When morning comes, I step onto the balcony and peer at the dark clouds overhead. The fresh scent of rain lingers in the air as rolling thunder rumbles above us. Lightning streaks across the sky, and heavy drops begin to fall.
What an ominous backdrop for my wedding day. We’ve had nothing but clear skies the past few weeks, yet today of all days, a storm brews. Maybe this is a sign that I’m making a mistake.
I’ve always heard that rain is a terrible omen on one’s wedding day.
A knock at the door startles me, and I turn to find Rina and a servant entering. Rina’s eyes are glassy as she presents my dress to me. More servants enter while she guides me toward the full-length mirror with a pained smile. “We have much to do, my dear. Are you sure this is what you want?”
I take her hand and squeeze gently. “It may not be what I want, but I know in my heart that it is right.”
A tear drips from her lashes and rolls down her cheek. She quickly brushes it away and forces a bright smile to her face.
“All right.” She turns me to face the mirror. “You will be the most beautiful bride there ever was.”
With Rina’s help, it takes far less time to get ready than I thought it would. As I stand before the mirror in my wedding gown, a faint smile tugs my lips. I wish my mother were here to see me wearing her dress. I can only imagine how happy she must have been when she wore it the day she married my father.
As if my very thoughts have summoned him, he enters the room.
He smiles warmly and pulls me into an embrace. “You are just as lovely as your mother.”
His words strike a chord deep inside me. “Thank you, Father,” I barely manage as I blink back tears.
Father tips up my chin. “You are sure this is what you want to do?”
I nod. “You know it is right, Father.”
“Aye. I do.” He sighs. “The Dwarves do not believe so, however. They’ve come for the wedding, their king demanding that I send your future husband fleeing to the hills rather than allow him to marry you.”
I chuckle. “They are honorable people. They simply worry for me.”
“Especially Bran,” Father adds. “We’ll have to keep a close eye on him at the reception or I suspect your new husband will be the proud owner of a black eye this evening for stealing his best friend.”
A faint smile crests my lips because I know he’s right.
Father offers me his arm. “All right, my darling daughter. Are you ready?”
I loop my arm through his. “Yes, I am.”
When we reach the great hall, Father pauses just outside the doors. My heart hammers, knowing that my future husband is waiting for me on the other side. Drawing in a deep, steadying breath, we start forward.
The guards throw open the doors, and my gaze flies to Prince Caelen standing at the end of the aisle with another Elf at his side. His eyes snap up to meet mine, and I can barely breathe.
Dressed in flowing, elegant robes of emerald, he stands regal and handsome. His outfit perfectly complements his eyes and flawless skin, lending an ethereal yet fierce beauty to his features.
Beautiful silk ribbons adorn the Great Hall. Sunlight filters in through the stained-glass windows. Their patterns and colors a stark contrast to the gray stone of the castle, and the bouquets of white roses at the ends of each aisle. Scattered white rose petals line the carpeted walkway to the altar, filling the air with their sweet perfume.
As Father and I start down the aisle, I pray to the gods and the spirit of my mother to grant me the strength and courage to see this through. Today, my former enemy will become my husband and lover.
