"There! Now you look like a proper royal!" Nour states proudly as she finishes smoothing back Reyna's hair.
"I don't feel like one." Reyna groans before glancing at the mirror to examine her reflection. She disliked every bit of her appearance right now, but there was no way she was going to tell her maids that after all their hard work. The gown she wore, a simple one strap light blue with pale blue feathers lining the top, a wide brown cloth belt with gold embroidering wrapped around her waist and a large blue cloth also wrapped around her waist to trail behind her, belonged to her grandmother. She remembered how her grandmother would take it out of her closet to let her try it as a child despite it being too large for her tiny frame and promising her that she'll get to wear it when she grew older, and now here she was years later wearing it for a wedding to someone who didn't even love her. Disappointing.
"Oh and the king said that you and your husband will have to do the portrait another day, the guests arrived a bit late and had to freshen themselves up, so we need to get you to the throne room." Nour says as Reyna stands. "So, are you ready or is there something else you need for your appearance?"
"Paint. Just some white paint, it's something I remember my grandmother telling me that's required for a Skywing on their wedding."
"Oh of course."
In a few minutes, a small jar of white paint was brought to Reyna, along with several different sized brushes and some wet towels just in case. With Nkur and another maid's help, Reyna carefully reapplied the paint to her ears, adding small dots to both wrists and the upper part of her arms and some on her chest to look like she had pearls draped around her neck before declaring herself perfect.
"I feel like something is missing." One maid comments with a frown. "I can't quite put my finger on it."
"What's missing?" Reyna asks in confusion.
"Hmm, your horn...do your people normally decorate them or put things on it?"
"Aisha!" One of the other maids exclaims.
"No we actually do put accessories on them, like ornaments to hang from them, sometimes even bands of metal or wood. We don't even wear rings, we put something that's meant to be the equivalent of one." Reyna explains and tapped her longer horn. "If I was marrying an elf, I would have put one on this horn during the ceremony."
"Oh rings! We were told you would have the wedding bands, do you know where they are?" Nour asks.
"No why would I-" Reyna stopped and looked to her closet. "Wait, his gift..."
She hurried over to the closet and grabbed the one parcel that was still wrapped close, tearing the paper to reveal a simple box that was clapped shut. Reyna carefully opened it to find the interior covered with a soft blue velvet cloth and seated in the middle were four metal arm bands, a pair of silver rings, and a single horn ornament along with a folded letter. She could feel tears coming to her eyes as she places the box on her bed and grabbed the letter to unfold it, finding a note written to her.
Dearest little crow, by the time you open this gift you would probably be prepared for your wedding. It brings an ache to my heart that neither me, Ibis, Ikaros, Cici or your grandparents would be there to hand you off to your husband - but we will be with you there in spirit.
It was a privilege and an honor to be your father for these past twelve years, getting to raise you to be the feisty elf you are today since you came into my forge after getting into a fight with some other children. I hope someday our people, the dragons and the humans will make peace and we can see you again. Don't you lose that spark in you my little crow, don't let these people ever douse your spirit.
YOU ARE READING
Yearning
Fanfiction[Arranged marriage au] . . The summer Reyna turned 18 was the summer she was set to marry a stranger located in the human kingdoms. As much as she hated the idea of having to marry someone from one of the five royal families, she swore not to let th...
