[center][h3][i][color=33d6c2]Saisri Tyalanthe[/color][/i][/h3][/center]
The sudden, jolting halt that her carriage was brought to was enough for Saisri to be jolted out of her slumber. With a bit of a yawn and a stretch, she stood, nearly banging her head on the top of the carriage. She gathered her bags and stepped out before the Drakkens had come to get her, and flashed them a winning smile as she walked into the keep. She didn’t have any idea where she was going but supposed it couldn’t possibly hurt to explore and keep her mind busy.

It only took her about thirty seconds to figure out where she was supposed to go (namely because a Drakken had come stomping down the hall shouting, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her to a bathing room) and only a few minutes more to get dressed. She braided her hair, a simple French braid, and donned a short, tight-fit teal dress. She tied a gold scarf around her waist as a kind of sash. A pair of flat sandals with the thinnest imaginable gold straps completed the look.

She opened the door, intending to walk down the hall, only to have two Drakken fall into step on either side of her, gripping her arms. "No funny business" was all they said.

Saisri supposed she should be nervous as she descended the stairs, one of the first brides on the floor. But she was actually rather excited. It would be an adventure. Sure, sure, there was always the possibility of being sold off to some monster who was going to torture her. But until then she’d just observe and enjoy the experience.

Live each day to it’s fullest, and all.

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[center][h3][b][color=f0a446]Siadamkiru Beneni[/color][/b][/h3][/center]

Murmurs swirled in the air around Sia as she purposefully strode through the halls of the keep. Of course, many Drakken had heard that there was to be a lady at the Choosing this year, but they certainly did not believe that she would be there to take a bride herself.

A small part of her couldn’t believe it either. What was she thinking?

But at the same time, she needed to remain the head of her household. Otherwise it would go to her foolish, muleheaded little brother. A male would never be willing to be married into her house. But she needed… well, she needed a companion. So she was going to take a Bride, to whatever end that got her.

After all, she’d done as much, if not more, than the males had. Who were THEY to assume that because she was a female, she wasn’t entitled to a bride?

The woman smirked to herself, her determination causing her blood to warm. An observer would notice thin streaks of light rippling across her skin, as though a fire burned under it. A skill that she had mastered as a child to make herself even more obvious as an individual, that now came whenever she felt any emotion strongly and had jokingly earned her the nickname of “Tiger” amongst her family and friends.

Sia pushed the doors to the ballroom open and walked inside, not caring that the Drakken lords may have turned to stare at her. Let them stare all they want; she was here for one thing and one thing only.

The proud woman stood among the ranks of lords, and lifted her chin, fire shining in her eyes and on her skin as she seemed to just dare any of them to comment on her presence.  

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[center][h3][i][color=fda5e7]Aerienna Cassiel[/color] and [color=c2a5fd]Aymiria Cassiel[/color][/i][/h3][/center]

Two blonde heads peeked out of the windows of their carriage. The ride had been rather long and bumpy and the twins had spent much of it curled around each other, as though hoping that they could, perhaps, glue themselves together to be spared of the pain of parting. But the ride was over now and they’d been sitting still, everything quiet save for someone talking outside, for about five minutes.

The door to the carriage was opened and a rough, low voice said, “Each of you take your possessions and step out of the carriage.”

The twins looked at each other and shuddered, the voice sending terror into them. Each girl had only been allowed to bring one small chest. Miry had, of course, insisted upon bringing Bunny and her flute, so both girls’ outfits were in the box that Aery carried.

Two Drakken guards approached, moving to either side of the diminutive twins. The girls unconsciously shifted closer together, recoiling from the men. Nothing eventful happened; the men just escorted the two girls to a small bathing chamber. They bathed quickly, yelping (as apparently, courtesy or not, they’d been given cold bath water) and toweled off. With the efficient ease of practice, they braided each other’s hair (a waterfall braid for Miry and a thick sideways lace braid for Aery) and helped each other lace up their gowns.

Miry chose a simple dress, dark blue with cap sleeves, a modest neckline, a sheath skirt, and minimal embellishments. A pearl necklace with a small silver locket on it, white gloves, and a pearl bracelet completed her look. Aery had gone a little more on the flamboyant side, wearing a short, poufy strapless white dress embellished with pink and blue crystals. She also wore a pearl bracelet and necklace with a locket.

[color=c2a5fd]“Aery, I don’t understand where you got this dress, it’s easily six inches too long for me in the hem…”[/color]
[color=fda5e7]“It’s one of Mom’s old dresses.”[/color]
[color=c2a5fd]“But it doesn’t fit me! I’ll trip on the hem and make a fool of myself!”[/color]
[color=fda5e7]“No you won’t!”[/color] Triumphantly, the bigger twin held up a monstrous-looking pair of shoes. Maybe they were shoes? That was the only explanation but they were certainly weird; instead of being flat and following the shape of the foot, they angled sharply upwards, with the back of the shoe supported by a six inch long, narrow, piece of wood. [color=fda5e7]“If you wear these it’ll be the perfect length for you.”[/color]
[color=c2a5fd]“What in all of Vivari's realms are those things?!"[/color] Miry cried.
[color=fda5e7]"They're a contraption of mine, to make you taller. I call them "Heel-Risers" because they lift your heels up and make you walk on tiptoe."[/color] Aery said smugly.
[color=c2a5fd]"And we ALL know how well your contraptions work, Aery! And why do you call them "Heel-Risers"? That's the stupidest name I've ever heard!"[/color] After being the guinea pig of several different inventions that had all gone wrong, Miry was not the most fond of the idea.
[color=fda5e7]“They're not terrible. See? not that hard to walk in.”[/color] Aery pulled an equally-terrifying pair of heel-risers out of the box and put them on, walking around with ease.
Miry frowned, sitting on the edge of the tub and trying to figure out how to force her feet into the shoes.
It took a few minutes but she was toddling, albeit extremely awkwardly, around the small bathroom.
[color=fda5e7]“See, Miry? I told you. And now you’re almost 5 feet tall!”[/color]
[color=c2a5fd]“Shut up, Aery, you’re not much taller.”[/color]
[color=fda5e7]“Excuse me, miss, but with these shoes I am actually OVER 5 feet tall and therefore actually on most height charts.”[/color]
Miry wilted a bit, and Aery nudged her, then had to grab her to stop her from going flying. [color=fda5e7]“I’m just kidding, Miry, gosh.”[/color]

The guards said that their possessions would be taken to their husbands’ rooms, and then without any further ado, two of the guards peeled off from the rest, flanking the twins. Aery practically had to hold Miry up as she fumbled and stumbled, but somehow they made it to the top of the stairs.

[color=fda5e7]“My goodness, there are so many people…”[/color] Aery breathed.
[color=c2a5fd]“Let’s just get down there before they all look at us, how about?”[/color] Miry said.

Well, Miry made it about halfway down the stairs before there was a disaster. Her heel caught on the hem of her skirt and with a muffled yelp she pitched forwards. Aery reached out to catch her, but was then pulled off-balance herself, and both twins rolled, crashing down the stairs and going sprawling on the floor in a tumble of blonde curls and poofy petticoats. Their two Drakken guards stared at them dumbly, then shrugged and went back up the stairs. After all, it had been their job to make sure the girls got down to the floor, and well, that had certainly happened. The job description never said anything about feet-first or head-first or otherwise.

Aery was the first to recover. [color=fda5e7]“That happened!”[/color] She hissed as she stood, all but pulling her sister to her feet. Both girls turned shades of pink as they became aware of the stares of dozens of Drakken and Gems alike on them. Linking arms, they ducked their heads and walked to join the line of brides, Aery again virtually carrying her sister, who seemed to have entirely forgotten how to walk in that kind of shoe.

At least now they weren’t obviously too much shorter than everyone. Just an inch or so, not the eight that it would have been without the shoes.