Most of our lands have been at war with our rival nation, Vaah, for as long as I can remember. My father the king had always told me they were primitive when compared to "The might of Truct" as he often coined. My mother took more of an interest in their culture telling me how before the war she enjoyed trips there and had many souvenirs from her travellers.
She had shown me statuettes carved from amber into the shape of horned giants with huge round bellies, tiny skulls of some sort of lizard the Vaahlish considered lucky and curved daggers decorated with green gemstones. Their culture seemed alien but appealed to me as it was unlike anything id seen before. The war started when I was a baby apparently due to some disagreement over territory, I can't say I ever understood it fully but it was what I was told.
The war had been coming to an end over the last few years, my father told me I was to marry a Prince as an act of goodwill and to ensure future relations went well between our people. I was worried as though I found their culture interesting I don't think I'm ready to live there. My mother tells me it will be an exciting time and that the men of Vaah are very respectful of their wives. I hope that's the case at least.
The day I was to meet my future husband came quicker than I would have liked. The servants in the castle ran around me assembling the outfit id be wearing. It was a tradition to wear attire from the country you'd be marrying into, a way of showing your betrothed you accept their culture.
The dress was unusual no buttons or laces like the dresses of Truct, instead, it was a large silken robe of sorts that would be tied in place with a large sash around my waist. I was quite surprised that the shoes were so simplistic but apparently, they remove footwear when entering a home so they aren't particularly important. My hair was tied into a bun and held in place with a comb made of fine varnished wood. It was certainly different to anything I'd worn before feeling more like bedclothes then formal wear. Though I must say it's very comfortable.
I was brought to the meeting hall where my parents stood wearing similar clothes to mine. I was surprised how similar my fathers was to my mothers and mine apparently both men and women dressed this way. Across the room I saw the family from Vaah, dressed in our traditional clothes suits of cotton and dresses of frilly lace. They seemed to be enjoying their outfits though as were my parents.
I suddenly realised who the young man was standing between I assume are his parents, he looked as out of place as I did which I found somewhat comforting. He seemed to be avoiding looking at me directly, perhaps due to nerves but our eyes did meet briefly. We nervously smiled at each other and I felt like things would be okay, this wasn't so bad as I thought it would be.
