Page 88 of A Spark So Bright
It was Vigdis.
The beautiful troll woman with the glistening, dark rainbow skin. She stood there wearing very little other than leather bindings across her breasts and a pretty fibrous skirt that was entirely see-through.
Why? Rose had no idea.
"As I suspected," Vigdis said. "You are not prepared for today's bridal games."
There were more? When were these bridal games going to be over so she could move on with her life?
Groaning, Rose turned toward her bed and flopped face down onto it. "I don't think I'm participating today."
The troll woman chuckled as she headed into the room. The door closed behind her, and Rose tilted her head to, realizing that Vigdis had brought a bag in with her.
"You are participating today. Today is the best day to be there, and you, my dear, are going to be interested in what they have planned. Now, let's get you dressed."
"I am dressed."
"You are not going to the bridal games in that. I know what the others say about you, but I do not believe them to be true. So you are going to get up. You're going to put these clothes on. And you are going to look just as good as the rest of us."
Vigdis pulled a sheer dress out of the bag. At least it wasn't nearly as transparent as her clothing. It looked more like moonlight, but it wouldn’t show as much skin. Rose sat up, summoned to the dress like it was a siren out at sea.
It almost looked like a nightgown. High necked, with billowing bell sleeves that would give her plenty of fabric to hold in her hands and crush when she got nervous. This troll woman had noticed all of her ticks and she'd made sure that the dress would cover all of them.
"Oh," Rose whispered. "That's really pretty."
"I know it is. Rumor has it we're off to take part in the games of passion. Everyone needs something to wear that makes them feel pretty and powerful." Vigdis looked the dress over one last time, then gestured for Rose to stand. "Come on, I'll help you get into it."
"Shouldn't my sister be the one helping me do this?" Rose asked, but she stood up and headed over to Vidgis.
"She's on the other side of your door waiting to see if you want her."
Of course she was. Her poor sister. Astrid had done everything right as a sibling. She'd fought long and hard for Rose to be happy and safe, and she hadn't ever stopped looking for her. But the moment Astrid got her back, all she'd been given was a very broken version of the little girl that Astrid remembered.
Rose wasn't ever going to be that person again. And she definitely wasn't the version of herself that Astrid remembered. When they had both gone into the priestess order, they should have known they were giving up all dreams of their future.
"Astrid," Rose called out. "You can come inside."
She had never seen the door open and shut so fast. Her sister pressed her back to the wood, so full of hope she glowed with it. "I'm so glad you want my help. I just... I told them you weren't ready for something so advanced, but I was outvoted."
"I get to decide what I'm ready for," Rose replied. But then her mind raced ahead of her, and she glanced at Vigdis. "You said a game of passion?"
The troll woman nodded her head so quickly her braids bounced around her head. "Yes. It's the best part of the bridal games. No one should choose to bind themself to someone without giving them a trial period for passion. What if you're bound to a partner who is horrible in the bedroom?"
Ah. Right.
So the games of passion were literally trying out the partner. It was just that Rose wasn't sure she could do any of that.
A long pause spread between the three of them, broken by Astrid, who cleared her throat and reached for the dress. "Here,let's get you into this and you can tell us what is scaring you so much about the thought."
Astrid knew. Or at the very least, she could guess.
And then Rose realized she hadn't ever talked to anyone but Rhydian about this. Rhydian, who she could now see standing in the corner of her room, leaning against her dresser with a measuring gaze.
"Tell them," he said. "Tell them your story so that they can help."
She gave him a little shake of her head. So small that neither of the other women saw. If they had looked at her face, they would have seen her pleading expression, though.
Rhydian looked sad. "Rose, they have to know. You can't keep all of it inside. This is part of living, too. The dead cannot tell others their regrets or their pain. Holding it all on your own isn't the path forward."
