Bell Rings...
The Laurdy family has a new member. Kelly Beunabista Laurdy is now officially the lawful wife of Aiden Laurdy.
The morning sun poured through the window as Kelly sat before the mirror, her reflection adorned in white lace and silk. The weight of the day pressed upon her, but she forced a smile.
"Look at you; you're so gorgeous." Louryn stood behind her, hands clasped together.
"No one has ever imagined that you will be Mrs. Laurdy, the one and only beloved wife of Aiden. The past is reminiscing. Aiden is my childhood friend, and now he's going to get married. When will I meet my destiny? Ohhh... Please, please, gods in heaven, give me my man."
Kelly laughed softly. "Louryn… What are you doing?"
Louryn's cheeks flushed. "Ohh... I'm sorry I didn't mean that; this is your day."
"Nonsense, Louryn, you're beautiful..." Kelly reached out and squeezed her hand. "You're going to meet him someday. Don't rush things; it is not good."
Louryn smiled. "Wooo... Thanks..." She paused, her eyes glistening. "By the way, congratulations on your wedding... I wish you a happy life." She waved her hands. "Okay, that's enough, Kelly. I don't want tears to flow this early in the morning. Let's just get you ready; I know the people will love how you look today. This is your day; keep that face pretty and gorgeous."
Kelly's smile faltered for a moment. "Thank you, Louryn, for helping me today; your presence is much appreciated. I just can't help it; I'm getting married today, and my family doesn't even show up. I don't know when it all started. I know my mother is with me today, so I'm going to cheer up a little bit. I can do anything about things I can't control."
Louryn's expression softened. She wrapped her arms around Kelly in a warm embrace. "Ahh… Kelly..."
Kelly hugged her back, blinking back tears.
Louryn pulled away, her hands on Kelly's shoulders. "That's fine; you have your new family now. A big one, to be exact."
Kelly laughed, the sound light and genuine. "I'm really thankful to you, Louryn. I know we have known each other for a while now. I hope our friendship will strengthen as time passes by. Thank you for being with me today."
A knock interrupted them.
"Ladies, are you done preparing?" A voice called from the other side. "The carriage will be here in a minute; you have to get ready."
Louryn called back, "Thank you, Aunt Susan. She's almost ready, just a little bouquet of roses and the family heirloom that only blooms in the night, the queen of the night... done..." She giggled.
Aunt Susan's voice came through again, "Okay, then we just have to wait for the carriage to arrive, and up we go; the people in the church are waiting."
Louryn clapped her hands. "Can't wait to start the wedding… I'm so excited, Kelly; I can't wait."
She peeked out the window. "Look, Kelly, the carriage is already here. Ohhh, just to inform you, you're going alone in the carriage, so I can't go with you, so good luck and best wishes."
Kelly nodded, her heart pounding.
Inside the carriage, Kelly sat alone. The world outside blurred past, but her thoughts remained fixed on what lay ahead. She no longer knew what would happen to her after marrying into the Laurdy family. The doubts crept in like shadows, but one thing kept her going, her love for Aiden. After everything that had happened, she could not deny that truth.
The carriage approached the church, and Kelly gathered all her strength and confidence. She pressed her hand against her chest, feeling the locket beneath her dress.
This was the day that everything would change.
She stepped out of the carriage, her white dress trailing behind her like a promise. The church bells rang, and the people of Bial turned to watch. Kelly Beunabista Laurdy walked forward, into the unknown, into the destiny she had chosen.
The goddess of the Valley remained silent.
But Kelly walked anyway.