It was a beautiful day . A light breeze was blowing, moving the pendants around . The sun was s.h.i.+ning and it was not too hot or cold out . Overall the day was as if it was made to order .

Throughout the city of Carendlus a high level of excitement permeated . The festivities that were to take place today would be almost as grand as when the king had gotten married two years ago .

Zylvia sat on a chair looking out the window . She was already dressed in her bridal gown, though her hair had not yet been arranged . Her gown was made of white silk and it was trimmed with silver . The beautiful dress ended in a long train that had patterns of dragons and phoenixs wrought throughout it . This pale dress was in stark contrast to her hair which was a vibrant red .

The door opened as Celia, the woman who had raised her, came in . "Ah, darling, you look so beautiful . " She clicked her tongue . "But we need to do something about that hair . "

It was nothing new . She and her husband had been complaining about her hair for years . Red hair was not common in this city and it made her look like a demon child . They had thought that she would never get married as what man would want to marry someome that looked so unstable . Not that the man she was marrying had exactly chosen her .

Celia took up a hairbrush, "We will just have to make it work . " She began to do Zylvia's hair . She piled the ma.s.s of curls into a bun, and then looped two strands to loop down next to her face . As she finished she leaned down and spoke into Zylvia's ear, "Don't forget what is expected of you . " Hearing this the young bride's green eyes darkened .

"Now just for the veil . " With that the woman put the lovely silver trimmed veil on her ward . "It seems so unreal that you're getting married, it seems like just yesterday that we found you in the woods . " She sighed, "Let's go, don't want to be late, now do we, darling?" @@