A Warrior's Journey (36 page)

Evette just turned her head to the side and
Krista’s saw the trace work of little white scars on Evette’s
exposed chest. Krista reached up a finger and turned Evette’s head
back to her by exerting pressure on her chin.

Evette gazed into the beautiful face of the
older woman in front of her and saw the scars that seemed to
dominate her features on the one side of her face and then she
looked into her warm and understanding eyes.

“I know what it’s like to be scarred Evette
and I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t matter to the men in our
lives. I’ve seen the way you and Larc look at each other! You share
a love that is more than just skin deep! It encompasses all of you
and trust me superficial scars aren’t going to phase Larc one
little bit in his love for you! My back is a patchwork quilt of
scars. Roric will literally trace each one of them out for hours.
He calls them my beauty lines. In a way the scars that both of us
bear as a couple draw us closer together, because they show us what
we both have come through to be with each other and to stay with
each other.”

Evette nodded her head, but Krista could see
a lingering haunted look in her eyes that she couldn’t explain.

“Now let’s get this dress on you and see how
beautiful you look in it.”

Together they soon had the dress on. It was
beautiful. Evette was beautiful, but the haunted look in Evette’s
eyes had intensified.

“Don’t you like the dress Evette?” Krista
asked tentatively.

A low monosyllabic reply came back to her
from Evette that sounded like it had been wrenched from the depths
of her heart, “It’s white!”

Krista’s eyes closed painfully for an
instant, as it became real to her fully what Evette was dealing
with. She’d been threatened with, but had never had to suffer what
Evette clearly had.

Her eyes fired back open. She had to be
tough! Commiserating with Evette right now would do her no good,
there would be a time and place for that later.

Evette continued on bitterly, “It should be
black! Deepest darkest bla....”

Slap!

Evette looked at Krista in shock. She had
slapped her!

Her cheek still stinging she asked
dumbfounded, “You hit me?”

“Yes I did and I’ll do it again if you
repeat anymore lies about yourself! You may have scars, perhaps
deeper on the inside of you than you do on the outside, but it is
still no excuse for you to talk about yourself in such a manner.
You are a redeemed child of the Creator and He sees no blame in you
or reason for you to be ashamed. And if He sees you like that so
should you! I’m sorry for whatever it is that you had to suffer
through Evette, but today it is over. You cast all that bitterness
and self-loathing aside. Today is the start of something brand-new
and exciting in your life and you are not going to let the past
steal it away and disparage the plan the Creator is laying out for
your life from this day forward! Do you hear me Evette?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Now you are going to go out there with your
head held up high and enjoy your big day, and begin your new life
with the man that you never dreamed could exist. He was made
special just for you and you for him. Do you hear me Evette?”

“Yes ma’am.”

Krista hadn’t realized that she had been
shaking Evette and now let go of her.

“You of all women deserve to wear white
today! And another thing Evette, from now on please don’t call me
ma’am! Either Mama or Mother, okay?”

“Yes Mama!” Evette said as she folded her
arms around Krista hugging her hard to her.

Krista hugged her back, “I’ve only known you
for a day, but I’ve come to love you already. I thank God for
bringing you into our lives Evette!”

Krista stood back from her. “You get rid of
those tears and get finished up in here. I want to be on the front
row to see how Larc’s eyes pop out of his head!”

Evette smiled softly and Krista left feeling
that her work was done.

Closing the door Krista breathed out
shakily. Roric was standing a few feet away with a sympathetic look
on his face for her. She went to him and leaned against his solid
form.

She knew with his keen sense of hearing that
he had probably heard all of what had transpired in the room.

She looked up, “Did you hear all of
that?”

He nodded, “Enough.”

She let her head fall back against him, “I
hated being so rough with her! She’s been through enough struggles
without being slapped by her prospective mother-in-law on top of
everything else, on her wedding day no less! Am I getting mean in
my old age Roric?”

Roric smiled, “By the day honey.”

He caught her hand as she tried to swat him
and grinned.

Then with all seriousness he said, “I think
everything you did and said in there was exactly what needed to be
done honey.”

Krista winked at him as she headed toward
the grand hall, “I’ll deal with you later!”

Moments after she was gone the door to the
room opened and Evette stepped out. Roric stepped out toward her
and said, “Absolutely stunning! Larc doesn’t deserve you, but I’m
glad for him all the same. May I escort you?”

He held out his arm and smiling tearfully
Evette took it.

The wedding went differently than the
weddings she’d seen as a girl. The ceremony was full of the rituals
and traditions of this strange new culture that she had been
grafted into.

The ceremony of union before God and man was
actually quite brief. What she loved the most was the singing.
These people both knew how to sing and sing well!

Everything had simply been wonderful; the
people had treated her like she was their long-lost beloved
daughter. It had been wonderful to see the expression of shock on
Larc’s face too, when he had seen her.

Later after they had been standing close to
each other during a song he had leaned down and whispered into her
ear, “You look amazing in that dress!”

She had almost laughed out loud, but
whispered back instead, “What you don’t want me to wear pants
anymore now?” His response had left her blushing.

Time seemed to rush buy, and before she knew
it they were in a large hall for the reception. Time began to drag
then.

She lost sight of Larc in the sea of faces
that pressed in and around her beseeching her with questions about
herself and Earth in general. It had already been agreed to that
she would talk about both aspects as little as possible with the
general population.

So being as gracious as she could she
nonetheless declined most of their questions, while making sure to
be pleasant and smiling as she did so. Her smile face was getting a
little tired, when she felt a downward tug on her hand.

She looked down and was surprised to see
Ellanara, Roric’s youngest child standing there. She motioned for
her to lean down to her and she did.

“If you want to get out of here, follow me
when the moments right!”

Evette looked at her, ‘when the moments
right.’ What did she mean by that?

Suddenly an old tapestry fell at the far end
of the room. The old wall rug for lack of a better way of putting
it was full of dust and was quite heavy by itself. As it slumped to
the floor it took out a food table and sent food flying everywhere
pelting the guests with food.

Evette felt a sharp tug on her hand and
looked down in horror at the young girl. She hadn’t orchestrated
this had she?

She had no choice but to follow the girl, as
her arm felt like it was about to be pulled out by the girl’s
tugging on it. Another tapestry fell pelting more guests with food
as it took out another table.

It was actually quite hilarious and Evette
couldn’t help but giggle a little, as she was tugged through the
crowd. They made it out of the hall even as yet another tapestry
fell.

Ella’nara stopped and folded her arms, “This
is as far as I go! You’re to continue down this hallway and climb
the stairs to the third story. The room you want will be at the end
of the corridor.”

Then as if on an afterthought the girl said,
“Good luck.”

Evette blushed as the girl turned away back
to the pandemonium of the banquet hall. Evette turned to the
hallway and after a brief nervous swallow started down it.

Ellanara stood at the entrance of the
banquet hall and smiled diabolically, as she surveyed her
handiwork. She had made Larc pay dearly for her services and she
now patted the chunk of money that lay heavy in her pocket.

There had been an extra up charge per each
additional tapestry. Larc had said that he could only afford two
additional tapestries after the initial one. Pity, she would have
liked to have seen more of the old dusty things come down.

She surveyed the scene of chaos with relish,
but the haughty smile fell off of her face abruptly when she caught
sight of her father’s level eyed stare on her.

She was in big trouble now!

She would probably have to forfeit her
earnings, while Larc would probably get off free with only a few
stern words.

Her bottom would be bruised for a month!

Father continued to stare at her and she
felt her punishment closing in around her like an oppressive cloak
and then the miraculous happened. Father began to smile a little
and then clapped his hands together softly, as if applauding
her!

She smiled a huge smile of relief and
curtsied to his praise and then got the heck out of there before he
changed his mind.

Roric felt Krista’s disapproving stare on
him, meeting her eyes he simply shrugged.

Krista had to smile, as she shook her head
and looked back out upon the scene of chaos. Truly a wedding
reception to be remembered.

Evette stood breathing hard in front of the
big oaken door. This was it. Resolutely she pushed the door open
and stepped into the decidedly masculine space beyond.

The room was dominated by a huge bed. The
room was ornately furnished throughout. She didn’t see Larc
anywhere though, not in the main room or either of the two side
rooms. And then she saw a peculiar sight.

There was a rope tied to one of the massive
bedpost legs. The end of the rope trailed across the floor and out
a window. There was a white piece of paper on a chest by the window
with a paper weight on it. A pile of clothing sat beside it.

She picked up the paper and recognized
Larc’s handwriting. It read, “Ditch the dress and put the pants on.
Climb down the rope and find the surprise I have for you where the
roses end. Love always Larc.”

Evette smiled as she looked at the pants and
then the rope. What was the crazy man up to?

She didn’t know, but she was game to find
out whatever it was. A few minutes later found her walking down the
stone face of the wall, as she held onto the rope to steady her.
Reaching the stone parapet she noticed a trail of rose petals
leading off in one direction.

She followed the floral path increasingly
eager to get her surprise. Rounding a corner she found it. Larc was
standing beside a buggy hitched up to a single horse. She could see
what looked like a picnic basket and two long poles on the back of
the buggy.

Were those fishing poles?

“I thought we could go fishing and get away
from all the drama for a while.”

Evette just stared at him; he was taking her
fishing on their wedding day?

He seemed to read her mind, “Of course if
you prefer we could go back to our room and I could watch you
hungrily, while you nervously chew off all your fingernails.”

Evette stepped forward; she was absolutely
fine with fishing on her wedding day. Until Larc spoiled it as he
was helping her get into the buggy.

“This way you can have something to do while
I watch you hungrily.” He said with a grin.

He was incorrigible, but he was also being
very sweet to her and she appreciated it, even though she wanted to
smack him. They made their way down the deserted castle streets to
a side gate in the outer wall.

The gate stood wide open with the guards all
standing around with huge suggestive grins on their faces. Larc
didn’t disappoint them any either, but smiled right back at them
and winked suggestively. Her hand now ached to hit him.

When they were free of the castle and moving
out into the country Evette couldn’t hold it in any longer, “You
didn’t have to be so suggestive, if all we’re doing is
fishing!”

Larc looked over at her solemnly and said,
“If I hadn’t been as suggestive as I was, they would have thought
less of you. I never want anyone to feel that way about you. Our
business stays our business. Let everyone else think what they
like.”

After a while he heard a soft thank you.

“You’re welcome.”

Fishing was an experience. It was soon
abundantly clear to Larc that she knew absolutely nothing about how
to fish the right way.

“You’re casting it all wrong. Here let me
help you!”

Larc stepped up behind Evette to help her.
Grabbing her arms he helped her cast the line farther out into the
pond.

Stepping back from her he muttered, “There
that should work better.”

They stood there awkwardly like two
strangers, as they stared out at the still pond water. She wanted
to say something and was about to, when the pole in her hands
jerked hard.

Excitedly she screamed, “I’ve got
something!”

Larc was by her side in an instant, “Pull it
in! Pull it in! Don’t give it too much slack!”

As the struggling fish steadily lost ground
and drew closer to the shore Larc left her side.

Panicked Evette asked, “Where are you
going?”

“To get the net.”

“What’ll I do if I get it to the shore?”

But Larc was already back beside her. As the
fish drew in closer Larc leaned way out over the edge of the pond
reaching for the fish with the net pole.