Learning about the ceremony had been exhausting. Saffron felt nothing but relief when she disembarked from the carriage and entered the tailor's shop. Though the ceremony itself was not starkly different, the maid teaching her had gone through everything in excruciating detail.
Saffron stepped up onto the platform. The two maids that had accompanied her, one of which was Rochelle, helped her to undress before assisting her in trying on her wedding dress.
It was truly beautiful. A white ballgown with silver embroidery on the skirt. The silver thread was almost invisible, but when the light hit it, it sparkled like water. The bodice was decorated with hand-sewn diamond-like jewels. Saffron wondered if they were real diamonds. Surely she was not worth real diamonds...
"You look beautiful, your highness!" Rochelle exclaimed, looking as if she might cry.
"Rochelle, you are much too kind," Saffron murmured, laughing softly.
The tailor bustled around for a while, busying himself with pins. He jotted down notes on his alterations and then clapped his hands, grabbing the attention of the maids.
"I have finished, you may change your mistress and take her back now. The dress is in good hands." He said with a nod, excusing himself from the room.
"Is he always so... Cold?" Saffron asked the maids quietly.
The two maids nodded quickly.
"He calls it professional, but he's just a little rude," Rochelle whispered, glancing in the direction he had gone in.
It only took a few minutes this time for Saffron to change back into her gown. They clambered back into the carriage and set off for the palace once more. Saffron kept her head down, focusing on the fabric of her skirt which she had balled up in her hands again. It was becoming somewhat of a coping mechanism for her.
"My lady, are you afraid? Prince Ash is very cold, but he had not been unkind to any of us, at least," Rochelle asked, trying to reassure her.
Saffron looked up and forced a smile.
"I'm not afraid, just nervous. It is all such a huge change for me."
The two maids did their best to try and comfort Saffron, but it did little to ease her anxieties. Her feelings about her situation were still very turbulent, even if she kept a reasonably calm demeanour on the outside.
"The practice ceremony is easy, we will walk you through everything, and there will be no groom present if that eases your tensions some." The other maid, who Saffron had learned was called Melanie, offered.
"That does make me feel somewhat better," Saffron admitted sheepishly.
They arrived back at the palace in no time. Melanie and Rochelle lead Saffron to the grand hall. It looked quite different now that there was no ball. The room had been packed with people. Now it felt entirely too empty, with only several dozen people skittering around, hanging decorations and moving furniture.
"In the morning you will wake up and the Princesses will enter your room. They will help you get ready, to show your new sisterly bond. After that, they will bring you to the grand hall. You will walk down the aisle and wait there," Melanie explained, "Then, the King will walk with the Prince and give both of you your candles."
As Saffron listened she walked down the white and gold carpet that had been set up, and ascended the four small steps onto the platform. She stood to the right of Rochelle, who was standing where the Minister would be. Melanie played the part of the King, holding a candle in her hand. She walked up the stairs and handed the candle to Saffron.
"After this, the minister will speak. Then the Prince will light your candle, and you will light his. Once you place them on the altar, the ceremony will be completed. You will then move to your new bed chamber and bathe. The Prince will spend some time with his brothers before he returns for his own bathing." Melanie told her, watching as Saffron placed the unlit candle on the altar.
Saffron was grateful that Melanie had left it there. She was trying to shut the next part out of her brain. She would deal with that when the time came. There was no use dwelling on things.
"Would you like to practice some more? It is fairly simple, but I'm sure it would ease you a little," Rochelle asked.
They practised until night fell. Repeating the same moves over and over helped to numb Saffron's mind. It was only when the servants had all left, leaving the hall completely decorated, that Saffron let out a deep sigh.
"I suppose it is time for bed."
Melanie and Rochelle exchanged a look.
"My lady, I am sure it will not be as bad as you are imagining," Rochelle said, attempting to soothe the anxious Princess.
"I hope you are right," Saffron replied softly.
She squeezed the two maids in a tight hug, something they seemed startled by, to say the least.
"Thank you both, you are very kind. I should hope the Prince will allow you both to serve as my personal maids if you would like to."
Rochelle's eyes lit up with excitement.
"My lady, I would be honoured."
Melanie also smiled, though she was less energetic than Rochelle, it was clear she was also very pleased by the idea.
"Come, let's get you back to your room," Melanie said.
Saffron nodded weakly, hoping that neither of them could tell that she was seconds from fleeing the palace and the entire wedding. She walked ahead this time, mostly remembering the route back to her room, whilst Melanie and Rochelle followed behind. She kept her head up, determined not to let her feelings show.
Once Saffron was back in her room, the two maids helped her change into her nightgown, which had already been laundered and dried, and removed the makeup from her face. She offered both of them a hug before they left for the night.
Alone with her thoughts again, Saffron paced the room. She did not want to sleep yet, as it would only bring the wedding sooner. She wondered how Nanny Pine was doing now. Even Silver, though she was sure he would be just fine without her stealing him away from his duties to practice her magic and combat. Would she see them again? She had not even had a chance to say goodbye to them.
Would her father and sister attend her wedding? She doubted it. It was likely that they had seen it as a great opportunity to wash their hands of her without looking like villains.
The thought made her heart sink. If she was not wanted by her own family, how could she expect the Phoenix royal family to want her as anything more than a political tool? With this marriage, the Fae Kingdom would be allied with the Phoenix Kingdom for at least the duration of their marriage. Neither King was so bold as to attack the other whilst a marriage alliance was in place.
Saffron's legs began to ache and she finally sat down on the bed. Realisation soon hit her that this wedding meant she would be Queen one day. It had been mentioned at breakfast, but Saffron had been too anxious to fully take in the statement.
She had been raised all her life to believe she would never be a Queen of any Kingdom, despite her birthright. She had watched Blossom undergo lesson after lesson on being a good Queen, yet she had been given nothing. She would be Queen consort, of course, but she would still have duties and responsibilities. She was unsure if she could handle them.
They would be expected to produce an heir as soon as possible. Saffron was not ready for that either. She swallowed hard as she pushed the thought from her mind. She had plenty of time to torment herself after the wedding.
Laying down, Saffron gazed at the tall ceiling above her. This was only her second night in this bed, but it would also be her last. Terrified was an understatement. In truth, she was not worried about the wedding, nor how the Prince would treat her. All of her anxiety was really coming from the wedding night. With how Prince Ash seemed to resent her... Saffron closed her eyes.
It was not long before she had fallen asleep, exhausted by not only her long day but also her racing thoughts and efforts to suppress the fearful shaking she felt coming on. Her dream was not peaceful. She could not escape it. She lay on the floor, her sister looming over her. Blossom was laughing. There was a pain in her chest and a firey heat licked at her skin like flames. She woke up startled by a knock, sitting up and wiping the cold sweat from her forehead.
It was time to get ready for the wedding.