Chapter 9: Adriana

To say everything was moving at warp speed would be an understatement. I stepped out of the car that drove us from his private airstrip and out into the courtyard of the palace. I was left completely breathless. The castle was enormous, and I felt like the whole of Prague could fit in just one wing. The outside was stunning, with large stone arches, light green rooves, and three tall towers that made me feel as if I was standing inside of a fairy tale. The amount of servants that stood on the steps, ready to welcome me, was staggering, and I assumed they were just a minuscule percentage of who actually worked for the kingdom.

“My dear,” Milos said, as he handed me my purse. “This is Byron. He will be showing you to your quarters and getting you settled in.”

I shook my head, not even noticing Milos slip off in the other direction. Byron smiled at me kindly, and I nodded my head and smiled at the servants who curtsied, one by one, as I passed them. Byron walked quickly through the sweeping halls, and I hurried to catch up. I glanced into the dozens of rooms I passed as I went and gawked at their magnitude. There were ballrooms, dining halls, maids’ quarters, and kitchens. And this was all before I had even reached my wing of the palace.

“This wing will be yours,” Byron said as he opened the large engraved doors.

I stepped into a large sitting area decorated with large, framed paintings of what I assumed to be royal family members. There were ornate vases scattered throughout, and a large pinstriped couch perched in the center, just in front of the fireplace. The rugs covering the marble floors gave a hint of the culture that I would be experiencing during my time in Silesia. There were so many things to see, explore, and admire, but everything seemed to be moving forward without a moment to take a breath. I stood in the large room looking up at the high-domed ceiling, clutching my purse.

“My Lady,” Byron said. I looked up to find that he was standing by another set of large doors. “Deep breaths. It can be a lot to take in at first. Let’s get you settled.”

I smiled and nodded my head, still looking around as I followed him into the halls beyond the doors. There were over a dozen rooms in my wing, and I wasn’t really sure what I was supposed to do with them all. We made our way past the gold-ornamented bathrooms and around the corridor, where we entered into my bedroom. Byron carried my luggage in and sat it by my king-sized, four-poster bed. I looked around in awe. The room was so large you could fit two of my flats from Liverpool inside of it with ease. It had its own dining area, living room, and sleeping quarters, as well as the largest fireplace I had ever seen.

“Before you unpack, however, the Queen requests an audience,” Byron said kindly, bowing his head.

“Oh,” I said with surprise and nerves. “Well, let's not keep the Queen waiting then.”

We made our way across the castle to another large set of doors, where two guards sat perched. I thought to myself that I would need a map to find my way back. Fortunately, as arrived, I was introduced to a trove of servants that would be attending me, and they seemed to go wherever I did. Surely, they would be helpful.

We stood in front of the large doors, and immediately, I became more than nervous. I clasped my hands in front of me to keep them from shaking. Byron opened the door and stood to the side, allowing me to slip into the room. It was like my sitting room at the front of my wing, except larger, and it smelled of hot tea and perfume.

“Ah,” a voice said from the center of the room. “You don’t know how excited I am to meet you.”

A beautiful woman walked toward me, dressed in a long skirt and suit jacket with a small rose pinned to the lapel. Her arms were open wide. Her hair was peppered with gray, but I could see the same smile on her face as I saw on Milos the first time I met him. Her eyes were kind but stern, and she grabbed my shoulders, leaning in and kissing each of my cheeks. She pulled back and took a good long look at me, as though she were making sure I was a suitable fit to become her daughter-in-law.

“You must be exhausted,” she said, taking both of my hands and pulling me to the center of the room. “Things tend to move a bit faster inside the castle than they do on the outside. Milos will be along momentarily.”

She motioned for me to sit in the chair facing her couch. I smiled and tried to sit as gracefully as possible, tucking my legs underneath my chair with my ankles crossed. I had no idea what I was supposed to do or say, so I just sat there watching the Queen’s servants rush around the room, preparing tea. Queen Zora smiled thankfully at her servant as she handed her a cup and sat back on the couch.

“How are you adjusting so far, my dear?” she asked.

I didn’t know what to say, and I felt like my mouth was stuck shut. I took in a deep breath, but before I could talk, the doors swung open, and Milos made his usual grand entrance.

“Mother,” he said loudly. He walked over and bent down to kiss her on the cheek. “You look as lovely as always.”

“Ah, Milos,” the Queen said in a loving tone. “We were just talking about how she was adjusting.”

“My sweet Adriana is used to constant motion,” he said with charm. “She is a school teacher in Prague. Well, she was, until I swooped into her life. We’ve been dating for several months now, but we wanted to keep it quiet. She teaches elementary English, and the children really adore her. So, she wanted to make this transition as easy on them as possible.”

I sat there listening to Milos, not realizing he was talking about me until he smiled and took my hand. I was going to have to remember all of these lies he told, if I was going to keep up this charade for a year. He continued to gush about me to his mother. I stared at the large portrait of whom I assumed was his father. They looked identical. The only difference was the King’s peppered black and gray hair, showing his seniority.

“It was hard to tear her away, since she is involved in so many volunteer programs, and the community relied on her for so much,” Milos gushed. “But alas, I was able to talk her into bringing that sweet and caring demeanor to Silesia, with the hope that she can make the same difference in our kingdom as she has for the people of Prague.”

“That is just lovely,” the Queen said, sipping her tea. “Now, I know our time is limited today, since I must get the plans ready for the dinner in your bride’s honor for tomorrow night. Let’s talk briefly about the wedding.”

“I don’t want to wait,” Milos cut in. “It must be something we do immediately.”

“While I appreciate your enthusiasm, a royal wedding can take months to plan,” the Queen said, with a knowing laugh.

“Then cut it down, Mother,” Milos responded, standing and looking around. “This Kingdom has been through enough change with father’s death. I would like to get the wedding complete and on to business.”

“Milos,” the Queen said with a disappointed look.

“Mother, you are resourceful. Let’s say a week. I want to be married within a week. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a honeymoon to plan.”

Milos looked down at me and nodded before sweeping out of the room as quickly as he had entered. I looked down at my hands, feeling slightly uncomfortable with how demanding he was. The Queen set her cup on the table and sighed deeply.

“He is so frustrating sometimes,” she said. “When he gets something in his mind he is more than stubborn. But, that being said, it may be a crazy week for you, my dear, but I will make sure you have as beautiful a wedding as I possibly can.”

Feeling that this meeting was over, I stood and turned to the servant to show me out. I stopped and turned back to the Queen, who was putting on reading glasses and looking down at some papers on her desk.

“Thank you, Your Grace,” I said with the best curtsey I could muster.

She looked up over her glasses and smiled, nodding her head at me as I turned and left her chambers.

From that moment, and for the next week, my life was hard to even recognize as my own. Each morning, I was greeted with breakfast in my chambers and then presented with a laundry list of things to do for the wedding. From dress fittings and cake decisions, to décor and even picking which set of Royal China to use, I didn’t have two seconds to breathe. The seamstress took my measurements, and by the next day, I was dressed in whatever was handed to my servants that morning. I didn’t even have a chance to unpack. I’d thrown my bags into the closet, promising I would get to them later. By the end of the week, I was more than a little exhausted by everything.

Queen Zora was always so gracious, but as she ordered the staff around and glided through the palace with purpose, I started to understand why she and Milos clashed so often. She was like the reformed version of Milos. She knew exactly what she wanted, she didn’t take no for an answer, and she won almost everything with the use of her wit and charm. The biggest difference between the two was she understood her responsibility to the kingdom, while Milos lived in his own little world.

By the time the wedding day arrived, I was so exhausted by the week, that the only thing left was my nerves. Standing at the back of the cathedral, waiting for my entrance cue, was the first quiet moment I’d had since I arrived. To be honest, the only thing my mind wanted to do was take me out of all this.

What had I gotten myself into? In the beginning, it sounded like a great idea, but now that the wedding was about to happen, I realized I was in deeper water than I could swim in. I felt like I was barely staying afloat.

The music began to play, and the doors to the church opened slowly. My mind raced, and my hands began to shake. I immediately thought about running, just turning and bolting from the church, out into the countryside, and not stopping until I was out of Silesia’s borders. But as I stepped into the light of the stained-glass windows, I looked up to the front, and my eyes met with Milos’s. His warm smile filled my chest with excitement. Without even thinking, my feet began to move forward.

Every step I took brought me closer and closer to this man that I wasn’t even sure I liked, much less loved. However, as if his smile and warm eyes were a drug, I was drawn to him, oblivious of everyone around me. With every step of my small heeled feet, I moved closer to my place in the Silesia Kingdom, next to the devilishly handsome, future king.

In that moment, I could see nothing but my future, blinded by the grandeur of my own unbelievable life.