Discovery (Revisioned)

Chapter 22

Joseph cooks breakfast for both of us. I clean the dishes, afterwords, and take note that we need more water. Joseph sneaks up behind me and grabbing me around the waist.

"Are you ready for your surprise?"

I turn and smile. I can’t believe that I’m getting married and to a Prince at that. I know that he won't take the throne but it feels sort of like being in my own personal fairy tale.

"Grab some clothes. We are going to the pond first. I'll grab the horses."

We go our separate ways to collect all our stuff. I’m done first, so I help him with the horses. Excitement courses through me. I have no idea what his surprise is for me and my anticipation is building. I wash my clothes first. Joseph surprises me, while I am lost in thoughts, when he joins me in the water.

He usually waits for me to get done. He seems to have lost some of his shyness though I’m a little more shy now. He swims out to the middle of the pond, and as he swims back, I intercept his path. Surprising him, and myself, I splash him in the face with water.

I laugh at the expression on his face. He looks confused and concerned at the same time. But when he sees me smile, he realizes that I’m not mad. He splashes me back, but he misses, and I laugh swimming away from him. We spend the next ten minutes playing water tag before we climb out of the water. I’m turning prunish and shivering.

Our clothes are mostly dry and Joseph seems to be in a hurry. He helps me climb on Sasha and I can feel him shaking. I glance down at him. The look in his eyes are both mischievous and nervous. His smile echoes his eyes though and I smile back guardedly. I’m excited but his nerves are making me nervous.

"We are going for a ride. When I say to hold on, I need you to trust me. Can you trust me?” I nodded. “Good, let's ride!" He jumps behind me on Sasha and grabs a hold of my waist before kicking his horse into gear.

We take off riding deeper into the woods. I enjoy the scenery as we fly by especially when we see a few deer. They are too busy chasing each other to notice us. Compared to the cave, this is the most beautiful thing that I have seen in a while. It’s so colorful and I lose track of time and distance. Joseph startles me when he lightly taps my arm.

"Hold still for a minute. We're coming up on the surprise. May I cover your eyes with this shirt? I will guide Sasha for you."

I nod my head slightly and allow him to blind fold me and take the lead. It’s a strange feeling, riding on a horse while unable to see. I use my ears and nose to try and guess what the surprise is. But there are too many different types of smells and I can't hear anything but the horse.

For a brief moment, I fear that Joseph is tired of hiding and has decided to turn me in. But that doesn’t make any sense with his happiness he showed last night. So I don't think about that unpleasant thought for long and the fear is replaced with anxiety. I hear Joseph giggle and wonder if I’m missing something.

We start slowing down and I hear some sort of commotion but I can't figure out the cause. Sasha stops and Joseph grabs me by my waist gently. It startles me a little bit because I don't hear, or feel, him dismount off of Georgie and being pulled off of Sasha felt a little like floating. Joseph grabs my hand and slowly walks forward. About twenty paces in, he stops and whispers in my ear,

"Are you ready?"

I shiver slightly, as I feel his breath caress my ear, and nod. He slowly removes the shirt. What waits for me is beautiful. We’re standing in a wild orchard. There are trees everywhere. Orange trees, apple trees, pecan trees, and other trees that I’ve never seen before.

But that isn't what has me frozen. Someone had decorated the trees. The decorations are hand knitted streamers and bows. Flowers are in clay pots or lying on tables. The tables have food on it, more food than I can eat in a week. The flowers and streamers all match a purple and yellow theme. There’s an arch made of wood across from me with flowers and streamers interwoven around it.

"Do you like it?"

The voice I hear is not the voice I’m expecting. I jump and turn to see three women and three men standing behind me. Judging by the grin on Joseph's face, I’m looking at his family. I realize that my jaw is hanging open and I snap it shut. That snap brings me out of my frozen state and I realize that Evelyn is waiting for an answer. I bow slightly and nod with a grin. She is very beautiful and doesn’t even look a day over twenty. Her daughters are just as beautiful.

"No need to bow, honey, we are family now." Evelyn says as she approaches me. She gives me a quick hug.

"This is your wedding. My daughter and I have set this up. Come, let me introduce you. This little one here is my youngest, Mabel. Attached to her is my new son in law, Christopher. Of course you have met Adam and this is my oldest daughter, Sasha."

After each introduction, I’m given a hug by each one. All three women have blonde, shoulder length, curly hair with deep blue eyes. Christopher has sandy brown hair and brown eyes. They are examining me as much as I am them, but I’m interrupted by Joseph's arm wrapping around my waist. He pulls me to his side and breathes,

"If you had said no, I wouldn't have blindfolded you and it would have just been a reunion party instead.” He explains. “Are you ready to get married? We have to hurry for everyone to remain safe."

The third guy steps forward and says that he is the one marrying us and walks away to stand by the arch.

Evelyn, Sasha, and Mabel grabs a hold of me and rushes to get me ready, while Joseph and Christopher walk off like a couple of schoolboys teasing each other back and forth. My current self could watch that for a while, he looks so cute acting like a child.

However, I start to feel something shock me as I watch the memory of the girls fussing over me. It was a little distracting but whatever the feeling is it ends just as it’s time for me to walk down the path.

Joseph looks really charming all dressed up for me. I must look just as good because his eyes never leave me and I watch as Christopher has to shut his mouth twice. I don't know why this makes me feel self-conscious, but it does. Before I reach Joseph, Evelyn stops me.

"You look very beautiful. Please take care of my Joseph for me. I am so glad that he is happy with you.” She emphasizes the so and I feel my heart flutter. “His father wanted me to offer his blessings to you."

She kisses me on the cheek and walks me out to stand beside Joseph, who is grinning widely. My hands are shaking and when he grabs my hand, I can feel that he is shaking too.

It eases a bit of my anxiety. My current self is starting to feel something weighing me further down and I can hear someone constantly saying the same thing over and over again, but I can’t understand anything that they are saying, or who is even talking. I return my attention back to the scene in front of me.

King Anthony's new priest is standing in front of us. He signaled that he is ready to begin.

"Do you Joseph Bartholomew take....."