Aria just nodded, and the girl led her to a table that had food on it.
She picked at a few things, but she felt too nervous to eat. When her bath was ready, she got in, and they let her soak for a while.
She was handed a cloth and a flowery smelling bar of soap. While she washed her body, another girl washed her hair.
One woman gave Aria a small blade, and she shaved for the first time in a long time. Although she knew it was because they were preparing for her wedding, it made her happy.
They rinsed her and dried her hair. They gave her a robe to wrap herself in. While her hair dried, they cut her nails.
Afterward, they left her alone for a while. She was pretty sure that they wanted her to stay in the room, so she did. She tried to eat again.
The women came back and started on her hair. It was left down, but they braided the sides and brought them together to make one braid at the back. A few strands fell down her face, and she left them there, trying not to tuck them behind her ear. The hairstyle was pretty. Elegant.
To her surprise, one girl applied a little makeup to her face, just on her eyelids and lips.
Before she knew it, the sun had begun to set. She wished that she really had asked Brent to save her a drink. At least then she wouldn't be so nervous. She felt like she would vomit at any moment.
One of the ladies came forward with some fabric in her hands. She handed it to Aria. Aria looked at it, and for a second, she was mortified.
The item the woman had handed her could only be described as lingerie.
"Wha-what is this," Aria asked.
"It's what you'll be wearing under the dress, my lady," she answered. A few of the younger girls snickered.
She put it on, but she couldn't look in the mirror. She couldn't even look down at her body.
When they brought the dress in, Aria gaped at it.
She didn't know a lot about weddings, but she was pretty sure wedding dresses weren't supposed to be black.
But she remembered how Lex's king ensemble had been all black too, so maybe that was their thing here?
Two of the women helped Aria put the dress on. It was surprisingly lightweight. The straps were thick on her shoulders; what kind of material they had used to make it, she didn't know. The bodice of the dress was tight, but it flared out at the waist. Her back was bare.
Aria finally turned to look at herself. The girl...the woman she saw looking back looked like a queen.
The makeup they'd put on her eyes was black. It made her brown eyes much brighter. Her hairstyle left her face exposed. She looked down and saw that the dress fit her body better than anything else she'd ever worn. Her curves had returned, filling the dress out. The dress had a plunging neckline, exposing just the tops of her breasts.
She knew she'd been staring at herself for too long. But she couldn't help it. She looked like a leader.
She turned to face the women in the room. They were all staring at her, every single one of them. Their expressions ranged from awe to admiration to possibly even jealousy. After a few minutes, Aria started to feel a little uncomfortable.
"Are we finished," she asked.
"Oh," one of the ladies said like Aria had broken some trance they were all in. "Yes, my lady. I believe we are ready."
One of the younger girls left. The others made no move to go, so Aria stayed put.
Eventually, the girl came back. "It's time," she said.
Aria willed her legs to move, but suddenly they felt like they'd turned to lead.
"My lady," the girl repeated, "it's time."
Aria took a deep breath and followed the women out of the room. When they reached the doors to the throne room, they were closed. The ladies who'd come with her moved aside and placed Aria right in front of the two doors.
Oh god, I'm going to throw up, she thought as one of the guards knocked on the door. She'd be entering alone. The doors opened. She stood in the doorway, taking in the scene before her.
The guests were all standing on either side of a makeshift aisle. The room was now filled with many chairs and tables. Her path to the front was clear. Every single one of them turned to look at her.
At the front of the room, a black-cloaked man stood on the head table's elevated portion. Lex stood to the man's left, one step lower.
Aria moved because she knew she had to.
Every single pair of eyes in the room followed her as she made her way to the front.
When Aria got there, she took her place across from Lex. The room was so quiet she could hear her heart pounding in her ears.
The man standing above them began talking, and for a few minutes, Aria couldn't really process what he was saying.
She looked at Lex, who was looking right back at her. Lex, with his black attire and his black crown. His facial expression gave nothing away.
"...Shall be one," the man said; Aria finally focused on his voice.
Suddenly, every person in the room dropped to their knees, bowing before the two of them.
"I shall bow before no one but my queen," Lex said. And to Aria's surprise, he got down on both knees. He looked at her expectantly, dropping his eyes to the ground, silently telling her to do the same.
She did. Lex gave her a little nod, like, now you go.
"I shall bow before no one but my king," she said, somehow knowing that's what she was supposed to say.
"Join hands," the man above them said. Lex reached forward and grabbed both of Aria's hands.
"Wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded wife, wilt thou love her, and honor
