Beauty In Darkness

8

Lily wiped at her eyes. “Father never told us any of this.”

“No, of course not. After Fellina died, Balsam was bereft for months, and when he decided to marry again, he ordered everything of your mother’s destroyed. I managed to save a few things and stored them here where he would never find them.”

“It’s a wonder he didn’t have me killed as well,” I muttered.

Dahlia’s face softened. “He would never do that. Yes, you remind him of his loss, but you remind him of her love too. He does care for you, in his own way.”

I wasn’t sure of that, but perhaps by marrying King Raith and saving our kingdom from further bloodshed I would earn a tiny bit of his respect. That would have to be enough.

Dahlia reached into the chest and drew out a long, white gown of sparkling silk encrusted with diamonds. “One of the things I saved from his purge was your mother’s wedding gown. She told me to give it to you, Rose. For your wedding day.”

My throat tightened at the sight of the beautiful dress that had once been worn by our mother. “I can’t accept that. It should be Lily’s, not mine.”

Dahlia shook her head. “She has something for Lily’s wedding as well, when the time comes. Don’t worry about that.”

“It’s meant to be yours,” Lily said. “Besides, Father would never allow me to wear her dress.”

“But he’ll let me?” I asked.

“He won’t have a choice,” Dahlia said. “King Raith demanded the wedding be held tomorrow and we don’t have a lot of other options.” She raised the gown up to my body, then had me hold it there while she searched for something in the room. “You’re about the same size she was, so I know this will fit perfectly.”

She drew a long sheet of fabric off a tall mirror, sending dust across the room and making us all cough. I caught sight of my reflection as I held the gown up to myself, and tears filled my eyes.

“It’s perfect,” Lily said, pressing a hand to her chest.

I nodded, unable to speak with all the emotions coursing through me. I’d thought the spellbook the only thing left of my mother’s, but now I would be wearing her gown at my own wedding. Not only that, she’d purposefully left it for me, knowing we’d be in this situation. As I held the gown to my chest, I felt closer to her than ever before, and more confident in my decision to marry Raith. If Mother had wanted this future for me, it must not be too bad. What else had she seen?

“You look just like Fellina.” Dahlia gathered me in a hug, wrapping me in her warm arms. “You girls are the daughters that Garon and I could never have. I love you all like my own children, and I’m so proud of you. I know your mother would be too.”

My throat tightened as I clung to her. She was the closest thing we’d all had to a mother too. “Thank you. For everything.”

When she let me go, Lily immediately grabbed me in a tight hug of her own. “It should be me marrying that horrible man,” she said, her voice breaking. “I’m supposed to be the one protecting you.”

“We both know it had to be me. You have to stay here and become queen, and the others have their own paths to follow. I’ve always known I’d be married off to suit Father’s needs, although I never expected it to be to King Raith, of all people.” I pulled back just enough to give Lily a brave smile. My older sister by only one year, but sometimes it felt like ten. She’d always taken care of me, but now it was my turn. “Besides, I’ve long dreamed of exploring new lands. Now I’ll get my chance.”

Lily’s eyes were wet with unshed tears. “I can’t imagine my life without you. I don’t want you to leave.”

I didn’t want to leave either, despite my words. Even if I’d always known this day would come, the thought of leaving behind my family and my home was hard to accept. Especially since I’d be going to live in a kingdom that had long been our enemy, with a strange, brooding man as my husband. But I would agree to it again, a hundred times over, if it meant protecting my kingdom and my family.

I took Lily’s hands and squeezed them. “Soon we’ll both be queens of one of the Six Kingdoms, and we’ll be able to bring lasting peace to our lands. Together we will change the entire world for the better. Just like our mother would have wanted.”

I turned back to the mirror and gazed at my reflection, noting the fear in my eyes despite my bold words. There were so many unknowns—what marriage to Raith would be like, how I would fare in his kingdom, whether his people would even accept me—but I would face those challenges as they came. I only prayed to the Sun and Moon I could live up to my mother’s dreams and be the queen she’d hoped I would become.Five

Raith

T

he wedding lasted an eternity. Or that’s how it felt, anyway.

As the sun neared the horizon and night threatened to take over the world, Princess Rose and I stood in the open-air temple of the Sun and Moon before a priest who wore the traditional robes of gold and silver. As he raised his hands to the sky and recited his blessing, Rose faced me wearing a sparkling white dress that clung to her curves and contrasted with her dark beauty to only make her more stunning. Yet every time I looked at her, I saw Silena on our wedding day instead and the old, familiar pain gripped my heart. After three years I thought I’d be over the ache of losing my wife, but it seemed I would never fully recover from it. This wedding at sunset only brought back those once-fond memories and reminded me of how much I had lost.