[wattys 2018 shortlisted]
Humans see her as a dangerous threat -a witch that must be executed. With the uncontrollable ability to form ice at her fingertips, Ravenna is forced into hiding amongst the humans, stealing to survive. That is, until she h...
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THE UTTER CHAOS of planning a royal wedding engulfed Ravenna. Time passed around her like the wind on a midsummer's day, only present if she found the time to genuinely pause and feel it. Ravenna's dress was the first major element of the wedding to be completed. Once both Eoin and Ravenna approved of the dress, their focus was shifted to the next wedding element. Flowers had to be chosen and hand placed throughout the royal cathedral. Then the placement of those flowers had to be approved —all down to the tiniest of details. A uniquely designed tableware set was designed for the occasion, hand crafted and painted by the best artists in the kingdom. Even the elegant gold and white designs of the royal invitations had to have an extensive examination by the royal couple.
Ravenna found herself quite overwhelmed with it all, including her future husband.
The more time that passed, and the more time that they spent in each other's company, Ravenna slowly began to see through Eoin. The crown prince carried a lot of stress upon his shoulders —and the closer he came to buckling beneath the weight, the more hot-headed his actions and words became.
She initially tried to see through his eyes. She tried to be understanding toward his enraged outbursts. Not only was Eoin heavily involved in the extensive wedding plans, but he also essentially ran the kingdom. The crown prince led every meeting, seated at the head of the table in his father's seat. He met with every individual that entered the palace, no matter what the occasion. He negotiated terms and royal decrees. He hosted minor lords and high ranking officials. He also spearheaded the campaign to recover what was lost within the kingdom after the attacks led by Ravenna's ice soldiers.
It made sense for Eoin to be stressed, to be struggling with his emotions. It made sense for him to lash out at her. Especially when all of their time together revolved around the approval of wedding decor and petty arguments over the design of cutlery.
Being in his presence, however, was beginning to make her feel as though she walked atop eggshells. Ravenna didn't take to that lightly. A mere poorly worded sentence could cause Eoin to erupt with anger, and she didn't like putting up with that.
As her emotions toward Eoin began to sharpen with distaste, she was able to take small solace in the periods of time that she spent with Mylo. The Blood Knight mage brought forth a deep sense of comfort to her, a feeling of warmth that she was unable to explain. Merely being in his presence allowed her to momentarily forget the mayhem, to just feel at peace. She found that she looked forward to his visits more than anything else in the world.
A week before the wedding was scheduled to take place, Ravenna found herself seated in her bathroom with Alyss standing behind her. The young servant's hands were entangled within Ravenna's hair, cheerfully styling it into an elegant up-do. Alyss was attempting to prepare Ravenna for a feast that had been planned that evening, to honor the royal couple. The feast, according to Eoin, was meant to kick off a two-week long celebration, complete with nightly festivals in the streets of the Capitol and massive feasts.
