Treasure
Void
Anatolie Bran Dwyer stood in the center of the room on a stool, watching in the massive mirrors as the seamstress and the tailor bustled around him, making last-minute adjustments to his wedding garments. Tomorrow was the big day... and today he met his bride for the first time. He had written to her and knew about her, somewhat, but he had never met her. And now he was about to be joined with her for all eternity, or until one of them died. He sighed softly as the servants backed away.
"Your Majesty, do you approve?" the tailor asked while he and the seamstress watched nervously.
Bran stared at himself in the mirror. "Yes," he said quietly even though he couldn't tell much difference. "It looks perfect. Thank you. Now please excuse me. She will be arriving soon."
"Of course, your Majesty!" They walked away, bowing with each step.
Bran didn't move until butler stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Sir, as you said, she shall soon arrive."
Bran stepped down and gave him a nod. "Thank you, Alfonz. Please help me out of these rags."
~
Bartholomew Veldkamp stood at the forefront of the royal welcoming community in the shadow of the great gothic style castle. The road led through the front gates, circled before the sweeping front steps, and led back out the second gates. Bartholomew stood with the other eleven members of the high council at the bottom of the steps, the steps themselves lined with guards standing in perfect precision as they awaited the grand procession escorting the Princess Kezia Nisrina Pinelyn through their lands to Thornley Castle. The procession was made up of those loyal to the Pinelyn empire and their princess, accompanied by the finest guards of the Genevian army. Bartholomew had been to the Pinelyn Empire as part of the negotiation and had met the Princess, albeit briefly, and so was here to be a familiar face. He was rather vampiric in appearance, tall, slender, and pale with blonde, perfectly coifed hair, but at present, he was the only human in sight. Most of the guards were werewolves, and several of those gathered merely to watch were vampires or Nyx. The tall, striking vampires stood out sharply against the short, dark Nyx.
Bartholomew walked down and bowed as the carriage rolled up to the steps. "Princess Kezia Nisrina Pinelyn! Welcome, welcome to Thornley Castle!"
"Your Majesty, do you approve?" the tailor asked while he and the seamstress watched nervously.
Bran stared at himself in the mirror. "Yes," he said quietly even though he couldn't tell much difference. "It looks perfect. Thank you. Now please excuse me. She will be arriving soon."
"Of course, your Majesty!" They walked away, bowing with each step.
Bran didn't move until butler stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Sir, as you said, she shall soon arrive."
Bran stepped down and gave him a nod. "Thank you, Alfonz. Please help me out of these rags."
~
Bartholomew Veldkamp stood at the forefront of the royal welcoming community in the shadow of the great gothic style castle. The road led through the front gates, circled before the sweeping front steps, and led back out the second gates. Bartholomew stood with the other eleven members of the high council at the bottom of the steps, the steps themselves lined with guards standing in perfect precision as they awaited the grand procession escorting the Princess Kezia Nisrina Pinelyn through their lands to Thornley Castle. The procession was made up of those loyal to the Pinelyn empire and their princess, accompanied by the finest guards of the Genevian army. Bartholomew had been to the Pinelyn Empire as part of the negotiation and had met the Princess, albeit briefly, and so was here to be a familiar face. He was rather vampiric in appearance, tall, slender, and pale with blonde, perfectly coifed hair, but at present, he was the only human in sight. Most of the guards were werewolves, and several of those gathered merely to watch were vampires or Nyx. The tall, striking vampires stood out sharply against the short, dark Nyx.
Bartholomew walked down and bowed as the carriage rolled up to the steps. "Princess Kezia Nisrina Pinelyn! Welcome, welcome to Thornley Castle!"