Aeris’ eyes narrowed, and a scowl formed on her lips. From a window, high up in the mansion that was now to be her home, she watched a parade of dragons make their way towards the building. It was a grotesque display of arrogance and power. Aeris pointed two mechanical fingers, mimicking a gun, at the unsuspecting figures below, and closed one eye as if to take aim. [color=FBE5B0]“[i]Bang.[/i]”[/color] She muttered under her breath. It was fortunate that she was alone in the room and that the people sat astride the great, scaly beasts could not see her from this distance. It was hardly an appropriate action, to mime a sniping, for a bride to take against her future husband. Or for the Qaeltine Princess to take against the Kingdom’s new, supposed allies. Her brother, the holy priest, would have berated her, saying that the state of the country was too fragile for such childish aggressions. The peace treaty was balanced on a knife edge, and [i]any[/i] slight might be enough to tip the two Kingdoms back in to bloody war. But Xeriph had always been a better diplomat than either Aeris or their other brother, her twin, Aerin. Aeris had always felt he was wasted as the youngest child, rather than the one who would, in time, take the helm of the country. Aeris knew Qaeltine would flourish under Xeriph’s rule; he would secure peace and prosperous trade. He was the King Who Was Never Meant to Be. Instead, the duty fell to Aeris. Even if she and Aerin had both abdicated, paving the way for Xeriph, he could not, and would not, take the throne. Xeriph was married to the Gods and he would claim he had no role in bringing Qaeltine into a golden age. It was not his fate or destiny, he was state, as if the future were a simple matter of fact and not lined with cut throat politics and warfare. Aeris put a hand, her organic one, to her forehead with a sigh. She was a natural born leader when it came to the battlefield; less so in the courts. Aeris had yelled and screamed and cried, acting most unladylike when she had been informed of the role she was to play in the peace between Qaeltine and Hudvalr. She had begged her mother, the ruling Queen, to find another solution, but Kelis had been adamant. Kelis was a loving mother, if somewhat absent in the advent of her taking the throne, but her duty to the Kingdom had always come before all else, including her children. Aeris did not believe the marriage would secure anything but unhappiness for herself. She was sure the civilians of both Kingdoms would see it as little more than pomp and ceremony, a flimsy union built on desperation and falsehoods. Even if, somehow, this marriage [i]was[/i] the key to long lasting peace between the Kingdoms, she was the wrong person for it. Unfortunately, she was the only one; Aerin was already married to another noble, Xeriph to the Gods and Kelis, widowed many years ago, refused to take another husband, claiming it would disrupt the already delicate power dynamics in play. There was a gentle knock at the door, jolting Aeris from her thoughts. She looked up, uttering a frustrated, [color=FBE5B0]“Come in.”[/color] The door open and Aerin stepped in. Her twin, her best friend, her comrade. Her Demon Knight. Aeris stepped up and the pair embraced. [color=F5C34A]“Ah, Aeris, you look…”[/color] Aerin faltered for words, a grin playing on his lips. Aeris gave a huff of annoyance. [color=FBE5B0]“Ridiculous. I look [i]ridiculous[/i], Aerin,”[/color] she shot back, eliciting a laugh from the other. There were to be two wedding ceremonies held today, one of Hudvalr and the other Qaeltine. Aeris was dressed in a long, flowing robe in jewel tones; the traditional wedding garb of the opposing nation. It was too loose, offering no support, and Aeris felt she was drowning in the fabric every time she made to move. [color=F5C34A]“Maybe, sister dear, but you also look beautiful,”[/color] Aerin leant forward to place a gentle kiss on his twin’s forehead. [color=F5C34A]“What you are doing today? I know it is not easy for you; but it is a great thing.”[/color] Aeris folded her arms, looking away. [color=FBE5B0]“Time will tell,”[/color] she responded flatly. Aerin offered her a sympathetic smile. [color=F5C34A]“Come on now. I have been told to fetch you for some of the preparations,”[/color] he paused, a mischievous glint in his eye, [color=F5C34A]“if nothing else, there will be plenty to drink.”[/color] Aeris laughed then, for what felt like the first time since this marriage had been arranged. Taking Aerin’s arm, she allowed herself to be led from the room and towards what was the mark the beginning of the rest of her life. [center]★·.·´¯`·.·★[/center] The rest of the day passed in a busy blur. Aeris spoken with so many people, some she knew and others she had never seen before, that she felt her throat might give out before the day was done. She was pushed from place to place with barely a moment to breath. The only constant was Aerin who, as promised, ensured there was a steady supply of drink for her. The first ceremony, the Hudvalr one, was the first time Aeris met her husband. Lokkir, was his name and Aeris noted with some interest the prosthetic eye, which bore the clear hallmarks of Qaeltine design. The ceremony itself was simple enough, although Aeris faltered over the vows spoken in a non-native tongue. She disliked the gaudy display that followed, with its dazzling array of aetheric lights. It reminded Aeris far too much of the displays of arcane power she had encountered in the field. Aeris was relieved, however, when it came time to prepare for the second ceremony and change into Qaeltine attire. Even though she had never worn these particular garments on, they felt familiar and gave her comfort as she slipped them on. The clothing could not be more different from the relaxed design of what she wore for the Hudvalr ceremony. The dress she wore was a cornflower blue, accented with black, metal clasps; the waist was cinched tight and the front of the skirt was buckled high to reveal long legs clad in dark leather boots. Her hair was braided up with jewelled pins, and she wore a hate, the same shade as her dress, to which was attached a short veil that covered her face. A Qaeltine ceremony was more elaborate that what Aeris had experienced from the one from Hudvalr. Normally it would have been held in a holy building, but with Caenfleur still being rebuilt, the ceremony was held in the newly-weds’ mansion instead, with Xeriph presiding over events. The guests would gather around, being expected to shout words of encouragement or sing praises to the Gods while the new couple took part in what Aeris felt was bizarre set of rituals. They would speak their vows, their promises to one another, and sign these with green ink. The parchment would then be burnt and the ashes mixed with blood taken from a shallow cut made to the palm of their non-dominant hand. This mixture was then used to draw an ancient symbol of prosperity on the foreheads of the wedding couple. The couple were then to raise a chalice filled with wine, and help the other drink from it, before this was then passed around to all those gathered to sip from. Finally, there was a dance, of sorts, where the bride would dance with the guests who were there for her husband, and he with hers. Aeris did not pretend to understand the symbolism of it all, although she was sure Xeriph could provide her an hour-long lecture had she been so inclined. It was a ridiculous waste of time as far as she could tell, but the Qaeltine guests appeared to appreciate it. With the ceremonies finished, all that remained was the so called after-party, or what Aeris believed to be little more than an excuse for the many people gathered there to get blind drunk. Had she not been the bride, had she been standing with them rather than before them, Aeris would have drank them all under the table. Despite Aerin regularly appearing to place a flute of something strong in her hands, Aeris did not have the luxury of drowning her hatred for the day in her drink. With what she knew was to come at the end of the day, Aeris felt the pang of sobriety ever more keenly. [center]★·.·´¯`·.·★[/center] In a time that was far too soon for Aeris’ comfort, the frivolities, much like the day, drew to an end. Unfortunately, for Aeris there was still one final task to be taken care of for her wedding day to be considered complete. Aeris walked with her new husband through the corridors, the silence between them awkward but not entirely unpleasant. Lokkir seemed to distract themselves with the architecture of the manor, but Aeris found herself too lost in her own discomfort to pay attention to anything outside of her mind. It was not that Aeris had never lay with a man before, a fact that would incense her mother if she knew. It was not fear of a first time, but fear of a stranger; of someone who, less than a year ago, she would have slaughtered on the spot without a second thought. Although the peace treaty had come in to place eight months ago, Aeris still felt an emotional whip-lash at how she was supposed to treat and feel about her husband, still struggling to replace ‘enemy’ with ‘lover’. Aeris wondered if she ever would be able to see Lokkir as anything but a rival; she hoped she would, if not only for the peace of the Kingdoms, but for her own sanity. Eight months, however, was not enough time to shed a hundred years of antagonism towards the Hudvalri. Aeris was the first to step into their bedroom, Lokkir closing the door behind them, giving them the first sense of privacy since the day’s proceedings had begun. Aeris gave a gentle sigh; partly relieved to no longer be the centre of attention, but also in part as she mentally prepared for what was still yet to come. Lokkir, however, surprised her. Before Aeris could speak, Lokkir, in her language rather than his own, asked her to remain quiet, until he had finished showing her something. Aeris quirked an eyebrow is curiosity. Normally her first instinct would have been to prepare to fight, to defend herself against an untrustworthy foe, but there was a nervousness about Lokkir than was unexpected and genuine. Aeris sat down on the foot of the bed, removing her hat as Lokkir began to disrobe. A faint blush crept across Aeris’ cheeks, although she could not tell if the embarrassment was her own, or for witnessing Lokkir’s obvious discomfort. [color=FBE5B0]“Oh! I…”[/color] Aeris began, eyes wide as Lokkir dropped his chest bindings. Aeris was not usually one to be lost for words, but right now she was. Then she laughed. She did not mean to, she knew it was cruel, but she was not laughing [i]at[/i] her husband; it was simply how her body decided to respond to the shock and disbelief. She covered her mouth with both hands, as if trying to stifle her confusion, before settling a steely glare on Lokkir. [color=FBE5B0]“What is the meaning of this?”[/color] She asked, unable to control herself or the enmity that was steadily bubbling inside, [color=FBE5B0]“is this some sort of Hudvalri deception, mocking the Kingdom of Qaeltine and the peace we have so desperately sought to secure?”[/color] Aeris stood then, stepping closer to Lokkir. His pain seemed genuine, but she could not fathom why a woman now stood before her, if not some cruel insult against Qaeltine. [color=FBE5B0]“[i]Why[/i] had Hudvalr sent me a wife in the guise of a husband? If you were unhappy with peace, there were much less deceitful ways of continuing the war.”[/color]