Faithlessness

Celia and Rachael slowly strolled arm in arm through the castle, wandering down galleries and through the gardens full of bare trees.

Everywhere the went, courtiers stopped to bow to and greet the visiting princess. Some of them were even bold enough to ask her to put in a good word for them to her father. Celia felt a little like an exotic bird on display in a menagerie.

You'd think I've been away for two decades instead of two years, she thought with wry amusement.

The two young women talked about Rachael's upcoming wedding, scheduled for early May.

"It's such a shame I won't still be here for it." Celia squeezed her friend's arm. "There's no way I'd be allowed to stay in Islia for so many weeks."

"I know." Rachael squeezed back. "I wish there was some way to speed up time so I could just get it over and done with already."

"Have you been able to get to know your betrothed a little better over the last few months?" Celia asked.