Reeve

Part 5

Four years have passed and my town has improved so much from the wasteland it was when I first took over but I am not happy; the day I dreaded has arrived, the day of my wedding. The sun poked through the gaps between the trees as I sit in my usual spot by the lake and hope I still have time to fake my own death. Footsteps come up behind me, I turn around and see Otto walking towards me; I smile and turn back to face the water, Otto sits next to me and pats my back.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready for your wedding?" he asks

"I should, I'm praying that a wild bear will come along and kill me though" I tell him

"Come on I have a surprise for you" Otto tells me standing up and holding out a hand to me, I raise an eyebrow and take his hand; he pulls me up with a force that I end up falling into Otto. Otto puts and arm around me and we walk back to the house; Otto tells me to close my eyes as we get to my house. I close my eyes and Otto leads me in the house, he lets go and I'm standing in the middle of my house not knowing where exactly I am or what's happening. Suddenly a pair of arms wrap around my neck, my eyes shoot open and I see my mum, Ninette and Sela looking at me with smiles; I pull the owner of the arms away from me and see Ada. I can't control myself I throw my arms around her laughing; I pull away every so often to make sure I'm not crushing her. She has changed so much, she cut her hair and her face looks so much healthier than it did for years ago.

"What are you doing here?" I ask taking in the sight of eldest sister,

"Special delivery" she says and then my face drops, my wedding clothes. I look at Ada and try to fake a smile,

"So, what am I wearing" I say keeping an arm wrapped around Ada, she leads me into our mothers' room she walks over to the bed and holds up a long white silk shirt with white trousers. I look at them and wish even more that today wasn't happening, I hold back a sigh trying not to concern Ada. I rub the fabric between my thumb and pointer finger,

"Ill leave you to get changed" Ada says handing me the clothes, I hold the clothes in my hand for a while before changing into them. I look at myself in the mirror, I look like my father in his wedding pictures except not as happy. I wish I could just throw myself into the shadows and not go through this day, my mother walks in holding a comb;

"You can't get married with your hair like that" she says walking closer to me; she hands me the comb and sets both her hands on my shoulder, she barely shows standing behind me just the top of her head and her hands are shown in the mirror. I turn to face her and pull her into a hug; she argues telling my ill crease my shirt but I tell her I don't care. Ada ushers me out telling me everyone else needs to get ready so I sit at the kitchen table alone with my thoughts, I unbutton a couple of buttons on my shirt and rest me elbows on the table resting my hands in my hair. A hand on my shoulder brings me out of my daze, I look up and see Otto dressed in a similar outfit to mine. I stand up and he shakes his head rebuttoning my shirt and fixing my hair, 

"I can't do this I can't..." I whisper, Otto places a finger over my lips keeping me quiet 

"Yes, you can" he tells me placing his hands on my shoulders, he starts to lean in for a kiss but the bedroom door swings open and he pulls back patting down my shirt, 

"Don't you two looks handsome" my mother says walking over to us both, straightening collars and putting loose hairs back in place. I look at my mother dressed in a simple red dress with her hair pulled back into a bun. I smile and she places a hand on my cheek, 

"You look beautiful mum" I say, the girls come out dressed in the same way as my mother. The last time we all looked like this was when I had decided to change the town for the better, I pull everyone into a hug and then there was a nock at the door; this was it I was going to be taken to the castle and I would be married to the child queen. I open the door and see the guards standing there, we walk through the town and the towns people wave me off and wish me the best in my new life. The guards usher all of us to the waiting carriages beyond the forest, I sit between Ada and my mother; they both have hands on my knees and are looking out of the windows. Otto sits between Ninette and Sela, he looks at me with a faint smile.