"Your Royal Highness, Please, the water is cold, you will get wrinkles." Eriko said, approaching the bathtub slowly.

Aiko was seated in the middle. To Eriko's dismay, the water was freezing already. Aiko was shivering. Goosebumps tracing her delicate skin. Her hands clasping the withered petal in her fingers under the water like an amulet.

Eriko's word reached her in a hazy fashion. She shook her head immediately. The feeling that if she stepped out of the tub the reality would be to hard. The fact that she was getting married would rush back to her mind, meanwhile, if she stayed soaked in the cold water, she could pretend she was not getting married. The cold stinging her body and not making her mind function properly.

"Your Royal Highness!" Eriko snapped softly. Her hands shoving the towel she was holding out.

Aiko sighed softly. Her fingers gently caressing the silky petal. She lifted it out of the water. Her eyes never leaving it.

The wind swirled.

"It's time...step in the future...forget the past..."

was what it whispered in her ear. Caressing her numb mind.

Aiko shook her head. She would never forget the past. Instead, she would face the future with the help of her past. Pushing through hardships with a head held high. And if the past dragged her back in, so be it. She would gladly be pulled back. Giving up everything she had now in this uncertain future to go back to the warm memory of the past. But, something in her heart told her she didn't want to give up the future or the present. A certain person appearing in her mind.

"Nonsense, my life would have been better without the Emperor!" She thought. But the voice in her head sounded fake. She quickly suppressed it.

Eriko was about to protest again when Aiko stood up abruptly. The water cascading down her body. Eriko lowered her eyes.

Aiko stepped out. The petal still in her grasp. Eriko immediately started drying her. Aiko stayed still. She didn't move. Her mind whirling at a fast pace.

The Emperor liked to see her suffer. If she showed him she was happy, he would be furious! She thought with glee. Her eyes sparkling.

As Eriko stopped drying her, Aiko walked to her main chamber.

Hishi immediately walked to her and gave her her undergarments. Aiko slipped them on. A sick smile on her face. The maids stared at it questioningly. The voice kept nagging at her.

"Can we start dressing you, Your Royal Highness?"They asked.

Aiko nodded distractedly. It all seemed a dream. Nothing more. Not the end for her life as an independent woman. Just...a dream. A silly one.

That's probably why she didn't pay much attention to this moment who was so life changing for a lot of people.

The first layer of clothing was placed on her.

A cotton see trough vest. The next was a linen vest with a red collar. Then various different types of white vests were placed on her. A sneak peek of a red vest hidden underneath every 2 layers for the surprise of the Emperor. Every bride had a hidden color underneath her white kimono. The color was the representation of the bride's personality. The Emperor would discover the color whilst undressing her for the wedding night.

Aiko remembered vaguely picking the color in the past. So far away it seemed ages ago.

The last vest was put on her. Completely white. Open at the top to show the other white layers. A white flower placed on her breast while a silver pin with three dangling silver beads on it rested on her left breast. White socks were placed on her ankles.

She was then led to prepare her hair.

It was thoroughly brushed, leaving it smooth and silky. Rin and Hibi started working on it.

It was styled in two sections resembling cushions, the lower one bigger than the upper one. Divided by a hair pin which was lacquered in gold and black. Created in a way it seemed like a fan in between the two sections of hair. In front of the hairpin a flower of white and red silk was placed.

Two hairpins were placed underneath the far corners of the flower, so rich with flowers they were heavy. They finished right before her hair line, dangling slightly over her forehead. On the top part, two hairpins were placed inside, popping out. Covered in gold as well. Dangling one soft, gold line.

To carry the upper part, a bridge was placed underneath. It was perfectly aligned with the fan so the hair piece seemed to be one. A ribbon the same color of the flower was placed at the end of the ponytail so it created a smaller section of hair. Golden glass flowers were placed on the back of her head. A sprinkle of perfume and the hairstyle was done.

(These are here in case my describing sucked)

As the maids started cleaning up, Hibi knelt down to do her make up. Her face was blanched with a white powered. Making her similar to a geisha. Her eyes were painted black with charcoal, slowly fading to gray as it rose on her eyelids, a smudge of red on the outer part. Her eye brows were traced as well. Her lips a blood red.

Eriko came closer to place the hat on her head. It was a white hat, high and empty inside to not break the hairstyle. White birds had been sewn on the side. The hat was to be taken off before the kiss, the couple hiding behind it to share their first kiss.

"Tsk, first kiss..."Aiko thought. Snorting quietly.

The maids finished, stepping back. Aiko turned around to look at herself. She gasped surprised.

Who was that beautiful woman staring back at her? Why were her hands soft and not hard from field work? Why wasn't she dirty with mud and sweat?

Why was her kimono pretty and rich? She didn't know this woman who was perfectly fitting in with the rich environment. This was not her. This was not who she wanted to be, but what she had to be.

As Aiko stared at herself, not touching herself for fear to smudge the makeup or distort this perfect image, Aiko felt the small girl that used to run around covered in mud and chased by boys, who wanted to fight with them, die slowly. The final connection to the past breaking softly. Aiko seemed to hear the pink of it breaking. In response, she tightened her grip on the petal, the memory given by the future to remember the past. She quickly stuffed it in her kimono, close to her heart.

A knock resonated in the room. "It's time," a voice said. "Bring Her Royal Highness to the temple,"