Eva raised her head to look at herself in the mirror and didn't feel the happiness she was expected to feel. The maids all looked at her expectantly with big eyes and Eva smiled, nodding her head.
"Thank you, I love it," she spoke, and she would have genuinely loved it if she was getting married to somebody she loved and in better circumstances.
A few girls blushed at the compliment as one commented, "We only helped you wear these things, it is your beauty that magnifies their loveliness. You look enchanting, milady."
Eva only smiled like before and waved the maids' goodbye as they retreated out of the room to continue their jobs in the wedding preparations. The door closed as the last girl exited the room, leaving Eva all by herself once again.
Eva went to sit on the bed as her eyes rose to look at herself in the mirror. The maids had braided the top of her silver hair loosely and left the rest flowing freely down her shoulder. Her white dress fit her like a glove, tight from all angles. The sleeves of the gown were flowing loosely like a waterfall from her smooth hands. Her dress pooled around her feet in a bundle of silk as a small silver tiara with amber gems adorned her head, matching the color of her eyes.
She looked breathtaking, but there was this sadness in her eyes that didn't disappear no matter how much she tried to smile and imagine that her family was still alive and laughing by her side. She could change the past, and Eva had decided not to waste it in regret. She would do her best to modify the future and avenge her parents and sister, no matter what it took.
The bodice of her gown had small pearls embedded on the neckline as she ran a hand across them, feeling their smoothness. After waiting for a while, the door opened up once again but this time there was no smiling maid to greet her.
Eva turned her head away as Diana stepped inside the room and nodded her head slowly, scanning her from top to bottom.
"I hope that Alastor will be able to control himself after seeing you like this," she commented, but Eva gave her no response in return.
"It's time," said Diana, and Eva silently stood up, walking past the woman with her head held high. She was not going to let Diana feel the satisfaction of seeing her weak and frail with no strength left. She wasn't weak, Eva thought and smiled, she was strong just like her father had told her.
Diana followed behind her and led her towards two massive gates which Eva guessed opened up to the wedding hall.
Her hands had turned clammy as soon as Diana left her alone in front of the doors and ordered her to start walking obediently when the doors opened. She rubbed her hands together to get rid of the sweat, but it only made it worse. The veil on her head grazed her cheek lightly as Eva pushed it aside with her hand.
Her slippers continued to tap impatiently against the floor as she placed a hand on the nearby wall and took a few deep breaths to not get cold feet and run away the very next second.
Her heart continued to thunder away in her chest, and it only got louder when she heard the door creek open and soft music greeted her ears as she saw a hundred faces turn towards her at the same time.
The hall was decorated magnificently. The ceilings were draped with flower vines that hung from the tapestry here and there. Rose petals were scattered on the floor as Eva followed their path, which led up to the wedding altar.
She didn't recognize many faces but she could see a few royals from other kingdoms sitting on their seats and staring at her intensely. Her eyes scanned the hall for a specific person and when she didn't find him, her face fell and so did her hopes. Lysander wasn't there either and all hope she had left drained away to the ground.
All of a sudden, a small creak was heard from the ceiling and all the guests looked up, their eyes wide.
Eva froze as she raised her head to gaze up too. The ceiling parted open from two sides, revealing the beautiful evening sky staring back at her. She was seeing the sky after so long that she had forgotten what it felt like to feel cool wind on her face.
She scanned the skies for someone or something, not knowing that every person in the room had their eyes on her and the groom was waiting impatiently for her on the altar.
Diana cleared her throat loudly, and Eva dragged her eyes away from the sky to hear the loud sound of fireworks going off above her. She didn't get time to observe them as her eyes fell on her soon-to-be husband, who was wearing full white from his shoes to the buttons of his coat.
Alastor was standing there, waiting for her.
She was falling...
Theodore didn't come.