It was not her long, flowing blond hair,

Nor her smooth flawless skin,

Not her slim figure,

Nor love at first sight

Not a mere lust for a beautiful

Extraordinary bride

Not for showing off a maiden

As if she were just a glorious trophy at my side.

 

No. It was not that.

It was when the overwhelming smell,

When the smell of the pompous superficial,

The thickening stench of greed,

The choking expectancy of perfection,

The masks of wealth and the disguise of royalty

The attitude of entitlement mixed with

The subtle all-consuming taste of pride

the deceitful taste of being in a higher place

Of being better than

them,

When the sound of unsatisfied

Full stomachs, that had all things

That were nothing

Suddenly

Faded

 

Faded as a small but distinct

New flavour of wonder

Flowed from the frame

Of an uncomfortable, awkward figure

When the noise of a political show

Stilled

As this hollowed out, tired looking figure,

Dressed in a sharp contrast

Servant-like mannerisms against superficial royal clothes

Entered

 

Royalty was not in her blood

But wonder and magic

flowed from her eyes

Her sunken, tired eyes

Partially covered with a

Mask of make up

 

Her eyes held a silent passion,

Courage, surety

Determination

Traits that had long been stamped out 0f

those who were gathered there

by their selfish greed.

As she stumbled slightly in heels too tall

Her eyes met mine

And it wasn’t the soft

blue colour that drew me in

but the realisation that she saw

me.

Not a Prince,  

not an opportunity for better status

not a potential bragging right

not the key to a better life

but me

a young man

scared of the imminent heavy burden

of representing a nation

 

It was not a dance

But a merging of two worlds

One which had everything that

Meant nothing

And one which had nothing

But appreciated everything

 

It was not a shoe

It was the key to that

New world

the world where status

And wealth didn’t matter

The world where people

Truly saw each other

It wasn’t a love for something beautiful

But a love for one

Who exuded beauty in spirit

One who deserved all royalty

Because she knew it didn’t come

through a bloodline but

from character

 

And when she married me

she didn’t just save herself

She helped save a kingdom.