The royal family stood around the alter. For their time of worship to their Gods and Goddesses. They wanted to bless the princess. It was her birthday. She was now in marrying age. She would become a wife soon. A queen.
It wasn't something she wanted for herself, to have a husband chosen for her, but if she was to marry, she wanted to love the person she was going to marry. But as a princess, that hardly ever happened.
Princess Cassia looked into the flame. She watched it as the flames from the candles danced in front of her eyes. a dangerous beauty. Something her mother would say about the magic within Cassia and her family. A beautiful yet dangerous thing inside them. It can be helpful like fire when someone is cold. But it can be deadly when the wrong thing happens. Like a fire burning down homes.
It's why Cassia was trained in magic the day she showed she held it inside her soul.
The family and the servants bowed after saying the prayer they all knew. People came to place a spot of the water, that had been blessed, on to Princess's head to bless her fully. She smiled at the people as they came. Her family treated their people well, and in returned they were adored by their people.
When everyone blessed her, Cassia was handed a goblet of Holy Wine. She took it and bowed her head to it before drinking it. The Holy Women, took a branch of a flower called Lifmir, and burned the leaves and petals before brushing the ash of it over Cassia's stomach. To bless her womb for her future husband.
Her parents watched this all happen with a proud smile on their face.
This ceremony was with her loved ones and her people. By tomorrow, men from all over will be coming to win her hand in marriage from her father. Something she dreaded.
Cassia looked at her personal maid, and best friend, Ariadnie, who also looked at her. They took hold of the others hand. When it was time to leave the ceremony room, Cassia continued to hold Ariadnie's hand as she walked with her parents back home.
Her parents hugged her as they told her how proud they were of her.
She loved her parents and they loved and doted on her all the time. But she knew she was to obey them in marrying whomever they chose for her. She knew they would pick someone who will treat her well, and maybe she will come to love him like her parents did when they met.
But she dreamt of freedom. Dreamt of living away from the palace she lived in. The kingdom she grew up in.
She trained to fight and use magic. But she wasn't allowed outside of the walls. She wanted to travel the world to learn even more then they have taught her here. And who knows, maybe her husband will allow her to learn more, and not just use her to warm his bed and bare his spawn.
She wanted children sure. But she wanted to live before she did. She wanted stories to tell them. Teach them new things. She wanted freedom first.
But when she went to bed, she didn't know that her wish will come true... but in the worse way ever imagined as the devil came her way.