MTLNOVEL Chapter 4: All hail the Queen!
Nephis stood in front of a towering mirror, her silver hair cascading over her shoulders, her usual armor replaced by flowing silk. Beautiful azure patterns were etched into the fabric, swirling like reflections on a serene lake. The dress shimmered under the dim lighting—pristine, regal, yet strangely out of place on her.
Effie sat slouched on a velvet couch nearby, arms crossed, lips curled in barely concealed amusement. "Alright, I'll say it. This is weird."
Cassie, standing beside Nephis, let out a quiet laugh. "It is... certainly different." Her blindfold-covered eyes tilted toward Nephis, as if seeing more than just fabric. "Pray tell me—what made you think this was a good idea?"
A faint blush crept up Nephis' face, followed by confusion. "Why are you reacting like this?" she asked, disbelief evident in her voice. "I had it custom-made according to the traditions of the ancient civilization of the River People. Sunny and I share a connection to them. He is especially interested in ancient history and cultures, so I thought he would appreciate it."
Effie didn't even try to hold back her laughter. "So you picked this dress just to please him?" She wiped a tear from her eye. "You're so adorable, Princess!"
Nephis glared at her, then exhaled. "Is it really that bad?"
Cassie tilted her head, her expression unreadable. "You'd get more than a few dozen stares wearing that. And not the 'admiring your beauty' kind."
Nephis frowned. "I don't get what you mean."
She turned back to the mirror, analyzing the dress again. She couldn't find anything wrong with it, nothing that would upset others. She would have understood Effie's reaction if it was too revealing, but it was not. It covered nearly all of her skin, the intricate patterns blending into deep, flowing blue. If anything, it was almost too modest. So why were they reacting like this?
Effie burst into another fit of laughter. "Oh, you are so cute. I can see your thoughts playing out on your face right now!" She gasped for breath. "You really don't get what's wrong with it, do you?"
Nephis sighed. "I don't. Please, enlighten me."
Cassie opened her mouth to answer, but Effie stopped her with a raised hand. "Wait. Let me show you."
White sparks danced around her palm, coalescing into a solid, intricately decorated crown. She giggled, placed it atop Nephis's head, then spread her arms wide.
"Behold!" she declared in a grandiose tone, bowing with exaggerated flourish. "Our Lady Nephis, Queen of the Azure Seas and Soaring Skies, has graced us lowly mortals with her presence! All hail the Queen!"
Cassie let out a chuckle—then, to Nephis' horror, started laughing in earnest. "I can actually imagine something like that being announced when she enters the wedding hall tonight!"
Nephis staggered back, mortified. Realization dawned on her like a strike of lightning.
She turned back to the mirror, really looking this time.
The regal posture. The long, flowing silk. The way the deep blue fabric swirled like storm-touched waters. The golden accents that shimmered under the light.
She didn't look like a bride.
She looked like a queen.
A queen of some forgotten, godforsaken land, stepping forth to deliver judgment upon lesser beings. A ruler of storms, of ancient skies, of calamity itself.
Intense heat crept up her face as she imagined walking down the aisle—all the guests turning their heads, the live broadcast streaming her entrance to millions upon millions of mundane citizens. And more than that...
"Gosh!" Effie wheezed. "I wonder how doofus is gonna react when he sees his literal queen walking toward him!" She clutched her stomach, laughing so hard she was practically in pain.
Then, suddenly, her expression sobered into mock seriousness. "Honestly? He might just faint. We'd have to call in one of his shadows as a replacement."
Cassie burst into laughter again.
Nephis clenched her jaw, her face still warm.
"You two..." she started, but no retort came to mind. If she were being honest, she would have mistaken the person in the mirror for a queen herself—had it not been her own reflection staring back at her.
Effie was still wheezing.
Nephis exhaled sharply. "...Help me find something more suitable for the wedding."
Effie wiped at her eyes, nodding vigorously. "Oh, absolutely."
Cassie, still chuckling, just patted her on the back.
And just like that, Queen Nephis was laid to rest—hopefully, forever.
...
Nephis stood in front of an overwhelming selection of wedding dresses, exhaling slowly. The heat lingering on her face from the previous debacle refused to fade. Effie's laughter had finally died down—though she still shook her head now and then, her grin wide with amusement. Cassie's lips remained curled in quiet laughter.
"Alright," Nephis muttered, rubbing her temples. "Help me find something that doesn't make me look like I just conquered a kingdom."
Effie perked up immediately, eyes gleaming. "Oh, I've got just the thing."
Nephis watched with growing suspicion as Effie beckoned over a nearby store assistant—a young girl in a neat red uniform. Effie leaned in, whispering something conspiratorial. The poor girl's face went completely red as she glanced at Nephis, then hesitantly pointed toward a secluded corner of the boutique.
Effie's grin widened. She practically bounced over, hands already reaching out for whatever atrocity she had in mind.
Nephis narrowed her eyes. "Effie, no."
"Found it!" Effie declared triumphantly, whirling around with a dramatic flourish.
Nephis blinked. Then immediately regretted not lunging forward to stop her.
Effie held up a slinky, nearly translucent gown, adorned with delicate golden embroidery that danced across the fabric in barely-there patterns. It was stunning, breathtaking even—
And it left very, very little to the imagination.
Nephis groaned. "Effie, absolutely not."
Effie smirked, unfazed. "Oh, come on, Princess. You've got the perfect body for it. If there's ever a day to flaunt what you've got—"
"No."
Effie pouted. "Why not? Even Cassie agrees~"
Nephis shot Cassie a wary glance.
Cassie hummed thoughtfully, running her fingers lightly over the delicate fabric. A teasing smile formed on her lips. "It... certainly won't make you look like you just conquered a kingdom. It will, however, get you a lot of admiring stares." She chuckled, her voice full of mirth at the betrayed expression forming on Nephis' face. "And I'm more than certain Sunny would appreciate it."
Nephis groaned louder, burying her face in her hands. "You're not helping."
Effie snickered. "I mean, just picture doofus's face when he sees you in this. He might actually overheat from blushing and pass out!" She gasped dramatically. "Gosh, we might end up calling one of his shadow as a replacement for this too!"
Nephis clenched her jaw, but that didn't stop the unbidden mental image from forming. Sunny, standing at the altar, eyes going wide, a rare—intense—look of shock overtaking his face before his ears turned scarlet and he had to physically turn away.
A blush crept up her own face.
Cassie, finally taking pity on her, smiled. "Alright, alright. Let's try something else." She nudged Effie's arm, making her sigh dramatically before draping the scandalous gown back onto the rack.
Nephis let out a breath of relief. "Thank you."
Cassie, ever so efficient, immediately tapped into the vision of the employees scattered around the boutique, scanning their selection. "What kind of dress do you want, Neph?"
Nephis hesitated. "...Something that's not suffocating, but doesn't fall short of the best." She frowned slightly, shaking her head. "I... don't know how to describe it."
Effie giggled. "Are you sure you don't just want something to please Sunny?"
Nephis sighed. "I do. But I also want it to mean something. For him, for you, for all of us. For everything we've been through to get here..." She trailed off, almost embarrassed. "If that makes sense."
Cassie's smile was warm. "Then we'll find something that does."
And so, they searched.
They scoured the boutique, sifting through layers of silk, lace, and embroidery, their mission clear—find a dress that could balance elegance with meaning, that could capture feelings Nephis' felt towards Sunny, that could embody the weight of her emotions on this joyous occasion.
Time blurred.
At some point—after what felt like hours of trial and error, deliberation and rejection—the three of them collapsed onto the floor, backs pressed against each other, surrounded by discarded gowns.
Nephis exhaled sharply, raising her hands in frustration. "At this rate, I won't find anything good before the event starts!" Her voice had the telltale strain of someone very close to breaking down.
Cassie patted her back reassuringly. "You're not alone in this, Neph. We'll definitely find something that's right for you."
Effie, lying sprawled on the floor, grinned. "And if that doesn't work, we can always circle back to the barely-there masterpiece."
Nephis shot her a withering glare.
But despite herself, she felt a small smile tug at her lips. No matter how ridiculous Effie could be—no matter how exhausting this was—she was glad to have them here. Both of them. Just having them by her side eased something heavy in her chest.
"Let's just find something before this turns into a disaster," she muttered.
Effie arched an eyebrow. "Oh, don't worry. It's already a disaster." She grinned. "But it's our disaster."
Nephis sighed, shaking her head. "That's what I'm afraid of."