“As you can imagine,” the Prince was saying, “my people do not understand English titles and they have been speaking of Lady Rose as a Princess. I therefore think it is easier, until you later become Queen if I refer to you as Princess Rose. When the crown is on our heads, we can say you prefer to use your other name of Valona.”
Valona made a little gesture with her hands.
“I will leave it all in the hands of Your Royal Highness and I think we must just pray that our wedding goes off without any interruptions.”
“I have planned it all down to the smallest detail, including a large number of Union Jacks, which will not only decorate the route to the Cathedral, but will also be in the possession of children who will wave them as you pass by.”
Valona realised it would be a great mistake for the people as well as the Russians not to think she was entirely English.
The battleship was now slowing down and Prince Ajax said,
“Now we are moving into the port – are you both ready to come ashore?”
Valona gave a little cry.
“I must put on my hat!”
She hurried into the Captain’s cabin to find that her clothes had already been packed by the Duke’s valet and taken up on deck.
Her hat was lying waiting for her on the side of the bed and beside it were her handbag and her gloves.
She glanced at herself in the mirror.
As she did so, she thought it was a good thing that her mother did not realise how dangerous her position was going to be in Larissa.
Prince Ajax had not said so, but she was well aware that the Russians might try to shoot her so as to prevent the King from marrying her.
They would do it in some cunning way that would make it appear to have been an accident or indeed she might just disappear.
Whichever way it was, it would prevent the Royal marriage taking place and the patronage of Great Britain.
This was the one outcome that the Larissians were really afraid of.
She felt a little quiver of fear run through her.
‘I have to be brave and resolute,’ she told herself.
Then almost as if she could see him, she felt that Apollo was smiling at her.
He was assuring her of her safety.
‘You will be Queen of Larissa,’ he was telling her, just as she had told the Prince that he would be the King.
The Duke opened the cabin door.
“Are you ready, Valona?”
Valona picked up her bag and gloves.
“Yes, I am ready.”
The Duke took her hand in his, as she realised that Prince Ajax had gone ahead and they were alone.
“Don’t forget you are now my sister,” he reminded her, “and let me say I am very proud of you.”
“I hope you will be able to say that again after the wedding is over.”
“At least your bridegroom is going to be a lot more presentable than we could ever have expected. After all, having been educated at Oxford, he is most charming and, of course, a gentleman!”
Valona laughed as he meant her to.
“I thought we should get back to the old school tie and the Marquis will be very sorry he has missed meeting Prince Ajax.”
“We might well have turned today into an old boys’ reunion!” smiled the Duke as they walked up to the deck.
Prince Ajax had already run down the gangway and was speaking to a number of distinguished-looking men.
Beside them there were children holding bouquets and at a quick glance Valona could see a few Union Jacks waving on the quay.
“Do we go ahead, brother Arthur?” she asked.
“Naturally, sister,” smiled the Duke.
They slowly started to walk hand in hand down the gangway.
Valona already knew that the battleship was staying until after the wedding and there was therefore no reason to say goodbye to any of the Officers on board as yet.
A small child with a bouquet of lilies was waiting for her at the bottom of the gangway.
Valona sent up a little prayer for help.
Although it was the way she had always prayed, this prayer was definitely directed to Apollo.
She accepted the bouquet and then stepped onto the platform.
Prince Ajax presented the Prime Minister to her and the formality of the ceremony began.
He greeted Valona and the Duke and welcomed them on behalf of his father the King and all his people to Larissa.
They were more grateful than he could possibly say to Her Majesty Queen Victoria for her blessing the union between the King of Larissa and one of her close relatives.
Next, the Larissa Cabinet were presented to Valona, followed by the Lord Chamberlain, the General in charge of the Army and the Admiral of the Fleet, which, she found out later, consisted of only two rather small gunboats.
There were carriages waiting to convey them to the Palace and although the sun was shining and it was warm, they were all closed carriages.
Valona knew this was because they were afraid that the Russians might try to assassinate them before the wedding could took place.
Prince Ajax was clearly taking no chances.
As his father’s representative, he sat beside Valona in the first carriage with the Duke opposite them, his back to the horses.
There were not very many people on the roads and he explained that was because they had been expecting the battleship to arrive a few days earlier.
The Duke and Valona were aware that Prince Ajax had worked out exactly how long it would take a battleship to steam from England to Larissa unless it was delayed on the way.
It was impossible for them to explain why they had been delayed so they merely ignored the expressions of surprise from all the members of the Government that the voyage should have taken so long.
The Prince pointed out various places of interest as they drove to the Palace and Valona could see that the City was a very attractive one.
There were tall trees on both sides of the road and a great many shrubs were in bloom – in fact there seemed to be a profusion of flowers everywhere.
When they turned in at the gates of the Palace, she gave a little cry of delight.
The whole drive up to the front door was a mass of flowers of every colour.
“It is so beautiful,” exclaimed Valona.
“I thought you would think so,” said Prince Ajax. “My mother was an ardent gardener and I know you will enjoy the big lake at the back of the Palace and the cascade that runs down from the woods.”
“I want to see everything and if it is all as lovely as this, it will be difficult to find words to describe it.”
“I will show it all to you, but after we are married.”
The way the Prince spoke told Valona that he was afraid for her to go into the garden.
She guessed without him saying any more that she would stay a prisoner in the Palace until after tomorrow’s ceremony.
The Palace itself was very attractive, but was not particularly large and it was built of a white stone that made Valona think of Delos.
When they entered through its front door, there were a large number of courtiers to greet them.
Once the formal introductions were over, the Prince suggested that Valona might wish to change for dinner.
“We are giving a large dinner party tonight and my father is only too sorry he cannot be present. He is being kept quiet today, so that he will be strong enough to enjoy the wedding tomorrow.”
Valona realised he was speaking loudly enough for the courtiers to hear what he was saying.
“Will you please give His Majesty my best wishes and tell him I am so looking forward to meeting him.”
She realised by the expression in the Prince’s eyes that he was pleased with her for what she had just said.
“I will certainly convey your message to my father immediately,” he smiled.
The Lord Chamberlain, as Master of the Household, took Valona and the Duke upstairs an
d they were shown two large and well-furnished bedrooms next to each other.
The Lord Chamberlain explained,
“Tomorrow, Lady Rose, you will be sleeping in the Queen’s room which is on the other side of the Palace. But I do hope you will be comfortable here tonight.”
“I am sure I shall be and thank you very much.”
The Lord Chamberlain paused.
“His Royal Highness has already told me that your Ladyship prefers to be called by your other name which is Valona. As it is your first name, it is the one you will use when you are married.”
“Yes, that is what I would prefer. I think I was only called Rose because I was able to pronounce it when I was very small!”
The Lord Chamberlain laughed.
“Most children like to refer to themselves by their pet names that are easy to pronounce. I know my daughter does.”
“Then I hope I will meet her as we have at least one thing in common!”
“You can be sure of that, my Lady.”
He was just about to depart when he stopped,
“By the way you will have to choose another Lady in-Waiting as you have not brought one with you.”
“It was unfortunate that mine was taken ill when we reached Athens. Of course we could have waited for her to recover, but my brother considered it might be dangerous where you were concerned.”
“He was right,” agreed the Lord Chamberlain, “and we will now provide you immediately with two Ladies-in Waiting, who you will meet at dinner tonight.”
“I shall look forward to it.”
He left her, and a lady’s maid who had been waiting in the background came to help Valona take off her hat and gown.
The woman could not speak a word of English and Valona reflected that Lady Rose would indeed have found it difficult to obtain anything she had wanted.
Their luggage had come ahead of them while they were being received at the port.
But Valona did notice that the trunks containing the wedding gown had not yet been unpacked.
She told the lady’s maid that it must be done before she went to bed. The maid understood and told Valona that everything would be ready for the morning.
This was somewhat reassuring, but Valona did not want to think about the wedding that was being pushed through so hurriedly.
Or of the Coronation which was to follow it.
She felt a little shiver go through her because it was all so intimidating.
Then as she undressed for her bath, she told herself she would think only of Delos and Apollo.
She was quite sure she had seen him.
‘It is so strange,’ she reflected, ‘that now somehow Prince Ajax seems more like Apollo.’
CHAPTER SIX
Valona awoke feeling apprehensive.
There were so many things that could go wrong and she felt so helpless because there was nothing she could do about it.
When they finished dinner the night before, she had thought that the Ladies-in-Waiting chosen for her seemed rather dreary.
She hoped they would not always be in attendance, trying to recall what her mother had told her about the Court at her father’s Palace.
As the Ladies-in-Waiting did not concern her then, she had paid little attention to them.
When she said goodnight to Prince Ajax, he bowed low over her hand and as he did so, he said in a whisper that only she could hear,
“You have been so splendid. Thank you, I am most grateful.”
She smiled at him and then she turned to the Duke.
“Everything will work out all right,” he had told her reassuringly.
She felt that he hardly believed it himself and was only being optimistic.
She now climbed out of bed and had her bath.
Two maids brought in the wedding gown that had been made for Lady Rose.
Valona was not in the least worried it would not fit her, because she and Lady Rose were about the same size.
She only felt, and she was right, that her waist was a little smaller.
The gown was magnificent and Valona thought that Lady Rose had been determined to assert herself as the best possible representative of Great Britain.
The gown was completely decorated with diamante and the long satin train was embroidered and edged with ermine.
The maids fastened it to Valona’s waist.
She hoped fervently that not only would the people of Larissa be impressed by her appearance, but so would Prince Ajax.
Lady Rose had very kindly left a diamond tiara for her, which belonged to the Inchcombe family and Valona made a mental note to be sure to hand it back to the Duke before he returned to England.
It was certainly most becoming on her and so was the diamond necklace that matched it.
‘I really ought to stand like a statue in the Park so that everyone in Larissa can admire me as a representative of Great Britain,’ she mused.
She smiled to herself at the idea as she pulled on her long white kid gloves.
She was trying to think if she now had everything she required, when there was a knock on the door.
A footman informed the maid that His Grace was waiting in the hall.
Valona took a last glance at herself in the mirror.
Then, with the maids carrying her train, she walked out of the room and slowly down the stairs.
When she saw the Duke below her, she realised that he too wished to impress the people of Larissa.
His dark blue coat was covered with decorations that sparkled in the sunshine with the Order of the Garter across his shoulder.
A diamond cross hanging on a red band was at his throat below his collar.
When Valona reached him, he smiled at her.
“I don’t need to tell you – you look magnificent.”
“I was thinking the same about you!”
“The Larissians will certainly receive their money’s worth where we two are concerned!”
They both laughed and Valona knew he was trying to keep her from feeling nervous.
There was a throng of attendants and courtiers to usher them off.
Valona’s long train was arranged very carefully in the carriage at her feet.
It was a closed carriage and she reckoned that, as they were yesterday, all the carriages would be closed.
Hers was drawn by four white horses and escorted by Cavalry Officers riding on either side.
They kept their horses very close to the carriage, so it was difficult for the waiting crowds to see them and she knew it was to protect her from being shot at.
As they were driving along, the Duke commented,
“You are behaving admirably and I know that your mother would be very proud of you.”
“I have a thousand butterflies fluttering inside me!”
The Duke laughed.
“I know the feeling only too well. At the same time remember you have Queen Victoria standing behind you and everyone in this City is well aware of it by this time.”
Valona realised he was referring to the innumerable Union Jacks hanging from the trees and from the windows of the houses, as well as smaller ones clutched in the hands of children.
The crowds became thicker as they drew nearer to the Cathedral and Valona could see when they arrived that it faced a huge Square.
It was a beautiful building and must have been built over three hundred years ago.
The horses came to a standstill.
There was a long row of steps covered in red carpet leading up to the West door with soldiers lining each side of the steps.
She was assisted out of the carriage and found that there were four young boys dressed in white satin suits to carry her train.
She guessed they must be the sons of distinguished members of the Larissian aristocracy.
They bowed to her most respectfully and there were cheers from the crowd, as taking the Duke’s arm, Valona started to walk very slowly up the steps.
The soldiers presented arms as
they did so.
The cheers grew even louder as the crowds at the back of the Square could see the beauty of her train.
When they reached the West door, there were four Bishops waiting to receive them.
As they did so, there was a salute of guns outside the Cathedral.
The Bishops led the way in and they started to walk up the aisle.
The pews were filled to overflowing and there were a large number of men standing at the back as there was nowhere for them to sit.
As Valona proceeded at a slow pace up the aisle on the Duke’s arm, she tried not to look about her as she knew that she should look down and appear to be shy.
She had received a message from Prince Ajax whilst she was dressing asking her not to wear a veil to cover her face, which she thought was a rather strange request.
Then she remembered that she was to be crowned immediately after the Marriage Service was finished and a traditional veil would have been inappropriate.
Actually the soft Brussels lace veil falling on either side of her cheeks gave her an ethereal look and it also accentuated the beauty of her features and her very large blue eyes.
When they reached the Chancel, the choir started to sing an anthem, which Valona learnt later had been sung at Marriage Services in Larissa for over two hundred years.
Then, as they reached the altar steps, she saw that Prince Ajax was waiting for her.
He was looking just as resplendent as the Duke in a military uniform and his white coat with its gold epaulettes covered with diamond stars and medals.
Prince Ajax smiled at Valona, but she considered it incorrect to smile back at him and merely bent her head in acknowledgement.
Then they were standing in front of the Archbishop.
Wearing jewelled vestments, he started the Marriage Service.
As Valona had agreed with Prince Ajax, he used her own name first and Rose second.
She managed to repeat the oath in Larissian word for word after the Archbishop without making a mistake.
The Duke gave her away and a tall good-looking General was Best Man to Prince Ajax.
When he put the wedding ring on Valona’s finger, he felt her hand tremble a little, but outwardly she appeared very composed.
Then they knelt for the Blessing and, as they did so, it swept over Valona like a huge tidal wave that she was now married to a man she had only just met and of whom she knew absolutely nothing!
Love and Apollo Page 10