Essence Of The Heart (The Royal Tutor) (36 page)

          After breakfast, Louise and the ladies-in-waiting whisked the bride
away. Jacob's parents and sisters arrived. Matthew and Jason, Jacob's
father, were excited to see each other. They talked of old times and
reminisced the rest of the morning since it didn't take the men nearly as
long to prepare for the wedding.
          Louise stood in her old room, now Marie's room until the Duke's
quarters were repaired. She looked out the window and remembered
coming here so many years ago and how angry she had been. She
remembered how beautiful she thought it was then.
          She wondered if Alexander would somehow be able to see his
daughter married today. Something told her he would. She felt so close to
him. She looked above the mantle. The picture of her mother had been
replaced by one of her, Alexander, and Marie.
          She knew Alexander would be proud of his daughter. She hoped he
was proud of her, too, for looking beyond how Jacob was born to how he
lived. She knew Alexander would approve of him.
          As she looked out the window, thinking about Alexander, it began to
snow - the first snow of the year. She called Marie, who was busy dressing.
Marie left the ladies-in-waiting and hurried to her mother's side. Gradually,
the dark soil of the landscape disappeared, and a pure white blanket started
to cover the land. Marie smiled. "We may not have snow cream for my
wedding, but we'll have it for the New Year's celebration."
          Jacob dressed in his finest Royal Guard uniform. His medals hung
from his chest and the Colonel insignia hung from his shoulder. Since John
was now to be Captain of the Guard, the queen insisted Jacob's rank had to
be advanced, even though he would soon be Prince Jacob and wouldn't be
known by any military rank.
          The wedding was fast approaching. As he crossed the courtyard, the
soft new snow muffled any sound. John and Edward stood guard at the
chapel doors. John smiled at him. "A little late for your wedding, aren't
you, Sir?"
          "Just fashionably on time, Captain Hashner."
          "You wouldn't be getting cold feet, now, would you, Sir?" Edward
asked.
          John answered first. "He wouldn't dare. With Princess Marie he
could run, but he couldn't hide."
          They all had a good laugh. Jacob grinned at his friends. "You
forget one thing, gentlemen. I love her as much as she loves me."
          "You know, Sir," Edward said, "you were right when you said that
you would return for the wedding of the princess. I just don't think you
knew she would drag you back, at sword point, to be part of it."
          Jacob thought how right everything seemed. He had never imagined
in his wildest dreams he could feel as happy as he did. Though he was
released from the Royal Guard, it was still part of him. "And how has the
security been?" he asked John.
          John sighed. "Since Duke Elnard was taken into custody, there have
been no attacks on the palace. Since peace was established with Esconodia,
and after the queen reduced the taxes and settled things here in Bernodia, it
has all been very quiet."
          Jacob nodded. He already knew the answer. It was just second
nature for him to ask. "Yes, I'm sure it will be rather dull around here
now," he said. "Well, wish me luck. It is time for me to be married."
          He walked into the chapel as his two friends patted him on the back.
Edward turned to John. "You know, dull is probably not the word I
would use. With Princess Marie, I don't think it will ever be dull."
          John laughed. "Her getting married will probably just make it all
that much more interesting."
          Edward suddenly got very serious. "Speaking of which, did you tell
her to quit challenging the new recruits to a sword fight?'
          John shook his head. "If you want her told, you can be the one to
tell her."
          "You're the Captain of the Guard," Edward said.
          John nodded. "Yes, and I plan to live a long time. Besides, she
could beat most everyone, except her future husband."
          Edward nodded. "And don't forget the honorable Lord High
Chamberlain."
          "Who, of course, is wise enough not to accepted her challenge, nor
is he in any condition to, anyway."
          Edward smiled. "What a marriage it will be." He spoke in a high
falsetto voice. "I'm bored tonight, Dear. How about something romantic,
like a sword fight?"
          They chortled. John joined him in a falsetto voice trying to do his
own impression of a girl. "Loser makes dinner."
          They were still laughing when they saw the wedding entourage
approaching. From the other direction, slowly, came Lord High
Chamberlain and Lady Eldna. Everyone was there except Louise. Marie
looked worried. "Where is Mother?"
          Lady Margaret smiled kindly at her. "Don't worry, Dear. I'm sure
she is on her way. She had an errand to take care of."
          As if on cue, Louise came down the hallway with a small group of
her own. She smiled at Marie, pointing to a beautiful, blonde woman.
"Marie, do you remember Nell?" Marie nodded. Louise continued. "Her
daughter is going to be one of your flower girls, and her son will be the ring
bearer." A shy little girl dressed all in white poked her head out from
behind her mother. Marie knelt down and beckoned to her, and at her
mother's prompting, the little girl ran and gave Marie a hug. Nell smiled.
"Her name is Louise." Nell pushed her little son forward as well. "His
name is Alexander."
          Marie thought of her father as she held out her arms to the little boy.
He looked at his mother, as if questioning if he had to go to her, and Nell
nodded. He dutifully, but slowly, walked over, and Marie scooped him up
and gave him a hug.
          Everyone that was not in the procession hurried to their places in the
chapel. The music started and Little Louise and the other flower girl started
on their way down the aisle with their flower baskets. Marie followed with
Lord High Chamberlain. He walked straight and proud, though slow and
careful.
          Jacob, standing up near the priest, beamed at Marie. She smiled
back at him. Louise leaned over to Eldna. "Could there be a wedding in
your future?"
          Eldna smiled. "I don't know. Right now it is enough just being
friends again."
          Behind Lord High Chamberlain and Marie came eight girls carrying
her train. Following them was Little Alexander with the ring. Bringing up
the rear were John and Edward.
          As they neared the front, Jacob held out his arm. Marie let go of
Lord High Chamberlain's and slipped hers through Jacob's. Eldna stepped
up and helped steady Lord High Chamberlain as he moved to sit down
between her and Louise. John and Edward moved to Jacob's side.
          As the priest performed the wedding, Louise turned to Lord High
Chamberlain. "Aren't they beautiful together, Matthew?"
          "I don't think I have seen a pair so perfectly matched," he replied.
          Louise chuckled lightly. "You are very diplomatic, Matthew. But I
just love stories that end well."
          As Jacob leaned over to kiss Marie, Lord High Chamberlain
chuckled lightly. "Begging your pardon, Your Majesty, marriage isn't the
ending - it is only the beginning. And knowing Princess Marie, Colonel
Jacob Richins, former Captain of the Royal Guard, has only begun to learn
what a good challenge is."
           As Jacob and Marie turned to face those in the hall as husband and
wife, Prince and Princess, the crowd rose to applaud, and Louise thought of
Alexander's words. "A person's heart is the essence of the true measure of
anyone. That shows in the way he lives his life, not in how he was born. It
is not in the nobility of his birth but in how nobly he lives that makes a man
great or small."
          She looked at Matthew and Jacob, and thought of Alexander, her
father, and Duke Reginald. She then considered her cousin Tobias.
          Yes, Alexander was right.
 
 
 
     Daris Howard is an author and playwright who grew up on a farm in rural Idaho. He associated with many colorful characters including cowboys, farmers, lumberjacks and others. Besides his work on the farm he has worked as a cowboy and a mechanic. He was a state champion athlete and competed in college athletics. He also lived for eighteen months in New York.
     Daris and his wife, Donna, have ten children and were foster parents for several years. He has also worked in scouting and cub scouts, at one time having 18 boys in his scout troop.
     His plays, musicals, and books build on the characters of those he has associated with, along with his many experiences, to bring his work to life.
     Daris is a math professor and his classes are well known for the stories he tells to liven up discussion and to help bring across the points he is trying to teach. His scripts and books are much like his stories, full of humor and inspiration.
     He and his family have enjoyed running a summer community theatre where he gets a chance to premiere his theatrical works and rework them to make them better. His published plays and books can be seen at
http://www.darishoward.com
. He has plays translated into German and French and his work has been done in many countries around the world.
     In the last few years, Daris has started writing books and short stories. He writes a popular news column called Life’s Outtakes, that consists of weekly short stories and is published in various newspapers and magazines in the U.S. and Canada including Country, Horizons, and Family Living.