The Burden of Destiny | Sequel to The Aura Within

23 | Day of Unification

Time seemed to fly by, and before anyone knew it, Day of Unification had finally arrived. A day to commemorate when the people of Kanto finally accepted Queen Rin as the late king's successor. A day that celebrated the bond between the monarchy and its people. A day in which the people recognize their trust in their ruler. That same trust that could very well be broken if the royal council wasn't careful, and in Hope's humble opinion, this ball she was forced to attend was one careless move that the royal council had made thus far.

Soleil hummed softly to herself as she brushed through Hope's blonde locks. The sorceress had always wanted to style Hope's hair ever since she first laid eyes on it. Her hair had grown out so much that it had practically gone past her waist. Even after Soleil trimmed a few inches off, with Hope's permission, it still remained in its waterfall of gold seemingly made by Arceus himself. Soleil silently envied how beautiful Hope's hair looked.

After running a hairbrush through her friend's hair to straighten out any tangles, Soleil placed it back on the vanity. She began to section it all off into three parts and tied them off temporarily before starting her intricate hairstyle.

"How long is this going to take?" Hope asked her friend.

"Considering you have so much hair, it will take a while," she admitted sheepishly. "Regardless, there is no need to rush. Beauty takes time, after all."

"That's what you said when you decided to attack my face with makeup..." Hope mumbled under her breath.

"You were resisting me the whole time!" Soleil pouted. "All I wanted to do was cover up those dark undereye circles of yours and apply a tint of pink on your lips. You are one lucky maiden to be blessed with flawless skin. I envy you sometimes..."

"Uh, thank you...?"

That conversation ended there. Hope recalled once having a similar conversation with her mother back in the day. It happened during the time she and her father distanced themselves. She felt lonely, especially when her father was too focused on training her brother to become an exceptional swordsman. The more time she spent with her mother, the more Hope realized how much more things they had in common than she had thought. They bonded over the things they liked, ranging from accessories, books, to fashion.

Hope couldn't help the reminiscing smile on her pink-tinted lips. She could clearly envision her mother lending Soleil a hand as they prepared her for this ball. If her mother were still alive, Hope was more than certain that she and Soleil would've gotten along very well.

Her mother never raised her with the intention of marrying her off to a wealthy man in hopes of raising their status in society. She was blessed with the freedom to chase after a future that would make her happy. It was something she hadn't realized she took for granted up until now.

"And... done!" Soleil happily announced as soon as she placed the final pin in her hair. She spun the chair around so Hope could face her. Soleil gasped with delight as she took in Hope's appearance.

"How do I look?" the blonde woman asked nervously.

A wide smile spread across Soleil's lips. "Darling, you look absolutely stunning!"

Before Hope could say anything, Soleil eagerly pulled her out of her seat and dragged her to the full-length mirror across the room. Hope's eyes widened upon seeing her reflection at last. Soleil insisted that the blonde woman stayed away from mirrors until the very end as a surprise. In a way, it made sense. However, Hope was beyond amazed. The woman staring back at her in the mirror's reflection looked almost unrecognizable.

She appeared an inch taller thanks to the classic silver heels she wore, much to her dismay. Flats were out of the question because, according to Soleil, heels gave her enough height to prevent her from stepping on her dress. The dress she adorned for the evening was a navy blue gown with a rather thick skirt. The chest was embroidered with off-white detailing, sectioning off the area where the skirt began. The straps of the dress were adjacent to her shoulders, which gave the necklace she borrowed from Soleil its moment to shine. Her hair had been styled into a braided updo with white pins decorating it. Her fringe had been left out to frame her face. Soleil had done a wonderful job making do with all of that hair.