Mel went to bed early that evening, not just exhausted from the trip, but disrupted by an entirely new feeling. She never saw Bjorn again for the rest of that evening, but she could clearly recall the shivers that ravaged her whole being at the sound of his voice. A light shiver coursed every surface of her skin and she tightened the covers around her. The fur of the bed covers did little to nothing to alleviate the strange sensation. She could remember the silken white strands of his hair, cut short at the nape of his neck. They hadn't seemed that impressive until he had stood before her. The way his eyes studied her made her giddy. The memory of his deep, rich voice enveloped her with a vague warmth. Her heart ached. She had maybe expected her future husband to be fair-looking, but not this… Mel sat upright, unable to sleep from her burning cheeks. What was wrong with her? She had to get a hold of herself! She slapped her hands to her cheeks and winced at the stinging pain in b
Mel stared at the mirror in a daze, with Annie attending to her hair. Eustace had arrived with some maids to further furnish the guest room and add a vanity for Mel. The young woman had thanked Eustace for the help and when the maids had helped her into an Orion attire, Annie had stayed behind to help her mistress take care of her. As she ran the large brush down the smoth waves of Mel's dark hair, she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable in the odd silence of the chamber. Mel would usually be relaxed at the soft strokes flowing through the strands of her hair, and her eyes would be closed, on the near verge of falling asleep.But this time… it was different.Mel's eyes weren't just open, they stared at her reflection in a far off gaze. Her mind wasn't in the present, and it was far from Annie's comforting brooding of her hair.Annie did not want to admit what she had noticed the previous evening, but now that she was seeing her mistress in full focus… Mel was smitten with that man.
From that very moment, Mel’s calm morning spiralled into a pit of bottomless excitement, with Lori taking the lead. Eustace had sent Lori to take Mel around the vicinity of Grime. While Eustace had made sure Mel got acquainted with Bjorn’s house, the old mother-in-law didn’t have the strength to take Mel around the settlement.Despite Mel’s attempts of disguising herself, blending in into the simple streets had turned out to be futile. She had the stature of a young teenager in Grime, but the fact that Lori was taking her around the streets didn’t go unnoticed by the residents of the large settlement. And those who had seen her arrive at the shop earlier with Eustace could already tell what the young woman looked like.“Don’t worry, no one will disturb you,” Lori comforted Mel, taking hold of her hand and guiding her out of the markets and into a more secluded street. Mel tried her best not to wobble, her legs weak from walking here and there. Soft pants exited her mouth and beads of s
They sat in silence, the gentle breeze sp1laying across their skin and toying with Mel's hair. Lori's beaded braids were too heavy to be lifted by the soft wind, and so they tinkled instead, guided by the slight motions of Lori's head as she gazed upon the scenery before them, a relaxed smile on her face.Mel stared in awe. The smile had been different from the numerous ones Lori had directed at her earlier that day. The woman beside her now seemed to be at peace, and now that Mel paid more attention to her escort, Lori appeared to have a certain beauty Mel hadn't seen on any other woman in Grime.She had flawless skin with light freckles on the bridge of her pointed nose. Coupled with caramel eyes that matched her brown hair, it produced such a pleasant combination that Mel couldn't take her eyes away. From Lori's dressing, the woman seemed to be well endowed too.Mel glanced at her chest, nearly flat in comparison to Lori's. She had never bothered about her features since she had wh
Mel’s tears from the previous day had held a strange effect on her. She had woken up the following morning with an odd feeling. Her previously heavy heart was now light as if she had expelled all the negative energy along with her tears the day before. The calmness she had woken up to washed over her like heavy rolls of a warm fog.She got up from bed, the relaxation giving way to a firm resolution. She wasn’t just a pitiful woman. She was a noble of Sprite, and if she was to right a wrong done by her father, she had to do it with dignity. Mel stared into space with mixed feelings. She couldn’t bring herself to hate her father. She didn’t even know how to feel. But one thing she knew was that Bjorn would not have asked for this either, but he must have followed through whether he wanted it or not. The least she could do was reciprocate that dedication.Eustace, Annie, Lori, and even the other helpers, noticed Mel’s subtle change. Amidst the knowledge Eustace imparted to Mel about the
Bjorn sat still as the male helpers walked around his chamber, going about their tasks that ranged from packing most of his things into the underground manor to mixing the paint mixture that was to be applied on his back and chest.As they helped him with his boots, he gave his sleeping chamber one last look. This just might be the last time he would use it. To them at least. While his things would be moved to him and his bride's residence, he had no plans to spend his nights in their bed-chamber. Most of them, at least.He would have instructed them to leave behind some of his things, but with Dov in the room, his friend wouldn't have that."Lori," Bjorn heard Dov's voice call out and he stilled, a slight frown crossing his features as Lori greeted Dov in return."Darling!" she chirped and then tiptoed to stand in front of Bjorn.A helper started splaying soft strokes of the paint mixture on Bjorn's back, drawing sacred patterns of the Grime clan on his skin."You shouldn't be here,"
Mel stood still as the helpers dressed her up, but her mind wandered. Eustace had worn an unreadable expression after Mel’s words that morning and the woman had just left. She did say Mel didn’t have to worry about anything before leaving. She had eaten shortly after that and had been told to rest a few hours before Eustace came back to explain the remaining schedule for that day.Anticipation and excitement had set in Mel’s heart like a rooted seed the moment Eustace mentioned the wedding ceremony would take place underground. She would finally step foot down there. But something within her hesitated. The fact that she would be going underground for the ceremony—a sacred place for the werebears—meant that the moment she set foot down there, the deal was already done. There would be no going back.She was doing this. She was really doing this…Mel closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. She looked into the standing mirror and faltered, her breath hitching. The dress had looked comp
A bear. A bear… There was a wild animal in front of her.Then again, wasn’t she getting married to one?She had initially found it strange when she hadn’t noticed any bears during her tour on the surface. There had been birds, dogs, horses, and snakes, but no bears. She had concluded without even bothering to ask that maybe those creatures might have been in the woods until Eustace told her she would find quite many of them both in the woods and underground, along with a mount waiting for her down here.The creature silently regarded Mel and turned around on all four paws, turning its back to her.“My lady.” The escort lowered the veiled umbrella and smiled apologetically at Mel. “We will pass a few more sections before getting to the centre of the settlement where the ceremony will take place. The journey is a little lengthy…”Mel’s gaze shifted back to the bear’s behind. It would be silly for her to ask if the bear was hostile or if it would eat her. They wouldn’t just present her l