secret but also his escape from the reality.

'Mew' and he would look up the stars and wonder where their dads were up in the sky. 'They' would make up stories that their dads were best friends in heaven. Mew's dad, the passed away Emperor and his late Empress – Mew's mom would be rulers of the heaven and Gulf's dad would be the prime minister.

Gulf's crush was as innocent as innocence.

His mother decided to marry his dad's best friend and his 'father' brought the alliance to his attention when he turned nineteen a few days ago.

His mom had shouted 'yes' before he could get over the shock.

Mew Suppasit wants 'his' hand; Gulf's adorable chummy whummy wimply dumply hand in 'marriage'.

Maaaarriaaageeee!

Who woulda thought!

Definitely, not Gulf who accidently ends up writing 'Mew' all over his journal when he skips out of the reality.

"... with this oath you pledge to protect, cherish and promise to bond with this young man Gulf, to bond 'only' with this young Gulf, physically, emotionally and spiritually; who will be wedded to you as your faithful wife. All his sorrows will be your sorrows; all his happiness will be your happiness. With this oath you pledge to take care of him in sickness, worry and doom. With this oath, Mew Suppasit Jongcheveevat Mahayawrentuyoth pledge Gulf Tharawar Pesnipatrewong Chertoreyan IV that he will be your queen to guide your subjects to prosperity, wealth and wellbeing."

"I pledge."

"Gulf, my sweet boy," The priest taps his head with the enchanted wand that glows in fluorescence. Are there fireflies in there? Poor fireflies. Where are their homes? What are they doing in the wand?

His mom nudges his elbow and he drops his head again. "You have brought this village, your home and your family happiness, peace and calmness. Do you promise to bring the same to your wedded husband and his land, Gulf?"

"I will Bubba..." His mother nudges him again and he bites his tongue sputtering when the priest laughs. "I will, Priest of Temples of Krowet, the holder of five elements and the protector of our mother goddess Grenla. I promise I will... protect, cherish and care for him in sickness, worry and doom."

"Good. You did well, son. Emperor Jongcheveevat, do you have any personal vows to your beloved wife?" The priest asks and demands Mew to pick Gulf up from the floor where he is kneeling.

Gulf bites back whimpers when Mew's hands hold both of his biceps and gently pulls him to his feet. The veil is raised from his eyes. "You will be my Queen."

The cheers of his family and villagers deafen their ears.

"Empress Pesnipatrewong, do you have any vows to your beloved husband?"

Gulf sees... really really sees the man who refuses to leave his heart, his mind and his brain, in flesh. Mew is divine; like an angel truly from heaven and Gulf feels the same crazy feeling in his heart he had felt when he was eleven.

This time though, he welcomes them in. After all, this is his husband; not just a beautiful picture in a shiny magazine.

"I promise... I will make you happy every single day, my hus... husband."

The man is overly intimidating but... he is the Emperor. Mew stares into his eyes and Gulf wonders what he sees. Gulf innocently stares back and notices a speck of glitter on the man's nose.

An intimidating Emperor with a speck of glitter on his nose.

Gulf giggles and ducks his face feeling funny and shy before looking back up again one more time before staring at the flower petals on the ground again.

Mew is enigmatic.

Mew is lot more affectionate through words but then again, those were private love letters. They are now in front of the whole village and emperor or not; people are not affectionate in front of others.

"You may now kiss."

Gulf blushes like there is no tomorrow. He refuses to look up as he nervously shuffles on his feet. He feels a forefinger under his chin and he wishes he burst into flames.

He cannot believe he is going to receive his first kiss in front of all village; that too from Mew; his love.

Gulf will faint for sure and then the legend of the Fainting Bride will be sung instead of the legend of the Puking Bride.

Nervousness make people clowns.

Gulf looks up again when Mew does not lean down to kiss him but just holds his chin and stares at his eyes again.

"The wedding night is not that far away, Emperor." The priest teases them and Gulf giggles feeling awkwardly shy. "Kiss each other and accept each other as lovers."

Gulf notices Mew gently leaning and the whole village shouts. Mew has not kissed him yet but with the way they are too close and the veil is obstructing the view, it seems like they are kissing.

Mew is such a gentle soul.

Gulf smiles big.

But... he is okay with kissing Mew.

OKAAAAY!

He jumps a bit before pressing his soft plump lips on Mew's thin ones with a smile.

Gulf kisses Mew!!!!

Oh... it is... exhilarating, divine and something really clicks inside Gulf.

Ever since his dad's death, Gulf never really known what peace is, until this moment. He shyly drops his head down, not looking at his stunned husband at all.

Gulf has no idea if this is how someone should kiss someone but... oh well... Mew knows he has never kissed anyone and he should also know that... Mew will have to teach him from A to Z; beginning from tonight.

God!

Will he die on his first night? The legend will be Dying Bride. Ooooh... Then people will make fun of his husband for killing Gulf with his... his... his...

SHY!!!

SHY!!!

SHY!!!

Too shy!!!

"People of Galos!!! Your Emperor and Empress!!! ALL HAIL OUR RULERS!!!"