Chapter 91

These brats! The Chief fumed as he sat waiting.

He was aware that they would marry soon, they had said so. But, they didn't even deem to tell him, the Chief, when that would be. The old man knew about the matter the same day as the whole village did! Right when the brothers paraded in their nice clothes towards town.

In fact, his son, who worked in Two Stones Village, had to run back to tell him the Edris brothers were heading to Basin Town to get married. That they were driving a horse-cart decorated in red and white. The colors were enough to tell the villagers what they were going to do.

As the Chief he had to say a few words to congratulate the married couple in their new home. But, what words was he going to say as he had not prepared then, and in what home as he had not been invited? He could not be so shameless to arrive at their house just like that!

That's why he could only wait for the group of people to pass by his house and bless their marriage right on the road. When had marriage blessings downgraded to such extent? 

Oh when I see them…

The Chief's angry thoughts were halted by the commotion he heard ahead. It was noon, weren't these people eating in their homes? What were they doing exclaiming like that?

"It's really them!"

"They look so well!"

"Bah, just appearances!"

"A horse-cart!"

"A carriage!"

The Chief frowned. What were the villagers saying? Have they eaten the same spoiled food to be talking about carts and carriages? But, well, since that day that a very luxurious carriage headed to the Edris household, the old man guessed he shouldn't be so surprised.

That's when he finally saw them. 

The four brothers were surrounding a horse-pulled cart in which Isabelle was comfortably sitting at. The Chief had not seen how nice the brothers' clothes were, so he didn't think too much after hearing his son's words, yet he finally realized what all the fuss was about.

They didn't look like a group of villagers who were getting married. They looked like a group of townspeople – even city people, he dared say – who were getting married. 

The horse-cart was well-made, too. If that was something the brothers bought for the family, then that meant they were finally getting better. The carriage, driven by a man who looked like a servant, was as luxurious as the one from before. Were they the same people?

The Chief could only gape.

In the group, the brothers were a bit uncomfortable at the attention they had garnered since the moment they entered the village. At the entrance, a group of kids noticed them. They ran towards their houses to, most likely, tell their parents what they saw.

The adults were obviously skeptical. The brothers and Isabelle could even hear the mothers scolding the kids. However, being worn down by the children's insistence, the mothers came out of their houses to see what the fuss was about.

They gaped. They exclaimed. They quickly shared the gossip.

So, halfway into the village, the people from the cart and the carriage had two rows of onlookers who whispered, stared and pointed at them.

Isabelle didn't care.

She was busy thinking of the food the brothers had cooked since early in the morning. The fish balls, the braised pheasant, and the mystery dessert they had not unveiled to her. She just sat on the rather comfortable seat in the cart. 

The cart could carry one person in the seat, and another behind, in the wide space that seemingly was used to carry things. The horse was still a colt, somewhat small and a bit thin. Isabelle had been worried about its stamina, pulling not only the cart but her too.

The brothers had said not to worry, yet she thought the colt needed some care and food before being put to work. She was going to remedy that after they settled the colt in his new home. He was also going to need a name. 

As Isabelle thought that, she caught the sight of a person among the throng of people gawking at them. It was her, the woman who bothered Joseph. The bulge in her stomach had grown a bit, not able to hide the pregnancy any longer. 

Isabelle wondered for a moment how her husband had reacted to the news of her affair, but seeing the woman silently cry while staring at Joseph, the thought died then and there. It was not worth to waste time on people who never learned.

She looked ahead and noticed the respectful figure of the Chief standing in the middle of the road. What is he doing? Isabelle thought.

Seeing the Chief, the brothers winced. Immersed in their bubble of happiness for finally getting a Wife, none had considered telling the Chief the date of the celebration. Ethan glanced at his brothers before walking ahead. 

He stopped in front of the Chief, bowed, and spoke a few words. The Chief looked at him, and nodded. Only then the old man stepped aside and let the cart and carriage pass by. Lucas, Joseph and Felix bowed towards the Chief. Isabelle did too, though, not really knowing they had messed up.

Back home, Lucas immediately helped Isabelle down. She sighed as her feet touched the ground.

"Welcome back!" Isabelle startled as she saw a woman carrying a baby come out of the house. A chubby woman. As chubby as herself. 

"We are back." Isabelle replied out of habit. Then, she blinked and looked at Lucas to tell her who the woman was. 

"Monthe is at the plot. He has just carried the food. You're on time to eat." Vieve said, looking at all the people who were also invited. She did a double take at the carriage from where a woman with a distinguished disposition came down.

"Oh what lovely sight this is!" Mrs. Attile exclaimed, looking at the field full of crops, at the trees with their yellow leaves and at the rather homely house. There were even flowers! 

Corey and David's kids, two girls of eight and six, and a boy of three, were also curious of the new surroundings. They had already been curious as they rode on the carriage with their parents and the talkative lady. With their feet on the ground…

"Marcel! Ary!" Corey called out to the youngest kids as they familiarly ran into the yard to explore. "Karin, go after your sister and brother." The oldest girl need not be told twice before running after her siblings.

"You do know she's going to join them, right?" David chuckled at the sight of his children being so lively. Towns were a bit too hectic for them to go around in the streets. He still worriedly looked at the brothers, silently asking if there were any dangers around.

"Right!" Felix was the one who caught the silent question and went to look for the kids. He wasn't going to say there were traps around to not spook the parents. He just needed to be fast in catching them. 

"Well, then. I guess we can move to the place of celebration." Isabelle said, leading the way to the back of the house, to the part of the fence that was taken down to access the already walled plot.

There were still some trees that needed to be cut down, but everything was already cleaned and inspected. Luckily, no snake nests were found.

The plot had a little inclination towards the back, where the birch trees were. That only gave the chosen place for the meal to have a complete view of the plot, the mountain by the side, and the village on the other. 

"You're here!" Monthe greeted the group. "Congratulations on your marriage. My Wife and I are happy to be invited to celebrate this special day with you. After this, I hope we all become friends." He said, making everybody smile and nod. 

It might have been just words said at the moment, but those words did set the friendship between all the people gathered there. 

"Don't start eating without us!" Felix loudly said, carrying a boy in his arms, and the pair of girls following behind him. 

"We still have to wait for the Chief, anyway." Ethan reassured him.

"He is coming?" Isabelle asked surprised.

"Of course he has to come. It's tradition for the Chief to say some blessings for the married couple, or well, group in this case." Joseph waved, already in position to eat. Those potato stuff were not enough to fill his teeth. 

While waiting, everybody, including the driver, got in their positions on the wood benches around the long table also made of wood. They left a stool at the head of the table for the Chief to seat.

They didn't have to wait long as the old man arrived moments later with a bottle of homemade wine and a new set of cups as a present for the newlyweds. 

With everybody finally gathered, he could finally give his speech.