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Prologue

Scarlett

Lace falls across s to it is musty Old But it’sday

Baby’s breath and discarded lilies litter the stone floor as the wo to ith the old veil when a brand new, prettier one sits unused in its box Ithe fallen petal of a pale pink lily with my heel

Funeral flowers for a wedding An omen

Not that I need one

The stink of the day

“Finished,” the woman announces

I stand, the petal sticking to my heel I don’t care I look up to meet my reflection in the mirror

“He won’t like the veil,” she says She’s a blur beside me

I shiftmy eyes focus on her She’s plump and short and has a wart on the side of her face with a thick black hair growing out of it Don’t judge a book by its cover has nothing on this one She is as much a bitch inside as she looks on the outside

“I guess he’ll have to get over it”

“You should wear the one he sent”

I don’t bother to answer her, although I agree The veil was a gift from my brothers

Gift

No, not a gift

Just another cruelty to

She snorts, turns to gather up the dress, the keys jangling on her belt I could take them Overpower her That part would be easy It’s the uns outside the door who’d be the problem

Noisy footsteps on the hundred stairs announce the approach of soldiers to my tower room