Marianne couldn't be more excited for this day. She spun in a little circle in front of her mirror and admired how she looked in her mother's wedding gown as it billowed in the air and gently fell back over her legs. Long, white gloves ran up her arms, and her veil teased over her bare shoulder. Three mechanical birds flew around her head as they adorned white roses among her hair, keeping her long brown locks up and from falling.

"Marianne?" she heard her sister call from outside the room. "Are you finished?"

"Come on in!" Marianne sang. The birds took to their perch as a thin blonde girl came in, gasping with delight.

"Oh my gosh!" Dawn squealed, "Look at you!"

"Does it look good?" Marianne asked. She felt beautiful, but it didn't hurt getting a second opinion.

"Um, have you looked in the mirror? You look gorgeous! Roland's going to be swept off his feet when he sees you!" Marianne beamed, then took a moment to admire her sister's attire: a light pink dress and matching hat over her short, wild hair. Marianne was jealous; she wanted to have her hair cut short for a while now, but both her father and her fiancé disagreed, saying it didn't bear well on a child of the Fay family. Her father barely let Dawn get away with it. Reluctantly, Marianne kept her hair long. Maybe after today Roland will change his mind. Dawn's voice brought Marianne back to reality. "Oh, I'm so jealous! I can't wait for my wedding!"

"Dawn, you're only sixteen!"

"Hey, who knows? Maybe I'll meet that special guy sooner than you think."

"You said that about the last several events we attended."

"A girl can dream, can't she?"

"As difficult as this is for you," Marianne chuckled, "I wouldn't rush it."

"No fun, Marianne," Dawn pouted, causing the sisters to burst into giggles. A low chuckle joined the two.

"Are you two behaving?" The sisters heard the voice of their father as he walked in. His grey beard was neatly trimmed and his black suit fit snuggly over his large belly. His hands intertwined. "Marianne," he said, awe-struck, "oh, you look so beautiful." Marianne smiled, giving her father a tight hug. "Now," he said, hands on her shoulders, "I have a gift for you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box and handed it to Marianne. Marianne's eyes went wide as she opened the box. Inside was a small ring, adorned with a sparking pink diamond. She hastily shut the box.

"A primrose diamond?! Dad, these are banned!" Primrose diamonds were the ultimate sign of love, given to women by their intended as engagement rings. However, ever since the Plum family's mining business was bought out by the Fay's rivals, the King family, sale of these rare, beautiful gems had been completely banned. No one seemed to know why.

"It was your mother's," her father stated, "I gave this to her when I proposed. It doesn't seen right you don't get your own, damn those Kings. She would want you to have this." Despite its infamous nature, Marianne held the box close, and she and Dawn squealed together.

"I'm going to find Roland so he can give this to me right and proper!" Marianne exclaimed as she ran past her father and out the room. Dawn called out to her,

"Marianne, wait! It's bad luck if he sees you!"

Marianne found her way outside of the mansion. She took a moment to take in the view of the sky. Several air ships gently sailed through the air, gliding past high spires and glittering towers. The old clock tower dwarfed every structure; it's rustic ticking echoing out through the sky. Most of this is the result of Dark Forest industries, owned by the King family. Marianne never understood her family's rivalry with the Kings. The Fay family owned many floral and agricultural businesses, and Marianne always saw opportunity in the two families becoming one industry. Just imagine, flying gardens, machine workers, safer transportation; oh, how much easier it would be if they worked together! But that was for another day. Right now, she needed to find her fiancé! She ran out toward where the ceremony would be held, right in front of her family's rose garden maze. There she saw a short, dark skinned, young man nicknamed Sunny tending to the seating. Sunny was Dawn's best friend and worked for the family. She ran up to him, his eyes lighting up when he saw her.

"Marianne? Wow, I barely recognized you! You look amazing! Not that you don't normally, but, well, you know what I mean!" Marianne laughed.

"Thank you, Sunny, but I need to find Roland. Have you seen him?"

"I think I saw him in the rose maze, but isn't bad luck if he sees you before the wedding?"

She grinned, tightly clutching the ring box, "This will be worth it!" as she entered the rose maze. Marianne knew this maze by heart after traversing if often as a child. She couldn't wait to see the look on Roland's face when she presented the diamond. Even now she dreamily sighed over her fiancé; he had luscious, blonde hair and bright green eyes. Then she heard him laugh. By God, did she love his laugh. She was close and was ready to call out his name, until she heard another laugh. A woman's laugh. This stopped Marianne in her tracks. The voices were coming from the other side of the maze wall she was at. As quietly as she could, she pushed her hand through the bush to see Roland and a woman she didn't know giggling and hugging each other tightly. The woman blushed as Roland went to kiss her cheek.

"Roland!" the woman exclaimed, "aren't you getting married today?"

"Not married yet, darlin'. I still got time for you," Roland laughed, pulling the woman closer, this time for a kiss on the lips. Marianne felt her heart sink into her stomach. He was cheating on her. On their wedding day. Tears began to well into her eyes as she ran back out through the maze. When she finally exited the maze, her face was streaming with tears. Sunny saw Marianne, and a look of worry spread across his face.

"Marianne? What happened?" he asked. Marianne began to bawl, throwing and arm over her eyes as she ran. Sunny called out for her, but she was too distraught to care. She ran to her room as fast as her feet could take her, throwing herself on her bed. She just laid there and cried. She felt pathetic, unloved, and furious. The three mechanical birds came over to her, gently chirping as one handed her a handkerchief. She sniffed hard as she took it and blew her nose. She looked solemnly around her room when she spotted her fencing sword. She walked over to it and picked it up. She had been fencing her entire life, but was advised by Roland to give it up as it wasn't 'lady-like'. Her face hardened as she took stance, giving the sword a few swings. She was a little out of practice, but she was going to remedy that very soon. A new resolve bloomed in her, a new determination. She sat down, taking out all of the roses and the veil, letting her hair fall free. She pulled a pair of scissors out of her dresser, and gathered her hair in her hand. She wasn't going to let a man dictate how she's going to be ever again. The first fistful of hair fell to the floor.