The King's Wife |Kylo Ren x Reader|

XII-Red Wedding

The day had arrived all too quickly.

You had awoken in the morning to the sound of bells ringing in the village and the grand bell ringing from the palace tower. As if she had known this would rouse you, Eda had burst in with a tray of breakfast--bread, fruit, and meats--and a small party of servants who would prepare you for the day. You aren't able to eat much as you listen to them bustling around. While the water is poured into the tub and the fire below heats it, you are unable to do much else than tear the bread to pieces and inspect the fruit for dents and bruises.

"It's bad luck not to eat on your wedding day." Eda lifts the tray from your lap, having noticed your indifference.

She takes your hand and pulls you from the bed, guiding you toward the steaming tub as the other maids flutter about. Your chemise is pulled over your head, baring your skin to the room. Eda pauses for a moment, staring at the cuts and bruises splattered over your body from the night before.

Glancing back at the other maids, she steps closer and lowers her voice, touching your arm in concern. "What happened?"

You certainly can't tell her that you sneaked from your room the night before to go to the city, and certainly not about the stampede that had nearly crushed you, nor the evening with Vicrul. "I'm fine," you say simply.

With an expression of doubt, Eda assists you into the tub--your flesh prickles from the heat of it--which smells of herbs and other florals. Three pairs of hands fuss over you; scrubbing at your skin with sponges, pouring warm rose water over your head, and cleaning your hair with mixtures of fine-smelling concoctions. Eda presses bread into your hand and murmurs something about how "one mustn't sit in the bath on an empty stomach," but you're far too distracted to hear it.

All you can think about is the dreadful moment in which you'll be paraded down the aisle.

Your glassy gaze shifts over towards the corner of the room, where your wedding gown hangs on a carved mannequin, its expression as blank as yours. As it is customary in the capital to wear House colors from the husband's side, the dress is a deep red and made of an expensive fabric. Despite its beauty, you're almost sure you'll want to claw it off by the end of the night.

The bread is heavy as you swallow it piece by piece. With your constricted throat, it scratches your delicate flesh as it drops down and lands in your stomach like a heavy brick. No amount of bitter wine can help wash it down.

Your eyes fall back into the tub on the water, whose clearness had been ruined by the concoctions being scrubbed into your flesh. The murky, sweet-smelling waves lap at your skin, splashing gently while they rub at your scalp with a cloth.

"Nobles have been arriving all morning." Eda tells one of the girls excitedly. "I spotted some of the palace guards carrying piles of gifts."

The young girl pours out a pitcher of water over the suds and gushes passionately, "can you imagine? Marrying a king! Gifts from every corner of the kingdom and from across the seas!"

The older girl who was drying your hair shakes her head affectionately. "You can both dream all you want. We'll be carrying trays and cleaning for the rest of our lives."

"Don't be like that." Eda hisses. "Today is an auspicious day. Any negative chatter will ruin it." She grips your hands tightly, pulling you out of the tub to stand. "And we mustn't worry the bride." A weak smile pulls tightly at her lips. "Gods know you already have enough to worry about."