Aria Vale
Dawn breaks gray and overcast, clouds hanging heavy with the promise of rain. Sierra tells me it's good luck, rain on a mating day, that it represents the moon goddess blessing the union. I'm not sure I believe in signs, but I'll take any comfort I can get.
The morning passes in a haze of preparation. A team of women I don't know arrives to help me dress, style my hair, apply ceremonial markings. The dress is traditional, white with silver embroidery that catches the light. It's beautiful and restricting in equal measure, the corset making it hard to breathe.
"You look stunning," Sierra breathes when they finally finish. "Like a queen."
I study myself in the full length mirror they've brought. The woman looking back is almost unrecognizable. Elegant, poised, powerful. The Sil
