Snow's White | ✓

25. Man At the Altar

Keir wished that he was anywhere but where he was sitting, distractedly staring at a book open to a random page in his hands. Rose's merry humming behind the large satin curtain in front of him made him tense in anticipation. 

"Are you ready, brother?" Rose called, Keir snapping his book shut as he straightened himself on the seat, clearing his throat as he exhaled deeply. Keir paused for a moment, training his face to react in the manner he had practised the night before, feeling the mask of a smile find itself on his face. 

"Yes."

Rose giggled as two servants pulled on twisted gold rope, the curtain fluttering open, revealing his beaming sister, her cheeks flushed as she looked down at her brother from the pedestal in anticipation. There before him was his most fairest sister, her black hair spiralling down her back in perfectly ringlets as a gold crown, speckled with diamonds and rich jewels rester atop her pretty crown. A dress a sparkling shade of white that only made her own snow-like skin glisten rested on her slender body in a way that made the whole world bow to her. 

The dress, which exposed her gentle shoulders and crossed her chest modestly with gold banding, clung to her body in lush waves of silk, the shimmering fabric melting into lace, which fell from her arms like angel wings fluttering in heaven's skies.

Yes, an angel. His sister, mortal as she is graceful, for a moment looked like she transcended into that of an immortal being, her beauty not of this world. Keir felt the breath knocked out of him as she twirled before him, smiling shyly as her brother stared at her. For a moment, she thought her brother had frowned, though she assured herself that she had mistaken the expression as Keir's face morphed into one of pure delight, wrapping his sister up in his arms, pressing a kiss against her cheek.

"My most beautiful sister," Keir said affectionately, stroking his sister's cheeks as he smiled down at her. As a brother, he was blissfully happy that his sister looked so radiant in her wedding dress, which only seemed to worship her every curve. As a man, he felt defeated, as the image of this woman in this dress walking down an aisle of roses towards her prince fell upon him.

Keir wished that another man would be waiting at the altar. 

"You look quite dashing yourself, brother," Rose laughed, brushing her brother's expertly tailored coat with her fingers. "I fear that you will soon receive many marriage proposals from pretty young ladies after they see you all dressed up."

"I will pray that what you just said does not come to pass," Keir said, scrunching up his nose as his sister giggled.

"I will protect you, little brother," Rose said, using the big sister voice that she whipped out on occasion, usually at Keir's expense.

"I shall rely on you then," Keir said, before stepping away from his sister, checking the time. "I must get changed out of this suit for a few alterations, before the dressmaker gets stroppy with me again."

"Make haste brother," Rose grinned, "I would prefer you not to be a pincushion at my wedding!" With that, Keir quickly made his way to the room adjacent to Rose's, where his tailor clicked his tongue in annoyance as he fluttered around Keir, tugging and pulling at his suit, complaining in a foreign language that Keir's movements had dislodged some of the pins he had placed earlier.

Keir didn't pay attention as the fabric around him was pulled and snipped as he thought deeply about his sister in her wedding dress, the sight more painful than he had anticipated, feeling sorry for the sister who deserved a better brother.

~~~

Keir sighed heavily as he bit into the apple Finnian had given him, the boy casting worried glances at him every time the depressing noise left the man's lips. Keir chewed silently on the apple, which filled his mouth with tart juices.