Chapter 17: Bondmates
AND so the royal wedding went off without a hitch. The austere occasion progressed smoothly right to the very end, whereupon the newlyweds stepped out onto the castle balcony amid deafening cheers from the townspeople crammed into the garden below.
“That article wasn’t kidding. She really did get her hair cut short! Poor dear.”
“She’s so brave, too. I don’t think I could manage a smile if it were me.”
“It still looks rather lovely, though! So glamorous and youthful! A very feminine hairstyle, if you ask me.”
“You know, I’d never given any thought to wearing my hair short, but now that Her Highness is doing it, why, it doesn’t look that strange at all! It’s perfectly cute!”
Standing at the edge of the crowd, I grinned to myself. I know, right?
All around me, the Dragonkin were both sympathetic to Patricia’s suffering and impressed by her fortitude. Plus, they were definitely interested in her new haircut.
“Wait... You’ve got short hair, too,” one of the women commented as she spotted me. “It just looks so natural on you that I hardly noticed!”
“Thank you. I’m actually the Princess’s personal hairstylist, and cutting hair is my job. Here—this is her hairstyle, and this is mine.” I handed her a flyer from the thick stack I was carrying in my arms. It contained a how-to guide for Patricia’s bridal hairstyle, as well as my own, plus a few other sample hairstyles befitting pin-straight Dragonkin hair—all prepared in the event that the women of Vaxwald would be looking to experiment with short cuts.
“If you ever decide to have your hair cut short, you can take this flyer with you to the barbershop to show them what you want. Oh, and if you know anyone who’s getting married soon, I strongly recommend that you show them Princess Patricia’s hairstyle.”
“Oh, my! You know, I’m actually getting married next year! That’s why I came—to see the Princess’s hair and gown, you know, for reference. I’m not sure if I’ll take the plunge and cut my hair just yet, but...oh, I do so love having a nice change of pace every now and then!” she replied with a smile.
I had assumed the older women would be more resistant to the new trend, but boy, was I ever wrong. One of the middle-aged women who took my flyer had this to say about it:
“You know, I’ve always thought it would be nice to have short hair. After years upon years of wearing my hair in a ponytail, my hairline’s started to recede, and no matter how well I try to take care of it, it’s always quick to get dirty and lose its shine. All this time, I was afraid of what others would think of a woman who wore her hair short...but now that Her Highness is doing it, I don’t have to worry anymore. I’m going to lop it all off first thing tomorrow!”
In the end, the crowd eagerly took my flyers until none remained.
Patricia and Dario had received the blessing of their royal subjects; it was clear the people of Vaxwald had chosen to entrust the two of them with the future of their country. As a result, love and joy had spread all across the nation in honor of their special day.
As for me, I looked up at the clear blue sky. “Now it’s time to take care of my own business.”