the king 's son was going to be married , so there were general rejoicings . he had waited a whole year for his bride , and at last she had arrived . she was a russian princess , and had driven all the way from finland in a sledge drawn by six reindeer . the sledge was shaped like a great golden swan , and between the swan 's wings lay the little princess herself . her long ermine - cloak reached right down to her feet , on her head was a tiny cap of silver tissue , and she was as pale as the snow palace in which she had always lived . so pale was she that as she drove through the streets all the people wondered . " she is like a white rose ! " they cried , and they threw down flowers on her from the balconies . for the next three days everybody went about saying , " white rose , red rose , red rose , white rose " ; and the king gave orders that the page 's salary was to be doubled . as he received no salary at all this was not of much use to him , but it was considered a great honour , and was duly published in the court gazette . when the three days were over the marriage was celebrated . it was a magnificent ceremony , and the bride and bridegroom walked hand in hand under a canopy of purple velvet embroidered with little pearls . then there was a state banquet , which lasted for five hours . the prince and princess sat at the top of the great hall and drank out of a cup of clear crystal . only true lovers could drink out of this cup , for if false lips touched it , it grew grey and dull and cloudy . " it 's quite clear that they love each other , " said the little page , " as clear as crystal ! " and the king doubled his salary a second time . " what an honour ! " cried all the courtiers . after the banquet there was to be a ball . the bride and bridegroom were to dance the rose - dance together , and the king had promised to play the flute . he played very badly , but no one had ever dared to tell him so , because he was the king . indeed , he knew only two airs , and was never quite certain which one he was playing ; but it made no matter , for , whatever he did , everybody cried out , " charming ! charming ! " the last item on the programme was a grand display of fireworks , to be let off exactly at midnight . the little princess had never seen a firework in her life , so the king had given orders that the royal pyrotechnist should be in attendance on the day of her marriage . 
the day of the little princess 's marriage .
what event was being celebrated at the castle ?
what event was being celebrated at the castle ?