The Dark Bride

Chapter Two

Lucetta

~~

What should have been sad tidings for our world was the most joyous day for my parents. It was finally the day of the Testing of Blood ceremony for our town. Thankfully, my town’s turn was a few days after the Day of Grieving because my mother forced me to wear my best dress. She called it “the symbol of Royal Light” and believed it to be my lucky dress for the ceremony. Prince Lysander happened to be in the shop when my mother brought me to have this dress made. She and the dressmaker were fighting over colors, material, and cost when the dragon prince walked up and picked what he thought would look best on me with my pale mint hair and eyes as orange as a sunrise. Lysander even paid for the dress then and there in hopes of stopping the fighting. As much as I loved the dress, I didn’t think it would have been the proper thing to wear if the ceremony was held on the same day that the world was to wear black to mourn for the loss of the king and queen. The dress was a pale blue that accented my hair perfectly, with a sheer white skirt overlay, and gold embroidery along the neckline and waist.

After doing my hair and makeup to try and look my very best, I left my room to meet up with my family so that we could go to the temple for the Testing of Blood ceremony. My parents somehow got a large carriage for us to ride in and my fears suddenly hit me as hard as the times my father had struck me. I knew my parents had very little money left after selling the last of their land to an anonymous buyer, so to go as far as buying a carriage, horse, and driver meant they were in the red once again.

The very possible reality of me not being a bride suitable for a dragon prince went through my mind and the things that my parents would do if that happened. At the very best, they would abandon me then and there at the temple. Becoming a priestess to the Sun God wouldn’t be a terrible idea. At the very worst, they would sell me off on the black market to the highest bidder. I would become a slave to do god knew what. As I boarded the carriage, I kept my words to a minimum to hide my stutter. As hard as I worked to get rid of it, it came back during the times I feared my parents or for my life. Which usually went hand in hand.

As we got to the temple and walked up the low-rising steps, I took in the glory that was the Sun Temple. Made of alabaster stone and as white as pure snow, the not-so-modest building glistened in the rays of the morning sun. After speaking to one of the mages of the temple at the entrance, my parents and brothers were escorted to one area and I was directed to another. I soon found myself in line with other women who were in their twenties. “Lulu!” I found myself getting hit full force from behind by a body not much smaller than my own and quickly tried saving myself from falling on my face.

“Shea,” I spoke softly after recovering. Turning around to smile softly at my best friend, I was greeted by the second brightest smile that I loved. “This is an important event and you should be acting more like a lady.” As much as I adored Shea and the adventures I went on with her, I did my best to teach her how to be a proper lady of society after learning of my parents’ displeasure towards the LaVough family for being new money. And their disgust grew worse when they learned what Shea LaVough was like. Wanting my parents to approve of my friend, I did my best to have her act like a lady when in public. It didn’t work out so well sadly.

“But that is so boring! And this line is taking forever.”

I just chuckled softly before reaching out to tend to my friend’s short, pink hair that I thought had the perfect balance of red highlights mixed in. “You only just got in line and the ceremony hasn’t even started yet. A bit of patience, please. We’ll go looking for hobgoblins after this, okay?” Shea squealed with excitement and I smiled at her once more before turning back around to face the front. The ceremony soon started and the line slowly crept along towards the altar at the front of the temple. As we got closer, I caught sight of my parents, and dread suddenly hit me. Those same thoughts from earlier came back to me and my breathing became labored.

“Lulu, are you okay?” I shook my head as I did my best to get my breathing back under control. “Here, let me go first then. Take the tension off of you, yes?”

“P-Please,” I stammered before trading places with her. The line moved forward again and I could see the altar better. The Head Priest, Head Mage, and Prince Lysander were all standing at the altar. The Head Priest would bless the woman with holy water before the Head Mage performed the act of sticking the woman’s finger with a needle. Then she would add a drop of the woman’s blood in a gold goblet that was a mix of the different dragon princes’ blood. If there was a reaction, that woman was chosen by the gods to be a bride to a dragon. Prince Lysander was there to be the official witness. Seeing Lysander standing there with his regal smile and calm expression helped me get myself back under control. One by one, each woman went up to the altar to have their blood tested. And one by one each one of them failed.

It was soon Shea’s turn and she walked up the few steps to the altar as I stayed back to watch. The Head Priest gave his blessing as he cleaned Shea’s hand with the holy water before the Head Mage then took her hand to prick her finger with a clean needle. With her finger over the goblet, a drop of her blood fell into the goblet and the mixed blood glowed softly. It reacted, meaning that Shea was a bride! Suddenly, a cool breeze blew around her like the wind was giving her an embrace. “We have found the bride to the Kingdom of Wind,” the Head Mage called out. Everyone in the temple cheered, and the echoing that bounced off the walls hurt my ears slightly. I was happy for my friend, I was. And as she was escorted off to the side somewhere I was then motioned to walk up to the altar. Suddenly finding my mouth dry and my feet rooted to the stone floor, I didn’t move. The looks of disappointment and anger on my parents’ faces flashed before my eyes and I started to feel lightheaded.

“Lucette,” Lysander called out to me softly. His voice broke through my fear and anxiety, the prince’s smile chasing away the ghostly faces of my parents. Giving him a soft smile in return, I walked up those steps as gracefully as possible before offering my right hand to the Head Priest and then the Head Mage. My eyes were locked on Lysander’s during the whole process. Part of me didn’t want to watch the sad result of my ceremony test, but the biggest part of me didn’t want to look away because I enjoyed getting lost in his dark blue eyes. There was just the smallest hint of purple in his irises that made them look like the evening sky as the sun was setting. I was so mesmerized by his gaze that I nearly missed the soft glow from the goblet after my drop of blood mixed with the contents. What I didn’t miss, however, was the sudden blackness that came out from the gold cup. It wrapped around me like a thick smoke and I began to panic as the room became darker. By the time the shadows disappeared, I was a whimpering mess with tears filling up my eyes. I looked back to my beloved Prince Lysander and the look on his face made me gasp. Was that the look of horror on his face? Was he disgusted at me for being the bride of his worst enemy? I didn’t know what to do or what to say, but I was quickly escorted out of the main room of the temple and off to the side in the same direction that they tucked away Shea.