Veiled

erupt

Trigger Warning: gruesome, violence

The stars align only if you believe in astrology, but in a world where there are so many things to believe in, I choose to believe in all of it. Or, eh, maybe I'll pass on this one.

Tonight, my stars looked hopeful, brilliant as they shined, enhanced by the darkness around us. Or so I thought.

We had driven through countless miles of forestry that it seemed like Helgaif had an equal ratio of trees to civilians, quite possibly more trees.

Surrounding a thin road, my driver had been swerving like a maniac for hours and I still felt sick to my stomach. It wasn't that he was a bad driver, actually, it was exactly that.

And my nerves were on edge knowing that my coronation was nearing by the second. We would approach the Simla Cathedral at the edge of Helgaif and I would receive my crown tonight.

I dreaded knowing that Marcus would be there and that we would be expected to speak in order to keep up appearances. I hated thinking that my mother would be standing there with that same smug look on her face and—

I took a deep breath.

"Everything okay back there, your royal highness?" The driver asked and I nodded. I wasn't sure if he saw me, but if he had, he showed no indication of it. "We are almost there." His voice was rough and emotionless. I wondered if they'd hired him because he wasn't personable or if he was just this way around me.

It was officially dark out and here I was surrounded by the fabric of a pale orange and pink dress that took an entire limousine to fit it. I thought about how embarrassed I might be when I tried to get out of the vehicle surrounded by all this useless fluff. I looked like an egg-yolk surrounded by a lot of whisked egg-whites. I realized I couldn't even use the restroom until after the ceremony, and at this moment, I desperately needed to pee.

My giant dress devoured and warmed me throughout the sunset and the second the stars arose, it played the role of a mirror and reflected the sky onto itself. I'd been astounded by the dress for the first twenty minutes, but now I couldn't wait to get out of it.

"We've arrived." My driver announced after clearing his throat. He stepped out of the vehicle moments later and held open a door, we struggled for a bit getting the dress completely out of the limousine and suddenly, the train of it followed behind me, shimmering with the national colors of Helgaif.

If I had believed the dress was stunning, I had another thing coming. My eyes grew wide as they took in the entire Simla cathedral, named after the waterfall beside it where the story goes that Saint Simla had saved a family from drowning.

It was larger than the giant from Jack and the Beanstalk, seemingly a one-hundred-foot tall building. The stars reflected against the stain glass images, light from inside illuminating each perfectly articulate stain glass work of art. At the very peak was a giant cross that pronounced the religion of Helgaif, I've never seen anything like this cathedral before.

Behind me, the parking lot had rows and rows and columns and rows of over a hundred cars, limousines, and vans parked. There were many citizens walking around the church and stepping through the doors. I wondered why so many people had come— but it hadn't really struck me yet that I was their future queen and they were here to see me.

I gulped audible, my Adam's apple bobbing. My bare shoulders shook and nerves engulfed me and I couldn't help but realize that this was only a small part of the population of Helgaif. Scratch that earlier thought, there were definitely more people than trees.

Several heads turned in my direction and groups of people began whispering to each other.

"This way, your majesty." The driver placed his hand on my elbow and began leading me into a secluded area, my knees buckled when I saw Wanda standing there and I wished that my shoes could've allowed me to run over to her.