Her wedding dress was being refitted. She had lost weight. The shrewd woman smiled as she tightened the waist of her gown.
"Maybe somone does want things perfect? Losing a bit of extra bits before the big day?"
Nadine said nothing. She had been to visit the tea house and her mind felt a little fuzzy around the edges. She stared straight in the mirror her head high as the woman made her adjustments nervously falling into silence as Nadine stared blankly ahead.
Later when the woman was finished. She began to help Nadine take the gown off.
"I'll do it myself." She said sharply.
"Nonsense. It's my job to do it for you." Quickly she pulled down the dress and froze to see the scars on her back. Fresh bruises bloomed on each side of her hips.
She looked at Nadine wide eyed.
Nadines eyes were glossy; her face was in a half smile.
"Like I said, Nothing is perfect." She ignored the woman as the gown crumpled to the ground and she swayed confidently across the small space to her clothing that was piled on the floor. She dressed slowly as the woman recovered herself. Busily collecting the expensive gown off the floor and folding it.
She left the room without a word and Nadine drained the small stemmed glass they left in the room for her earleir. She stepped out into the streets to wait for her carriage. Boren's mother was waiting at the venue for her to pick out table arrangements and flowers.
***
She had just arrived at the grand wedding hall. The domed ceiling filtered light through beautifully, and vines curled and fell on the columns of white-blooming with flowers. Snow floated through the air, and she pulled her jacket closer. She walked to the extravagent dining hall where they were arranging tables to Boren's mother's liking. She smiled at the woman. She had made decisions so much easier in the fact that she made decisions and asked if they pleased Nadine. Ofcourse Nadine didnt care one way or the other so she smiled and nodded. Praising the womans good taste and impecable choices.
Boren's father had passed leaving him a grand new estate in the silver city.
Boren's mother was a kindly woman and somtimes it was hard to pretend to smile, somthing about the woman reminded her of her own mother. Somtimes she almost let her guard drop, but never enough that she wouldn't recover herself.
The woman smiled and started babbling about her first grandchildren for the twentieth time since yesterday and Nadine beamed at her.
"We will be happy to visit you often."
She pinched a cream tablecloth cover between her fingers absently a real smile on her face,
"I want you to be a big part in their lives. Especially since I never knew my grandparents nothing would make me happier." She beamed at the woman even as pain stung her sharply in the heart. She wondered if Boren would act towards her children the way he acted towards her. She spun to the table of flowers and asked, "Which ones did you like?"
The woman snapped her fingers at a nearby servant, "Bring my favorites." She said with a smile.
He nodded and went to a small table with flowers set to the side.
"I think any of these three would be beautiful lining the wedding circle and all of the tables. Perhaps one in your hair?"
She tucked a strand beside her face and Nadine stared at the flowers.
"I like the bundle of black and purple" She said softly.
Somthing in her snapped and she twirled away from them. "On second thought either of the other two will work. Please choose one for me." She said smiling and walking away.
The woman bustled after her, "Are you okay my dear?"
She spun around with a soft, lovely, and genuine smile.
"Rosela, May I call you by your first name?"
"Ofcourse dear," she said placing a hand over hers.
"I'm just tired. Please pick my flowers. You have been such a big help. Im sure I will love whatever you choose." She stepped back.
"Just please no black flowers," She looked at Rosela's troubled face and smiled at her reassuringly, "They're unpleasant to the eye. Dont you think?" She walked away without waiting for a response and went to the nearest bathroom latching the door shut behind her she slid to the floor and stared at the dull colors on the walls for a bit.
***
*Carver
I stood outside her door. Should I apologize he thought. 'What would I even say' he pulled on his hair and sighed. He had no clue why he was standing here. Just when he was about to walk away the door flung open and she was pointing at him with the muzzle of a gun.
She was so sexy with a gun and that badass little look on her face. She looked shocked for a split second before she dropped the gun down and stepped back.
"Carver, I would have thought you would have been busy tonight." She turned and walked into her room leaving the door open for him to follow. She tucked the gun away under her mattress with the safety back on and sat on the bed. He awkwardly entered.
"What are you doing outside my door for so long. I would never have expected you to leave your lady friend so soon."
She looked a little annoyed and he shut the door softly behind him.
The air felt drained from the room and his chest fluttered before he blurted into the tense silence,
"I didn't sleep with her."
Her face was unmoving her arms remained crossed. She did however raise a brow.
"Okay. So you came here to tell me your late night makeout session didn't go as planned or..."
He was just going to have to jump into freezing water and hope his limbs could carry him to shore.
He knelt on the floor in front of her and she gave him an angry glare.
"I paid for her, to sleep with her. I didnt do it, because I couldn't. Especially not after seeing you in the hallway. That's because I like you. I like you a whole lot. You told me today that I make a good friend and I guess if that's all you want I can do that, but I couldn't go another second without telling you how I feel."
She looked at him shocked, that was the most she'd ever heard him speak in one sitting, and when she didnt answer he panicked.
He stood up and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm sorry. I'm sure after all you've been through that's the last thing you want to hear." He backed to the door and put his hand on the knob. She blinked as he stepped out and shut the door.
Oh no, He thought. His words rattled in his brain like clinking metal. Did he really just imply that she couldn't like him because she had been a rape victim. I paid for her? Really, he did not have to mention that part. He closed his own door and was running through a million thoughts and picturing the look on her face when there was a light tap on the door.
He sighed and opened the door.
"Listen I didnt mean..."
That was all he could get out before she stepped through the threshold and wrapped her hands around his neck. She cut his words off with a kiss. It was devastatingly good and it left him a little lightheaded as she pulled away.
"I like you too Carver." She stepped back and put her hand on the door knob.
"and not just as a friend." She closed the door leaving him standing there in shock.