"Arms up!" Zyra said.
Zi did as she asked.
Zyra stared at her for a moment before coming and stitching up the side of Zi's dress. "Hold still." She said.
"Sorry," Zi said quickly.
Zyra quickly finished and stepped back. "Good." She said.
Zi set her arms down. "Don't you have seamstresses for this sort of thing?" She asked.
"Yes, but I wanted to make sure your dress was perfect for today. You're becoming a princess, after all, we need to make you look the part."
"It's also your wedding day, Zyra. Shouldn't you be worried about that?"
"Everything's under control for the wedding. And even if I were there, it's not like anyone would listen to me."
Zi sighed, looking out of Zyra's window and onto the capital. "Princess Ziarra." She muttered to herself, playing with Koro's necklace.
"Get used to it," Zyra said, now tightening Zi's dress in the back. "That's going to be your title for years to come."
"What's everyone going to think? An Iceborn princess, helping lead their kingdom, I--"
"Relax, Ziarra. They're going to love you." Zyra brushed some dust off of Zi's shoulder and turned her around to face her. "You've got this." She said.
Zi nodded.
"Now come on, they're waiting for us." Zyra grabbed Zi's hand and lead her out to the castle grounds. Zi barely had time to take in the rising sun before Zyra pulled her towards the gate where her father was standing.
"We're here!" Zyra yelled as they continued running, Zi struggling to keep up.
The king turned towards them. "Excellent. Ziarra, I want you next to me." He said.
Zi took a deep breath and stepped forward, staring out onto the crowd gathering in the streets of the capital. The moment Zi emerged from behind the king, there was a gasp, murmurs and whispers breaking out among the people. Zi had to fight the urge to run away, telling herself that it was finally time to fight this battle once and for all.
The king took a step forward, and the crowd silenced. "I'm sure all of you know the story. Nearly a thousand years ago, Iceborn hunting began. This feat drove our country apart, and yet somehow, once the fighting was over, nothing changed. This... tradition, only worsened when I was fourteen years old. My parents, Queen Zyra and King Rumen, were killed by an Iceborn. I was furious and vowed to kill every last one of their kind, no matter what.
"As the story goes, twenty years ago, my wife, Queen Tayla passed away after giving birth to her second child. That was a lie. The child was Iceborn, and to keep her safe, my wife ran away, though she couldn't hide from me forever." The king looked towards Zi, giving her a slight nod.
Zi took a deep breath and also took a step forward. "When I was younger, my mother always told me the dangers of the forest guard, and what they could do to me. I never believed her. Wanting just a taste at freedom, I snuck out one night. I met a boy, another one like me. We were only five at the time, but we became friends almost instantly. For six years, he was my life. My best friend, the person who would help me escape from everything else. But, the forest guard found him and did what they do best. They killed him.
"I was heartbroken, and to make matters worse, it only less than a week later that they found me as well. However, they didn't kill me. Due to orders from the king, they brought me back to the castle. I was scared, I knew this was the end of me. But then the king came and told the guards to never lay a hand on me.
"For the past eight years, from the time I was eleven to the day I turned nineteen, I've been living behind the castle gates, working as a stable hand. My rules were simple. Never use my magic, never leave the gates, and do exactly as I'm told. For eight years, it was that way, but when Princess Zyra returned, she had other plans for me.
"With her help, and through an adventure I'll never forget, she helped me find my courage to confront the king about what I thought was right."
"For years, I've felt guilty for what I did to my wife, and my daughter." The king said. "So I'm here to make it right. From this day forward, Iceborn hunting will be made illegal in Scenic."
The crowd was torn. Some cheered, others scoffed, but Zi didn't move. She actually smiled, looking down onto the crowd. Her smile grew bigger however when she noticed an older woman with pale blonde hair standing in the crowd, who looked remarkably similar to Rua. She was happily cheering Zi on, though others around her mocked and ridiculed Zi for being Iceborn, she didn't care. Some things would never change, but she knew how to deal with it, and that there would be people who would support her, no matter what color her hair was.
"With that announcement," The king said, making the crowd silence themselves once more. "I would like to restore my daughter's birthright. Ziarra," he said.
Zi got down on her knees as Zyra handed her father a silver crown with embedded jewels of Scenic blue.
"Ziarra, with the power and honor of the royal family of Scenic, I, King Zyko, restore your title of Princess Ziarra Taylani Urina Carvello, that was unrightfully ripped from you when you were born." The king gently placed the crown and Zi's head. "Now rise." He said softly.
Zi did as he asked, and turned back towards the crowd. "No matter where we come from, who our parents are, we're all the same. Though we may come in different shapes, and sizes, different skin and hair colors, we all do things for what we believe is right. In the immortal words of our late queen, and my mother, fight for the ones that mean the most. Whether they may be Kyrian, Iceborn, Scenic, or Iceborn because somehow, we're all the same."
{-X-|-X-|-X-}
"You may now kiss the bride." The priest said.
Zyra quickly grabbed Kierum by the neck and pulled him close to her, their lips touching as they embraced each other.
Zi cheered for her, alongside her father. There weren't many people there, only Zyra's immediate family, Raane, Omar, and a few of Kierum's old friends. Specifically, a girl named Sable, who grew up in the woods not too far from where Zi used to live, and Irina, the Rukarian guard that had guided Zi and Raane to where they had been holding Omar.
That day, Zyra and Kierum seemed like the happiest couple that there ever was. While the king had never been fond of Kierum, especially for his lack of royal heritage, even he couldn't help but smile.
And as love drifted through the air, Raane figured he would take his own shot at it. He invited Zi riding that night, and she couldn't help but say yes.
After a quick dinner to celebrate Zyra and Kierum's wedding, Zi and Raane snuck out to the stables. Within moments, the two were far past the capital and riding through the forest.
The two got off near a small stream, carving its way through the forest floor.
"Thanks for taking me riding, Raane," Zi said, starting out into the forest. Never in her life had she found something more enchanting than the Scenic forest. If only she could stay there forever, which she thought was funny, given she wanted to leave the tortured place once long ago. But she was a princess now, she had royal duties she needed to uphold, and she wasn't going to let anyone take that away from her ever again. "So," Zi asked. "Why exactly did you bring me out here?"
