"A black gown? My Lady, you can not. The Choosing Ceremony is today."
Ceremony? Belladonna scoffed, internally while she looked at herself in the mirror.
'sounds more like a funeral.'
She had cried so much for this past one week that she now felt absolutely drained and empty. Her eyes were red and puffy. If anything were to sadden her right now, she would have no tears to shed.
After her outburst in the he presence of the King, she had decided to stay in her room without coming out for anything. Her servants Plea to Lady Kestra on her behalf had been denied, not that she cared to begin with, and the rumours were flying around that the King wouldn't pardon her disrespect in any form.
Rumours said that she would indeed be a dragon's meal by the end of the Ceremony, which was to happen tonight.
Her punishment was sure.
The rumours also conveyed that Lady Piper would most likely be the bride as Lady Kestra was most pleased with her performance at her dinner test.
As much as Belladonna didn't care about all the rumours going around, Raquel would usually bring them to her, her voice filled with ceaseless worry while she narrated it all.
"It is a funeral for me. Today, I shall surely die." She said, tracing the part where the black gown started covering away her caramel skin.
So sad, even her electrifying blue eyes didn't seem as electrifying any more. Instead, they looked lacking of life.
"You don't want to anger the King any further." Raquel squeaked, already pulling down the sip of her black gown, while a white gown was hung around her elbow.
Belladonna stood up, pushing her roughy aside, making Raquel stagger back, almost falling to the floor but Colin had come in just in time to catch her before hitting the ground. She stared back at Belladonna who was breathing heavily as she pulled up her sip, then slumped back to her chair, absolutely weak.
Colin arched a questioning eyebrow at Raquel while he helped balance back on her feet.
"She wouldn't wear the gown." Raquel complained. "She is making it all worse. Please persuade our Lady, she--" her voice broke, shaky.
Colin nodded then took a step forward.
"If your life is as valuable as it should be to you, then it will be advisable to wear the recommendation colour, my Lady."
There was silence for a while, Raquel watched in expectation and fear, her chest raising and falling like as if she was the one in trouble.
Belladonna reached for the bond packing her hair into a low bun and yanked it off, so that her curly hair fell freely on her back and the short, curled over her forehead.
There was a knock at that moment, a guard at the door announcing that it was time to go down for the ceremony.
"My Lady?" Colin pressed, still in reference to the gown and now to the fact that they were running out of time for her to make a decision.
"Please," Raquel stepped forward extending the white gown to her, her eyes glimmering with fear, expectations and now tears.
Belladonna looked away from the mirror, her eyes set on the dazzling white gown.
She remembered the words of her mother at that moment.
'Go and never come back.'
Then her fingers reached for her sip.
***
The Final Ceremony hadn't taken place in the Ballroom had everyone had thought it would. Instead, it took place in one of large gardens of the castle, where the gushing of a fountain filled the night, as the potential brides were all seated on a long chair, their white gowns dazzling under the moonlight coupled with the little colourful lights twisted around the flowers of the garden.
It remained Belladonna of the night of the Choosing Ritual in Inaymi, how they were all like a sea of white and how she had attempted to dissolve into it.
To not be seen.
But today was different. Today she had no fear. She had already crossed the line, was too far gone, and soaked into the feeling of betrayal.
She knew it that she had nothing to lose.
Nothing except maybe her life, but the thing was that to her, her life was no longer valuable.
So yes, she came here wearing the black gown.
The other potential brides had mumbled amongst on another upon her arrival. Since she had ostracizing herself for a week and she had the dreaded rumour over her head, they saw her like an outcast and treated her like one.
Except Irie who offered her sympathy but she been too broken to receive it.
Then, there was Lady Kestra who was sitting up some distance from them on some sought of podium. She was in her stunning red dress as usual, her silver eyes just as commanding as the last time she had seen them, although this time around, Belladonna wasn't affected by her gaze, nor her glare, nor her clear disdain of her.
Once again, it was because she had nothing to lose.
Then there was the Dragon King sitting at the middle of the podium, his seat a step or two higher than hers. Dressed in the red and black robe that covered his whole body, his golden crown on his head.
They almost looked like a couple.
Although Belladonna couldn't see the King's face because of his golden mask, she was certain that he was looking at her with an equal disdain, or maybe even more.
She leaned back against her chair, bored.
Could this ceremony start already? It wasn't as if she didn't already know her fate.
Then, Lady Kestra stood up.
"Potential Brides---" she started giving a speech which Belladonna tuned out because she found it of absolutely no use to her.
"And those who had gone against the rules shall he punished tonight." She heard Lady Kestra say, now holding her attention, waiting for her name to be said.
"...Belladonna Drayzika."
And there was it!
There were mumblings but she paid that no mind. She knew this would happen, it wasn't anything sad, anything happy, it was just what she needed.
To leave this world and all the people that hated her in it.
She couldn't have asked for anything better.
She stood up immediately, going to stand at one side of the garden, waiting for guards to now drag her to her death while she wondered if getting ripped by a dragon would kill her instantly or not.
She looked up at the podium to see that it was the King that had announced her name. Lady Kestra was in her seat, her silver eyes widened in shock, like as if she was petrified while the rest of the brides mumblings increased as they casted her digger looks and continued their harsh mumblings.
Belladonna frowned.
Had she gotten a worse punishment than been ripped apart to warrant this kind of reaction.
"Your Majesty, you--" Lady Kestra leaned foward in her seat, making an attempt to stand up.
The King held up his hand and she kept quite, sitting back down.
"Make your way to the podium, Lady Belladonna Drayzika."
He ordered and she obeyed, wondering what punishment he had in store for her for everyone to be so shocked and afraid... for her?
She stopped at the bottom of the podium.
Then he came down, "On your kneels."
"But your Majesty!" Lady Kestra snapped from behind once again.
"If I have to tell you again!" The King looked sideways at her and she froze in her seat, pressed her lips into a thin red line.
Belladonna's confusion increased.
What was this King going to do to--with her, in front of all these people.
Take her?
Her eyes widened in shock.
For Belladonna, being violated in that way was even worse than being ripped apart by a dragon.
She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn't feel it when something light was being placed on her head.
Not until the King spoke did it all make sense.
"I declare you my Bride."
Wait- what?
That made absolutely no sense.