The Wilted Raven Prologue

Morwenna looked at herself in the mirror. A black veil covered her face and stopped right at the top of her breasts. Her hair was tied into a large bun with a massive ribbon that cascaded down her back. The wedding dress her sisters had picked out for her the previous month fit snugly against her body. She lifted her arms and watched as the sleeves fell down to reveal her bare skin. The woman was the perfect image you would have in your head when describing a blushing bride.

She was finally going to marry her beloved. A boy she had been in an arranged marriage to since before she was even born. Back when her mother first became pregnant they ensured her future as the wife to the heir of a large conglomerate. Her family had been wealthy in their own right but her fiance's riches and fame blew any she had out of the water. Her fragile heart filled with butterflies when she thought of the huge mansion that would soon be her’s. She had been spending her entire childhood preparing for this day.

Truly, Morwenna was the perfect wife and mother to be. Her delicate hands touched her belly and she marveled at whether or not she'd have a child soon. She was embarrassed to admit this but she felt mixed on the subject. Her parents explained that she would have to have children whether she liked it or not. But the meek woman wasn't exactly sure she was the motherly type deep down inside. When she voiced this to her mother, the older woman shrugged off her worries. She told her the motherly instincts would kick in the moment she saw her baby's eyes.

And her mother was a very wise woman so Morwenna believed in her advice. The young flower smiled at herself, feeling her nerves become nonexistent. She could hear people outside her dressing room hurry about the mansion. They wanted to make sure everything was perfect for her, the star of the story. Morwenna had made sure to thank all the housekeepers and cleaners she came across. The dove wanted to make a good impression since she'd be head of the household soon. They would be the ones teaching her what product to use to clean what room and such.

There was a faint knock and she turned her head. “Come in.” Morwenna winced as she spoke. Her throat was sore from practicing her vows the entire night before.

The door opened to reveal a woman with soft, coral hair that cascaded down her back. Her pink lips puckered as she gasped and ran over to the bride. “You look so beautiful!” The woman rushed to hug her best friend and Morwenna smiled.

It felt good knowing that someone who had been there every step of the way was here now. The orange haired starlet she befriended as a toddler and they stuck together like two peas in a pod. She wasn't from a wealthy family, being a sculptors only daughter. But Morwenna didn't care about this as she knew Alice was a good person who cared about her as much as she did. They had even planned this wedding together with her fiance's childhood best friend. Morwenna melted into her hug like butter and instantly hugged her back with a tight squeeze.

“I'm going to really miss you.” Alice said as she patted her back. Hearing her say this made Morwenna feel her eyes begin to tear up. “I wish I didn't have to move.”

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Morwenna had forgotten about the news in the blur that was her wedding preparations. Her best friend was going off to some foreign college that limited contact with the outside world for their students. This was under the guise of helping them maintain their focus and become even higher achievers. The dove had been inconsolable when Alice told her initially. She couldn't imagine not seeing the other woman every other day. But her mother reminded her this was going to happen anyway as she would become busy being a wife. Now it was just sooner.

To be a good wife for her fiance's family she was required to give them her full attention. Her mother in law was very stern with this fact, stating that the women in their family held it together like glue. If she failed her duties in any way the entire family would suffer financially and emotionally. This put the fear of God in Morwenna with how serious she sounded and the darkness in the old woman's eyes. She didn't want to fail anyone so she knew Alice would have to be pushed to the side for the future. It broke her heart but she knew this was the only choice she had.

The dove smiled and pulled back from Alice. “I'll ask my husband to let me visit you in the fall. I'm sure by then we'll both have enough time to do so.”

Alice's smile dropped a bit and she had a weird look in her eyes. Morwenna had seen this look countless times and it led to the pair arguing frequently. She sighed and gave the coral haired woman a look. “Alice, you know that I have to ask him.”

Her best friend shrugged her shoulders, her arms crossed over her chest. “You're a grown woman, Morwenna. You're twenty for god's sake. You shouldn't have to beg and plead to be allowed to see me. You have so much money and experience from working as an intern just like me and now you're giving that all up.” This was something Alice had said multiple times over the years. It made Morwenna upset.

“I've already told you it's not that simple.” The dove rubbed at her forehead as she felt a headache coming on. This subject was a difficult one as she knew Alice could never truly understand the responsibilities she had as a wife. “I'm going to be the face of a dynasty now. I can't just work or whatever I want anymore, Alice.”

Morwenna did miss being a student and working. She had gone to school all her life and had gotten really great grades. Been an intern for multiple magazines and been given enough references to pad out her portfolio. But she knew the whole time that she would have to give those things up. Her family and her fiance's family were depending on her to not be self centered. All those wants and desires she had needed to be pushed to the side. Her life was going just too fast paced to have time for those things. Alice couldn't get that because she wasn't in a set marriage.

Plus, her fiance had been hinting to her that his friends whispered about her workload. The man had said that they had confronted him about having his fiance work from morning to noon when she didn't need to. This made him feel slighted and she felt like a really bad person. She hadn't thought about it that way; she assumed people would be impressed by her. But apparently everybody thought that it meant he was neglecting her. In this world her fiance's image mattered and having a wife who worked herself to the bone while you didn't looked awful.

“That's bullshit. You were at the top of our class–” Alice started to argue but Morwenna held her hand up to correct the other woman. “–I was ranked tenth.”

She watched her friend turn red as she became irritated which made Morwenna falter and feel really bad. The woman was nitpicking when all Alice wanted to do was show her support for all she had to lose. “I'm sorry for being rude. But please, I can't talk to you about this right before I walk down the aisle. I hope you get that.” The dove pleaded with her best friend earnestly with her voice giving out midway.

Because she didn't want to fight with Alice on a day like this. She loved her dearly and she wanted them both to have a wonderful memory with this. Alice was a good person and didn't want her view of her to dampen. Her friend was just being too smothering with her worries. Morwenna felt determined in a way to prove that this was the case. She was going to make sure that when Alice came back all she could hear about was how happy the dove was. And then her best friend would push her grievances aside for the first time in years and be happy for her relationship.

“I was just saying that you shouldn't sell your achievements short to make others happy. I'm going to stand by you whether you're a magazine mogul or a housewife. But don't forsake one side of yourself to make the other a reality. Alright?” Alice sounded unhappy with the situation still but thankfully she stopped arguing.

With this in mind, Morwenna just bit her tongue and smiled. “I promise not to let that side of me be forgotten. I'll still be the same Morwenna you know and love.”