On the day of Leonor's wedding to the horrible Duke, it seemed fitting that the heavens opened, and rain relentlessly poured on the Earth.
The normally calm coast was in turmoil as it beat against rocks on the shores far below. There was a particularly briny aroma and the saltiness of the sea felt harsher on the skin and nose.
The superstitious would believe that rain on a wedding day was a bad omen, but Leonor thought it was fitting as she sat at a window in the front of the church, awaiting the man who was to take her away.
She felt lucky her father permitted Francia to participate in getting her ready for the small wedding.
"Are you doing okay, my dear?" Francia asked Leonor, exercising her position as one of the only people allowed to address her with something so affectionate. "It's a bit cold to be sitting by a window with bare shoulders."
Regardless of her answer, the maid put a knit shawl over Leonor's bare shoulders and gave her a smile mixed with warmth in her concern. She stepped away, affording Leonor a moment more to herself. In only a short time, her entire life would change.
Leonor contemplated the past day. The behavior of her father drastically changed.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Leonor was a daughter worth buying gifts for. Not only was her wedding dress beautiful, but her father also permitted her to buy two dresses for everyday use. It was still a step below her sister who had custom gowns made for her monthly. Leonor was allowed to choose what was already in the store on mannequins.
To Leonor, it was transparent her father was behaving in such a way because he wanted to impress the Duke. Even if the man was an outcast in society, the Duke still held a title superior to that of a Count.
For a split second, Leonor felt terrible for the Duke. Even outcasted, he still had leeches like her father floating around. It would be unbelievable to witness how the Count would likely act like he and the Duke were well-acquainted in front of subordinates.
As she thought of her husband-to-be, Leonor sighed. Dropping her proper mannerisms for a moment she placed her arms on the windowsill she was sitting next to and leaned her chin against them.
"Leonor, sit up straight. You don't want the Duke to see you in such a way."
A shrill voice filled up Leonor's momentary peace and she turned to see her younger sister, Anna Maria, stepping into the room she was permitted to stay in until the wedding.
The younger lady walked into a room wearing a dark red dress more adorned with lace and jewels than the bride's which went against Castillian wedding customs. Even more shocking, the tight bodice she wore revealed a great deal of her chest to the world. Leonor never understood how she was comfortable in revealing clothing such as that.
"Anna," Leonor greeted stiffly. "Shouldn't you be with father?"
"Am I not allowed to check on my sister?" she asked under the guise of concern but it was clear she was there to rub the situation in her older sister's face. "After today, you'll no longer be ours. It all happened so suddenly."
"Aren't you thrilled?" Leonor asked. "You're the one who will benefit the most."
Anna's tone immediately changed seeing that their father wasn't there and Leonor wouldn't be a pushover if she didn't have to.
"Bitter as usual," the younger woman said. "I didn't force father to favor me."
Leonor stood up, reminding Anna she was a bit taller, and crossed her arms. Her frame was more sturdy than her younger sister's considering she spent the past five years studying defensive magic.
"You haven't done much of anything if we're splitting hairs," Leonor said. "I recall being sent to the academy first because my mana established and yours never did."
Anna gasped.
"How dare you?!" she exclaimed.
It was one of the many sore spots between them. Leonor wasn't the preferred daughter but she was a far better mage than her younger sister. Their late mother was a talented mage her entire life and Anna always felt slighted that she had nothing in common with her mother, unlike Leonor.
"That's enough!"
The sisters didn't notice their father appear in the doorway during their tiff. When his harsh voice was heard, Anna instantly put on a show for him with a gasp falling from her lips and her eyes watering. She ran forth and hid behind her father, peering around him as if Leonor had done something to physically harm her.
"I never do anything to her, papa," Anna whimpered. "She's always so cruel to me."
The Count believed every word his youngest daughter said and he scoffed at Leonor.
"Even on your wedding day, you prove to be ungrateful," the Count scolded her. "You should be honored that a Duke even bothered looking in your direction in the first place."
Leonor's temperament changed just as fast as her sister's. She bowed her head, not daring to look her father directly in the eyes.
"You're right, father," she responded quietly. "I apologize."
The Count's attention was already lost. He didn't listen to what Leonor had said. He was focused on the daughter he favored.
"I'll take you inside, darling," he said to Anna. "I'll be back for you after the Duke has arrived."
Alone was where she felt the safest.
When the two finally left, she felt she could sit down for a moment longer. Her nerves were eating away at her and her father and sister only seemed to exacerbate it.
If someone like her was allowed to dream, she hoped that living with the Duke would be better than living with her father. She wished for a world where she knew comfort and security. She thought the academy was her way to achieve that, but it was taken away.
As Duke Desmond's betrothed contemplated her future, she suddenly sat up straight when she saw the evidence of men coming through the church's gate. The shawl over her shoulders fell into the chair she was sitting in. Coldness didn't bother her because she felt numb.
Green and silver flags were seen first. Then soldiers on horses started the entourage. Two carriages were in the middle, one with the duke and the other ready to take the dowry she came with. Even though her father didn't care for her, it would reflect him more than her.
As Duke Desmond stepped out of the carriage, Leonor's breath hitched in her throat. She couldn't even see his face from the shadow of his hood but she thought he had looked directly at her even after she had backed away from the window.