The morning sun found its way through a narrow crack in the shutters, landing right in my eyes. I groaned and pulled the blanket over my head, desperate to hold onto the darkness for a little longer. Every muscle ached in protest at the idea of moving, so I clung to the last traces of warmth, as if I could hide from the day by simply refusing to wake. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping the world might vanish if I just wished hard enough. But, of course, life had other ideas.
𝅘𝅥𝅮“Good morning.”𝅘𝅥𝅮
Emma swept into my room, her voice bright and far too cheerful for this hour, filling every corner and rattling around in my head.
“You have to wake up, my lady. Today is your wedding day.”
Urgh!
I unpeeled myself from the warmth of my bed with the same grace as an arthritis ridden hag. Others might have been excited about their wedding, but as an introvert, there could have been no greater torture than to lay your feelings bare in front of everyone you know while you are the center of attention.
“What's with that face? Today is your big day, aren't you excited?”
Emma asked, her voice rising to a pitch that reminded me of an overexcited teenager who had just seen a member of their favorite Boy group.
“Can't we just skip the ceremony?”
I hadn't meant it seriously, but Emma was having none of it.
“No! absolutely not.”
“Then at least the dancing.”
“NO!”
“The Banquet.”
“Come on, my lady, how can you be so boring?”
“Boring?”
“Yes, boring. I mean, what isn't there to like? You get to wear a beautiful dress adorned with jewels, marrying the man of your dreams. Right after comes the big dance where you two dance together the whole night. The musicians play your favorite song, and for a moment, it feels like the world has disappeared and there’s only the two of you, spinning beneath the lights. Even when your feet start to ache, you don’t want it to end, because you know this is the happiest night of your life.”
Just picturing it was enough to make my feet ache in sympathy, phantom blisters already forming at the thought.
“And then after the Banquett, you two spent your first night together and…”
“Wait, first night?”
I'm not a Virgin. What on earth was Emma going on about now?
“Initially, you are shy when he pushes you onto the bed, but then you take the lead and…”
LALALALALA I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THIS!
Fortunately, I managed to protect both my ears and what remained of my innocence, though Emma seemed determined to keep going regardless.
“And then you get pregnant and give birth to a beautiful little angel and…”
Emma was clearly lost in her own world, and I was learning far more about her saccharine married life than I ever wished to know.
By the time Adelheid finally arrived, two hours later, I had managed to brush my hair and eat breakfast, all while Emma continued her endless monologue about marital bliss. I might have been dressed already if I hadn't spent half the morning with my hands clamped over my ears. At this rate, if those two kept at it, Teresa would have siblings before the end of the year.
When she saw her mother's face, it was like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her head. But Adelheid just shook her head after all; it wasn't the first time this had happened. She had clearly given up.
Thankfully, there was no rush. The ceremony would begin an hour before dusk and end just as the sun slipped below the horizon, followed by a celebration that would stretch on until dawn. Nearly everyone from Roots and most of Rosedorn would attend, and in total, seven couples, including Janus and me, would be wed.
Adelheid, however, was unmoved by my reluctance and set to work at once. My makeup was all shades of red, fading gently into pink before blending with my pale skin. Instead of being pinned up, my hair was braided into two plaits that met at the back to form a loop, ending in a single pigtail, while the rest was threaded through said loop, falling down my back, woven with dried flowers in every shade from deep red to pale pink and white.
Rosalia's dress for me was strapless, with a wide, flowing skirt that began just below my chest and ended in great overlapping petals. The fabric was pure white, covered in floral patterns that started pale, then blushed pink as they climbed, maturing to crimson at the very top.
I had worried it might not fit anymore, but it was perfect. Rosalia had truly outdone herself this time. I only hoped her staff had survived the ordeal...
The look was completed with two silver earrings and a white veil, both adorned with teardrop-shaped rubies that seemed like drops of blood in a field of snow. This time, there would be no necklace, since it would distract from the necklaces Janus and I would exchange at the end of the ceremony.