The Dead May Rise ✓ (GxG)

1917

The rays from the setting sun erupted across the landscape, bathing every inch of the land in light.

      The scenery of the woods was surprisingly quiet.

      "You don't think this dress is too long, is it?" Aedona asked her brother Pyotr as she gave herself a little twirl while looking in the mirror.

     Aedona had known Bear for almost two years now, but still Donnie was nervous about their wedding day—-she wanted it to be completely perfect.

    "No. Not really," Pyotr responded to his over worrying younger sister. He bounced his nephew—-Roman Kryvichyn-Stavayev—-up and down in his arms.

    Roman was now over a year old.

    Small honey blonde curls draped themselves across the top of his head. His eyes resembled that of Aedona's—-a burning, vibrant hue of pink.

     Roman just stared forward blankly like he didn't have a single thought behind his eyes.

     Dagmar and Valeryan sat on a nearby sofa, just conversing with each other.

     Aedona found it hard to believe that Valeryan was going to turn fourteen later that year—-and that Dagmar had already turned eleven.

    The Battle at Osowiec Fortress was almost two years ago, Aedona thought to herself in disbelief. Has it really been that long?

      Donnie exhaled before looking right into the mirror again, examining the way the dress framed her body. "Still," she began, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "I think there's something off about this whole ensemble…" She traced her fingers along the side of the snow white dress. "I… I can't put my finger on what it is though." She inhaled once again before calling out to Pyotr for more input. "Does this dress make me look ugly?"

    "More so than normal?" Pyotr asked with a shit-eating grin mantled upon his face.

     Aedona whirled around so fast to face her brother that she thought she might get sick. She gasped—-this was followed up by a scowl that rided in upon her face. "Pyotr…" She began in a somewhat scolding tone as if she was warning her brother to pick his next words wisely—-as if she might break his neck upon hearing the next few sounds from his mouth.

      Donnie so desperately wanted to hit her brother for that comment, but she was afraid that Roman might be in the way—-or rather that Pyotr may try to use Roman as a shield; so, Donnie did nothing but look at Pyotr with an upset look on her face.

      Pyotr noted the upset look on his younger sister's face. "Come on… You know I was joking."

     Aedona inhaled before turning away a little. She laughed to herself. "You know… It's kind of funny to me…" She trailed off.

     Pyotr raised an eyebrow. "The fact that I called you ugly?"

     Aedona snorted. "No, you heretic…" She sucked in a breath. "I thought I would've accomplished a lot more by the time I got married."

     "Excuse me, but what are you talking about?" Pyotr began to question his sister. "You're literally a mother of three… You fought against the Germans in a battle even though you're just a nurse… and were one of the only survivors…" He began to list off a few of Donnie's accomplishments off the top of his head. "Not to mention the fact you managed to flee a German POW camp."

     "And you got attacked by a werewolf and lived to tell the tale," Epifan's voice echoed as he entered the room. "Not may others could say the same."

    Donnie turned to face Epifan. "That was just a little scratch, Epifan."

      "Maybe," Epifan began. "It still was something…" He held his hand out—-in which was a necklace that resembled waves on the ocean. "Here um… Bear wanted me to give you this. She said something about it reminding you of where our people came from."

      Aedona smiled, taking the necklace. She turned to the mirror once again and slipped the necklace on. She admired it in the mirror as she fidgeted with it. "There we go," she began to whisper to herself. "Now this outfit doesn't look so empty." As she continued to smile, Donnie looked over to her one-year-old son who seemed to be reaching out for her. "What do you think, Roman?"

     Pyotr laughed to himself as Roman tried to squirm out of his arms and toward Donnie. "I'd say he wants his mamochka…"

      Aedona giggled before reaching out and taking Roman up in her arms.

      "It's time then?" Epifan asked, to which he got a nod. He made sure to hold the door open for everyone else as they left the building.

      When Aedona reached the makeshift altar, time seemed to slow the slightest bit.

      As words were spoken and vows were said, Aedona's eyes were lost in Bear's.

    And then finally came the part that Donnie was waiting for—-the kiss; their kiss that drowned out everything else around them… The kiss that seemed to make time slow—-after all, in that moment, all that mattered was them.