The Storyteller

Chapter 27: A Wedding

Lynna sat in a little chair by a mirror. She had been sitting there for over an hour now; hands clasped and folded in her lap. She had traveled with Katherine and Garrett from Meden Vale and they had stopped at in an inn not but a few miles north of Locksley.

She sat very quietly in her room. There was a dress laid out upon the bed. A dress the color of a summer forest, all in soft greens and hints of blue in the lace. It was a very fine and beautiful thing, and Lynna hadn't dared touch it. She liked looking at it though, but she couldn't help, but feel that the real bride was going to march through that door any minute and insist she help her put on the dress. But it was obvious that dress would fit no one but her, with it's short hem and delicate features. All the same, the dress felt like a stranger in the room with her.

Lynna was still wearing her plain gray dress and apron, with a little kerchief tied about her head to keep her hair up. She stared at herself in the mirror, marveling at the little servant girl she saw. She noticed how pale she looked, how slight and small, and every defect to her physicality.

On the desk before the mirror there was a comb, and all the powders to give her color and brightness. The make-ups marveled her the most, for she had never seen them before. She touched at a soft red looking color and was astonished with out liquid and glossy it felt in her hands. She rubbed the small ounce of color between her fingers curiously.

Looking back up at the mirror, Lynna slowly undid the kerchief and let her hair fall down around her shoulders. What was she to do with it? It had been kept tied up after it had been carefully washed and now it curled and waved. She touched the little curls at the edges of her hair.

The door opened behind her and Lynna, distracted, turned about slowly. “What's all this, hm?” Katherine remarked walking over to her, putting her hands on the chair's back, joining her friend's reflection in the mirror.

Lynna blushed and looked down at her hands. Katherine chuckled slightly, “Don't know where to start, is that it?”

“More...or less.” Lynna replied, “How did you feel when you got married?”

“Terrified.” Katherine said curtly, taking hold of Lynna's hair and snatching the comb off of the desk before her. She worked out the tangles and bunches in the mousy hair.

“Oh.” Lynna whispered.

Katherine laughed a little, “And terribly excited. Come, let's get you into your dress.”

Lynna stood up almost mechanically, slowly removing her apron and dress. “I...I think I'm much more afraid of getting there, then...being there. Does that makes sense?” Lynna asked as Katherine began to slip the beautiful and daunting dress over her.

“Like you'd much rather walk to the church in nothing but your everyday dress, with your hair tied back, and deliciously unkempt and get the whole thing over with without prying eyes?” Katherine muttered, adjusting the lacework around the sleeves.

“Yes, exactly!” Lynna said.

“Every bride wishes that secretly, I'm sure, but you'll see. It won't nearly be as terrifying as you think.” Katherine said, applying the herbal red dye to Lynna's lips, and then using the colored powders about her eyes. “There,” she remarked. “Just one more thing...”

Katherine went over to the trunk in the corner of the room, she opened it, knelt down and brought out a beautiful white veil. The pattern on the lace looked like a slowly drifting wave, passing along the edges of the fabric. If one stared at it long enough the pattern seemed to shift and take on life of itself. “Oh,” Lynna said, gasping, “but it's beautiful.” She almost wanted to reach out and touch it, but stopped herself.