Page 21 of Soul Forge

“Unless you know of someone else that would be getting married in your palace?” His tone was so sharp that Irileth glared at him.

Elda’s mouth popped open, her heart leaping into her throat. “Today?!”

“No time like the present.” He let out a heavy sigh. “See you at the altar, Princess. Don’t slap me.” And then he disappeared again, swallowed by darkness.

“Are you alright?” Irileth asked when Elda’s eyes didn’t leave the spot he’d vacated.

“I don’t know,” she mumbled. “Why would I slap him?”

“For kissing you when it’s time to seal the vows.”

Alarm bells broke through her shock. “I have to kisshim!” Her palms flew to the sides of her head. “I don’t evenlikethe man!”

“He’s better than that dreadful Falkrynian,” Irileth tried, flashing a hopeful smile.

Elda dropped her hands slowly to stare at the ice woman. “Ishe?”

“Come now, be fair,” she tutted. “The shifter is a monster, inside and out. Sypher does have his redeeming qualities.”

“…Like what?” was Elda’s sceptic reply.

Irileth tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Well, he’s saved the world a few times. Also, his muscles arespectacular. There are far worse things in the world than kissing a man who looks likehe was carved by an angel.” Elda opened her mouth to snap out a rebuttal when a knock at the door interrupted her.

“It’s me, Your Grace,” Persephone announced from beyond the wood. “The captain is with me.” Elda paused, surprised the soldier was anywhere near her bedroom when there was no chance of a training session.

“Come in,” she agreed eventually. The handmaid entered with a large garment bag slung over her shoulder, Reiner close behind. Persephone curtseyed at Irileth like seeing a Spirit in Elda’s bedroom was the most normal thing in the world, apparently completely over the shock of it. The captain simply cocked her head, studying the deity for a moment before offering her a salute. Irileth smiled in return.

“I’m here to get you ready,” Persephone announced. “Did Sypher tell you the wedding is this evening?”

“He did,” Elda nodded, flexing her clenched fists and glancing at Reiner. Her nails left behind crescent-shaped indentations where they’d bitten into her palms, and the captain was staring at them.

After a moment, the valkyrie squinted at the garment bag on the bed. “Is that Elda’s wedding dress?”

“It is,” Persephone nodded. “The queen had it made before the suitors set off from their kingdoms. She’s in the chapel now, doing what she can to make it look suitable for a short-notice wedding.” Elda expected to be sad that her mother wouldn’t be coming to help her dress, but the feeling never came. Persephone smiled, trying to inject some cheer into the tense atmosphere. “The good news is most of the nobles are still here to witness the ceremony.” Elda groaned and dropped her head into her hands.

“There are worse things than a wedding,” Reiner reminded her.

“Like what?”

“Getting your leg bitten off by a demon,” the soldier retorted, bending to tap her false limb through her smart leather trousers. It was odd to see her without armour – the absence of silver pauldrons at her shoulders made her seem less mean.

Elda arched an eyebrow. “Subtle.”

“Not in my nature,” Reiner shrugged. “Get dressed.”

“I’m glad you’re here, Captain. Your input is so… helpful.”

The valkyrie grinned. “Being helpful is also not in my nature,Your Grace.” She turned the title into an insult, but some of Elda’s nerves abated at the familiarity of Reiner’s ribbing. Letting out a slow breath, she reached for the garment bag.

The dress wasdivine. Though it stung, Elda had to admit that her mother’s taste was impeccable. The gown was off the shoulder, long and full, and decorated in beautiful, hand-stitched lace patterns that must have taken days to construct. The train was long and dramatic, exactly the opposite of what she thought she liked, and somehow still perfect. A breath caught in her throat, and the pang of sadness at her mother’s absence finally settled deep in her gut.

“Oh, it’s beautiful!” Irileth gushed, pressing a hand to her frozen face. Persephone’s expression mirrored hers. Reiner said nothing.

“Itispretty,” Elda conceded, trailing a finger over the delicate lace. “It’s a shame, really. I’d hoped the person I wed might actually care what I wore.”

“Sypher won’t be able to look anywhere else when I’m done with you,” Persephone promised. Reiner smirked at Elda’s groan, and the princess let the maid sit her in front of the dresser, sticking her tongue out at the captain’s reflection in the mirror. Reiner’s smirk became a grin.

A fascinated smile split Irileth’s cheeks when Elda’s hair was teased into a long, loose braid and decorated with pale blue flowers. Her face was painted with makeup, a tiara was placedon her head, and a pair of tall shoes with delicate golden vines down the heel were slipped onto her feet. It took a while to perfect her, but eventually, the dress was laid out on the floor for Elda to step into, and then the handmaid cinched the corset tight around her torso.

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