In Too Deep

•Chapter III ~ Sienna•

After our little mother and daughter moment, and my mother had finally finished fussing about everything being absolutely perfect, we headed to the doors that led to the royal gardens outside. I was instructed to stay inside while my mother went ahead, and I listened, knowing that this would be the last time she would be able to order me around like this.

Like a mother.

Once I got married, other than for formalities, my mother would not be able to tell me what to do unless it was a royal order. It was a sad thought, but that was how things worked. Nothing happened exactly how you wanted it to. Fate had a interesting way of turning out.

After the man at the door had announced my mother's arrival, everyone stood up to bow to her, but she instantly told them to sit back down. According to her and my father, they were all equal, all human, and they didn't need to bow to them.

I, unfortunately, hadn't turned out that way, and while it did annoy my parents that I had people at my feet, they knew the couldn't do anything about it. Their daughter was nothing like them, and the sooner they knew that the better it was for everyone.

As I stood in the shadows and watched the guests sit down, I observed the whole getup of the ceremony. There had been wooden chairs set out in the gardens with an aisle between for the bride to walk, and in the front of it all was a golden dais. Around it were the eight high priests/priestesses of the Gods. Four male, four female, a pair for each God. In front of them all was the head priest, the one above the others, the priest for the Cosmos and the other celestial bodies.

In the center of the dais was a stone bowl filled with the blood of the Gods. It wasn't really their blood, the Gods did not bleed, but were parts of their elemental selfs. Grass for Lance, fire for Sayn, water for Reen, and Kas's air. The rituals the priests/priestesses had performed-while my mother and I were inside-were sustaining the elements, keeping them from hurting each other.

I noted that the high priestess of Reen was holding the dagger needed for the ceremony. It had been used for centuries by the brides of my kingdom and somehow not rusted over the centuries. Only children of magic had used it, we had a completely different ceremony to that of the others. We were special, and there were only four of us alive at once around the world. One for each element.