Chapter 5

I awoke to the sound of bells ringing in my ears. It was the day of the wedding, and the bells signaled that everyone should get ready. From the kitchen, I could hear my mother whistling a lullaby. I suppose there was one positive aspect of the day; my mother was content, and I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Rather than getting dressed as I normally would, I slid out of my bed and pushed through my fur curtain, wrapping myself in the sheepskin robe. My mother was seated at the kitchen table, doing the last few alterations to my bridal gown. She had spent months stitching it together with tan fur and silks, and she was proud of the result. It looked stunning, and if there was one thing that could brighten my day, it would be showing it off to the whole town.

“Oh! Honey! I was just about to wake you. Are you ready to try it on?” She asked, beaming with pride.

“I have to put it on sooner or later, right?” I giggled.

“Did you decide on which of the undergarments you would wear underneath?” She quizzed me.

“Yes, I picked the brown with pink ribbon.”

I chose the ugliest pair to shove my disdain down Ahiga’s throat.

“Not the black with red lace?” She eyed me.

I rolled my eyes. “Mommmm….”

“Alright, alright. Come here, let me get you dressed.”

My mother struggled to get out of her seat and came over to me. She removed my robe, allowing it to fall around my ankles.

“My baby… You have grown into such a fine woman.” She whimpered as a tear fell down her cheek.

“Momma, I will always be your baby.” I comforted her.

"I know, I know," she mouthed, and then she started working on the undergarments that were decorating my body. She guided me into the dress once she was assured that they were properly secured in place. As soon as my feet were in the center, she slid the dress up my torso and directed my arms into the sleeves. Silk clung to my contours, and fur hung from my limbs.

I was spinning in circles when she began to knot the lace on the back of my dress, tightening it over my tummy and breast. As it got increasingly tight on my chest, breathing became more difficult. My dress felt like it had become a second skin by the time she was through with me.

“Come sit, I have a surprise for you.” She ushered.

Because of the inability to bend, sitting was difficult. In the end, she brought over a wooden box and I fell to the seat at the table.

“Open it!” She beamed, handing the box to me.

I smirked. “Aww you shouldn’t have momma.”

“Don’t be silly, open it.”

Lifting the wooden top, beautiful, furred shoes with pink ribbon laced through them were revealed to me. I took one of them in my hands and stared at it in astonishment.

“These are gorgeous!”

“They’re yours for the wedding! I wore the same pair and so did my mother, and her mother. Each generation of women in our family has worn them and we have added to them for our own daughters.”

“What will my sister wear if these are mine?”

“They’re only for the first-born daughter. She will get a new generational pair created for her.”

Placing the heirloom back into the box, I jumped up and hugged her. “Thank you! They’re amazing!”

“You’re welcome, honey. Now, let’s get them on and do your hair.”

When she was through with my hair and cosmetics, it had been about an hour. It was time to make my way to the square and join my prospective husband and the rest of the tribe's members. I was losing hope that Calian would put an end to it. The fact was that I was doomed, and no one could save me from it, hurt.

As we walked out of our hut, rose petals in shades of pink, red, and white carpeted the dirt path. As my mother and I made our way to the meeting grounds, I saw that the ground was completely covered in petals everywhere we went. They provided a pleasant perfume to our town while also protecting my shoes from filth and grime.

By the time we got to the town center, my mother had handed me over to my father. He looked at me with a happy grin and a tinge of obligation in his eyes before wrapping his arm through mine. As we began heading down the aisle, the Chief did not say anything fatherly to me.

There were white wisteria and flowers adorning the rows of seats that were regularly present in this location. Ribbons in red and white dangled from the edges of the chairs. Ahiga was standing at the end of the path. His pants were made of leather, and he wore fur around the sides of them. His chest was exposed with fur across his back and wrapped around his shoulders.  In the front, a tiny brown thread of leather was used to hold it all together. Leather boots with fur lining at the tops decorated his feet.

When my father handed me over to Ahiga, he grumbled, and Ahiga answered with a modest bow and a murmured "thank you" to him from beside me. The moment the spiritual man began to speak the prayers, my fiancé grasped both of my hands in his and completely lost himself in my eyes.

I was taken aback by the fact that none of the females had said anything negative about me since I had arrived. Their gazes weren't filled with animosity, either.

“Anyone who does not wish this ceremony to take place, please speak now or forever hold your peace.” The spiritual man demanded.

Someone, please stop this.

“Anyone?” He asked again.

“I am against this.” A familiar voice said.

I turned to see what was causing the hushed whispers and gasps in the audience. Calian was standing near my seated mother, a smirk on his face as he looked at me.

Ahiga’s hands tightened around mine.

“Stranger, what is your reasoning?” The spiritual man asked.

“It is clear that she does not want this.” Calian shrugged, sending me a wink.

“Denied.” The Chief interrupted.

Tears began to fall down my face as Ahiga refused to let me pull my hands free.

“I understand.” Calian responded taking his seat again.

I wanted to scream. What he did was nowhere close to trying to stop this.

“Continue the ceremony.” My father demanded.

The spiritual man nodded and proceeded. “Do you, Ahiga, take Kiera as your soulmate, bond forever in this world and the next?”

“I do.” He answered, annoyance in his glare.

“Do you, Kiera, take Ahiga as your soulmate, bond forever in this world and the next?”

I couldn’t answer… I wouldn’t. My mouth had become dry, and I had lost my ability to speak. My eyes welled up with tears as I cried.

“Kiera…” Ahiga pushed.

I had no option but to accept. The consequences of answering no would be severe. My family would be humiliated because of what I had done.

My lips were about to open to say "yes" when the scent of burning wood filled the air. Smoke engulfed the courtyard, making it difficult to take in any air. Ahiga and I started to cough, resulting in him releasing my hands. I turned my gaze to Calian, who was simply sitting there without coughing. A broad, diabolical smile grew from ear to ear as he peered back at me.