Lilly smiled at her reflection in the mirror. Seated in front of the vanity in her bedroom, she observed her mother and maid standing behind her, brushing and braiding her long light brown hair. Dressed in a beautiful white, silk wedding dress, she couldn't help but feel as though she were a real life princess. Her father had given her a chest full of family jewels to take with her, as a sort of dowry for her husband-to-be. Of course, she had selected a few to wear on her wedding day. From her neck hung an exquisite diamond necklace, which shimmered in the light of the candlestick that stood next to her. She was sure that her friends would be in awe of her as they saw her walk down the aisle.

Her whole life she had dreamed of living a life of prestige and sophistication, married to a man who was handsome, wealthy, and influential. Mordred Darkthrop possessed all three of those traits, thus making him the ideal husband for her. Yes, he was much older than her, thirteen years older to be exact, but she didn't care about that insignificant detail at all. Most women were younger than their husbands. It was a quite well-known fact, especially in their home continent, that men fancied younger women.

She was so pleased that he had finally asked to marry her. It seemed as though it had taken him forever to do so. You see, for years she had tried to catch his eye, but try as she did, he never seemed to notice her. He was the kind of man who rarely left his home, and when he did, it was for business purposes. There was no room for distractions in his mind. Eventually she came to the conclusion that he did not even know she existed. Obviously she had been mistaken. If that were true, she would not be getting ready to marry him.

In less than an hour, she would be teleported to what many called the grandest city in Aia, Thais, where she would wed one of the most powerful mages in the world. No longer would she be known as Lady Lilly Clockwork, but instead she would be known as Lady Lilly Darkthrop. She would be a part of an ancient lineage, dating back at least five-hundred years. Everyone would bow and curtsy to her when they saw her. Peasants would envy her as they saw the glittering jewels and magnificent gowns that her husband had purchased her. She could hardly wait for that to become a reality.

"There, your hair is braided and you are finally ready to go meet your husband," said her mother, as she placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Are you nervous, my dear?"

Lilly shook her head carefully, not wanting to mess up her newly styled hair. "No, I have never been more confident in my life."

Lady Clockwork looked down at her daughter with concern. Her daughter was a fine young woman, well-bred and well-educated, but a part of her couldn't help but wonder whether Lilly was truly prepared for the responsibilities that came with being a married woman. Lilly could be a bit stubborn at times, insisting that she knew everything she needed to know. There was no use in trying to reason with her. The only thing Lady Clockwork could do was hope and pray to the goddess that her daughter wouldn't suffer too terribly in the process of facing the not-so-glamorous realities of life.

"If you have nothing further to say to me, we should be on our way," Lilly stated, rising from her seat and turning to start out of the room. "We don't want to miss our portal to Thais."

"Only that you look beautiful, my dear daughter," she said, and without further ado, Lady Clockwork followed after her daughter, keeping an eye on the train of her gown to ensure it didn't snare on anything and rip.

Lilly held her head high as she descended the staircase of her father's home. The servant girls could only stare, and the servant boys could only drool as she passed them. She doubted that her husband-to-be would show such a reaction, but she hoped that he would compliment her at least once. She enjoyed having people admire her for her beauty. You could say that she was a bit vain in that regard.

As she reached the bottom step, she was met by her father. "You are a vision of utter loveliness, Lilly," he remarked. "Mordred is sure to be pleased by you."

Lilly smiled widely, "Thank you, Father."

Just then, a dark, ominous looking portal appeared out of thin air. Everyone knew that it was the portal, sent by the groom himself, to transport his bride and her family directly to the temple where the ceremony was to take place. Mordred may have been known to be a bit mad, but that didn't mean he was incapable of being a gentleman.

"Shall we go?" Adger asked, extending his arm towards his daughter.

Nodding her head, Lilly took her father's arm, and together they started through the portal, her mother following shortly after.

Mordred's golden eyes darted towards the other end of the temple as the doors suddenly opened and in strolled the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. He could hardly believe his eyes, and even tried pinching himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Dressed completely in white, she looked like an angel in comparison to him, who looked more like a demon. Surely the gods must not have abandoned him completely. How else could he have possibly been so fortunate. Usually Mordred was not a religious man, but even he couldn't deny that he felt as though he had been blessed.

The organist began to play as Lilly slowly made her way up the aisle, every eye in the room on her. Soon enough, she reached the end, and her father then handed her over to Mordred, stepping back and going to take a seat with his wife.

Clearing his throat, the priest began to speak, "We are gathered here today in the city of Thais to witness the union of Mordred Darkthrop and Lilly Clockwork …"

Mordred basically tuned the priest out for most of the ceremony, focusing his attention on the radiant woman standing at his side. Everything else was a blur. It was almost as if he had placed some sort of spell on him. He managed to snap out of it briefly as the priest asked him to affirm his vow to love and cherish her, forsaking all other women.

"Aye," said Mordred.

"And do you, Lilly, take Mordred to be your wedded husband, to care for him in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"Aye," said Lilly.

"Then, I pronounce you husband and wife," the priest announced. "You may kiss the bride."

Without hesitation, Mordred reached out and took Lilly in his arms, claiming her lips in his. Cheers filled the temple as the two sealed their union with a kiss, but they paid them no attention, as Mordred abruptly swept his new wife off her feet and hurried out of the temple with the intention of taking her straight back to the inn, where he had registered for them to stay the night in their best room. He wasn't quite sure whether he was eager to get out of the temple, or if he was just eager to start the honeymoon. However, he had a feeling it was the latter.