It really was a shame. The wedding dress Nathalya had made was beyond exquisite. The delicate fabric hugged his body like a second skin, and the embroidered pearls and polished crystals glimmered like starbursts. He almost didn’t want to wear it. His dear friend had worked so hard on it, all for this dreadful, ugly affair.

Everything was in place. Everyone had their duty. Among all the guests gathered for the day the entire Kingdom had been anticipating, there were hundreds of ...