Lord Derek Wavecrest? Out of all of the possible suitors her father could have chosen, Eve is surprised he selected the clear maidens' favorite. On the one hand, the Mist Isles Lord Derek manages are a prevalent trading hub for Eastern Erotos and their navy and merchant ships are unrivaled in the kingdom for their speed. But on the other hand, the young lord is definitely well known as being the most charming man at court and has been the secret bedmate to many of the young ladies in court. Behind her mother's veil, Eve blushes at the thought of getting to be the girl to finally settle down with this ultimate ladies' man. Perhaps a little too eagerly, Princess Eve begins her 150 foot walk down the aisle just a second before the music actually begins.
The crowd assembled all stand as the music begins to play. Eve begins her walk, but uses the cover of her mother's golden veil to examine the room. Lord Derek is definitely a fetching choice for a husband and she squeals to herself when he winks at her from the other end of the aisle. As part of her education to be the only Princess of the realm, she had to learn every nobleman's name and assigned role. He is called Lord Wavecrest because his ancestors pioneered naval travel and solidified the Erotoan presence on the seas. Hanging on either side of the large, golden crest of her father above the altar are two identical crests for the Mist Isles. A blue banner with a green wave covering the bottom half with a large white seashell displayed over the center. He is standing next to the Great King in the place of the groom wearing his full formal naval suit.
He wears the deep blue dress coat with many green cords hanging around his right shoulder under one of his bronze epaulettes. The buttons lining his dress coat are white pearls, really showing the wealth of the Lord's realm. Maybe he paid the Great King a hefty sum for the honor of being considered seriously. And now the young Princess is almost skipping to be at the beautiful man's side.
The music finishes just as the Princess finishes her walk to the altar. She curtseys to her father first of course, as King and as the officiate, and then to the man standing next to her. He bows deeply to her in return, gently takes her hand in his and kisses it while making direct eye contact with her. Princess Eve is giddy with anticipation and tries to maintain her composure in front of her father and the assembled guests. 'He really is meant to be my husband.'
The Great King Edmond then lifts the golden veil over his daughter's head, nods to the young couple and addresses the crowd. "People of Erotos, we have gathered here today to witness the marriage of my only daughter, Princess Eve, to the Lord Derek Wavecrest, Commander of the Erotoan Western Navy." He turns to Derek. "What say you?"
Derek kisses the Princesses hand once more before erecting himself to the Great King and dutifully answers, "I accept the Princess Eve as my wife, and I will sail every sea Erotos commands knowing she is waiting for me."
Then both the Great King and Lord Derek turn to Eve. Finally allowed to be close enough to him without being pulled away by a chaperone, the virginal Eve can appreciate just how perfectly handsome he is. Most times she had seen him in the castle, Derek was surrounded by plenty of lesser royal maidens at a ball, commanding the dance floor, or intently conducting briefings with other royal officials. But now she can really account for his looks up close. She always assumed he was a strong man as a sailor, but his body is quite more lithe than she had realized with wide shoulders and quite long arms. His hair is slicked back and so black it nearly shines green or blue. Derek is beautiful, with a narrow jaw that is hairless and very defined cheekbones that almost make him look feminine. A perfect angel, sculpted by the gods to seduce women. And as if his intensely good looks were not enough, Derek has these large eyes of the greenest blue that she has ever seen. She dares to say they are an even brighter blue-green than the shores outside his seaside palace. As he sees the Princess swoon, he smiles the whitest smile she has ever seen. The Great King seems to ignore the young lord's flirtatious antics and asks his daughter, "My dear Princess Eve, what say you?"
Eve responds just as she always was meant to, but trying to hide her excitement. "I accept the Lord Derek Wavecrest as my husband."
The King then nods and pulls out two bronze rings from his own golden robe's pocket, one with a pearl set in the band. He hands one to Eve and then the pearled one to Derek. The Lord Wavecrest deftly takes Eve's hand and slides the pearl ring onto her left hand as he says his vow."I Lord Derek Wavecrest, Commander of the Erotoan Western Navy and Wielder of the White Horn, do solemnly vow to serve you Eve, daughter of Great King Edmond and Princess of Erotos, as your husband." Eve has worn many metal rings before, but this bronze one feels strangely cool on her finger. Not like it was held close to ice or left out in a snowstorm, but as if it was just plucked out of a cool river like a stone.
Eve then prepares to slide on his ring as Derek removes his uniform's glove off of his left hand. "I Eve, daughter of Great King Edmond and Princess of Erotos, do solemnly vow to serve you Lord Derek Wavecrest, Commander of the Erotoan Western Navy and," she adds the title of his that she had never heard before, "Wielder of the White Horn, as your wife."
With the rings on and vows said, Derek faces Eve and takes the Princess's hands in his as the King holds his hands aloft and addresses the whole throne room with his booming voice. "Then by the power of the Crown as Great King of Erotoa, I do declare you husband and wife." He lowers his hands and smiles at the new couple. "You may now kiss the bride."
Derek smirks and immediately pulls his new wife closer to his body and lays a passionate and intense kiss onto Eve. He seems to ignore the stares of the assembled crowd as his hands go to the small of her back and he clearly begins to insert his tongue into her mouth. Eve is powerless to stop anything as she is overcome by her first kiss but the crowd applauds them regardless of his display. Being the one in control, Derek lets the crowd continue to applaud and cheer the new marriage for an extended moment before pulling away from his dazed young bride and turning to take her arm. Slightly embarrassed at how much she enjoyed the kiss, she lets him and then as her father walks back to his throne, Derek leads her back down the aisle through the thundering applause with the confidence of champion jouster.
Eve cannot believe it has finally happened. She is a married woman now and to such a unexpected person. But Lord Derek seems like an excellent choice so far. Where does the new couple go off to first?