Rifiuto: Non Miriena

A/N: Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia

Raven's long, thick, jet-black hair- that reached to just past her waist when down- had been done up in a slightly messy and yet elegantly stunning, pancaked double crown braid that lay flat against her head. The simple silver tiara she wore tucked into the braid was crafted of silver in a twist pattern on either side, an amethyst stone in the center, that tied in with the amethyst roses that had been tucked within and around the braid, creating a unique look to Raven and Raven alone.

Her makeup was subtle, her gorgeous violet eyes made to stand out thanks to the black liner Mira'd forced on her- stating that it was the one day she could forgo no makeup in favor of stunning Mika when she got to the platform. Raven relented, letting the idea of Mika standing speechless at the platform content her enough that Mira could finish. Her lips were painted a soft pink, and she wore the pendant around her wrist, as usual. On the inside of her arm- the one without the pendant- were the words Ekter maritqus gufxei- which roughly translated to 'blessed marriage children' in Raven's native tongue; a spell every witch wrote on her wrist at the time of her wedding in hopes that the Goddess would bless not only her marriage, but bless her and her husband with children one day.

The dress she wore was traditional for a Marberly witch to wear on her wedding- long-trumpet-sleeved, with loose shoulders in an almost off-the-shoulder scoop cut front that was similar to a peasant dress but didn't go too low in a princess cut with a slightly flared skirt that came to the floor. A court train trailed behind it, giving the gown a little extra in place of its simplicity- Raven had compromised on the train; Marberly witches of the past often had a monarch train attached to the gown- Raven's mother had been one of them, and this was her mother's dress- but Raven had put her foot down, insisting on something smaller; this wasn't about the dress, or the train, or how she looked in a dress that had been worn by two previous generations of Marberly witches. This was about her and Mika, finally getting married.

Raven, as the reigning monarch, had insisted on a couple changes to the dress; despite the dress's short history- only having been worn by the two generations before her- Raven felt it needed a couple touch ups- the train being one of them, and the other being the sleeves. Originally, the dress had had a high neck; Raven's mother had lowered it to a scoop neck and changed the tapered sleeves to angel sleeves. Raven, on the other hand, had requested the dress be more rounded in the neck, and the sleeves trumpet- that they just rest on her shoulders, leaving the skin of her upper chest and part of her shoulders exposed. Eventually, she was satisfied with the end result.

Her feet were bare of shoes, for it was common for a daughter of the Goddess to spend her time outside in nature, often wandering barefoot to soak up the energy she felt; a pair of silver and amethyst ankle bracelets that extended over the dorsals- with a loop going around her second toes- decorated her small feet; they were simple, just like her tiara, and were one of the few exceptions to breaking tradition.

Even Briar- who was always up on the latest fashions- had to admit that the simplicity of the dress and the small, personal touches Raven had insisted on, certainly pulled the outfit together. But one thing was bugging her. "What about the veil?"

Raven blushed, but didn't say anything. She turned to Etina, who held the small hand-carved box with the Marberly seal etched into the lid. Mira glanced at Raven's friends from school, before going to the maid and moving to lift the lid, just as a soft knock sounded. Everyone turned, before Mira moved to open the door. "If it's Mika, he's not-"

"It's just your father, Raven." Mira replied, stepping aside to allow the king to enter. Everyone quickly dropped into hasty curtsies, all except Raven, who met her father's gaze.

"Daddy." She swallowed thickly. "What do you think?"

Tears came to the Good King's gaze, and he made his way towards his daughter. "You look beautiful." He turned to Etina. "Have you given her the veil yet?" The maid shook her head, and he nodded, moving past her to gently lift the lid. Everyone watched as he carefully, tenderly, lifted a beautiful, pristine lace veil from the box, before going to his daughter. "Your mother wore this on the day of our wedding. And your grandmother wore it before her. This veil has seen generations of Marberly women marry, going back to Queen Nariea-"

"Zahia's great-great-grandmother." Raven whispered. "The one who encouraged Hestav and Minlex to stop their civil war and separate into two countries." Her father nodded as she lowered her head, allowing him to attach it to the lower back of her braid. Once it was secure, he gently adjusted it over her shoulders, before taking her face in his hands.

"You have the blood of every Marberly woman in your veins, my little blackbird. Every Marberly woman who has worn this has imprinted some small touch of her magic into it; it's your turn now. And tonight, after the ceremony, look at it within the darkness; you will see the generations of your line." She nodded, as he took her face in his hands. "For everything I've done over the years for Marberly, the greatest thing I could have done for her was create you." He studied her, this young woman that had been his little girl, that had been the newborn he'd held eighteen years earlier, when they feared she wouldn't survive. "You are the greatest gift I ever received; the greatest gift your mother and I could ever think to give Marberly. You belong to her as much as she belongs to you. You are her queen, and yet you're so much more than that. You made me the happiest man in the world, and I'm honored to have been your father." He kissed her forehead, and she instinctively closed her eyes. "Oh, Ravenna, my daughter... I love you."

She met his gaze, before throwing her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder, tears beginning to prick her gaze. "I love you, Daddy."