The Riverine clan had the most beautiful women, and men from other clans and countries would travel far and wide just to ask for their hands in marriage. The prince of a powerful country from the West, in a bid to marry one of their women, brought half of the country's treasures for her bride price. He would recover it back in multiple folds anyway
It has been long said that the women were blessed by the moon goddess, the goddess of nature and fertility also blessed them because of his love for the moon goddess.
The women of the Riverine clan had a tradition. This tradition was what kept the progress of the clan, it was what kept them, what protected them from any attacks that they could face. A group of young girls were to be raised in the moon temple until they turned eighteen. After turning eighteen, there would be a consultation with the goddess, and she would pick a girl to do her will.
I was one of the people who were raised in the moon temple, and we had all turned eighteen this year.
Priest Varena climbed up the altar, holding a large bowl of Ox blood, priestess Freidka followed behind, carrying a bowl of white hair dye. They both said their incantations and did the dance of the gods. Slowly, they stepped down from the altar and stalked towards the twelve girls all garbed in plain white, circling around all of us till they stopped. My eyes were sealed shut because we had been warned not to look at the priests while they were possessed because it would be like looking at the goddess herself, which would cause immediate death.
"What is this? This is impossible! She already possesses white hair!" I heard Varena's voice.
My eyes snapped open because I was the only one who had white hair.
I was dragged to the altar and made to bow four times to the statue of the sun god and eight times to the statue of the moon goddess. My parents stared with tear stained cheeks because they knew what would become of my fate. My heart itself pounded so hard in my chest that the sound filled my ears.
The sacrifice, or rather the person chosen, wouldn't be killed, but rather, they would be married off to the dragon clan, the clan blessed by the sun god who was the husband of the moon goddes. All this was done to preserve the blessing of the goddess.
The man I was to be wedded to slowly walked towards me, his long dark hair braided to the back. His arm muscles flexed as he strode towards me, his expression blank. He finally arrived at my front and lifted my head up to meet his face. Red eyes, striking red eyes!
"Get ready to leave with me, my pretty wife.."
My heartbeat increased drastically, and my pupils dilated. Something was wrong! I couldn't wed him, I was a guy!