Rafail

Looking out over the crowds milling around the Sun Forge in a sea of gold and scarlet, I smiled to myself. My people looked happy. They looked like I felt: ready for something new to begin. We had finally bested those damned Moon Court monsters. It had taken everything I had to win. More than everything I had. The sun fae had endured decades of pain and toil—so much of both that I had wondered more than once if we would ever recover from the war, if there would ever be another real cause for celebration—but here we were.

And now—now it was finally time to enjoy the fruits of my labor and the warmth of the sun.

Stepping away from the small balcony railing, I returned to my quarters. All that was left was to wrap the gold cords of my flame-colored veil around my forehead, and then I could head down to the Forge, to where my life would begin. With her. Was she already waiting for me below? I imagined her wrestling with her own matching veil, foreign attire to a soldier, and the thought made me laugh. I itched to see her, wanting to hold her in my arms, to reassure myself that nothing could take away our hard-won happiness now.

My bodyman was already waiting for me in my inner chambers, a diaphanous fabric draped over his arms. It was the garment I would wear to wed today.

“Do I look absurd?” I asked, unable to help myself. “I feel like I can’t stop smiling. We’re finally here.” It’s taken so long. But we’re here. Perhaps if I repeated it enough it might start to sink in. The frostbound shores of the Moon Court seemed, for once, more distant memory than recent nightmare.

Though my bodyman murmured his agreement, I barely heard a single word he spoke. I still couldn’t quite believe the seemingly-endless war was actually over, that the Moon Court kingdom would never again sully the lands of the sun. I had seen to that. No more sun fae blood spilled. No more destruction. We have triumphed at last. It’s over.

But I mourned the lost sun fae, nonetheless, all the dead who had given their lives for this victory. The occasion was to honor them as much as anyone. My wedding would be a testament to our nation’s resilience as much as it would be the gateway to a new era of peace— a sign that the Sun Court would blaze again, and that its people were finally healing.

Something in my gut twisted as the bodyman wrapped the veil around my head, letting it hang over my face while he braided the long cords into my hair. I stood impatiently, trying to quiet my fidgeting and restless nerves as he finished his work. He took a step back, examining me.

“Done?” The bodyman nodded, and I took a deep breath. This was it. No one can take it from me now. No one. I worked too hard to get here. I have sacrificed far too much. I have earned this day.

With the veil in place, I turned and caught a vague glimpse of myself in a long mirror. Through the veil, my reflection was gilded with gold, and I felt a sudden surge of confidence and pride.

“Thank you,” I told the bodyman before making my way out of my chambers and heading down to the great forge in the center of Sundsholm. The Sun Forge was where all of the most important ceremonies in our capital city took place, so of course it would be the place where I married. And that is truly a cause for celebration. The Sun Court understood the power of heat and light and nothing represented that better than the forge. It was the perfect place to conduct this ceremony, to join two lives together and beat back the dark horrors of the war.

I walked through the warm stone halls, past rows of windows letting in the sunlight, and I soaked it in eagerly, my heart hammering in anticipation. Soon, so very soon, I would be married to a most remarkable woman—a woman who had more than proven herself a hero on the battlefield. And this happiness bubbling up inside me seemed almost ridiculous. In any other context I would be wary of it—decades of military strategy had taught me that sentiment was often a tactical error —but felt for her, felt with her in shared triumph, it felt right. I felt almost…giddy, and I wanted to linger in that feeling as long as I could.

The doors leading out to the Forge loomed not far ahead of me, and I quickened my steps when a hand darted out from an alcove, wrapping around my wrist.

I started to shout, only to relax at the familiarity of her touch. Khushala stood before me, unveiled, and I took in every inch of her beautiful face, her wide, dark eyes and the gentle slope of her lips. She smiled up at me, pulling my other hand into hers and entangling our fingers. Her hand was warm in my own, and her sweet scent filled my senses, heightening my anticipation. Soon. Very soon.

“It’s almost time, husband-to-be,” she said, laughter in her voice. My breath caught as I gazed at her, as striking now as in her finest armor. I shook my head in disbelief. How in the world had I managed to get here? I wondered, not for the first time. It feels too much like a dream. But I never want to wake up. This was the beginning of our future, a bright future for myself, for Khushala, and for the entirety of the Sun Court.

She reached up and peeled the veil away, and then her lips were pressed against my own. I leaned into the kiss, my arms going around her, relishing the feel of her body against mine. Yes. This is everything I have ever wanted. We’ll be wed soon, husband and wife. And nothing can separate us after that. I’ll make sure that nothing ever will.

I smiled into the kiss before pulling away. This was the perfect ending to a terrible war—and we had earned it, together. Khushala was as fierce and decisive in love as she was on the battlefield, and I loved her for it. . Nothing can ruin this. Today is a perfect day. As perfect as any day can be. It would doubtless go down in the annals of history as a day to be remembered, as the day the Sun Court took its first real step toward prosperity under my reign. Our reign.

I pushed her away lightly and she stepped back, letting go of my veil. It fell back into place, faintly grazing my skin. I gestured to the doors. “Well, wife-to-be, we are cutting it quite close to the ceremony. Should you not be getting ready?” I teased.

She laughed and whirled around. Through the gold material of the veil, her form was slightly hazy, a twirling blur of color. But it warmed me to see her as happy as I was, to see her love for me set alight after so long in ice and darkness. We have certainly come a very long way, and we deserve to enjoy this time, to have our victory.

“Do I not look ready?” she asked, pressing down on the fabric of her dress. No special materials, no intricate patterns—an exact replica of my own simple shift. Outside, I knew that our subjects were all dressed in the same attire, to disguise us from malevolent spirits who may wish us ill.. Tradition in the Sun Court held that the most extravagant part of any wedding should be the couple’s love for each other—and the love of a leader and a decorated war hero would be most extravagant indeed.

Khushala fell silent and I realized she was still waiting for my answer.

I smiled at her softly. “You look perfect.” Because she did. No one had ever looked more perfect, in my eyes at least, even if I couldn’t quite see her very well at the moment. It matters not. She is always beautiful, always exquisite. And she is to be my wife.

She scoffed and shoved me in mock affront. “You’re only saying that because you can’t see through that veil, aren’t you? Go, go greet your people, oh leader of the Sun Court. I’ll finish my preparations and then…we’ll be wed.”

She smiled so brightly I saw all of it through the veil. Warmth and heat and fire. She radiated with it—and I could only bask in her thrall.

Not waiting for a reply, she rushed off down the corridor to her rooms. I watched her go, smiling to myself as I repeated her words in my head, letting myself savor and relax into them. Then we’ll be wed.