Luxii
Mother of Kitties
Victoria hardly recognized the girl staring back at her through the mirror. Her waist was so incredibly small, all in thanks to the corset that laced her within an inch of her life. The collar of her sweeping gown dipped low, passed her collarbones, and rested barely atop her breasts. The fullness of the skirts added to the illusion of an impossible hourglass shape; the bodice sparkled with more diamonds than most men made in a year. The blinding whiteness of it all sharply contrasted the darkness of her hair and eyes, while at the same time complimenting the pale expanses of her exposed skin. She looked so much older than her 18 years.
The seamstress mistook the wetness in the girl's eyes for joy. "Oh, Your Majesty," she murmured, as much as she could with a swath of straight pins between her teeth, "You will make the most beautiful bride anyone has ever seen! Prince Tyrion must certainly be the luckiest man in the kingdom!"
The lump in her throat was hard to swallow, and Victoria blinked away the burning in the back of her eyes. "Thank you, Gina," she said graciously, "Your words are much too kind."
Gina bustled around the younger woman, her deft hands tactfully placing the last few pins, tucking fabric here and there until she was satisfied. Everything had to be perfect. This was after all the biggest wedding since Victoria's mother had wed, and that was decades ago. The entire royal family was to be on display, but Victoria had to shine the brightest of them all.
"There, I think that's it. What do you think, princess?"
"It is beautiful, Gina. Thank you." Her wane smile didn't reach her eyes. This wasn't at all how a bride was supposed to feel two days before her wedding night. "Do you need me for anything else?"
The seamstress shook her head, tight grey curls swinging. "Oh no, princess, not at all! You must have so much else to do before the big day. Let me help you out of your gown and you can be on your way!"
It took a few moments to extricate Victoria from the massive wedding gown, but Gina's quick hands had the princess laced into her much plainer dress in no time at all. She curtsied towards the older woman by way of thanks and ventured out into the hallway.
The palace was in full display of pomp and splendor for the wedding. Vibrant red and gold clothes spanned the walls - celebration colors. They should be black. Victoria's bitter thoughts were starting to get the best of her.
She hadn't tried to hide her disdain for Prince Tyrion, nor he his for her. Anyone in the kingdom could tell you tales of the young prince's cruelty. After the death of his father, he had made a terrible name for himself in the kingdom to the west. This alliance between kingdom's was merely a formality; Tyrion's army could have overwhelmed their smaller neighbors. It had been Tyrion's mother who had suggested the union. She had been a childhood friend of Victoria's own mother, who had died in childbirth.
Victoria made it to her chambers without seeing anyone, thank goodness. She bolted the door behind her and sank onto her bed. The burning in her eyes was back. Through the mistiness in her vision, she noticed a folded piece of parchment on her nightstand, but she did not recognize the seal. The wax was easily peeled back, and the paper unfolded. Inside, a message in hastily scrawled handwriting: Princess, Prince Tyrion would see you dead after your wedding night - trust no one.
