Tale of Two Queens

[027] The Wedding of the Bride, Drunk, and the Dead

Mera sat by the window of Helaena's bright floral room, filled with flowers and gifts as her telescope stood by the window, right next to Mera.

She had furrowed her brows at the smell of the perfumes as Mera was forced into a silk black dress with a large white bow, sitting at her back with lace cufflets and pearl teardrop earrings with a pearl necklace, consisting of only eleven pearls.

Each pearl was given to her from her father Laenor who received them from his father as a birthday gift each year, only, Laenor didn't wear pearls so, he gifted them one by one to his beloved daughter each year for her birthday.

He only ever got to eleven.

The necklace wasn't something she wore daily. It was a painful reminder of her failure and incompetence to protect her father but the second her mother heard of the large white bow that would be on her dress, she dug the string of pearls out before tying it all on her daughters neck.

Mera looked out the window to the ships that went into the harbor with sails of all the houses from each corner of the world. She slightly winced as her shoulder still throbbed in pain before looking down at the long silk white gloves Helaena had given her.

"Mera?"

Mera sighed, looking back to Helaena who sat at her vanity, wearing a light blue dress with the embroidery depicting Dreamfyre, butterflies, and small flowers and spiders she had sneakingly embroidered on herself. Lace had rimmed the neckline and hem as her veil of white flowing sheer chiffon had been attached to a shimmering crown, made of diamonds and flowers.

Mera found it all to be absurd and witless as the dress looked so conventional and boring in her eyes. Her's would be better, not that she'd ever have a wedding dress but if the day did come, which it won't, Mera would never wear anything close to the norms of bridal fashion.

"Come here Mera."

Mera glared as she sighed, getting up as she walked over to her, taking Helaena's hand while she smiled. "Am I beautiful Mera?"

"If you say so. Here—"

She took the perfume bead, placing it on her vanity as she spoke, "Wear it when you go to sleep."

Helaena smiled as she laughed and nodded. "You looked beautiful Mera. Is this the first time you've worn white ever so prominently?"

Mera nodded as she answered dryly. "Yes."

"Well you look beautiful in it."

Mera hummed before she looked up to see Alicent come in. Still over dressed as usual in her barf green clothes with a seven edged star that hanged over her neck.

"Princess Meranyce."

"Your grace."

Helaena smiled. "Mother."

Alicent shifted in her footing as she clasped her hands, tightly in front of her. "You look beautiful Helaena, as do you, Princess Meranyce."

Mera looked her up and down as Alicent cleared her throat, looking at the boots and socks she wore.

"Princess Meranyce, don't you think it's time for you to graduate from short dresses to long ones?"

"No."

"But short dresses with high socks are meant for children, not to for adults like you."

"I am four and ten."

"Yes. And at your age, you should wear a corset and dresses with trains like Helaena and your mother or cousins."

Mera hummed. "I'd rather not. It is too suffocating and hot. I don't even wear a corset."