Alice into Darkness

Just Garffen

"Greetings!" the various guests would exclaim over and over again, bowing to Alice and Loraine as they walked through the party side by side- "Greetings, Miss Layttel! Congratulations! This shall be the best day of your life..."

The air now smelled of a variety of flowers, the musicians were playing their flutes, violins and piano, the colorful family flags continued to ripple in the soft wind and Alice, looking all around her with curiosity, started to think that this day would be better than she had imagined it would be...

Maybe her wedding would not be so bad, perhaps she would be happy living beside Henry after all?

"Thanks" Alice would reply with her high and cold voice, quickly greeting the different families as she passed- "Thank you everyone! The fireworks shall be wonderful, I promise..."

Alice was curious to start opening all of those wedding presents, but the real party had not started yet and that would have to wait for now. Loraine laughed as they opened the elegant wooden gates and entered the manor, Alice beamed and they continued to laugh and chat as they climbed the great staircase on their way to the bedrooms above.

"That look in their faces!" Loraine cried out, laughing with great satisfaction as she held her sister's left hand with her right- "They all are marveled at you, my little sister... Oh, and the Allaways have not even arrived yet! Just wait for your dazzling Henry to show up... Alice, people shall talk about this day for generations to come!"

"Yeah, that was fun!" Alice replied, and for a moment a spark of true happiness glowed in her otherwise cold eyes- "I am starting to think... That maybe my wedding is not such a bad thing..."

The Layttel sisters finally reached the third story of the manor, they passed beside a stained glass window which displayed the image of a dragon and after navigating their way through various hallways they arrived at Alice's personal bedroom at last. Loraine opened the door in a hurry, Alice followed her sister into the vast chamber and there she was:

Eleanor was walking from one place to another as she unpacked a variety of dresses, cloaks, jewelry and elegant shoes, already trying to decide which combination would be better for Alice to wear in the most important day of her life...

"There you are!"

"Hello, mother..."

Loraine dashed to open the heavy doors that led to Alice's great balcony, the wind came into the room together with bright sunlight and Eleanor proceeded to pull Alice towards a huge mirror that she had installed right beside the four-poster bed, for it was time to select the best dresses before Miss Layttel would start trying them on.

"What kept you away for so long, Alice?" Eleanor complained, clearly disgusted despite the stupendous party that had just started outside- "We already lost precious time! Today everything shall be perfect, I told you so many times... Here! What do you think, Loraine? Does this dress fit your sister well?"

Alice stared at the reflections in her mirror, taking a good look at the dress in question as her mother held it in front of her with both hands. The length and style were alright, but that bright and happy shade of orange was just Garffen to Alice and she was not very happy with that...

"I am not sure, mother" Loraine replied- "That orange is too bright, and I think we need a color that makes a better combination with her eyes... Well, the Allaways shall arrive any moment! I'll be waiting for them at the entrance gates..."

"Thanks for my presents, Loraine..."

"I love you, Alice!"

The cheerful Loraine looked into her sister's eyes for a last time, and after that she departed with a smile on her way back to the Meadow...