the transition from princess of the golden throne to the queen of the shadows was complete. though, she didn’t feel any different. the whole day had been preparation, her ladies fussing to the highest degree while her stomach knotted itself into a thousand knots. she was... optimistic about the day, and while she’d not plan this for herself, she could have been paired with a worse man. halius had shown her kindness and some affection when he really didn’t need to.
as she stood beside him, hand beneath his, they were bound before the gods she knew little about. religion had never been important to her, but to her family, to her kingdom, it was. there was only one god under the faith of the seven, there was only one that she’d been forced to pray to her entire life but now there were many.
becoming a queen was perhaps the ultimate achievement a woman like her could ask for, and she knew that she were the envy of many around her. she was the shadow queen of wheldrake, a title she never imagined to be bequeathed with, but here she sat at the banquet table, crown on her head, king by her side. wine was consumed in copius amounts but she still managed to keep her digity, though while her eyes travelled to her guard more than they should have, she felt she kept cool. besides, she was a married woman now. she belonged to wheldrake, and wheldrake to her.
she was happy. she was out from under her brothers thumb and that brought with it excitement for the future, but orlaith was also walking into unchartered lands, with a man she barely know. their relationship had been based off of the arrangement and whatever sexual chemistry she held in her small frame for him. again, it could be worse. she let her eyes travel over his features as he sat next to her, a smile pulling at her lips as she did. he seemed happy, from what she could tell, but-- the wine sloshing in his marital drinking horn could have been the cause of such emotion.
a breathe entered her lungs, expanding them to their fullest extent as she looked over the great hall. this was a moment, an evening that she’d be content to remember. the patrons seemingly enjoying themselves and if there was anything she’d take away from the sight, it was that. there was peace in that moment.
