The Woods

Chapter Twenty-Six

Bread, bread, bread. That was all that was on my mind in the days leading up to the wedding. I was asked to bake three dozen loaves of bread, made up of sweet, savoury and tart flavours. Waking up before the sun and going to bed when the moon was high had become my routine, and it was all I could do not to collapse from exhaustion.

I was glad when I had finished with the final loaves and could finally relax. I knew I would be too tired to carry all of the loaves myself, so I ended up promising several young boys tarts if they brought them to the Head Representative's house for me. They were more than happy to.

And so, after collapsing onto my bed and sleeping for twelve hours straight, I found it to be the wedding day.

As I washed and dressed, I couldn't help but smile on Delilah's behalf; she would be having a wonderful day. Daniel would be making sure nothing went wrong and that things went smoothly, so she would have no worries. All she had to do was smile and look pretty as she enjoyed herself.

As I was about to dress, I realised I didn't have clothes that would be suitable for a wedding; the most formal one I had was for the funeral, but wearing black at a wedding would be disrespectful.

I knew that Father had kept all of Mother's clothes in the closet, and even though the thought of taking them made my chest ache, I knew it was my only option. My stomach was in knots as I entered Father's bedroom and approached the closet. I felt as if something would jump out if I opened it.

My hand trembling, I pulled the closet door open, almost jumping from anticipation. Nothing jumped out, of course, and I was left standing there like a fool. I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding, and surveyed the clothes in front of me.

Before me were a few sets of Father's clothes, which I brushed aside to reveal several dresses hanging at the back. I pulled them out and set them on the bed, my jaw wide open. Two were simple grey dresses; the ones usually worn around the village. But the third . . . it was fit for royalty.

With skirts of midnight blue woven with silver threads, I could tell that my family would never be able to afford such a dress. It would have been sold for gold coins easily, and it made me wonder how Mother would ever be able to own anything like it.

I tried to shove the thoughts aside, knowing I had only a few hours before the wedding began, and tried the dress on. It fit perfectly, and after contemplating for a few minutes, I decided to just wear it. At least it would match the blue and white theme of the wedding.

After sweeping my hair up with two iron combs, I began to make my way to Delilah's house, grateful that people were too busy preparing for the wedding to notice me. Although, I wasn't sure what else there was to prepare; the town's centre looked magnificent. Flowers were woven with gossamer and wound around the surrounding buildings, giving an ethereal feeling.

Delilah was in the kitchen of her house, trying to sneak biscuits from a jar as the seamstress made the final adjustments to her gown and told her off for the spilt crumbs.

Her face lit up at the sight of me, her eyes widening as she took in my dress. "Oh, Fida, you look beautiful! Where did you get the dress?"

I tried to hide my burning face by staring at my feet. "I found it in my parents' closet. I can't believe Mother could have owned anything like it."

She smiled again, slipping away from the seamstress to grasp my hands in her own. "I'm so glad you're back, Fida. Thank you for being with me today." I returned her smile before her mother entered the room to fuss about adjusting Delilah's dress, even though she looked perfect.

An hour later, I stood among the crowd, watching as Delilah walked towards Daniel, a big smile on her face. The vows were simple, and after the Head Representative gave his blessing, the crowd erupted into cheers.

After that, everyone crowded Delilah and Daniel, congratulating and complimenting them. I slipped away with Delilah's mother to help make final preparations for the dinner, which would be held at the Head Representative's house right afterwards.

While anyone was able to attend the ceremony, only family and a few friends were able to attend the dinner afterwards. There were perhaps fifty people in the massive dining room, everyone sitting at one of the three tables.

I was grateful that it was a fairly small gathering, but cringed when I saw the seating arrangements. Being close to Delilah, I was seated a few places from her. Opposite the Head Representative. So, while I was excited to eat and enjoy the evening, my stomach was churning with anticipation. He no doubt would pester me with questions.

For the first hour or so, he ended up speaking to a man next to him, whom I didn't recognise. I gladly ignored him and chatted to Delilah's sister, who was next to me. I was hoping to stick by her side the whole night, but as soon as the last course of dinner was served, the Head Representative invited everyone to a ballroom for dancing.

The fact that he had a ballroom wasn't surprising – his home was massive. Even though it looked beautiful, with tall windows and gilded walls, it was nothing in comparison to the one in the castle. It still amazed me how the perspective of wealth was different between the races. I smiled, remembering my argument with Casper.

"I see you're in a good mood." I looked up to see the Head Representative approach me. I supposed it was what I got for standing at the back of the room and avoiding the dancers.

"It's Delilah's wedding," I replied. "Why wouldn't I be happy?"

He huffed out a laugh. "You won't miss her when she leaves this evening?"

"Of course, I will," I murmured. It was tradition for the bride and groom to leave on their wedding night, so I was prepared to give her my final goodbye before I saw her again.

He hummed in reply before suddenly saying, "You look a lot like your mother." My head shot up and he chuckled.

"You knew her well?" I asked carefully.

"Well enough," he shrugged, dismissing the question. He was baiting me. I bit my tongue to stop myself from questioning him.

"Why the sudden mention of her?" I tried to keep my voice disinterested, though I knew I did a poor job of it.

"Not much of a reason," he replied, taking a glass of wine from a waiter. "But I suggest you be careful before people associate you with her."

"What?" I snapped.

He smiled, already walking away. "Be grateful I warned you."

He disappeared into the crowd and I was left staring after him, my stomach twisting. It was then that I noticed a few stares from people. I couldn't read their expressions, but they murmured to one another, sharing glances.

Even though I didn't know what the Head Representative was talking about, I knew I needed to leave. Leaving the wedding before Delilah's departure would be disrespectful, so I simply went out onto the veranda and leaned against the railing.

The night was cool, and being so close to the edge of town, I found myself staring into the Woods, thinking over what just happened. Most of the people that had stared at me were older; some old enough to be grandparents. Was the Head Representative saying they knew my mother?

I shuddered from the cool breeze, wrapping my shawl around me as a shield. I wanted to know more; needed to. But it meant going through my parents' things.

I waited for my stomach to twist, for a wave of nausea. But it didn't come. All I felt was the soothing music from the ballroom behind me.

Smiling slightly, I gazed into the Woods one more time before turning to go inside. Delilah would leave momentarily, and though I was sad she was leaving, I felt a sense of peace. I was ready to know more about my family, and for once, I wasn't afraid.