Page 116 of Pippa of Lauramore
“Tomorrow,” I interrupt.
Archer nods, squeezing my hand. “Tomorrow.”
Father narrows his eyes at me. “In aweek’stime?”
Fine.
“Yes, I do.”
Father nods, appeased. Mother hands him a silver ribbon. “Hold out your hands,” he says.
I set my palm on the back of Archer’s hand, and a tingle of excitement travels from my fingertips all the way to my toes. Father ties the ribbon around our wrists, joining us together.
“The promise is binding,” Father says, finishing the ceremony.
He unties the ribbon, and Archer’s hand turns under mine, joining our palms together. I lean forward, smiling at Archer—my Archer. “You were wrong. A princess can marry an archer.”
Archer smiles and leans forward, his eyes locked on mine. “I’ve never been so happy to be wrong in my life.”
CHAPTER 31
“Pippa,” Leonora says, “Stop fidgeting.”
“I can’t,” I answer, tapping my foot.
Ginna pulls a comb through my hair, which falls in long, soft waves past my shoulders.
“My darling,” Mother says as she slips a sparkling tiara in my hair. “You are exquisite.”
I wear a gown of pale green. It cinches tight at my waist and falls in rivers of delicate, embroidered fabric.
“It’s beautiful,” I say to Anna, who’s standing over my shoulder, weeping like a child. “How long have you worked on it?”
She sniffs, holding her kerchief to her nose. “Since you were seven.”
I laugh and pull her blubbering self into a hug.
I don’t hear him enter, but Father clears his throat near the doorway. “We are ready for you.”
I stand, and Marigold and Leonora fix my train behind me. They cluck over it like old hens.
Father smiles. “You are lovely.”
Anna sobs again, and Mother looks close to tears herself.
“Wait!” Leonora exclaims. “She must have a bouquet.”
“Yuven brought one a short time ago.” Mother drifts over to a cluster of flowers resting in a vase in the corner.
I peer at the flowers. Something is wrong with them. It’s an arrangement of Ptarma lilies and fire sunflowers, but there, peeking from between the red flowers are tufts of bright yellow. Yuven has slipped yallow into my arrangement.
It’s perfect.
I take Father’s waiting arm, and he leads me to the front of the chapel where we are greeted by the villagers waiting outside. Dozens of laughing, village girls step through the chapel first, tossing petals on the ground. Due to the short notice of the wedding, their dresses do not match, but they all have flowers woven in their hair, and I think they look darling.
Mother and Anna go first and meet Alexander, who will escort them to their seats. Leonora gives me a radiant smile and links arms with Marigold, and then they too disappear through the doorway.
I take a deep breath. It is my turn.
