Junia's POV
"You look beautiful, my lady," my maidservant, Rin, said. She had a bright smile on her face.
I picked up my mirror and brought it to my face. My reflection stared right back at me, and of course I am beautiful. As a princess of the Seelie fairy kingdom, I have to be pretty, polite, and gentle.
"Thank you," I replied softly.
Today is my wedding day; looking extraordinarily beautiful is a must. Today I will marry the love of my life, Lord Solric Dewfletch. We were childhood friends and grew up to be betrothed.
I placed my crown on my head, the last touch of my wedding attire. Rin clapped her hands together.
"Lord Solric will definitely lose his mind," Rin teased.
"Rin!" I blushed. Laughing, I shook my head at her. "My father should be here by now." I stood up, straightening my wedding dress.
The door to my chamber pushed open. My father and stepmother, Valea, walked in. She was married to my father a few years back.
"Father, Mother," I smiled and walked towards them. My stepmother touched my cheeks with a smile on her face.
"Junia, congratulations, dear," she said softly. My father pulled me in a tight, warm hug.
"My girl, I still can't believe you are getting married today," my father said, pulling away from me as he wiped his tears with the back of his hand.
"Father, I would come visit." I held his hand in mine, promising I might even visit every day because I am going to miss him a lot. He is the best father and king anyone could have; he is kind and cares about his people.
"Okay, dear," he rubbed my hands. "Ah, I brought you a gift." He let my hands go and brought out a bracelet from his pocket.
It was the same as the one I had on my right hand. "Oh, Father, thank you so much," I said gratefully. He slipped the bracelet around my left hand.
"You are welcome, dear," he said softly and placed a kiss on my forehead.
"We should hurry; the groom's family might have arrived at the Garden of Union," my stepmother hastened. My heart thumped. The Garden of Union is where the Seelie fairies get married, where, if the union is meant to be, it will be revealed.
I was excited but also scared, and I know for sure that Solric and I are meant to be. "Shall we?" my father put out his hand for me to take.
"Yes, Father." I took his hand, and we walked out.
…..
We arrived at the Garden of Union sooner than I expected. I have only been here twice, when a relative was getting married.
Our guests had arrived, even the groom's family. My father and I walked towards the sun tree, where my husband-to-be and the high priest were standing, and my stepmother joined the guests.
When we got there, Solric was smiling. He looked as excited as I was, and I smiled back at him. The high priest's face was stoic. He cleared his throat, and my father stepped back with a somewhat sad yet happy smile on his face.
"My lady," Solric whispered softly. I turned my head towards him and met his eyes. "You look beautiful."
"Thank you, and you look wonderful yourself," I said warmly.
The priest cleared his throat again, giving Solric and me a look that shut us up. We weren't supposed to be talking at all.
"Now may the groom and bride stand under the sun tree," the priest instructed, and Solric and I obeyed.
Seelie weddings are basically just standing under the sun tree, which is a source of life for us. If its leaves and branches gleam, the union is meant to be and blessed. If it doesn't, the union can't happen—and then parties.
And we don't get to check compatibility before a fixed wedding date. Solric and I walked towards the sun tree and stood under it, staring up at the tree.
It didn't gleam at first. No light, nothing. Fear washed through me. My eyes searched for my father in the crowd. I don't want to marry anyone except Solric.
My father smiled at me. The cheering of the guests snapped me out of my thoughts, and my eyes shot up.
The sun tree was gleaming. A small laugh escaped me, and Solric's hand found mine.
"I now pronounce you husband and—" the priest was cut off by a roar, loud enough to deafen one's ears.
An unfamiliar one. My eyes snapped towards the sky, and I saw them.
"Dragons!" someone screamed from the crowd, and then everyone started to run helter-skelter, screaming.
I have never seen one before, not even when my father had gone to war and defeated the dragons, the shadowborns, and the Unseelie fairies. Our books portrayed them as unruly and unreasonable, ugly beasts, but they were magnificent.
The dragons circled above us. As I watched them, my eyes and body moved, following them.
The priest started to chant some words under his breath, launching forward to defend. My father shouted orders to the guards who were in the Garden of Union.
Some fairies tried to escape the chaos, but we were already surrounded by fire, ice, and something more dangerous—acid.
We are trapped.
Solric jumped in front of me. I gasped out of fear. We are all going to die; even with our magic, we won't be able to defeat them.
"Stay close to me," Solric ordered. A dragon flew towards us before landing. The wind that came with it when its talons touched the ground made us step back.
Then it started to shift.
Bones twisted.
Scales tore open.
It was a man. My heart thumped against my ribs. I have heard many stories about dragons, but none of them matched perfectly with what I have seen today.
He stood tall, straight, and buroad-shouldered. Red markings burned along his arms like living runes. He had two horns that sat on top of his head.
His long hair cascaded down his shoulders. His gaze settled on me; it didn't waver or flutter.
He walked towards Solric and me with long strides, but before he could reach us, the guards already surrounded us.
"Stay away from her, Ashmaris," my father stepped right in front of the man, his sword drawn.
"Why?" Ashmaris' voice came smooth, low, and deep. His gaze didn't shift away from me. My insides warmed. "She is my betrothed."