THE UTTER CHAOS of planning a royal wedding engulfed Ravenna. Time passed around her like the wind on a midsummer's day, only present if she found the time to genuinely pause and feel it. Ravenna's dress was the first major element of the wedding to be completed. Once both Eoin and Ravenna approved of the dress, their focus was shifted to the next wedding element. Flowers had to be chosen and hand placed throughout the royal cathedral. Then the placement of those flowers had to be approved —all down to the tiniest of details. A uniquely designed tableware set was designed for the occasion, hand crafted and painted by the best artists in the kingdom. Even the elegant gold and white designs of the royal invitations had to have an extensive examination by the royal couple.

Ravenna found herself quite overwhelmed with it all, including her future husband.

The more time that passed, and the more time that they spent in each other's company, Ravenna slowly began to see through Eoin. The crown prince carried a lot of stress upon his shoulders —and the closer he came to buckling beneath the weight, the more hot-headed his actions and words became.

She initially tried to see through his eyes. She tried to be understanding toward his enraged outbursts. Not only was Eoin heavily involved in the extensive wedding plans, but he also essentially ran the kingdom. The crown prince led every meeting, seated at the head of the table in his father's seat. He met with every individual that entered the palace, no matter what the occasion. He negotiated terms and royal decrees. He hosted minor lords and high ranking officials. He also spearheaded the campaign to recover what was lost within the kingdom after the attacks led by Ravenna's ice soldiers.

It made sense for Eoin to be stressed, to be struggling with his emotions. It made sense for him to lash out at her. Especially when all of their time together revolved around the approval of wedding decor and petty arguments over the design of cutlery.

Being in his presence, however, was beginning to make her feel as though she walked atop eggshells. Ravenna didn't take to that lightly. A mere poorly worded sentence could cause Eoin to erupt with anger, and she didn't like putting up with that.

As her emotions toward Eoin began to sharpen with distaste, she was able to take small solace in the periods of time that she spent with Mylo. The Blood Knight mage brought forth a deep sense of comfort to her, a feeling of warmth that she was unable to explain. Merely being in his presence allowed her to momentarily forget the mayhem, to just feel at peace. She found that she looked forward to his visits more than anything else in the world.

A week before the wedding was scheduled to take place, Ravenna found herself seated in her bathroom with Alyss standing behind her. The young servant's hands were entangled within Ravenna's hair, cheerfully styling it into an elegant up-do. Alyss was attempting to prepare Ravenna for a feast that had been planned that evening, to honor the royal couple. The feast, according to Eoin, was meant to kick off a two-week long celebration, complete with nightly festivals in the streets of the Capitol and massive feasts.

"You are awfully happy," Ravenna commented curiously, watching through the reflection of the mirror in front of her as Alyss paused.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Ravenna arched an eyebrow at her. "I am not sure that I've ever seen you this happy before," she explained. "You're smiling a happy grin and humming a sweet song. It is quite a terrifying sight to behold."

Alyss tugged a bit harder at Ravenna's hair, making her wince. "Well, if you must know, I am having dinner with someone tonight and I am very much so looking forward to it."

"Oh?" Ravenna perked up. The only person she'd seen Alyss interact nicely with was Miera, the second servant that had been assigned to care for Ravenna. "Who are you meeting?" she asked.

"A close friend," Alyss answered vaguely. She refused to make eye contact with Ravenna.

"Or is it a lover?" Ravenna cooed.

Alyss turned the color of a tomato. She tugged even harder at Ravenna's hair, rushing to finish the hairstyle. Ravenna giggled. "Tell me about them," she said.

"You already know her," Alyss said with a soft sigh. Her cheeks burned even brighter red. "You mustn't say anything."

Ravenna smiled at her. "Now, it wouldn't be very smart for me to say anything," she said. "You know where I sleep."

Alyss harrumphed and released Ravenna's hair. She shook her head for a moment and then paused, her eyebrows crinkled. Ravenna watched her reflection, now slightly alarmed. "What is it?" she asked.

The young servant said nothing. Instead, she gently tilted Ravenna's head to the side, peering closer at her hair. She appeared to examine it carefully. "You have quite interesting hair, my lady," she remarked.

"Why do you say that?" Ravenna asked, worried.

"It is much lighter now, especially near your scalp. It is almost like the roots of your hair are the color of moonlight."

Fear trickled through Ravenna. "Is that so?" she mused, trying to keep her tone lighthearted. "Maybe all of this wedding mess has taken its toll on me. I'm becoming old. My hair is losing its color."

"My grandmother had a potion that she used to keep her hair true to its original color," Alyss said. "Would you like for me to use it on your hair before the wedding?"

"Maybe," Ravenna answered, hesitant. The spell would most likely conflict with the remnants of the old, bringing out her light color again instantly. She would need to contact Vyses again after nightfall. He would have to help her redo the spell that dyed her hair.

Alyss continued to talk about her grandmother's spell, explaining its safety and endurance, until a knock sounded at the door. Her chatter ceased as she stepped away from Ravenna, walking toward the entrance of the room.

"Good evening," she greeted Mylo as he stepped over the threshold and into view. Ravenna's lips immediately quirked upward, into a small smile.

He nodded and smiled kindly at Alyss. Before he could respond, however, Eoin bustled into the room. Alyss immediately dipped into a curtsy that he ignored. "We are running late," the crown prince announced. His gaze fell upon Ravenna, annoyance present in his features. "We are expected to arrive together and we need to leave now."

Her small smile twisted into a frown. She stood, locking eyes with Mylo as she crossed the room. Even Mylo seemed somewhat exasperated.

"Thank you, Alyss," she said as she started toward the door. Ravenna leaned in close to Alyss as she neared her and added a whispered, "Have fun on your date!"

Alyss blushed bright red again. Mylo eyed her curiously, but said nothing as he followed Ravenna and Eoin out the door.

As they walked down the corridor toward the banquet hall, Eoin's gaze zeroed in on Ravenna's hair. He made a strange noise and reached out, touching a tightly styled strand. "What is wrong with your hair?" he asked.

"I'm not sure what you mean?" she responded.

He tugged on a strand of her hair, pulling it loose from the rest of her styled hair. "I'm talking about this!" he snapped, pointing toward her scalp. "Your hair is turning white."

Ravenna swatted his hand away from her. Anger bristled through her and she struggled to remain calm. "I can't see what it is you are blabbering on about," she told him coldly. "Not while it is attached to my head. I appreciate you ruining my hair, however."

Eoin rolled his eyes at her and turned away. He started to walk a little faster down the corridor, allowing Ravenna to fall behind him. She bristled, her arms folded across her chest.

'Just a few more weeks', she told herself.

Mylo cleared his throat as he stepped up beside her. She glanced at him, her eyebrows furrowed with confusion. "May I?" he asked quietly.

She nodded wordlessly.

His hands moved quick, working the loose strand of hair back into the carefully crafted up-do. When he was finished, Ravenna thanked him. He smiled at her. "Do not worry about what the prince says," he told her. "His highness is just under a lot of stress."

"We all are," Ravenna remarked grumpily.

"You are handling it quite well," Mylo told her kindly.

She shook her head. "Not as well as you think."

Mylo watched her carefully. His gaze seemed to pierce right through her. "Oh," he remarked. His voice was soft. "I meant to tell you. I will be leaving the Capitol for a few weeks."

She stared stoically at Eoin's back. "So you are going to miss the wedding," she surmised.

"I am," Mylo said. "I am needed in the outskirts of the kingdom."

Ravenna's jaw clenched. Her nails dug into the heels of her palms. She sucked in a deep breath, focusing as her lungs expanded around the inhale. The idea of Mylo not being present made her heart tighten. "That is unfortunate," she remarked, her voice indifferent.

"I have to follow orders," he answered simply.

Her eyes narrowed at Eoin's back. She knew that the castle spoke of her relationship with Mylo, about how they spent every evening together. She couldn't help but wonder whether it was truly just a coincidence that Mylo would be conveniently missing their wedding due to royal orders. Orders that could only come from the King himself.

She did her best to set her annoyance aside and smile as they entered the dining hall. The table overflowed with unfamiliar faces and an abundance of food. Bards sang in the corners of the room, plucking cheerfully at their instruments. The ambient melody mingled with the gossip in the room. All eyes slowly turned to Ravenna and Eoin.

Including the King's.

Ravenna's skin crawled when she saw him, seated at the head of the table. It was rare that she found herself in his presence. Rare and extremely unpleasant. The King had taken a strong liking to Ravenna and her physical attributes.

"Welcome!" the King greeted them, his gaze focused on the area beneath Ravenna's chin. "Please, join us in a toast."

Ravenna, Eoin, and Mylo hurried to their respective seats. Each grabbed a crystal glass filled with spiced wines and lifted them into the air above their heads.

The King's already drunken smile magnified tenfold.

"I want to hold a toast, not only to the beautiful royal couple that sits before me, but to the good soldiers that serve me. To the men that aren't afraid to come forward with the truth, to protect their kingdom from evil."

Ravenna's heart stopped entirely as a group of Blood Knights entered the dining hall, dragging a chain behind them. Attached to the chain were Vyses and Lyth, both shackled at the wrists.

"I am pleased to announce that we have discovered and arrested the evil bastards behind those awful attacks," the King said. His goblet of ale trembled in his hand. "The kingdom of Kahl can breathe easier tonight."

hey friends!

I know it's a little late but I wanted to try to post this chapter before I went to sleep. Today has been a relatively rough day for me and I'm just kind of drained right now haha. I hope that y'all are doing better and are safe and healthy!! ❤ I hope that you all have a super awesome rest of your week!!! I really appreciate you all so much!!

Thank you for taking the time to read this book ❤

ash ❤

p.s. I also posted a new youtube video a few days ago. It's an update on my animal crossing island. If you are bored/have time, definitely check it out!