The Sorcerer's Bride

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It was a beautiful day. A light breeze was blowing, moving the pendants around. The sun was shining and it was not too hot or cold out. Overall the day was as if it was made to order.

Throughout the city of Carendlus a high level of excitement permeated. The festivities that were to take place today would be almost as grand as when the king had gotten married two years ago.

Zylvia sat on a chair looking out the window. She was already dressed in her bridal gown, though her hair had not yet been arranged. Her gown was made of white silk and it was trimmed with silver. The beautiful dress ended in a long train that had patterns of dragons and phoenixs wrought throughout it. This pale dress was in stark contrast to her hair which was a vibrant red.

The door opened as Celia, the woman who had raised her, came in. "Ah, darling, you look so beautiful." She clicked her tongue. "But we need to do something about that hair."

It was nothing new. She and her husband had been complaining about her hair for years. Red hair was not common in this city and it made her look like a demon child. They had thought that she would never get married as what man would want to marry someome that looked so unstable. Not that the man she was marrying had exactly chosen her.

Celia took up a hairbrush, "We will just have to make it work." She began to do Zylvia's hair. She piled the mass of curls into a bun, and then looped two strands to loop down next to her face. As she finished she leaned down and spoke into Zylvia's ear, "Don't forget what is expected of you." Hearing this the young bride's green eyes darkened.

"Now just for the veil." With that the woman put the lovely silver trimmed veil on her ward. "It seems so unreal that you're getting married, it seems like just yesterday that we found you in the woods." She sighed, "Let's go, don't want to be late, now do we, darling?" @@