by Shelby Hild
“Wait,” Vivilyn said as she held up a hand, “the ceremony is still going to be today?”
“Of course,” Malcolm said. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
“There was another explosion,” she said slowly. “Last time, the next ceremony was put off for at least a little bit of time.”
“Unlike last time,” Andrea said, “there were only small injuries. Bruises and cuts from falling debris were the worst of what happened.”
“And both the king and queen are adamant that we stay on schedule this time,” Fiona added.
“But first, you must be hungry.” Malcolm said. “Let’s get you some food.”
Fiona lifted a tray of food that had pastries and eggs. Vivilyn ate two cream cheese pastries and a hard-boiled egg, before allowing Fiona and Andrea to guide her into the bathroom for a bath.
“Where is Serinta?” Vivilyn asked before stepping into the shower. She was quickly hidden behind a shower curtain to maintain her modesty. That was one of the harder things she had to get used to, having people there to help her get ready for the day.
“She has deemed to get ready with Lady Brayleigh,” Andrea replied.
After washing her hair and partially drying it, Vivilyn was told to sit down in a chair with just a towel around her while Nell and Tia put together her hair and makeup. Her eyes were shadowed with gold, bronze, and deepening greens. Tia carefully added eyelashes above Vivilyn’s normal lashes, making her eyes look very dramatic. Her lipstick was a shimmering nude color.
By the time they were done, her hair had finished drying.
It took all four of the women to help Vivilyn get into the dress, but when Vivilyn saw the gown on her, she couldn’t help but smile. Although the floor length gown was a bright white, the straps holding it up were a shimmering silver. On the top around her chest, the fabric wrapped tightly, each layer shifting between the white and the silver material. It turned into a light flowing material from her hips down to the ground. All the way down the material, little jasmine flowers were attached.
It matched the hair piece that Nell worked carefully into Vivilyn’s hair.
The only jewelry Vivilyn wore was the necklace that designated her as one of the Chosen with the dangling charm of a jasmine flower.
“Someone might think your favorite flower is jasmine,” Darissa said from the door.
“It is one of my favorites,” Vivilyn said as she took in Darissa’s glittering deep green dress. It had embroidered flowers the exact shade of her eyes.
“You look stunning,” Vivilyn said as Darissa came into the room. Maxwell followed her in.
“As do you,” Darissa said, “Oh, and I found Maxwell on my way.”
“It rained much of the night,” Maxwell said quietly. “There is mud all over the place.”
Vivilyn looked at the bottom of her dress and how white it was now. The mud would ruin it.
“That’s no problem,” Malcolm said as he attached what appeared to her like two small pieces of silver ribbon to the bottom of the dress. “Here. Let me see your hands.” He then wrapped a small strand of fabric that matched the silver on her dress around her wrists. It somehow pulled the very bottom of her dress out so that it was wider and no longer skimmed the ground.
“You look like a fairy,” Darissa said with a smile. “I love your whole look so much. That dress will dazzle everyone looking at you when the sun hits it.”
“Are you wearing shoes?” Malcolm asked Darissa as she spun around humming, waiting for Vivilyn to finish getting ready.
“Nope,” Darissa sung, kicking her feet out from beneath her dress in her dance. “It’s a garden ceremony. I want to feel the dirt beneath my toes.”
Before Vivilyn could even ask if she could go barefoot as well, Malcolm dropped the shoes he’d been pulling out back down.
“Sounds good to me,” he said. He turned back to Vivilyn and smiled at her with such fondness, Vivilyn could almost imagine it was her father looking at her. “You are ready for the ceremony. Go have fun.”
As Vivilyn and Darissa left the room and started making their way to the gardens, they were joined by many of the other women. Waiting for everyone to arrive, Adontus stood at the entrance of the gardens. Although they were all dressed up with makeup hiding any circles under their eyes, many of the women couldn't disguise their yawns.
“Welcome, Ladies,” he said when everyone had finally arrived, gesturing with his arms widely. “It is a pleasure to see you all looking so beautiful and well-rested, despite everything that has occurred.” Vivilyn heard some of the women laugh slightly, but Adontus didn’t pause his speech. “I know it has been a trying day or so, but please take your time to enjoy the sunshine since we have it again. I will warn you that the area over near the marigolds and daffodils is almost entirely flooded with mud, so please avoid that.
“There are tables and card games throughout the gardens. Have a relaxing time. Prince Aiden will be here within the next hour or so, in order to hopefully make his mind up with the final few choices. Today, he shall be narrowing this group down to 125 ladies.”
Whispering voices filled the air. That was a large number of women to eliminate in one ceremony.
“I told you he was narrowing us down quicker than normal,” Jolene whispered to everyone around her.
“Until then,” Adontus continued, “you’re free to do anything you wish. Enjoy!”
The women wandered around and talked for a bit. Vivilyn sketched a picture of the gardens until the noise from a card game grew too loud to ignore. She stood up and meandered over to the card table.
“Scared to make a little wager?” Natalie said to Brayleigh as she shuffled the cards. She smiled like a cat who’d cornered a mouse. “You’ve already bragged about being the best at cards from your estate.”
“I don’t have anything to wager beside my mother’s ring.” Brayleigh spun the slightly loose ring around her finger.
“Well, then I can wager this.” Natalie set her grandmother’s ring on the table. “A ring for a ring. Best two out of three?”
Vivilyn stared at the intertwined golden ring. It didn’t take her more than a few seconds to figure out where she’d seen the ring before.
It was one of the three pieces of jewelry from her dream with Wizard Vic.
Brayleigh slid her own ring off and set it on the table next to the other ring.
Vivilyn watched as first Brayleigh won a game. Then Natalie won one. Right before the final game ended, Prince Aiden arrived.
“No!” Natalie yelled, slamming her hand on the table and shook her head. “The best four out of five,” Natalie said as she stood up and leaned forward over the table, her eyes wide with panic.
“You said the best two out of three,” Brayleigh said as she picked up both rings. “This one fits me quite nicely,” Brayleigh said as she slipped it on her finger. It glistened brightly in the sun as it settled on her finger, almost as though it glowed. Vivilyn shook her head. The lack of sleep and the weird dreams were starting to affect her vision.
Brayleigh continued talking as she examined her new possession. “Never wager something you’re not willing to lose.”
“Lady Vivilyn,” Prince Aiden said from her side. “You look dazzling.”
“Prince Aiden,” Vivilyn said as she curtseyed. “You do as well.” His gray suit brought out the silver in his eyes.
“Care to take a walk?” he asked.
“I thought you’d never ask,” she said. The prince held out his arm and she took it. They walked slowly through the gardens and over to the greenhouse. When they approached it, the prince opened the door for her to enter first.
“How long has this been here?” She asked as she set her open hand on the table next to where she’d officially met Prince Aiden.
“My grandfather had it commissioned on the day that my father was born, as a gift for my grandmother. He had the second library added for Uncle Bryton’s birth. When Uncle Brian was born, he’d had an entire manor c
ommissioned at Mierta Beach.”
She didn’t hear people mention the older brother of King Warrick, who died suddenly about a year after becoming king. For a moment she wondered how different things would have been if King Warrick hadn't inherited the throne, if his older brother hadn't died before having any children.
“I can just imagine you and your brother and sister running around in here as children,” Vivilyn said, changing the subject as her mind tried to throw her into a vision. She could actually see a younger version of them playing hide-and-seek, making a mess of the entire area. “Knocking over pots and spilling bags of fertilizer.”
“That’s actually exactly what we did,” he said with a laugh, as he nudged a bag of fertilizer. “It was a simple joy we had when running around here.” He sighed and shook his head. “Almost the kind of fun I wish we could have here. After all the stress of what’s happened and just the Trials themselves. Sometimes a more child-like pastime would be nice.” He looked around the greenhouse and smiled as though he were lost in through.
After a few moments of comfortable silence, he looked over at Vivilyn again, then spoke. “If I am blessed with children, then I can see them running around here doing the exact same thing.”
“How many children do you want?” Vivilyn asked.
“At least two. But as many as my wife wants if she wants more. I mean, she’ll be the one giving birth, so it just depends on her I guess. I know I was often lonely growing up and I figured if I had more siblings then it wouldn’t have been so bad.”
“I only have one sibling, but I always imagined having a lot of children. Duncan is great and my family has always loved me so much, but I also want to help those that are less fortunate than I have been.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’d love to adopt.” Vivilyn looked in the general direction of Ettravil where she knew there was at least one orphanage.
“Adopt who?”
“I don’t know who exactly yet, but some of the children who have lost their families,” she said. “There are so many out there who are so much less fortunate than I have been, and I want to help however I can.”
“There aren’t any children without homes,” the prince said with a slight chuckle. "At least, not in Etilidus." His eyebrows had lowered as though he was trying to comprehend what she was saying. “All the people in this kingdom are well taken care of, even the less fortunate.”
“I’m sure they’re more taken care of than in other kingdoms, or than they were in old times, but there are those that still need help.”
Prince Aiden turned his head away for a moment, as though he believed her but couldn’t quite understand what she was saying.
“I’m sure your family does their best, but there’s always more you can do.”
“I just… I feel like I don’t know anything sometimes.” He shook his head. “Like things like that ring a bell, but then fade away again.” He closed his eyes tightly and clenched his fists.
“I’ve always wanted a little sister,” he said when he reopened his eyes. “I love Elissa and Ethan is the best brother I could have asked for, but I used to watch Mav—” He stopped himself from continuing that train of thought. Then he turned back to her again.
“If you win this, then we’ll be required to have at least one boy by blood.”
“I’ll only agree to that if he has your eyes.” She looked up at Prince Aiden with a smirk, sensing he was trying to change the subject and trying to lighten the mood again.
Prince Aiden pushed a stray strand of hair behind Vivilyn’s ear.
“Well, I’ll only agree to it if he has your ears and nose.”
Vivilyn blushed, reaching up to cover her ears.
“Why curse someone with these? They’re huge.”
“They’re perfect.” Prince Aiden tugged lightly on her left ear. “They’re unique. Everyone I’ve ever known has seemed cut from a similar cloth. But you… you’re different. And I’ve never felt so right as I do with you.”
“What do you mean?” Vivilyn asked, her arms falling onto Prince Aiden’s shoulders. He pulled her closer to him so that their faces were only inches apart.
“I used to imagine this would be such a difficult process.” He lightly moved his thumb along Vivilyn’s spine. “But since meeting you, I don’t know. It doesn’t seem so daunting. I mean, of course, I’m still learning about all of the women, but if I had to choose someone right now? Tonight? I’d have no doubt. I’d choose you.”
“But—” Vivilyn started when the door opened and Freya stormed in with a few cameras.
“There you are, Prince Aiden,” she said. “We were beginning to think you’d gotten lost.” She laughed and glared at Vivilyn until she and Aiden pulled apart. “Sorry if we were interrupting. Your cameraman wasn’t responding to his earpiece. Must have been some moment he was focusing in on between you two.”
Vivilyn was blushing heavily.
Prince Aiden looked back over to her and shrugged, his own face a deeper shade of red than she’d ever seen.
“Until next time, Lady Vivilyn,” he said. She curtseyed while he walked out with Freya and the cameramen she’d dragged in. Freya turned around and winked at Vivilyn before they all left the greenhouse.
“Are you okay, Lady Vivilyn?” Maxwell asked, approaching her almost silently.
“I… I think so,” Vivilyn looked over at Maxwell with a slight grin. She could tell her eyes weren’t totally focused. “It’s just… I’ve never had someone make my heart go so fluttery.” Vivilyn smiled as she exited the greenhouse.
As she walked, she wondered if she could find a way to mix her paints to the exact shade of red Prince Aiden’s face had turned.
Chapter 17
Prince Aiden remained busy for the rest of the day, talking and walking with all the different women. Vivilyn would see him in passing every so often and she’d wave or smile at him. Part of her wondered if he was telling everyone the same thing he’d told her.
How could he say he’d choose me if he had to choose someone today? Vivilyn kept replaying the scene in her head. It was on camera. Would they show it to everyone? Could that help my chances in this when it got to the People’s turn to vote?
As afternoon began to wane into early evening, Vivilyn found herself walking near the marigold flowers. Adontus hadn’t been joking about the mud. She munched on a piece of celery as she tried to see how so much of the water seemed to fall directly into that section of the garden. Someone came up behind her, but before Vivilyn could turn and check who it was, Adontus started waving for everyone’s attention.
“Ladies, Ladies,” Adontus said loudly from the recently placed stands. Behind them, most of the gardens were visible. “Come, Ladies, it’s time to get situated for the ceremony.”
Vivilyn finished her piece of celery quickly and took a step to the side.
She felt two hands on her back and before she could react, she was falling face first toward the ground. The mud flickered to water in her mind’s eye as a memory formed. Her hand reached back as it had when Duncan had pushed her into the small lake that formed on the outskirts of Treelyn every raining season. Her hand clasped around a softer material than it had in her memory and her other hand reached in front of her to brace her fall.
Someone squealed behind Vivilyn as they both dropped into the mud with a loud splash.
It got all over her. Her white dress turned brown with muck. To her side, Brayleigh thrashed in the mud, causing it to cover her own pale blue dress even more.
“How dare you,” Brayleigh screeched.
“How dare I?” Vivilyn said, looking over at the other woman. “You are the one who pushed me.”
Guards ran over to the mud pit, followed rapidly by all the other women and Prince Aiden. Cameramen surrounded them last.
“What happened here?” Prince Aiden asked as he surveyed the situation. Darissa covered her mouth next to the prince, holding back laughter.
“She pulled
me into the mud,” Brayleigh yelled, trying to stand up, only to fall back into the mud again. The splash that followed caused mud to land on the bottom of a few other women's dresses.
“It was an instinct,” she said as she watched Brayleigh struggle to get up again. “Someone pushed me forward and I grabbed the closest thing. Which happened to be Lady Brayleigh.”
Darissa took a step forward and knelt as though to help someone out of the mud. Prince Aiden followed suit.
Rather than grabbing a hand though, Darissa splashed some of the sludge on an already muddied Vivilyn.
“Hey!” she said. Since she was already covered, Vivilyn wasn’t really bothered by it, more shocked than anything. Instead of crying or getting upset, she grabbed a handful of the mud and looked at Darissa with one eyebrow raised.
“You wouldn’t,” Darissa said, standing back up. She lifted her hands defensively and took a step back.
Vivilyn glanced over at Prince Aiden who was reaching forward to try and grab Brayleigh’s hands without getting himself dirty. She bit her lower lip slightly as she weighed the glob of mud in her hand.
Hopefully no one gets upset and thinks this is treasonous, she thought. He said he wished for something to lighten the mood.
Before she could think herself out of it, she lobbed the mud.
It landed with a smack right on Prince Aiden’s face and slid down his cheek, slowly.
The prince froze and Brayleigh looked at him with wide eyes. Vivilyn and Darissa both giggled slightly behind their hands. Seeing the prince not picture perfect calmed Vivilyn. Somehow, he seemed more real with mud all over his face, less like an image and more like a person.
Everyone held their breath as they waited to see how Prince Aiden would react.
Slowly he reached down and grabbed his own handful of mud. Then he chucked it with a ‘Hiyah,’ hitting Darissa in the stomach. It splotched all across the front of her dress.
Laughing heartily as though she’d expected him to get her with the mud, Darissa quickly jumped next to Vivilyn and threw mud back toward the prince, but it missed and instead hit Macy.
