Saffron forced herself out of bed. Her legs felt stiff and still ached from her constant pacing before she went to bed. She took a second to compose herself and opened the door.
The three Princesses stood outside. Princess Seraphina held a white bag which must have contained the wedding dress. Princess Ember held a basket filled with makeup and hair tools. Princess Enya was holding a pair of white heels.
"Good morning, sister," The three girls greeted her.
"Good morning, sisters," Saffron replied, her cheeks flushing at how awkward it felt.
Saffron stepped aside as the Princesses entered the room, laying out their equipment on the bed and dressing table.
"You must be nervous," Serpahina commented, noticing Saffron's hesitation.
"Yes, I am," Saffron admitted, walking to join the three.
"If my brother does anything you don't like, tell me and I'll have a word with him," Ember replied, rolling up her sleeve and holding up a fist.
Saffron burst into laughter, making the three Princesses smile.
"I'll be sure to do that."
Seraphina poured some fragrant water into the hand bowl and Saffron dipped a cloth into it, wiping herself down. The last thing she wanted was to smell like sweat on her wedding, but if she bathed in the morning and the evening she was afraid she would turn into a prune.
"Let's get you dressed," Enya said, helping Saffron stand.
Enya was tall for her age and quite strong. Feeling the callouses on her hand, Saffron wondered if she had taken up swordplay. She did not feel like prying at that moment, so she pushed the question to the back of her mind to ask later. Seraphina gently lifted Saffron's arms above her head and helped to remove her nightgown. The sisters took turns, each passing a petticoat over Saffron's head and adjusting it. All three worked together to dress, fix and adjust Saffron's dress so it sat just right.
Saffron sat in front of her dressing table as Ember draped an old sheet around her, covering her dress. The two younger Princesses tackled Saffron's hair, brushing and pinning it into place. Meanwhile, Seraphina worked diligently to apply makeup to Saffron's face. Saffron closed her eyes to allow her to work on them. Like this, she could almost forget the impending nuptials.
A woosh of cool air brought Saffron back to reality as Enya remove the sheet from her shoulders in one fluid motion.
"It's time," Seraphina said, giving Saffron's hand a reassuring squeeze.
Saffron followed behind the sisters as they made their way to the hall. Saffron felt her stomach flip as the doors opened. She could see just how many people were in the hall. How they had all made time to attend on such short notice, Saffron had no idea, but she supposed a royal wedding was a huge event, after all.
Swallowing her fears, Saffron stepped into the room. There was no turning back or running away now. She followed her sister down the aisle, glancing as they each took their seats at the front. It took every ounce of courage in her to ascend the four steps without her legs shaking. She stood to the side, just as she had practised, and turned to look at the doorway. She could hear whispers amongst the crowd, though this time they felt oddly positive.
The King and Crown Prince soon stood in the doorway. Stoic as ever, the Crown Prince was dressed in his military uniform, without armour. The pocket on his chest was decorated with a few medals. The King also wore his uniform, much grander and with far more medals. The two walked down the aisle, moving in time to the soft music that the small orchestra played.
The Prince ascended the steps and stood opposite Saffron. She watched as the King joined them, handing a candle first to the Prince and then to Saffron. He took his seat soon after, leaving Saffron and Ash to turn toward each other.
"Citizens of the Phoenix Kingdom, today we celebrate the union of two souls. Ash, our very own Crown Prince, and Saffron, the first princess of the Fae Kingdom. May their union bring great joy to them, and great prosperity to our kingdom. May they be blessed with long lives and many heirs. To stand together in the face of adversity as long as they both shall live."
Saffron listened intently to the minister's words. They were solemn. She just wished that it was the happy and loving occasion that those words promised.
"You may now light your candles and place them on the altar."
The Crown Prince held his fingers out and clicked them beside the wick, watching it burst into flames. Saffron watched the flame dance for a moment. The Crown Prince drew his hand back, signalling Saffron that it was her turn.
Saffron leant forwards, drawing her lips close to the candle and blowing softly on it. The air around her lips shimmered for a moment and the wick blazed to life. A soft murmur rippled through the guests. For a moment, Saffron wondered what they were saying. Prince Ash turned sharply, prompting Saffron to follow his lead. They each placed their candle on the altar and turned back to the crowd.
The five Princes rushed up to grab the Crown Prince and whisk him away, laughing and joking as they went. Seraphina approached Saffron and helped her back down the stairs.
"Come, I will take you to the bathing room where the maids will help you."
"Thank you, sister," Saffron replied.
Once they were outside, Seraphina squeezed her arm.
"You must be nervous. I'm sure you will be just fine."
Her words did nothing to ease Saffron's fears, but she appreciated them nonetheless. They reached the bathing room soon after, with Seraphina handing her off to the maids and ordering them to take good care of her.
Time passed by in a blur as the maids scrubbed every inch of her body until she was sure her skin would be raw if they continued. She was led through into the small dressing room once again. Saffron had to hold her breath as they dusted her with scented powder and dabbed her with perfumes. One of the maids set about lightly adding fresh makeup to her face. Saffron was confused for a moment when the maid aggressively rubbed her lips with a rag and held it up for her. Only after a moment did she realise, with great embarrassment, that the maid was demonstrating the lipstick would not come off no matter what she did.
The nightgown that Saffron was presented with made her stomach flip. The long black dress was sheer, with a much shorter slip beneath it. It left just enough to the imagination to stop Saffron from throwing it into the small crackling fire the second she saw it. She did not fight the servants on it. If this is what had been arranged, perhaps it was a part of their custom. They draped a floor-length robe over her and fastened it, preserving her modesty as they left the bathing room and made their way to the Prince's room.
Saffron stood at the door, feeling as if her heart was beating in her throat. She was, quite frankly, terrified. But this was expected of her. If she could not even do this, then how could she possibly be a good Queen one day? Swallowing her fears, Saffron pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The room was much smaller and much plainer than she had imagined. The floors were wooden with a large, shaggy rug. The large four-poster bed sat against the back wall, draped with deep crimson fabric. The walls had been painted a greyish red and decorated with several paintings of grand battles. Swords hung on display racks. At the foot of the bed was a plush red chaise lounge. On the left wall, there was one window with drawn curtains and a cushioned window seat. It was not what she had expected.
"We'll be leaving now, your highness."
Saffron turned around to thank the maids, but they had already left. With reality setting in, she took a seat on the edge of the bed, fixing her eyes on the floor beneath her. Melanie and Rochelle had not specified how long the Prince would be with his brothers. The longer he stayed away, the better, she thought.
Saffron did not realise she had fallen asleep until the loud click of the door opening and closing startled her awake. She sat up quickly, her eyes darting to the origin of the sound. A very drunk Prince Ash stood, leaning on the bedpost for support. He was clutching a bottle of some alcohol in his hand.
"There she is," he sneered, "the blushing bride. The fairest fae. The wingless wonder."
Anger bubbled inside her but Saffron suppressed it. He was so drunk, she doubted he would be so bold when sober. When she said nothing, Prince Ash's brow furrowed in frustration. He set the bottle down on the nightstand and thumped down beside her on the bed. He was silent for a few seconds, looking at her before he grabbed the side of her face and pulled it close to him. Saffron tried to suppress her disgust as she waited for him to kiss her, but instead, he pulled her ear to his mouth.
"You're not worthy of me." He whispered.
His hot breath and the tickling whisper did nothing but fill Saffron with more rage. She ducked back away from him, swatting at his hand.
"Conduct yourself properly, Crown Prince," She scolded, glaring at him.
"What are you, my mother?" He chuckled menacingly.
Before Saffron could realise what was going on, he had thrown her face down on the bed.
"What are you doing, you brute?!" She yelped.
She felt fabric rip as he pulled at the neckline of her dress until it split to her waist. A shaky hand ran the length of her back, followed by a burst of disturbing laughter.
"There's really nothing there. Not even a little stub. That's all I've wondered about since my father made the announcement."
Saffron felt a mixture of rage and humiliation. Her mouth tasted bitter. She kicked him in the chest, knocking him backwards on the bed. The Prince snorted and stood up quickly, grabbing his bottle from the table and smirking.
"Relax, I wouldn't filthy myself with the likes of you."
Saffron glared daggers into the back of his head as he walked toward the window seat, unbuttoning his shirt and discarding his jacket and tie. He thumped down on the cushions and tucked his legs up beside him, turning to push the curtains apart and look outside.
The silence was deafening. Saffron watched him, staring outside and taking swigs from his bottle. Despite her exhaustion, she was too shaken up to even attempt to sleep, nor did she feel safe enough to do so.
She sat, watching his every move until the sun began to rise and she could no longer keep her eyes open. Falling into a deep sleep, Saffron wondered just what her life was going to be like from now on. There was no going back, and with Prince Ash's display tonight, she was uncertain of what the future might hold.