After the wedding ceremony came the reception. This part was held in the castle's garden. Once again, she found herself in awe at the hard work of the household staff. In a fortnight they managed to turn this space into a mystical realm, capitalizing on the beautiful ivory fountain of a bathing goddess, comfy nest chairs, and exotic flowers. The floating lanterns set a warm mood against the soft glow of the setting sun, illuminating the white marble pathway, fenced by silver moon lilies. The exquisite sound of the harp and flute from the minstrels luring guests to the dance floor one after the other. She could see many of them already mingling in groups, chatting and laughing with delight. It's truly a pleasant sight.
At the same time, she feels thrust into all the excitement without much preparation. Before she could protest her father had whisked her off to greet the noble Lords and Ladies in attendance for the wedding. She honestly didn't want to, but she couldn't find an excuse good enough to decline. They all gathered around her, flattering and fawning over her beautiful appearance. For the most part she tries to smile and nod, thanking them for their blessings.
"Ah, Lady Ariellia," an elven noble lady emerges from the group. She was the only guest who chose to wear white to the wedding. Ariellia's eq score may be low but even she knows wearing white to a wedding when you're not the bride is rude. However, no one spoke out about this noble lady's choice of attire. She could see the twitch on duke Garrod's brow but even he kept his peace. She must be from an esteemed household, too high to be criticized by anyone here. This lady purposely tries to stand close to Ariella, probably hoping others would compare their similar dresses.
"Hello Lady Elaine" she vaguely recalls this irritating character in the game as well. Elaine's not a noteworthy character, only appearing once to challenge Ariellia as her rival.
"You must tell us ladies your secret. Just how did you get Rei to agreed to marry you? Last summer he barely looked your way at the solstice party. Yet now, you're exchanging vows" she tries to hide the venom in her voice behind a pretty hand fan.
It's obvious she is hinting at the unlikely nature of this wedding. Arie can only wince and smile, it's not like she could proudly suggest kidnapping your love interest's childhood friend. "Persistence and patience plays a part I think."
"You never struck me as the patient sort, but I'm glad your years of shameless stalking paid off" Elain's backhanded compliment is not missed.
"Indeed" Arie didn't know what else to say, preferring to kill the conversation as fast as possible. She could tell that even her father seemed uncomfortable but didn't want to rudely intrude on a discussion between girls.
Elaine seemed shocked at her restraint, clearly expecting her to snipe back like usual. Since Ariellia didn't join her to trade verbal blows it makes her look more childish. Other noble ladies try to hide their giggles behind their hands, but it's too obvious. Embarrassed, Elaine snaps at her close attendants and storms off in defeat.
"You handled that well dear, I'm proud of you" duke Garrod looks very pleased with her performance. He seems very proud of her newfound growth in character.
She smiles back and lightly pats his shoulder. "Today's my day, I won't have anyone ruining it. Not even me."
"Care for a dance my dear?" he nods his head in understanding and offers her his hand for a dance.
She's startled at first, but this too is to be expected. This is her wedding, there's usually a father-daughter dance at such events. She's not sure what to do, does she say yes, but she's unfamiliar with the music. What if she makes a fool of herself on the dance floor. Anxious, she nervously takes the duke's hand. Unlike Eren, Arie has always been a social butterfly. It would look strange for her to be a wallflower at her own wedding. Everyone makes way for them as they approach the center of the garden.
The entire time her heart is pounding like a drum, she tentatively takes a stance and waits for the music to change. To her pleasant surprise something magical happens, the moment the music picks up, her feet begin to move. Almost like she's done this a thousand times, they know the steps. She pivots and turns without prompting, never stepping over her father's toes. Her fears vanish, in their place joy and elation takes over. She's never felt so free or light on her feet before. In her past life she never learned to dance, Eren had been too busy working to have a social life. She sees her joy mirrored in the duke's eyes, he's likely remembering a similar moment in the past.
They are the center of attention, but Arie is carried away by the moment and doesn't care, with her father's strong arms leading the way what is there to fear. They dominate the dance floor for two more dances before fatigue kicks in. It's to be expected, she's been busy since dawn with little to eat. Duke Garrod takes notice and steers her towards the delicious looking refreshment table. She parks herself there for the rest of the night, watching from the sidelines while taking leisurely bites of mooncakes.
She spots Rei at the other end of the garden. Her 'husband' stands coolly to the side, pretending that he doesn't have anything to do with this event. In fact, once Ayna is released, he immediately rushes to her side. It's quite a strange sight to see the newly wed groom run to the aid of another woman right after the wedding. Arie can already imagine the gossip that must be brewing in the minds of the nobles present. She even spots Elaine flashing her a triumphant smirk, gloating at her misfortune.
Thankfully, she's not the real Ariellia. She could only imagine how hurt the real Arie would feel watching the man she loves comfort another. Wisemen's words are always right, stolen fruit is never sweet. As an emotionally unattached bystander her only thoughts are centered on when she can take off this tight dress and hurtful heels. Only two days in and she's already forced to face some of the top tier levels of pain pertaining to womanhood.
The dress is wrapped so tightly around her thin waist she can hardly stomach anything. The guests keep trying to offer her congratulatory drinks. Thankfully, her overprotective father manages to ward off the worst of it. Still this body must not be used to alcohol, her vision is swimming and it's getting harder for her to stay focused. After another hour or two the event finally concludes. Her maids finally appear to whisk her away to prepare for the wedding night. She's not thinking about what this means, she's only grateful to be pulled away from the bustling crowd. Finally, she feels her one man show is over.