Artemis Black was raised on a battlefield. A weapon forged by her father and a princess by right of conquest.
Now in order to establish relations with England, the second eldest daughter of King Mikael Black must marry a man of English nobility. Bu...
The morning of the wedding, Artemis couldn't help but feel out of place. Her hair was curled and tidy in the English style that did not match the Ilyrian tiara she was planning to wear. The diamonds were beautiful but once again placed in the English-style necklace that hung on her neck. She looked impeccably British and a part of her felt like a fraud for it.
Everything was perfect and beautiful but it felt wrong. She didn't recognize herself when she looked in the mirror as if she was attending some English rose's wedding instead of her own.
Apollo held his tongue for once, but she could see the discomfort in his eyes at the conformity.
The doors burst open as Queen Charlotte entered with her people. She stared at Artemis for a moment, picking apart her appearance before sneering in displeasure.
"Take it off. All of it, the dress, the undergarments, the diamonds, the hair, all of it must go." Charlotte commanded much to the horror and confusion of all around her.
"Lottie, I marry in an hour! I can't just-"
"Hush child... Athena has sent your mother's Illyrian wedding gown as well as the royal Illyrian jewels. It is not in the English style and it will cause scandal with its provocative nature but... It's you." Charlotte's eyes were soft as a mother's contrary to her harsh and demanding tone. She motioned for the box to be brought in and Artemis' eyes filled with grateful tears as her mother's wedding dress.
The maids quickly disrobed the princess, growing confused when she ordered them to take off the corset and the underdress as well. Once she was completely bare she took out her mother's dress allowing the thin fabric to embrace her. It was as if her mother lived again the moment the dress was in place. Her curls were brushed out into waves and a few braids were added. The Illyrian tiara was placed on her head and she felt whole.
Artemis turned to look in the mirror and she felt herself again. The comfortable thin fabric clung to her every curve, fitting her like a glove. It was less conservative than the English fashion, the waist was near her hips rather than the Regency style just below her breasts. It was wild and flowy and freeing, it was completely Illyrian.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The crown held the red blood rubies of the royal house, only to be worn on special occasions. The female crown didn't sit on the brow like the male did, rather it floated above like a halo. It was the crown she wore when her father was crowned king.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
