I am Kelly Beunabista, 20 years of age, raised and born in my hometown, Lagarte, the fourth daughter of the house of Beunabista. I have chosen to marry your son, Aiden Laurdy, and wish to be part of your family.
I am the head of the family, Laurdy. I accept you as my daughter-in-law, wife of my firstborn son, Aiden. You shall serve my son from the day you will exchange your vows in the church. Now raise your head, my child; there are a lot of things we are going to make.
As Kelly has to choose between marrying Aiden or paying a fortune, she has taken the path that she has thought would be best for her. She has not talked to Aiden because of the sudden progress of the situation. Before she marries Aiden and becomes his lawfully beloved wife, there will be several rituals that the Laurdy family is going to do, and Kelly will be a lot busier than she expected. The first ritual is to pay respects to the elderly in the Laurdy family. Bowing her head in their presence and wearing the traditional clothes of the family that have been passed down from generation to generation. The elderly will give a blessing to the couple using the language that only their tribe knows and having a feast for the gods that they believe in and celebrating with the whole family.
After the long hours of rituals and blessings, Kelly found a moment of solitude in the quiet hallway. Her body ached from all the bowing, and her feet were sore from standing. She leaned against the cold stone wall, closing her eyes for just a brief moment of rest.
Aiden approached her, his footsteps soft against the marble floor. He looked at her with concern in his eyes, noticing the exhaustion etched on her face.
"Are you exhausted? You can rest in the bedroom for the meantime, Kelly. There will be a lot of people coming today; you have to preserve your strength."
Kelly opened her eyes and forced a small smile. "I'm fine, Aiden. These will only happen once. That's why I will serve your family. You don't have to worry about me. I'm totally fine."
Aiden nodded but did not leave. He stood there, shifting his weight from one foot to another, as if there was something heavy on his mind. Kelly watched him, waiting for him to speak.
"By the way, Kelly, where's your family? Will I ever meet them? Would my family be able to see and meet them?"
The question caught her off guard. She looked down at her hands, fidgeting with the hem of her traditional dress. The silence between them grew thick.
"I don't know, Aiden. I don't even know where they are. I have tried contacting them, but I haven't received any news. I don't know where my brothers and sisters are, and so thus my father. You don't need to concern yourself with my family."
Aiden's face fell. He took a step closer, reaching out to touch her arm, but she pulled away.
"Kelly, wait, are you still angry with me? Are you disappointed in me? I'm sorry, Kelly. I have chosen to keep it from you, our beliefs. I don't intend to trap you in my hands; that's not my plan at all."
"Then what, Aiden?" Kelly's voice was sharp, cutting through the quiet hallway.
"I'm sorry. I beg you to forgive me, Kelly."
"You should have at least told me about your situation. I was disappointed, of course, Aiden, but I can't go back. Would you beg your family to let me go if I told you so?"
Silence filled the space between them. Aiden looked away, unable to meet her gaze. The awkwardness hung in the air like a heavy curtain.
"I thought so. So you're not... Why, Aiden, what will you do if I have chosen to pay your family a fortune? Would you chase me, or are you going to turn your back on me? Tell me honestly."
"I'm sorry, Kelly, I can't answer that question. But you have chosen me, right? That's all that matters, and it was the decision of my family for my mother. I can't forgive myself if something happens to my mother because of me."
"So you believe that your mother is sick because of our relationship? Haha, how ridiculous. You're making me laugh, Aiden. Enough, this is not the time for this. Let's talk again if things come down, Aiden."
"Why, Kelly, why do you act like this? Do you hate me? Do you hate my family? I thought you loved me."
"Enough, Aiden! I don't want to start an argument with you right now. I'm tired. Just go to your mother; she maybe needs you."
Aiden opened his mouth to speak, but Kelly turned away from him, her back facing him as she stared out the window at the unfamiliar garden of the Laurdy estate. She could feel his eyes on her, waiting for her to look back, but she did not.
After a long moment, she heard his footsteps retreating, each step echoing against the marble floor until the door clicked shut behind him. Only then did she allow herself to breathe, her shoulders sagging under the weight of everything she had lost and everything she had chosen.
She pressed her hand against her chest, feeling the locket hidden beneath her dress. She thought of her sister's words in the red garden, the warmth of her embrace.
Fly away, my dear Kelly. Like the dandelions in the summer breeze.
But she had not flown away. She had simply landed in a different garden, one with different walls, different rules, and a different kind of loneliness.
The sound of laughter and chatter drifted from the courtyard below, the Laurdy family preparing for the feast. Kelly closed her eyes and whispered a prayer to the goddess of the Valley.
Guide my steps. Show me where I belong.
But the goddess remained silent, and Kelly was left alone with her choices, her doubts, and the weight of a destiny she had yet to understand.