Chapter 2: Preparations

In the week that had passed since the wars end feasts were held almost every night. The gilded white and gold great hall with its massive windows and high rafters was filled to the brim with members of every rank of the court. Father had announced my engagement later the same night and since then all anyone seemed to talk about was the wedding. Of course it was the reason we were all free, but the thought of it still twisted my gut.

To get away from it all I found myself hiding away in Astra's room. My baby sister had just turned 16 so she wasn't much of a child anymore, but I couldn't stop thinking of her that way. Astra's room was one of my favorites in the palace. Dark parquet flooring covered by layers of soft rugs and strewn blankets. The huge bed was covered in embroidered throw pillows Astra had made herself, all of them intricate floral designs of yellow roses,pink lilies or pastel hyacinths. In the corner there was a large bay window and window seat almost the size of a small bed. The window looked out over the whole of Citalia. Anthea's capital city built on a mountainside. We lounged on the window bed for hours counting the cascading sea of homes below and the ever increasing strings of festival lights that lit up the winter nights like the stars above. Beyond it all the great Anthea River sparkled in the sun, winding its way from the Northern Glaciers a thousand miles away, past the city and into Eden Lake, just east of Citalia. That would be the river the Orinth Court would be traveling down in just a weeks time. But I tried not to think of those things.

"Your hair is so soft" Astra murmured behind me. She had taken to braiding my hair every day, adorning it with flowers and ribbons and spraying sweet scents on it from the bottles she kept on her vanity. It was always so beautiful. I loathed to take them out every night.

"All thanks to your loving touch" I joked, I could feel Astra's returning smile without having to turn around to face her.

"You'll hardly need mine when you have someone else's loving touch very soon" she jeered,

"Astra!" I felt my face begin to heat as I whipped around to face her, she giggled.

"Oh come on Eira, lighten up a bit. It was only a joke." she smirked, patting my shoulder to turn back around so she could finish her work. I reluctantly returned to gazing out the window.

"It's a marriage of convenience, you know that" I sighed, "strictly political"

Astra groaned, I could almost hear her roll her eyes, "It doesn't have to be just political" she said.

"Yes" I said through gritted teeth,

"It does"

"But just think about it Eira" she whined,

Astra sprayed my hair with a sweet lavender scent. I leaned back into the pillows and looked up at her, incredulous.

"Have you heard what the say about Orinth men?"

I raised my brows, "What?"

Astra smirked and wriggled her eyebrows. "You've heard the stories. Huge viking warriors, strong as six infantry men. And this prince is the son of their King? That's tall dark and handsome all rolled up into one." I rolled my eyes but couldn't help but crack a smile. Leave it to Astra to try and fill my head with fantasies of beautiful princes. Astra flopped down next to me wearing her bright smile. I'd always thought Astra was the prettier of the two of us. Her skin was sun kissed and seemed to glow, even in the winter. A spattering of freckles covered her nose and shoulders. Her hair framed her face, curly and carmel brown. She was like a summer day in the midst of a blizzard. Ethereal and warm. She smiled again and her green eyes lit up with golden joy. She had Father's eyes. I'd always been so jealous of them. Yet another signature royal trait I had not inherited.

"What are you staring at?" Astra asked, now it was her turn to be confused,

"You have gunk in your eyes" I lied, turning around to avoid confrontation. Astra laughed and rubbed them furiously.

"Thanks"

I chuckled, "No problem"

"You think this prince is going to write love poems about you?" Astra asked, I guessed she wasn't giving up the subject.

I snorted, "What are you on about crazy? I just told you it was a political pairing"

"Yeah but I saw the way you blushed, I'm not blind you know" she said, poking me until i relented, writhing away with a laugh.

"Oh! Dearest Lady Eira" Astra cried out in mock adoration,

" How shall I compare thee to a winter's night?" I laughed rolling over to watch her as she prepared her dramatic monologue.

"Your hair, Dark as a midnight forest and soft as a moonbeams gaze" her voice grew deeper, no doubt imitating, a much bigger man. She held up a strand of my hair and kissed it ceremoniously. I couldn't help but giggle.

"Your laugh," she continued, not breaking character,

"Like the song of sleigh bells on Winter's Eve, soft and and sweet and filled with season's joy"

"Your skin, like freshly fallen snow, pinked with the blush of an icy wind"

"Ok ok" I laughed, "Enough is enough"

Astra relented, retaking her seat next to me, "Fine fine, but don't forget to appreciate him when he comes. You're not going to meet a beauty like a viking prince every day."

"Sure fine, whatever" I waved my hand at her, like I'd seen Mother do a thousand times at Father when he joked too much.

"In all seriousness though" Astra asked, a little quieter this time,

"Are you excited?"

I looked back out over the river and lake. Their snowy banks matched the glitter of the water, setting the whole world alight with crystalline light.

"More so curious than excited" I admitted, I didn't know how I could be excited about marrying a man I'd never met. But I supposed he couldn't be too happy about it either, we were both barely of age, in reality, just two kids getting pushed together by greater forces. I tried to picture meeting him. I'd seen a few pictures of King Runar so I guessed he'd look like a younger version of his father. Tall broad shouldered and black haired, no doubt a sword strapped to his hip, brow furrowed and brooding. I had to admit. He made quite a handsome picture in my mind and I couldn't help but smile a little. For once letting myself forget the whole marriage and focus on the image of the beautiful boy. But of course. It wasn't just the man that I would have to ally myself with. But the whole of the Orinthian Empire. Anthea would no longer be a country in its own right but a kingship under the jurisdiction of Runar. The thought of it made all juvenile daydreams sour in my minds eye. I turned to Astra before she could say anything.

"You'll be my maid of honor right?" I asked, the answer was obvious, of course she would.

"I'd be honored Your Highness" she smiled, doing a mock curtsey.

"Good, because I'm going to need some help getting a dress made for the engagement ball next week." I replied,

Astra's eyes lit up, I knew she would love this task.

"Then let's get started" she beamed,

"We'll brainstorm while I do your hair" I replied, sitting up. For now I could lose myself in fabrics and patterns and beautiful things. But for now wasn't forever. Sooner or later I'd have to come to terms with everything. But today wasn't that day.