Chapter Ten: The Wedding
As I stood there at the altar I got the shakes I was so nervous. I still could not believe that this wedding was going to take place, that in a few hours Jealile would be my wife. It was an odd and fortunate turn of events that allowed the wedding to take place. Ordinarily it would not be that odd to marry the woman you love. However, on Tania most things you take for granted about weddings and relationships are unheard of here. However it happened or why it did was little concern to me at the moment, I was simply happy that it was happening at all!
The church that I was standing in was a fine church, though not as tall or elaborate as some of the churches back in England. It stood tall, but not overly tall and was built of solid stone and looked like it could stand for a thousand years. The church was laid out in the typical fashion with altar at one end and the doors at the other. The bell tower and spire towered over the end with the doors and a second floor balcony also was at this end. What the church lacked in size did not diminish its charm or beauty. It's grandeur and magnificence was far better than I, the son of a simple peasant farmer deserved to be married in.
Beside me stood Pellenica and Treabilla as my 'groomsmen' of sorts, they were dressed the part and looked quite handsome. The ladies wore outfits similar to mine and we made quite the handsome trio. However they looked better than I in the smart yet simple attire, how could I compete with women as lovely as they?
I could not think of anyone else I would rather share this day with or be at my side at this joyous time. Valencia and Yeoline were Jealile's bridesmaids and had not walked down the isle as yet. I looked the crowd over at this moment and searched for familiar faces but found few comforting sights.
The church was packed with people and not a free seat could be found anywhere in the building. Most of the people were folks that I didn't know, nor had I even met once. Only a few select faces I recognized, otherwise it was a sea of strange faces and I felt alone in the crowd.
I would have liked for my family to be there. It would have been nice for my Father to see me then. I would have liked for my Brothers and Sisters to see how much I had accomplished during the brief time that I had been on Tania thus far. It was then, at the precipice of the happiest moment of my life that my lack of family stung me the most. I was happy to have met the close friends that were sharing this day with me. The ladies that I had met and befriended will have to do, and they felt like family to me. It was a similar feeling to what my heart yearned for, but it wasn't exactly the same thing. Nothing can replace the feeling of sharing a special moment with your real family.
Pellenica gave me a reassuring smile at that moment, almost as if she knew what I was thinking and wanted to comfort me. It was especially nice to have her near me on this day, I still cared for her but alas I knew that nothing could happen. She was still as kind and considerate as ever and in short was being a good and supportive friend on my special day. I smiled back at her to show my gratitude before casting my eyes out over the crowd once more.
There was a great deal of whispers, shared glances, pointing and hushed conversation that day. It was strange to see all this buzz about something as mundane and ordinary as a traditional wedding. However, everything that was normal concerning weddings and relationships to me was bizarre to the people of Tania. I surmised that the spectacle of 'one of their own' marrying 'The Outsider' was part of the excitement. Someone told me that this was the first wedding outside the Harvest Festival since wives were first selected at the Harvest Festival a few centuries ago. That might have also added to the buzz. Add to that the fact that Jealile and I would also be the first 'married couple' (one man, one woman) in an even longer spell. So I could in a way understand where all this excitement was coming from, but as long as I was marrying Jealile I was happy.
But the strange thing is that sometimes when you are so close to getting what you want, you start to second-guess everything. As I stood there, looking at the expectant faces of the crowd, I wondered if I was right to be marrying Jealile. Was it all too much, too soon? How well did we really know each other? Should I really make her my Firstwife so soon? Was that a grave mistake in itself? What if we were not compatible in the end? A thousand questions and doubts swirled in my head so much so that I thought my head would explode. However, another gentle pat on the shoulder from Pellenica brought a momentary calm in the storm.
As Valencia made her way down the isle, the storm moved to the outskirts of my mind. Her beauty was so captivating that I could not help but smile as she made her way down the isle in the elaborate white gown. Her blonde hair flowed well around her shoulders as she gracefully walked toward me. It was the first time I had seen her dressed up as a true woman should be and she indeed took my breath away. She smiled back at me warmly and could not take her eyes off of mine as she walked slowly towards the altar.
Yeoline looked positively radiant as she walked down the isle after Valencia in the same white dress. She had that innocent look about her that made her look as sweet as a child. However I knew different, while she was sweet and a touch naïve, she was not innocent. I already knew every curve of her body quite well by this point and desired to caress them again sometime soon. Her feminine assets and curves were no stranger to my touch and yet she looked as beautiful and pure as a virgin. I regretted that she was not walking down that isle to marry me that day but alas you can't have everything.
When my eyes fell on Jealile, the storms in my mind dissipated completely and my shaking stopped altogether. I knew at that moment as I looked at her walking down the isle toward me that everything would turn out right. Somehow just by having her near, knowing that we would spend our lives together soothed me. I can't begin to describe her beauty; any man who sees his bride walking down the isle toward him understands this. She was by far the most beautiful woman in the world at that moment and all others paled in comparison to her. I could hardly believe that I was as fortunate as to be able to call her my wife later that very day. I knew then that I would marry her, that I had to marry her, that I would be an absolute fool to do anything else.
I hadn't noticed the tears on my cheek but again Pellenica who stood right beside me as my 'best man' did. A hand on my shoulder in a comforting gesture brought me back to reality. I looked over at her and she gave me a loving look that held my focus for a fleeting moment before it disappeared and she looked away. When she looked back, her face had retuned to the colder, more subdued look of a friend. I wiped the tears from my cheeks just in time as Jealile arrived to stand beside me.
I felt the energy and excitement of having this woman who rivalled Venus standing beside me. What's more she stood there willingly and wanted to marry me, she chose to marry me! I was humbled that this marvellous woman who risked her life and career for me, wanted to marry lowly me. I could not understand what she saw in me and felt unworthy of such a spectacular woman. At that moment I also could not understand how such a remarkable woman could be passed over three times! I was clearly convinced that the male population of Tania was a bunch of blithering idiots! However, at that moment I was also relieved and thankful for that fact as well.
Most of the ceremony went by uneventfully; it was lovely, traditional and memorable and I will not bore you with the details. However there was one part that I will never forget to be sure. I doubt few others standing beside me will forget it soon either. It all happened quickly and was over just as quick but was no less astounding, yet in a way, and in retrospect it was predictable. The ceremony had lumbered on as tastefully and majestically as you could expect and had arrived at the exchanging of the vows. I said my vow but when it was Jealile's turn I distinctly heard two women answer affirmatively, one from either side of me.
At first I thought I was hearing things or that it was an echo from the stone building, but the look in Jealile's eyes told that this was not so. I looked over at Pellenica and the silent horror; sheer terror on her face told me that indeed she had also answered with Jealile. When her eyes met mine the pleading look in her desperate eyes begged Jealile and I not to say anything. I looked back at Jealile and we nodded to each other and nothing was said at that moment. Jealile's face shared the concern and curiosity over this development from a trusted friend.
