The Unwanted Bride

Rayne POV A grand masquerade ball was happening within the kingdom of the Imps, each resident holding a human form as they danced. The vast ballroom decorated as if it were made of gold and glass, hundreds upon hundreds of candles lighting the entire room. Flirtatious talk and laughter filled the room as its residents continue their waltz to the soft tones of the orchestra. Talk of a wedding filled the air, the monarch of their kingdom settling down with a human from outside of their world. Everyone knew who their queen lusted after all these years, Emily. Emily had destroyed their kingdom, tricked their queen, and left with the heir to their throne. Now, almost ten years later, news had spread that she was returning to accept the Queen's proposal of marriage. All eyes move around the hall as they spoke, lingering up to the throne every so often. Rayne, the Queen of the Imps, sat upon her throne, her right leg draped over the right arm as she sat at an angle. Her cheek rests upon her left hand, as her elbow propped her up against the left side of the throne. Her free hand holding a royal scepter that was encrusted with jewels of emerald, peridot, and crystals of various green hues. There was a large clock beside her that read ten passed eleven in the evening of their twenty-six-hour days. Her heart pulsed with fury with each passing tick that Emily was late. She made sure that devilish girl had a pleasing dress, an extravagant ball, and music from her own world to dance to. Still, the queen sat impatiently for her bride, for nearly an hour and a half, and hating her weakened heart towards that girl. The sound of distant trumpets filled the air, announcing a new guest to enter the hall. A man moved quickly over to the queen and whispered that the girl had arrived. Nodding, the queen looked over to the man as he stood a near six foot with broad shoulders and a strong physique within his tightly tailored cloak, the smallest of imps were always the most insecure. The man hurried over to the right where everyone could gather their attention to him. He stumbled slightly as he announced the arrival of the human girl, Emily, and the door opened upon her name. A woman entered the ball under the illumination of many new candles to guide her way to the throne. Her golden curls pinned up into an intricate style that must have taken the ladies in waiting a few hours to complete, each weave holding ribbons of the varying greens that the queen now wore upon her suit jacket and slacks. Two smokey crystals hung delicately from her ears, swinging only gently as she seemed to glide into the room. Her frame held a cream-colored gown that fell in waves from the tight bodice that held lace and crystals. The train of the gown the most impressive piece of the entire garment, trailing yards of fabric behind the slim form of the woman that now stood before her. The woman bowed her head as she curtsied before the queen, her hand raised to hold the contract of their marriage out before her. Upon the scroll of parchment, the intricacy of the queens writing flowed. The agreement was that Emily would marry the queen, move to the castle at the center of the imp forest, and help the queen find the heir to the throne that she had selfishly stolen from the queen so many years ago. Upon taking the document the queen's brow furrowed as marks had filled the page, and an unknown name lay within the signature. The queen cursed and moved over to the woman, who held the Queen's ring. "Who are you?" The queen bellowed, "What have you done!" The young woman remained in her curtsey; the room quiet around her as those that belonged to the queen’s kingdom began to whisper. Many began to quietly question the Queen’s ability to bring a simple human girl to their world. Rayne raised her head to eye her subjects with a vehement gaze of anger and loathing. The judgements began to slowly quiet again, and the girl took the opportunity to speak. “I am Emily Anders. I have come to you as you requested, and I have brought you heir with me as well.” Rayne returned her attention to the young woman and raised a brow. She did not see another human with the lying woman before her. There was not a single rustling of booted or slipper covered feet upon the floor, indicating another human entering the room. She returned her gaze to the unknown woman, becoming furious. She questioned herself how this mortal would dare come here not only unwelcomed, but also lie to her in front of her own subjects. “You lie.” She hissed out the response to the woman, her eyes aflame. “I do not.” The woman spoke softly as she moved her hand to her middle, “I am carrying I child. I offer this child up as your heir, to replace the one I have stolen.” Rayne moved over to the woman knelt down enough to speak in a low growl, that only she would be able to hear. “If you lie, girl, I will kill you.” Rayne straightened and looked over her subject, her face without expression as if it were made by stone. She waved for the musicians to continue their music and sat upon her throne so everyone could dance. The man from earlier moved over, and she told him to take the human girl to her quarters. The man bowed low, and gently removed the woman from the room, by leading her through a side door. The party would continue, even after the queen left at the clock striking the thirteenth hour of the evening. No one seemed to notice the queen’s exit, too busy becoming lost in their drunk conversations. Everyone knew that on this night, once dismissed, the party would continue in many a bed throughout the kingdom. The young woman remained quiet for a few moments as if lost in thought, idly chewing upon her painted lower lip. The firelight danced across her fair skin and caused shadows dance upon the walls behind her. Her shape was delicate and seemed that of the fairies that danced in the moors. Her new bride was not unattractive, but still could not hold a candle to her original betrothed. Emily had gotten away from her once more and had left her to marry a stranger that had never been within her forests. The rage began to build within her once more as her thoughts of the human that made a fool of her, had finally got away. A soft whisper of a voice floated to her, ripping her back to the present. “Can you not just call me Emily, and let us continue the Charade that you need?” She spoke. Rayne reached out and gripped the girl’s chin, lifting her gaze to meet the smoldering fury within hers. She was caught a moment as she caught the vibrant emerald hues of the stranger. No, she thought, my bride is in no way unattractive. She loosened her grip upon the girls chin slightly but made sure it remained in place. Her anger returned after the brief lapse of wonder. “You are not Emily, and I will not pretend that you are. You will tell me your name, and you will be called by it.” Rayne spoke in an authoritative tone, “Then I will figure out why that blasted girl sent you in her stead.” The young woman watched the queen in a small kind of wonder. She had not expected to actually have to be herself once here. She knew it had been several years since Emily had been here, and it would have been easy to play off that she was the same woman. She had hoped the queen would play it off, and that she would receive her questioning later on in the night. She had no doubt in her mind that the queen had read her name upon the contract she sent. She knew her life would be difficult here in this place, but she couldn’t help being lost in the wonder of the thick forests that she was brought to. “If you wish.” She spoke softly, her gaze not leaving the queen’s. “My name is Aurora Ducane, and Emily didn’t send me here.” ___________________________________________ Rayne had decided to busy herself with her duties within her kingdom and ignore the pleas of the human wishing to explain what she had done. Upon leaving her room, the girl still speaking to the closed door, she ordered one of the serving imps to bring hot water to her room for the girl to bathe. She wanted that girl out of the dress that was painstakingly made for Emily. The serving imp nodded in obedience and ran to find help in gathering what was needed for the bath. Rayne had walked away from her bedroom door, the human’s voice becoming quieter with each step, until it had left her completely. She now sat within her study, a handful of important documents and official decrees in front of her. They had been written before this new human had entered her life, and now the words made her sick. Several decrees were the official documentation of her marriage to Emily, which had stated where she would now be within the monarchy as Rayne’s bride. The pen within Rayne’s hand snapped in half, she had not known she had been clenching her first so tightly. She moved her documents away as ink flowed down her hand and dripped down upon her desk. Her thoughts were filled with rage towards this new human girl’s, Aurora, and her Deceit. Her thoughts filled with hatred towards Emily, and her recollections of their brief encounters. Rayne had finally returned to take the traitor with her back to the imp city. The years of luck nearly drained from the human that had once helped her. That human had known of their deals, had brought the queen many a soul to add to her kingdom. The queen had stolen the final human which had been brought to her and sealed off the portal once more. She had decided not to return for some time as punishment to the one that had betrayed her. She was only returning, because the woman had helped her secure many of her new Imps to her kingdom. This was the last kindness she would do for humankind, and it was for a traitor. Upon emerging from the lake, Rayne saw a new figure standing upon its shores. It was a human girl, her eyes towards the stars, as if in waiting. The queen took a moment to study the girl. She was a head shorter than the queen’s five-feet-and-seven-inches and seemed so delicate in comparison to other’s she had seen. Her form was dressed in a soft pink floral dress, that flared out at the skirt and reached just above the girl’s knees. She watched the girl shiver slightly as a soft breeze caressed her bare shoulders and lifted her chestnut hair. The queen was amused at the thought of this silly girl standing in the dark, nothing to help her brave the elements. The queen stepped out from the shadows and towards the girl. She stepped upon a twig and a pair of soft jade hues caught hers, at that moment the queen felt she was falling. This girl would come to be known as Emily.