Page 80 of Defenders of Jawhara

“Are you sure?” She stared at her reflection.

Patty squeezed her shoulder and repeated, “You look beautiful, honey, and they did a great job with your makeup. You can’t see… You can’t see the bruise at all.”

Before Erin could say more, her dad and cousin came bustling in, and Shira squealed as she came running over.

“Oh, Erin, you look amazing. Let’s see the dress.”

The emerald-green thobe Erin had chosen to wear was trimmed with gold edging and accentuated the paleness of her skin. The stylist had washed her hair in some magical elixir that she claimed was a trade secret, and it had turned her hair a fiery shade of red and brought out the gold highlights.

Erin stood up, but snapped her eyes closed and wobbled on her heels as a wave of dizziness rolled through her. When she opened her eyes, it was to a sea of concerned faces.

Her dad stepped towards her. “You know, sweetheart, Kamal won’t think any less of you if you postpone the wedding until you’re feeling better.”

Shaking her head, Erin sat down again to let the dizziness pass. “I don’t want to wait, Dad. After everything that’s happened, what we all went through, the last thing I want is to postpone anything. If I do that, they win.”

Shira crouched down in front of her and took her hands. “That’s not going to happen. Not on Kamal’s watch or Kale’s or mine. Together, we are going to make sure that nothing like that happens again. Okay?”

Erin grinned at her cousin. “Okay. Now if only I can walk in these shoes.”

“Way ahead of you, cousin.” Shira reached into the bag she was carrying and pulled out a pair of Mary Janes that matched her dress perfectly.

Erin took them from her. “Where did you find these?”

Shira laughed, taking them back. “They’re actually mine. Remember when I went to that Halloween party dressed as a mermaid? I wore them under my fish tail. I thought that you might want to borrow them.” Turning to look at Tom and Patty, she said, “She’ll just need something old, new, and blue. I don’t suppose we can find one thing that fits all that?”

Tom and Patty exchanged looks, and her dad reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box and handed it to her. “Well, we’ve got something new here.”

Opening the box, Erin looked up at her parents and smiled. “It’s beautiful.” Erin lifted the delicate anklet out of the box and handed it to Shira to help her put it on along with the shoes.

“Now all you need is something old and something blue,” Shira told her as she finished fastening the anklet and helped Erin stand up.

“Oh, Erin, you look amazing in that dress.”

Erin turned to look at herself in the full-length mirror, and she smiled back at the reflection before her. There was no way anyone would know just from looking at her that her life had been in danger forty-eight hours ago. She smoothed the dress down around her, and her hand brushed over the sapphire belly chain hidden under her dress.

“Oh! Uh. I have something blue. Kamal gave it to me.”

“What is it, dear,” her mother asked, and Erin blushed and cleared her throat.

She’d been shocked when Kam had presented it to her and when he’d placed it on her. Kissing every part of her that it touched, he’d told her over and over how beautiful she was and how much he loved her. Then he promised to drape her in jewels and nothing else as soon as she was able, which had left Erin blushing. He’d promised her the sky and sea, the stars and moon, and she had no doubt he would make good on it.

Shira chuckled at her discomfort, and her mom made a humming noise. “Well, I’m sure that will be fine, whatever it is,” her mom told her. “Now, you just need something old.”

“If I may?” a female voice said from the door.

Erin whirled around to see an older woman standing there. “Oh, Maela, it’s good to see you. Come in, please.” Erin introduced the woman to the others. “Maela is the reason why everything in the palace runs so smoothly, and why I’m able to eat.”

The older woman stepped into the room, nodding at Erin’s parents and giving Shira a smile.

“It is my pleasure to serve you,” Maela told her. “If I may? You are looking for something old?”

Erin nodded. “Yes, it’s tradition in the West for the bride to have something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. I have everything but the old, but I think I’ll be okay with just the three. The shoes aren’t ancient, but maybe they’d count as old.”

Maela shook her head. “No. Traditions are important. Allow me.” Maela took a beautiful ruby ring off her finger and presented it to Erin. “This ring is older than the palace and has been handed down through generations of palace stewards before me. You would do me a great honor if you would choose to wear it during your ceremony.”

Erin looked at the beautiful ring, swearing that she wouldn’t cry, and then smiled at the woman who had been so welcoming to her from the moment she’d arrived. “Thank you. I promise I will take great care of it.”

Maela squeezed her hand. “I know you will. Now, you must finish up here so that you can go meet your future husband.” And with that, she bowed and left her with her family.

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