Cult of the Lamb : The Man in the Forest

Chapter 41: Crimson Vows

Aym assisted Merida in preparing the paperwork she'd have to give to Caxton on a weekly basis. He helped her to set up the pages and gave her tips on filling them out to keep the Faith Enforcer off her back. She was relieved to see that her father had been right. After getting the basic layout of the forms down, it really was as simple as writing a word or two in the blanks. He suggested she make extras in her spare time so they would be ready when she needed them, it would save her time and frustration in the long run. Along with that, she had spoken with her mother regarding her two recent queries. First, if she would be allowed to take the followers out to fight heretics at the end of the training. Mir̃alai accepted the idea easily. She agreed that it would be fitting since they would be encountering them anyway. She trusted Merida to keep them safe if she needed to. Her only condition was that they stick to Dark Wood, which Merida thought was fair. She might work them up to harder Domains, but that was a conversation for another day. The second request required a bit more convincing. The Lamb was not at all thrilled by the idea of a second armory located anywhere in the grounds, regardless if a guard would be present. Merida pleaded her case well though. She drove the point that walking to the missionary, and back to clover field took way too long, and stole time that could be used on more productive things. In the end, Mir̃alai agreed to let them install a smaller armory in the Combat Center, provided that it would be locked with a guard present. Merida also had to keep a very close eye on its use, which she agreed to without complaint. She planned to do that regardless thanks to Caxton's orders.

Setting up for Lydie's wedding was no small feat. The ceremony was much grander than that of most other followers. Merida, being Lydie's witness, had been roped into several additional duties that she had not been particularly ready for. But, she took it in stride, reminding herself that the event marked the official end of countless arguments and stress she never wanted to be a part of.

The most tedious task Merida was made to assist in was decorating. Granted, Mir̃alai was able to take care of most of it unassisted, but some tasks were either too time costly, or too mundane for her to waste her energy on. Those were the tasks that Merida had been involved with. Which included adorning the temple with decorations, laying out the aisle runner, and decorating the heart of the grounds. Everything from the shrine, to the fountain had some sort of decoration prepared for it. Merida couldn't complain though, not when her mother was moving around massive pieces of furniture, and pulling entire tables out of thin air. She couldn't imagine the kind of energy such conjuration would take. By the end, everything looked perfect. White and red roses were everywhere, each dusted with a thin layer of gold giving them a beautiful shine. Candles with sparkling light catchers dangled from nothing, adding a particularly tranquil feeling to the romantic atmosphere. Inside the temple, a long white aisle runner looked elegant with its rose red lace. Bouquets of roses hung from the end of each pew, and candles lined the walls on either side of the room. Mir̃alai's lectern was adorned with similar candles, and a simple, but lovely black and gold arch awaited the bride and groom's presence.

Merida was in Lydie's new home, assisting her in preparing for the ceremony. She had expected Lydie to be emotional given the entire situation, but it really was bordering on ridiculous. For the fifth time, she had to stop everything to give Lydie a hug while she sobbed. This time, she had completely convinced herself that something terrible was bound to happen. Merida preferred it the first couple times when they had been tears of joy.

"Pull yourself together, Lydie." Merida sighed and used a handkerchief to wipe her sister's cheeks off.

"What if he doesn't come?"

"Cassius is not going to stand you up. For fuck's sake." She sighed. "Dad isn't going to stop the wedding, and no one is going to jump on the pulpit to cause a scene. You are freaking yourself out for no reason. Honestly, you're being a little crazy."