Separate Crowns of One Heart

Føurtėėn

The morning of the wedding, everything is pure chaos. The day begins with rising at dawn and being soaked in a bath of perfumed water. Demi and two others work on taking the braids out of my hair. I should have listened to Demi when she suggested I get my hair redone a couple of months ago, I think as I wince when a pick gets caught in my hair.

The Queen and my mother walk into the bathroom to inspect the work of the servants. "How is it going?" Mother asks.

"Painfully," I tell her. She gives me a look that tells me I need to watch how I behave before the Queen. I turn to her now. "Are they making the Prince take out his locs too or am I enduring this torture alone?"

Queen Magdalena laughs and perches on the edge of the tub. "No, darling, Kenyon is not taking out his locs." I groan dramatically and sink lower into the water. "Would you like him to?"

I want to answer yes because I know he would hate it and it would make this fair but... "No. It's alright." Oddly, I like his hair just as it is. It would be strange to see him with anything else.

"Alright," the Queen chuckles. Although the Prince and my mother are always warning me to be careful around Her Majesty, she seems to enjoy it when I'm genuinely being myself. I don't know what to make of it. "Well... after you're done in here, you will be made up," she talks me through the steps as if I haven't had them chanted at me by her and my mother. "Then you will dress in the first outfit that you chose and then..."

I zone out at the mention of my outfits. It's the only part of this whole day I am looking forward to-- the only thing keeping me from calling it off completely. There will be three outfits during the entirety of the wedding. The first is a traditional Kittanan wedding gown made of royal blue, gold, green and black cloth. The neckline goes straight across into off-the-shoulder short-sleeves and it has a slit up one side.

"-- That is when the ibadika will be preformed," the Queen is finishing.

"Yes, Your Majesty," I say obediently. "I promise to not mess this up."

"Darling..." She glances at my mother.

"Kitten," Mother says softly. She kneels by the tub and takes my wet hand in hers. "Her Majesty is not telling you this so you do not mess up. We want you to have a perfect wedding. Do not forget that this is your day."

"This is your royal wedding," the Queen tells me.

I smile at both of them. "And I'm sure it's going to be more than I could ever dream of." Mother leans in and kisses my forehead as always.

She and the Queen both rise. "We have to oversee the final touches of the ballroom but we will be back before the ceremony begins. We will see you later." I nod and the two of them leave the bathroom and me to get ready.

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Mila walks into my chambers, her hair freshly cornrowed braids gracing her back. She grins excitedly at me when she sees me in the middle of a crowd of workers. "You already look so beautiful!" She's only being nice. I hardly look remarkable with my hair picked out into an afro and a towel wrapped around my body.

"Is she the maid of honor?" A Male with a makeup carrier asks, already grabbing Mila's hand and sitting her on an extra that was brought in here. He gets out a container of brushes and begins feverishly working on her face. Soon after, I'm shoved inot my own chair and a Fem comes over to begin making me up.

When our makeup is done, Mila and I don the first of our gowns for the night. Mila's dress matches mine except hers does not have a slit or a long train. Hers is also shorter and hugs her frame beautifully.