20 The Woman in the Mirror

Miles left to join the others at the front as he had said and the women returned sadly to their homes. Olive would visit Bernard every day and slowly he began to recover.

The other women were left to worry and wait for news. Every few days or so a wagon would arrive at Briarwood with more injured men. Cora was always there to greet them so Delaney, Selina, Constance, and many of their other friends would wait for her to bring them any news she could gather.

As men that were well enough and willing loaded into the wagon to go back to the front, they were begged to send word as soon as they could. Nothing came of it though. No real news came to them.

Every day Delaney didn't receive word of Vincent was another day of worrying what her future held. On the morning of her eighteenth birthday, she woke without the excitement she had always expected she would have on this day.

If not for the dragon war this would be the day she could announce the date of her wedding to Vincent. No doubt they would have set it for only weeks away.

As she dressed and braided her long chestnut hair over her shoulder in silence, Delaney imagined her birthday morning with all of her friends surrounding her excited to celebrate. In a different life, they would be chattering and going over her plans for this day as well as her wedding day.

They would've all had breakfast together and perhaps gone shopping in the village. They would return to her house and Vincent would arrive soon after with his handsome smile for her. He would take her on a ride in the topless carriage because the weather was so lovely and they would kiss and set a date for their wedding.

She would return home again, saying goodbye to Vincent for now before finding her friends in her room waiting for her. They would dress in their best dresses and have their hair done up in style. They would all be wearing the most beautiful gems and jewelry.

Delaney imagined them looking more beautiful than ever as they all descended the stairs at her Aunt and Uncle's manor. Down below waiting for them, were the handsome men they'd been waiting for. She imagined Duncan, Bernard, Miles, and Vincent all standing there happily, safe and sound and in one piece.

They would dance all night and play cards. Everyone would be smiling and laughing. Everyone would be happy. Everyone would be there together.

Delaney sighed as she went downstairs to eat her breakfast alone in the great, silent manor. She wondered if she would see any of her friends today at all. Cora was taking care of the wounded men and Olive was with Bernard who was at last able to be out of bed and moving around. Constance was with Olive as usual. Selina was the only one she wasn't sure about.

After eating, Delaney found her Aunt and Uncle sitting out on the lawn reading and getting some fresh air. They both hugged her and told her happy birthday. Her Aunt gave her a beautiful new gown covered in tiny roses and her Uncle gave her a golden necklace with a lovely round jade stone. Both were perfect and she thanked them.

Delaney had them taken to her room where she returned to look at them. She sat on the end of her bed and looked at the gown hanging across the room and again thought about the way her birthday might have been. In a different life, that would be the dress she would've worn to her birthday ball.

Filled with sadness, Delaney curled up on her bed and closed her eyes. Tears managed to find their way free and slid down her cheeks onto her pillow.

This wasn't how things were supposed to be.

After losing her mother and then her father, Delaney felt like she'd had more than her share of sadness and thought surely the fates would see fit to give her a happy life after. What had she done to deserve these happy moments be taken away from her?

She thought of the witch's words then for the first time in a long time. Had she made the wrong choices? Was choosing to marry Vincent the wrong choice? Surely if she'd been living on her own in the city now at the club every night playing cards it would be happier than this.

Delaney loved the life she knew she would have with Vincent though. Great parties and balls. Trips to the castle to see the King himself. All of the beautiful gowns and jewels she could want. That would be such an amazing future how could it be wrong?

Mind still whirling, Delaney fell asleep on her bed fully dressed. Her nightmares came again about her friends and the men they were promised to coming home with missing limbs and gashes and scars. Blood was everywhere and they screamed for someone to help them.

When someone gently shook Delaney to wake her, because of the nightmares she came awake with a gasp. She shot up and looked around wild-eyed until she realized it was Selina. The woman looked startled and amused by her friend's reaction.

"It's just me," she giggled, "Your Aunt told me you were asleep up here and I should wake you because you've slept the day away."

Delaney realized then that she had. It was evening outside and the sun was moving towards the horizon for the night.

"Is this the new dress?" Selina asked, admiring it, "It's just as lovely as I thought it would be and that necklace from your uncle will look just perfect with it. You should try it on!"

Delaney frowned at her, "Why would I try it on now? There's no point."

Selina rolled her eyes, "For your birthday silly. Just because it's not exactly what you wanted doesn't mean you can't still get dressed up nice for it. I wore this." Selina spun around and Delaney saw she was wearing a very lovely deep blue gown.

"Fine," she sighed and got up. Her ladies maid came in and helped her into the new gown and did her hair up nicely. Selina excitedly put her necklace on and gushed over how lovely she looked. Delaney tried to smile but was still not feeling quite up to it. She knew Selina was trying but today had just been disappointing.

Selina insisted she look at herself in the mirror. Delaney sighed but agreed, going to stand in front of the large gilded mirror that stood on one wall of her room.

Delaney looked at herself in the mirror and was surprised to see the image staring back at her. She had grown taller than she'd realized and quite elegant. At some point, she hadn't noticed it but she had grown from a girl into a woman. Gone were the excited eyes of youth and the rounded cheeks and features. Now, there was just a slim, graceful woman who carried herself with confidence.

When had this happened? Delaney smiled at herself now, feeling almost giddy. She was a woman at last, as beautiful as her mother had been. Delaney wished she could see her now. She hoped her mother would be proud.

"Come on," Selina clapped her hands excitedly, "Let's go downstairs."

The women linked arms and Selina all but dragged Delaney down the stairs. They crossed the hall and Delaney wondered where they were going.

A footman was standing in front of the doors to the dining room and as they drew near he pulled them open.

"Surprise!"

Delaney gasped and looked on in astonishment at the group of people before her. Cora was there with an excited smile. Olive and Constance were there as well looking pleased. Beside them sitting in a chair looking tired but smiling was even Bernard.

Her biggest surprise rushed up to crush her in a bearhug. "What took you so long girl I was about to go up and drag you down myself!"

"Win!" she managed before squeezing the old man in a hug of her own, "What are you doing here?" The old man chuckled and stepped back to look at her.

"Well, my girl Selina sent word that today was your birthday and I think she thought I might send a gift but that same day I got some exciting news so I decided to come myself and make it all the better."

"What news?" Delaney asked urgently, everyone else in the room was on edge then as well. Win lived in the city closest to the front where they were fighting the dragons. He would know all the newest information.

Win grinned wickedly as he looked out at them all. "They've done it, girl," he threw his hands in the air, "They've killed one of the big male dragons!"