Luminescent (Inheritance Cycle and Beyond)

Chapter Seventy-Eight: Blinding

"Nay, it lasts a few moon cycles." Frida answered while shaking her head. "as soon as the potion expires from your body, your flow begins. Would you like me to quire some for you?"

With a face tinged pink, I nodded at Frida. Don't get me wrong, I loved Selene. But I was not ready to have another child and Murtagh, and I hadn't gotten as intimate as we both would have liked for fear of another pregnancy so soon.

"Nothing to be ashamed of," Lydia said with a bright smile. "tis your wedding night tonight and I think most woman would not want to have to worry about a second child when they have another so young."

"There you go, little princess," Frida said to Fen. In the mirror, I saw Fen spinning around in a dress that slightly resembled mine, only without a train and much more age-appropriate. "I shall just be a moment with the potion."

Fen trotted over to me with a beaming smile that would melt hearts. In her hair, Frida had placed a single pink rose.

"Am I pretty mommy?" Fen asked as she did another spin.

"What are you talking about Fen," I said while raising an eyebrow. Her red and green eyes focused on me. "you've always been beautiful to me."

Fen blushed red and started to scuff her slippers on the marble floor. Lydia told me to look up so she could outline my lower eyelid. Complying, I stared at the ceiling as the brushed flicked across the skin below my eye.

"I personally can't wait to see his face." Lydia giggled. "If he thought you looked beautiful that night we first dressed you up, he won't have words after seeing you tonight."

"He still needs to be able to say our vows," I said as Lydia pulled away from my left eye to work on the right.

"Bah, who needs words when you've got eyes that scream eternal love and loyalty," Lydia grumbled as Frida hustled back into the room.

"You haven't done the lip paint yet, have you?"

"Nay," Lydia replied, shaking her head. Frida walked over to me and held out a glass.

"Drink this, and you shant have a worry for the next few months."

"Will it affect Selene's nursing?"

"Nay," Accepting the glass, I sniffed the contents. It smelled like strawberries mixed with something I couldn't place. With a shrug, I tipped my head back and drank the entire contents. The cold mixture that tasted of strawberries flowed down my throat, and almost instantly, I felt my stomach growing warm. It only lasted a second before it disappeared.

"Tis done, no babes from your womb for the next few moon cycles." Setting the glass on the vanity in front of me, I let Lydia finish her work.

Frida and Lydia sent Fen off to find Katrina while they helped me into the wedding dress. As she had said, Frida and her family had sewn on hundreds of lace flowers all over my shoulders, waist, and top layer of the train.

The way the corset had been designed, it took them nearly three-quarters of an hour lacing the dress and pulling it tight. The white strings were tucked away out of sight before the top layer of my train was moved back into place.

The two of them spread the dress completely out before inspecting every inch for any rips, tears, or imperfection. With Frida at the helm, I highly doubt there were any, but I was not going to stop the two when they were so determined.

"Is there anything else save for the crown and veil?" Lydia asked Frida. "I feel like we've forgotten something."

Frida suddenly got a look on her face before rounding on her and placing her hands on her hips with a scowl.

"Do not tell me you were planning on getting married like that!?!" Frida scolded me. I gave her a sheepish look as I was caught in the act.

"It is a nature-themed wedding, you know..."

"THAT DOESNT MEAN YOU ARE GOING BAREFOOT!!!" Frida practically shouted at me as Lydia hurried off to retrieve the matching lace slippers. Lydia came back and crawled on her hands and knees to help me step into the slippers.

Now that my feet were covered, the two walked over to where a familiar black box sat along with a much larger one I had never seen before. Frida opened the black box to reveal my mother's silver crown.

"If we started with it," Frida said softly as she carried it over to me. "we shall end with it."

I bent down and allowed Frida to place the crown on my hair. She adjusted it, so it was resting at the base of the bun and perched atop my head, contrasting my hair.

"What's in the other box?" I asked as I twisted my hands together. This time, both Lydia and Frida went to the box, they pulled off the top and revealed the last part of my outfit. Frida picked up the silver comb while Lydia gathered the layered white veil attached. With a delicate touch, they carried it over to where I stood, before unraveling the fabric.

"Since we went with a flower theme," Frida said as she leaned over and tucked the comb underneath the flowers. "I decided to make your veil look like a bed of flowers."

Lydia flicked the fabric out, and the two of them spread the train out behind me completely. Glancing back, my eyes widened when I realized Frida did precisely what she had said. It was a bed of flower.

"Mal? Are you done ye—" I looked in the mirror and saw Roran in the doorway with a slack-jawed expression.

"Does it look okay?" I whispered. Roran shook himself from his momentary freeze and walked over.

"You are beautiful, Mal," Roran said as he came to a stop next to me. "I can't wait to see Murtagh's expression."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" I asked as Roran held out his arm.

"Please, that man controls his emotions so well, it a wonder if he ever smiles."

"He does too," I muttered as I took Roran's hand.

"Never mind that, your highness." Frida cooed. "your man awaits your arrival."

"And so does the rest of the city," Lydia muttered. With my arm in Roran's and my hand grasping his, we left the room.