Soleia stared at herself in the mirror. This was the morning of her wedding, and her stomach was threatening to twist itself into knots. She was in the private room of the church, after being rudely awakened at the break of dawn to prepare for her wedding. She was shoved into a hot bath and scrubbed clean.
The maids then fluttered around her, styling her hair into an elegant chignon. They powdered her face to conceal the dark circles, and applied rouge on her cheeks and lips to give her the image of a blissful bride, oblivious to the turmoil brewing in Soleia's heart.
Soleia wet her lips. It was nearly time for her to walk down the aisle. She could hear the excited chatter of the guests as they streamed through the open doors of the church, eagerly taking their seats. She glanced down at herself, smoothing through the folds of her dress.