When word of Sage's upcoming marriage spread throughout the kingdom of Credia the next morning, people were in awe.
The news shocked and appalled most people, and many chose not to attend the wedding to avoid seeing the ice dragon.
Yet, over time, chatters from guests could be heard from every nook and cranny of the castle.
The night had been long and sleepless. Sage laid awake, wide-eyed and alert, her body tensed with fear. The shadows in her room loomed large, and every creak of the window made her heart jump. She kept the light on all night, not daring to close her eyes, afraid that the white haired man would come to harm her in the dark.
Her mind raced with questions. Who was he? Why was he following her? What did he want with her?
She spent the entire morning in her room, whilst the castle was being decorated for the wedding ceremony that evening.
Three things were on her mind. She was still trying to take it all in.
Firstly, the force beneath the lake, and without a doubt, the white-haired man who saved her. She kept asking herself why he had shown up the night before.... She was terrified.
Secondly, the closely identical letters from dragons that were at war with each other. She was so stressed out about the letters that her head hurt.
Thirdly, she was getting married!
"Oh my!" She pushed herself into a sitting position, scratching her head and taking a few deep breaths.
She was keenly aware that her future was bleak, but she had no choice but to put her people's needs ahead of her own. With a heavy heart, she squared her shoulders, preparing to make the sacrifice that would save her people... Nothing else mattered.
"For Credia." She murmured, rising to her feet.
She tried to suppress the dread welling up inside her, but it was like a fire in her chest, burning with an intensity that threatened to consume her. But she knew... She couldn't afford to falter now, not now!
"Not now.." She clenched his fists, puffing her chest.
"Sage!" Darren suddenly called, pushing the door open.
"Ah!" Sage pounced on him fiercely, pointing a fist at his forehead.
"Ah!" Darren's eyes dilated in shock. "It's just me!"
Sage glared at Darren, gritting her teeth. "Why did you do that?"
"Pardon... Me." Darren moaned in agony as he nervously apologized.
Letting out a sigh, Sage stood up from him. "Why are you here? I am expecting Katherine."
"She accompanied Duchess Lia to acquire your wedding dress." Calmly answering, Darren got to his feet.
"Oh?" Sorrow was immensely evident in his voice when he said, WEDDING DRESS.
She relaxed her frown and gave him a worried look. "What is the matter?"
When she asked the question, Darren's eyes grew wide and his lips quivered, forcing a strain smile. "Nothing, I am just... glad." He scratched his neck. "I suppose,"
"I am aware of your concerns, Darren. But, let's look on the bright side! I am of marriageable age already." She said, making an effort to smile.
There was no bright side... It was best to be delusional.
Darren was uneasy, but he kept staring at her, smiling. "You will end up a widow.. Sage." he remarked, clearing his throat.
Sage gave a slow nod, "Hm."
The air was thick with an unspoken tension, a sense of melancholy hanging over the room like a dark cloud. The normally zippy space now felt heavy and pitiless, the weight of unspoken words pressing down on them like a physical force.
Sage could see the conflict written on Darren's face, the turmoil behind his eyes. He looked as though he was fighting a battle within himself, struggling to find the words to express his thoughts. She cocked her head, her eyes narrowing softly at him wanting to find out what was wrong... wordlessly.
For a moment, they simply looked at each other, the silence... Blowing sternly.
"Do you want to say something to me?" She questioned tenderly.
Darren's eyes suddenly turned teary.
"Darren!" She gasped and took hold of his hand. "Does it have anything to do with the drowning incident? I am fine! you do not have to worry."
She didn't like the weariness... Katherine and Darren meant a lot to her. They were closest to her... It was only natural for them to feel like this.
"I... I am not worried about Sage, I..." Darren tried to find his words.
"Sage!" A woman's voice boomed, dramatically. "How come you are not in the dining room?!"
Sighing, Sage let go of Darren's hands and looked in the direction of her room's door. She noticed her aunt Lia staring at her in horror, and Katherine standing next to her, holding a thick, winter-appropriate white wedding gown.
"I apologize, aunt Lia," she said cynically.
Lia puffed out a proud "Of course."
"Go now, boy. You will see her at the ceremony tonight." She told Darren, who stepped out of the room solemnly.
As soon as Katherine walked in and placed the wedding dress on the bed, Sage shot her aunt a furious look.
Lia was an arrogant lady who placed the highest value on her belongings and her sense of worth. Despite being married and having children of her own, she favored staying in the castle and ruling over people as though she were the queen of Credia.
"What do you want, aunt Lia? You seem excited about this wedding." Rolling her eyes, Sage questioned.
Putting her hand on her chest, Lia let out a dramatic gasp. "How dare you?" She snorted, smoothed back her curly black hair, and brushed the snow off her opulent brown furry dress. "My niece is important to me. For so long, you have been the center of attention. If you die, we will all grieve and forget."
"You cannot possibly withstand the dragon's fire, so if I perish, you will also perish." Sage tsked.
"So simple-minded, so stupid. You are ignorant of the ice dragon's nature. He is a cold-blooded, demonic creature whose abilities transcend beyond mere ice." Lia grinned, advanced towards Sage, and pressed her face against hers.
Sage lowered her eyes, frustrated by her aunt's words.
"You have no idea why he wants to marry you. You believe you can kill him." Lia smirked. "How foolish."
Sage remained silent, but there was no denying the impact of her aunt's remarks on her.
"I believe that we ought to set all of this aside. After all, Sage has already decided that she will save Credia." Katherine spoke quietly, which Lia heard.
"So composed and so stupid at the same time." Lia laughed hysterically. "Nothing will revolve around Credia once you marry him; you are entering a whole new world."
Sage scowled.
"Now, now, now, let us get you ready for tonight." Lia cupped Sage's scowling face with a bright smile.
Katherine rolled her eyes, responding, "Of course."
...
Snowflakes drifted down from a cloudy, moonlit sky, blanketing the castle grounds in a pristine white coat.
Inside, glowing candles and garlands of celebration adorned the walls. Excitement amongst the attendees filled the hall, their voices resonating against the stone walls.
However, a sense of melancholy pervaded the castle in the quiet of the snowy night, evoking a ghostly presence and casting a pall over it with nostalgia that was both bittersweet and comforting.
The seconds passed by with an almost excruciating slowness, as if time had stopped. And everything seemed to be frozen in time at that very moment, as though the past, present, and future had blended into one.
With the exception of the snowfall and the silent stillness of the night, it appeared as though the world had stopped rotating.
Sage sat at her vanity, her long, fiery hair cascading down her back. As the maid combed her locks, she felt a strange sense of disconnection from the person in the mirror. In her reflection, she saw a woman of beauty and grace, but inside she felt ordinary and mundane. It was as if she were looking at someone else entirely, a stranger who inhabited her body.
"All done." Katherine said to the maid who dropped the comb on the table with a small bow.
Sage rose from the chair.
The wedding gown embodied the epitome of unadulterated beauty. Adorned with tiny silver diamonds that gleamed in the light like a million stars, the fabric had the purity of newly fallen snow.
She had an air of fragility and elegance because of the dress's exquisitely fitted bodice, which emphasized her small frame. And like a blossoming flower in a field of white, the dress's skirt flared out in delicate layers.
"You look stunning." Katherine sniffed.
"Thank you." Sage feigned a smile.
"Are you sure this is what you want?" In the hopes that Sage would reconsider, Katherine asked. "There may be other options."
"Other options?" Sage asked with a heavy sigh. "A blood bath will still result from other methods."
"The letters arrived simultaneously. Do you think...".
"We will resolve that after the wedding. After all, you are accompanying me." Sage confidently smiled, and Katherine gave a nod of approval.
Suddenly there were screams coming from outside. Sage and Katherine hurried towards the open window, all they could see were people running.
"Do you think he is here?" Sage asked slowly.
Katherine pressed her lips.
"Sage!" The door pried open.
Turning, Sage and Katherine saw Lia breathing heavily, looking flushed. "He is here!"