As she prepared for her marriage, she wore the blue cloth for warmth and was astonished to learn that it was a Divine Object.<em>I thought it was a precious item but I didn’t know it could be called divine!</em>Her dress was white and matched the blue cloth perfectly, and she wore a bracelet with all four family colors represented on it by precious stones. It was a tradition that hoped to prevent the bride from being the reason for battles.


    <em>It’s surreal!</em>Ilyin had been sitting at a table with one chair because strangely, she wasn’t allowed to see the man she was marrying. The document on the table had their names neatly written on it, with space next to each name for them to sign. If the Duke signed, she would now be a Bilften; she would be his wife. Ilyin was not feeling ted though and there was no luxurious ceremony, which disappointed her. She’d had some fantasies of being a happy bride when she was young, of wearing a long white sparkling wedding gown and walking down the virgin road, with candles along the path flickering among the azure blue flowers. She would then meet her loved one at the end of the cobbled road, and her bouquet would be thrown happily to anyone.


    Ilyin knew she would not marry again, as the Arlens were not that powerful to be able to remarry a daughter, and her father would not give her any dowry. So, this was the first andst time.


    Ilyin read the document in a gentle voice, “The bride, Ilyin de Arlen pledges her life to the Duke Aden de Biflten.” The sentence was simple, and the night she had envisioned in her dream was bing a reality. “It does not need to be for life.”


    Ilyin thought the world had turned dark as a warm hand covered her eyes. She heard a low and sincere voice, and it was too cultured for the rumors to be true. The voice was softer than her expectation, and she did not feel afraid that a strange man was behind her. She felt like she had met him before, and her heart raced.


    “Is it your highness?” Ilyin spoke without turning around and thought his hand flinched a bit.


    “Yes, I am Aden de Biflten,” he introduced himself after a brief moment of silence.


    Ilyin greeted him with a shaking voice, “I am Ilyin de 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 a pen.


    Aden gently led Ilyin’s hand with his strong swordsman grip but his touch was gentle, despite his strength and he whispered, “You may go whenever this ce bes too much for you.”


    She heard his voice above her and felt the Duke’s firm chest pressing against the back of her head; they were close.


    “People outside from here cannotst,” he whispered to her. The Duke had signed the document, and after Ilyn wrote her name, the two were now married.


    Before putting the silver pen down, Ilyin queried, “Why did you ask for a bride from outside then?”


    He hesitated before answering and then murmured that he had not expected someone like her toe. Aden removed his hand from her eyes but remained standing behind her. He was standing so close to her and she turned slightly and saw his sharp chin and his lips. She also noticed that his cor was open, which would be a privilege that only the Duke could have in this area. Ilyin tried to avoid ncing at him further.


    “I’ll see youter,” he said gently.


    ***


    The preparations for their first night together were simple. The maids from all four families handed Ilyin a light silk gown while doing her hair up, as only the mistress of the mansion was allowed to do. Then, they took her into a ce that Ilyin was familiar with. She’d seen this room in her dream. Thin white curtains wereyered over a four-poster bed and soft, downy nkets covered the mattress. While the room was not luxurious it did resemble the Biflten snowfields.


    “The master may bete.” The maid from the Blue North spoke indifferently, and Ilyin thought otherwise, since he’d whispered to her as if he’d see her shortly, and she thought of the man she had just met. He seemed so different from the rumors she’d heard and she wondered why they had been spread in the first ce. But she had erased the notion of him being nice to her, as she had be too old to fancy such thoughts.


    “Drink this.” The maid from the Green Mille poured liquor into a small cup and ced it on the bedside table. “Women on their first night prefer this.”


    That meant it was not a necessary step, and Ilyin nodded her head slightly and said, “Thank you.”


    The maids bowed and left the room and she was alone finally. She looked around and thought about Aden de Biflten, who would being through that door. The name was still strange to her, as she did not know his face yet.