The Beauty in Pain | Book One of In Pain Trilogy *EDITING*

1.1. Betrothed

Year 803

Mynera never believed the day would actually come. 

She knew about it since she was only twelve moons old, had dreamt about it for years, and had imagined a dozen different images of her betrothed -- each one more beautiful and courageous than the last. But now, on her fifteenth name day, the dreams had fled and in its place was dull foreboding.

She sat as still as a stone as her handmaids fussed around her. They pulled at her dress, smoothing slight wrinkles and settling the fabric over her growing curves. They scented her skin with the best of Typena scents, making her smell as if she was fit for a prince. And they brushed her dark hair till it shone. She was wearing a long sleeved light blue gown, her slight bosom held up by the string laced through the dress and wound tightly around her chest. The rest of the dress layered and fell straight down, pooling at her feet and would drag behind her with every step that she took. It was longer than her usual gowns, more extravagant for the occasion was a big one.

Mynera paid little attention what was happening, her mind drifting far away from her bedchambers and past the city. She thought of the small lake beyond the forest borders, the little cottage where she would often rest after a day of hunting, and wished desperately she was there right now.

"You look beautiful, m'lady," remarked the handmaid brushing her hair.

"Thank you, Hanna."

She held herself back from rolling her eyes to the high, ornate ceiling in annoyance. Compliments were a well-known occurrence to her. A day did not go by without someone telling her she was beautiful or radiant or gorgeous. All superfluous words that sounded as flat as she expected. Instead, she just allowed the words to go through one ear and out the next.

She did give her courteous 'thank you' but it was only through bare necessity did the polite words ever past her lips. She didn't quite believe it, however. She believed that one looked beautiful when they wore their happiest smile, not silks. Or when their laughter was one of sincerity and not of duty. Sitting here like a log while they fussed and cooed around her didn't make her feel beautiful in the slightest. She felt like a doll.

Such was the world she lived in, however, where duty remained as lord and no day had been so important as today.

"Are you ready, m'lady?"

Inwardly, Mynera sighed. No, she would never be ready. Gone was the longing dreams of a child of twelve moons and in its place, on her fifteenth moon, was a girl wearing the face of a lady. As a lady, she pushed down the dread and responded with a yes.

Her handmaids walked her to the door where her guards awaited. Jagen, the head of her main security, bowed low and deep. The others, Amish and Damish, twin brothers, following suit.

Mynera put on a tight smile. "Good day, Jagen. Amish. Damish," she murmured lowly.

"Good day, m'lady." Jagen's voice was deep and low, quite fitting his bear of a body that towered well over everyone else. "I trust you had a good rest."

"As good as sleeping can get, I suppose." With that remark came a quick and fleeting smile from Jagen. It was a small victory, considering Jagen was a stone faced mountain.

Mynera directed her eyes to the brothers. The Mutes, they were called, for they spoke no words and, if they did, it was only to each other.

She remembered when she first laid eyes on them. It had been the same day she'd returned to live at the castle. She also remembered the sadness and the longing that she had been victim off when her horse passed through the gates of the city, before her eyes, darken by her emotions, landed on the twin boys waiting for her. The slightly rusted iron swords slung at their hips failed to make them intimidating, but the low intensity of their eyes and the straightness of their lips pulled into a tight line made up for that.

They had watched her solemnly and Mynera had been struck by their rigidity. When she'd tried making conversation, with only saying a simple 'How do you do?' their stoic faces had turned away from her and they began walking. Mynera, despite her best efforts, had long ago given up on making conversation with the two boys and so, now, she just smiled courteously. They nodded curtly before looking away. They were a handsome pair, with blond hair cropped closed to their ears and chiseled faces.

"Shall we, m'lady?"

Mynera nodded at Jagen, ignoring the rise of trepidation that seized her limbs as she began walking. 

The walls of the castle seemed smaller than usual, as if, at any moment, they would close in on her. She welcomed the feeling. How she wished the walls would come together before her and cut off her path. Just until the day had passed and her fear dissipated. If she could abandon her blue dress for leather breeches she would, but her duty and years of training as a lady of Typena made her continue to put one foot before the other. If that didn't do it, then her father's wrath would have certainly made her scurry down to the visitors, face flushed but with a bright smile on her face.

"Have they arrived, Jagen?" Mynera asked, her voice so low, she feared he might not hear her.

But he did. He always did. "I believe so, m'lady. The castle gates have been lifted."

Horrible music to her ears. A sudden bout of nervousness fell over her. She ran her thumbnail over the skin of her forefinger. It was an awful habit that Margot, Mynera's teacher, would often scold her about. 'A proper lady doesn't tear her own skin off!' she would have screeched if she were there at the moment. Yet, she wasn't and years of her teachings had not broken Mynera out of her habit. And she was not about to stop now. It comforted her.

It felt as if the walk was endless. Yet, altogether it finished too soon. Mynera paused before the large oak doors, staring at the intricate designs. A true lady fears nothing, she recited. A true lady fears nothing.

The Mutes pushed the oak doors open.