“A bride almost always wears a white dress to a wedding; white signifying purity, joy, perfection, and chastity. Humans particularly stick to this tradition, their patron Goddess being the Goddess of Light. Although some other colours have been observed, white remained dominant for the entirety of the written history.”
–Fashion throughout the ages, Olivia Blackthorne, 1450 AS
----------------------------------------
'Was that him?' The booming voice had spread throughout the Church Halls. It was a voice of wrath, a voice of might, a voice of power. 'Could that be the Demon everybody has been waiting for? How did he do that? Was that sound magic? Is my new husband a mage? They have never told me he would be a mage!'
The mere thought of having someone that powerful for a husband was frightening. I had no idea how to approach now. And I was lightheaded all of a sudden. 'Is that the result of this powerful magic of his?'
“Is that HIM?” My ladies were obviously more vocal about this matter, murmuring and whispering behind me. “He sounds like a really powerful person, milady. Are you sure you want to get involved with the likes of him? Nothing good can come out of that.”
“Once again, I apparently have little choice in that matter, so now that we have heard my groom’s grand entrance, let us go down and end this madness already.” I thought about how to escape this predicament, but no ideas came to me. I hoped something would eventually come to light, but for now, embracing the situation would be best.
A guard's head peeked into the room, “Your Highness, the First Prince has called for you. The wedding is about to commence.”
'What does he think I am, a child? Can I not decide ANYTHING by myself around here?' I stopped myself from berating someone and put aside my frustrations for now. It would do me no good to get mad at someone at this moment. “Very well, we will be coming down at once.”
'Mother, I honestly hope you aren’t watching this. And if you are, please give me some hope.' The silent prayer escaped my lips in a hushed breath, and my entourage slowly moved.
As we approached the Grand Hall, my legs were getting increasingly numb with each passing step. ‘I am getting married. To a Demon. I am getting married. I’m going to have a husband soon. I’m going to become a wife. I’m going to have to share a bed with someone. With a Demon. That stinks. They all stink. I’m getting married. I’M GETTING MARRIED!’
I took a small pause, reaching for the wall to steady myself. I couldn’t process why I was riled up about this. He was not a dashing prince on a stallion ready to take me away to his grand castle. He was a blasted Demon. You could put as many titles on him as you imagined or wished, a Demon would always be a Demon. I could bet he lived in a cave, where the Sun never shone. The monsters that they were had been at war with us for a hundred years, and even before that, we’ve never been friendly. ‘They are the scum of this world.‘
I clenched my fists, then looked down at them, gazing at my pale palms. I looked back, towards the door that concealed the outside. Towards the air. ‘Towards the freedom that I’m losing.’
‘I should run, run as far as my legs will take me, rip off this blasted dress and just run away from all of this.’ Maybe they don’t find me, maybe they all forget. I never asked to be married, especially not like this. I didn’t want to be taken from my home, my family, all of this. I was going to miss this. I had no clue where he would take me, not an inkling about what he would do with me and I would have to endure every day.
I looked onwards, towards the ending of the Hall. The lone doors stood like colossi, mere fragments of ornate wood separating me from my fate. At this moment, time stilled. I lifted one foot off the ground, keeping it there until I choose which way to choose. Moments passed. Agony spread through me. I put my foot down. A step towards the Doors of Doom.
I put my hands up in a small attempt at a prayer again. ‘Goddess, help this lowly girl in her hour of darkness, help her to find the right path, send her a sign, anything, that will put her heart at ease.’
The halls were silent, eerie. The statues, unmoving. The marble shone, the Sun radiated, and yet none could light my way. My life was dark; my thoughts were dark. I knew it even know; this was the beginning of the end. ‘This blasted wedding will be the end of Sophia Leonia.’
A ray of light set upon my face; a single tear slowly threaded down my right cheek, the Sun caressing it, its heat feeling like the embrace of Mother I felt so long ago. ‘Is this it? Is the Goddess looking after me after all?’
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
Perhaps my pleas were answered. This path may be the correct path. ‘MY path.’
The Sun didn’t answer. The Sun never answered. It brought life, it brought joy, but the affairs of mortals were beneath it. It didn’t concern itself, it just shone.
‘And so will I.’
I wiped the tear away, the rays of light on my face shining carelessly. ‘Mother, your little girl is a woman now. Be proud of her. She is getting married. You always said you’d like to see me in white, you always said your baby girls deserve the wedding of their dreams.’
I pinched myself gently. This was hardly a dream, and it was definitely not a wedding of one, but it was my wedding nevertheless. Demon or not, a wedding was a wedding; I would push through. I would get married. ‘Mother, be proud. And don’t watch… alright, you can watch.’
We stood before the guarded doors of the Great Hall. A nod was all it took; the guards slowly opened the door. The light of the Great Hall was inching towards the corridor — the Goddess smiled upon her servants.
“Her Highness, Second Princess Sophia Leonia of the Leonia Kingdom,” the loud voice echoed throughout the Hall, merely a whisper compared to the Demon’s thunderous announcement.
Queue the music (Optional, you all can assume what is going to go here, 5 minutes, plenty of time to enjoy it)
I sauntered towards the Altar, my legs trembling along the way. Fear, excitement, terror, joy; it was all there; a conglomeration of emotions guided me, my mind empty, feeble, as my legs carried me across the marble floor. My destination was in sight. The Sun shone on all, even him.
A red suit of armour with horns and a tail was on the Altar. My groom had his back turned to me. He wanted me to see this. He didn’t want me to look at his face while walking down the aisle. ‘Is that the tiny bit of consideration he is giving me, or am I not worthy of his sight?’
I looked around. Everybody was standing. Everyone was silent. It was astonishing that weddings were so similar to a funeral; I’ve been to enough of both. ‘And what is the difference today?‘
I looked towards my family. My father with tears in his eyes. ‘Your daughter is going away father. You are giving her away. She will no longer be there in your home. She will no longer be here. She is going away.’
My brothers looked happy. I could see their teary eyes. They were afraid, but happy. ‘Be happy for me, my brothers, be happy and be afraid. I am going away, but I will never forget. Maybe I will forgive. But I will never forget.’
My sister was here as well, streaks of salty tears visible on her cheeks. Sad to see me go. I was sad at her wedding as well. I didn’t want her to leave me. ‘And now, I’m leaving her. I am leaving everyone.’
My little brother stood next. He understood what was happening. But he didn’t cry, trying to look strong, unmoving before the big bad Demon that’s going to take his sister away. ‘Grow up and be a strong person brother. Maybe if I had some of the strength you’re showing today. But it is alright to cry, little brother. Nobody will think less of you.’
The suit of Armour shifted, my gaze falling on it. The Demon had turned towards me. His black horns pierced the sky above, the right one slightly chipped at the top. His black hair like onyx, as his black eyes absorbed all the light around. His face was welcoming, his brows strong, his chin angular, his face manly, his visage handsome. He looked quite a bit older than I. He looked older than any of my brothers.
But he was not an old man. His eyes were not the eyes of an old man. There was cunning, there was vitality, there was youth in those black eyes. Although they were simply black, showing so little, they revealed so much. It was eerie, frightening. ‘Wrong.’
His mouth opened in a small grin, his white teeth a complete contrast to his red skin, a blinding light in the centre of all darkness. ‘He is… enchanting.’
I moved to the Altar, the stairs yielding to my feet. I stood next to him. He was so tall, my face barely reached his chest. Looking up to him, he looked scary, and pleasant at the same time. ‘Are these the same Demons we’ve been fighting for years?’
His red armour appeared incredibly heavy; a sword adorned with gems at his side. The armour looked menacing, while the face looks enchanting. ‘A Warrior, A Villain, A Hero. A Demon. This is a Demon. This is MY Demon.’
He had hooves for feet. It was funny; all that bulk, all that size, ending in a small pair of hooves. It almost made me laugh, and I had to stop to regain composure.
He bowed forward, his knees bending a bit. He was now ever bit closer to my height, but the difference was still enormous. ‘Is he being considerate?’ His face was now a bit closer to mine; I could see the eyes clearly. A sheen in that blackness, just a hint of red. A small red star in a vast open night sky.
I couldn’t stand his sight, and he reached the same conclusion. I looked ahead, towards the Priest. I looked down, at my white dress. My ladies said I looked beautiful. I wondered what this Demon was thinking. But it didn’t matter. I knew how I look; I knew how the Sun was caressing my face. I was standing in the white rays of our Goddess. He could take that away from me.
‘I am Second Princess Sophia Leonia of the Leonia Kingdom. This is my wedding day. And I. Will. Shine.’
At least he didn’t stink.