While preparing for the wedding, she used the blue cloth to keep warm and was surprised to learn that it was a Divine Object.
‘I thought it was a precious item, but I didn’t know it could be called divine!’
Her dress was white and matched the blue fabric perfectly; she wore a bracelet with the four family colors represented by precious stones.
It was a tradition that hoped to prevent the bride from being the reason for battles.
‘It’s surreal!’ Ilyin was sitting at a table with a chair because, strangely, she wasn’t allowed to see the man she was marrying.
She would be his wife.
Ilyin wasn't feeling elated and there was no lavish ceremony, which disappointed her.
She has had some fantasies of being a happy bride when she was young, of wearing a long, shiny white wedding dress, and of walking along the virgin road, with candles along the way flickering among the sky-blue flowers.
She would then meet her future husband at the end of the cobblestone road and her bouquet would be happily tossed to anyone.
Ilyin knew that he would not marry again, as the Arlens were not powerful enough to marry their daughter again and her father would not give her any dowry.
So this was the first and last time.
Ilyin read the document in a gentle voice:
“The bride, Ilyin Arlen, pledges her life to Duke Aden Biflten.”
The sentence was simple and the night she had imagined in her dream was about to come true.
“It doesn’t have to be for life.”
Ilyin thought the world had gone dark when a warm hand covered her eyes, she heard a low, sincere voice, too cultured for the rumors to be true.
The voice was softer than her expectation and she felt no fear that a strange man was behind her.
She felt like she had met him before and her heart skipped a beat.
“Is it Your Grace?” Ilyin spoke without turning around and felt his hand shrink a little.
“Yes, I am Aden Biflten,” he introduced himself after a brief moment of silence.
Ilyin greeted him in a trembling voice:
“I am Ilyin Arlen.” She could see some light through his long fingers and also the document.
However, her attention was on his hand that touched hers, which held the pen.
Aden gently guided Ilyin's hand with his strong swordsman's grip, but his touch was gentle despite his strength and he whispered:
“You can go whenever this place becomes too much for you.”
She heard his voice above her and felt the Duke's firm chest pressing into the back of her head.
They were close.
“People outside here can't last,” he whispered to her.
The Duke had signed the document and after Ilyin wrote his name, the two were now married.
Before putting down the silver pen, Ilyin asked:
“Why did you ask for a bride from abroad, then?”
He hesitated before answering and then muttered that he didn't expect someone like her to come.
Aden removed his hand from her eyes but remained standing behind her.
He was so close to her that she turned a little and saw his sharp chin and lips.
She also noticed that the collar of his shirt was open, which would be a privilege that only the Duke could have in that area¹.
Ilyin tried to avoid looking at him further.
“See you later,” he said gently.
***
Preparations for their first night together were simple.
The maids from all four families handed Ilyin a light silk dress while fixing her hair, something only the lady of the mansion was allowed to do.
So, they took her to a place Ilyin knew.
She had seen this room in her dream; Thin white curtains were draped over a four-poster bed and soft blankets covered the mattress.
Although the room was not luxurious, it was reminiscent of the snowfields of Biflten.
“Master might be late,” The Blue North maid said indifferently.
Ilyin thought otherwise, as he whispered to her as if he would see her soon.
She began to think about the man she had just met.
He seemed so different from the rumors she had heard that she wondered why they had spread in the first place.
She had erased the notion that he was only good for her, as she had become too old to have such thoughts.
“Drink this.” The Green Mille maid poured liquor into a small cup and placed it on the bedside table.
“Women on their first night prefer this.”
This meant that it was not a necessary step and Ilyin nodded slightly and said:
“Thank you.”
The maids bowed and left the room, so she was finally alone.
She looked around and thought of Aden Biflten, who would be walking through that door.
The name was still strange to him, as he still didn't know his face.
¹ | I don't know if it's confusing or not, but she meant that since the Duke's power is heat, he is the only one who can wear a thin/open shirt in a place as freezing/cold as Biflten.
² | He referred to the fact that FL is no longer a teenager to imagine such “romantic” scenes, such as him treating her differently from others (being special).
Hearts: Every now and then I start to think that my grades are useless lol
Isha: No, notes are always important hahaha