The Bride fest
I checked myself in the mirror for the tenth time with a deep sigh.
I was wearing a knee-length white dress with a sheer lace adoring it's mid-length sleeves and chest. I was also wearing white flats, and my hair was flowing freely down my shoulders to my hips, few small, white flowers decorating the top of my head. I sighed for the hundredth time that morning.
I didn't want to do this. I could feel my knees getting weaker and weaker, my hands were shaking with each simple move, and my chest was getting heavier and heavier.
I always hoped I would never have to go through this, but in the back of my mind, I knew I couldn't avoid it.
The Bride fest.
Bride fests are taking place since exactly 7 years ago, when residents of Ishgar started to complain about high taxes. It led to countless protests, quiet or even violent ones.
That's when our king, who at that time was ruling the kingdom for only 2 years, made a decision. He made a compromise with the citizens of Silla and few other leading cities, to lower the taxes under one condition. Every five months a Bride fest would be held, where he would pick one girl to be his bride.
Of course, the citizens agreed, since the voting that was held stated clearly their approval.
As I already said, The Bride fest is taking place once every five months. Girls at age from 19 to 25 are required and forced to attend this small 'ceremony'. Each time, the king would pick blindly one of them, to become one of his brides and serve him in the castle.
By serve, I mean to be a part of his little harem of girls who are obligated to pleasure him whenever he demands.
However, even when they were given a job like that, once a girl becomes a bride, she's suddenly recognized as one of the superior ones. One of the reasons being that they live in the castle together with other high-ranking people who are somehow related to the royal family. You can clearly recognize a bride each time you pass her in the streets. They always wear long white dresses given to them by the castle's sewer, which are made specially for the brides of the king.
Well and today, it's my district's turn. Last time it was our turn I was still 16 so I avoided it skillfully. However I turned 19 one month ago.
Aren't I lucky?
The only thing that keeps me standing is the fact, that brides are mostly the most beautiful girls of our kingdom. Even though the king picks his brides blindly, with non-transparent white veils on their faces, he still manages to snatch the most attractive ones.
And I never saw myself as someone attractive or beautiful. Sure, a lot of people in my village compliment me on my youthful and pretty face, but I'm nothing special. At least not to myself.
I sighed.
To be honest, I think Jungkook is even more nervous than me. The guy is running around our house this whole morning, trying to come up with every possible excuse that would get me out of this situation.
However none are valid.
"I got it! How about you just fake an illness? Or we can say that we're out on a vacation and just get out of here for some time or-"
"Jungkook!" I interrupted the ranting boy and came towards him, holding him by his shoulders. "Calm down, okay? Just don't think about it."
"Don't think about it? Rose, we're supposed to go there in one hour and I'm supposed to not think about it? Do you even realize what's happening?" he asked frantically, shaking me by my shoulders with a worried face. Once I looked closer, I could see his eyes beginning to redden , making me worried too.
"Of course I do. And it's nothing to be so worked up about. I mean, what's the possibility of him picking me out of all the girls?" I said quietly, rubbing his arms up and down soothingly.
He heaved a deep sigh, looking down. I didn't miss the single tear racing down his cheek, so I quickly took him in my arms, hugging him tightly by the waist.
"I just don't want to lose you. Especially not like this. You're a really beautiful girl, everyone would want you by their side. And if he-" he chocked on his cries making me squeeze my arms around him even tighter.
I placed my head on his chest, few of my own tears finally falling down my face.
"You're not loosing me Jungkook. Whatever happens today, you're not loosing me. You're my best friend, the only family I have left. You're not loosing me, no." I whispered, sniffing.
After I felt him calming down in my arms, I slowly stepped back, glancing up at his tear stained face.
"And no more crying you big baby." I chuckled wiping his tears away with my thumb. He laughed quietly, raising up his arm to wipe some of my tears as well.
"You too."
I nodded and took a deep breath calming myself down.
"You look really pretty." he said suddenly, making me look down at myself with a dry chuckle.
"Thanks but I think the dress is over the top a little." he frowned, looking me up and down again few times.
"I don't think so, it's really pretty. White lace really suites you."
"Well, thank you." we both stayed quiet for a while, the only sound in bedroom being our quiet breaths and a silent ticking of the clock on the wall.
"We should probably go or we will be late." he said defeated and I nodded, looking up at him with a forced, tight-lipped smile. "I will go saddle the horse." he said and left the room, leaving me alone, standing in the middle of my bedroom with my head hanging low.
I sighed placing my palm against my eyes.
"Whatever happens today, we will be okay. We will." I tried to encourage myself quietly before turning around to look at myself in the mirror for the last time.
The defeated and anxious girl looking back at me was nothing like my usual self. Another reason to get this over with quickly.