Chapter Twenty-Three
“Keep still, child.”
Viviane flinched as Stella dug the embroidered comb deeper into her scalp. Bianca pulled at the bodice of her wedding dress, flouncing up her breasts. It was her mother’s gown. Gloria had insisted she wear it. Viviane had never seen it before and assumed it would be another frothy piece of white gauze like the getup from the Luna Festival.
She’d been wrong.
The dress was a gown. It was white and made of silk. The bodice was close fitting. The skirt flared out, flowing down her long legs. It was simple, elegant, and absolutely gorgeous.
It almost made Viviane forget that she hated the idea of a mating ceremony. She'd never had any intention of giving herself to any man. She wasn't a piece of property, a piece of chattel, like a sheep. She’d alw
