Ya Amar (1)

The fated day had arrived.

By early morning Tamari had already left to be fitted in her dress and meet with her bridesmaids, sister, and her mother.

Ely was tasked with helping the wedding planner to seat everyone at the wedding venue. Sarai and her father helped out with most of the necessities of the wedding, from decor to the color scheme.

They all agreed to choose something that wasn't too far out with Tamari's mother in mind.

A place on the outskirts of a forest, with a trail that led into the entrance large windows to view the outside. Some trees had markings on them, engravings that will never come off till the end of time.

It was a sacrificial offering made by worshippers to some [Divinity], something Ely found quite stupid since you either have to make a 'calling' to them or offerings to work your way into communication.

Sacrificial offerings were an attempt to jumpstart straight to communication, which most of the time didn't work. However, there were arguable remains that made some claim it did work.

Ely hated it because on the off chance that it did work, was it completely worth it?

Giving a life to be taken in return to communicate with an entity that could either harbor some murderous intentions or if by blessing, they adored your kind completely.

Any person could tell that [Divinities] mingled with humans because it benefitted them as well in some way. For a reason, no one was completely sure about it, though it wouldn't be for all the right reasons.

Since there were cases of them masking themselves as humans or manipulating their host completely. Besides there being cursed worshippers, there were also the ones that went deranged.

An override in your own body by something you believed in with every vein you had—and that was all it needed.

Ely's eyes passed each tree that had deep markings, some times it was just trees that held the carvings, it could be the walls in an abandoned home to the person themselves.

People choose not to look too deep into it because it's like a loophole, by the end of it you'll find yourself doing exactly what that person did just to make sense of it.

"Sir, can you hold this?"

His thoughts ceased as he held an abnormally big planner, that looked like it had collages of photos in it and letters as well.

'Did Tamari make this for me?'

He quickly flipped to one page to see a cut-out photo of younger Tamari pasted next to when Ely was younger. Notes were taped on all around it with writings of endearment and some had his mother's handwriting saying how much she was proud of him.

'When did Mom and Tamari do this?'

People started to pour into the entrance, the wedding was to be held early on in the day to capture the sun behind Tamari and Ely once they hold hands and seal the moment.

Ely drove out to the reception dressed in the suit his mother picked out, his father influenced her choosing since the lining was a dark blue. His pocket was fitted with a single-picked blue orchid.

The same blue he had on when he first met Tamari.

Placing the book alongside the table meant for gifts for the bride and groom. Then made his way to help out the older woman greet everyone and begin the seating. The photographer took photos periodically of him, zooming in and out.

Anytime Ely heard a camera shutter he unintentionally straightened up and wore a smile the same as a grand chess player's son. As a kid, having his portraits done wasn't something out of the ordinary for him.

It still didn't make it any less awkward. Or was it straight forwarded each pose required five comments and readjustments.

By habit, he picked up on the 'good' sides and simple go-to poses or how to make a picture seem more candid.

Word got out and Ely was told Tamari was in another room at this very moment. Soon a few notes of the piano and she'd be escorted out with her mother and father on each of her sides.

Her mother made it a part of her will to make those few steps with her daughter by foot than by being wheeled out. After she makes it to the pastor her husband would guide her back to the wheelchair and the two empty seats in the front were meant for the two.

As the day continued, the seats became full of guests, and amidst the crowd Ely forgot about Kirsch. He even exchanged a few words with Wangyue and Briar.

Both were still in shock at the whole arrangement and the fact he was to be married to another person—he had found someone that liked him back.

He expected it to be just the two of them but Wangyue had brought a plus one, his new girlfriend. Who was eager to meet and be a guest of Ely's wedding.

Briar kept a straight face but Ely could sense she still had a sourness stuck in her mouth.

Wangyue closely followed behind him trying to spot the other best men, "Where's everyone else?"

The two both looked at the lineup of the women who were friends of Tamari.

The bridesmaids were all dressed in her favorite color, a light purple. A color similar to lavender, her favorite smell was tiramisu cake. The little things Ely made sure to remember when he gave her surprise gifts.

Times when he'd call for her and be outside of her place with stuff she liked and different plushies each time. Her favorite was one that resembled a Shibu Inu.

She'd come outside to meet him in pajamas or clothes for comfort and her hair was pushed back with an animal headband. Even when she wasn't trying, she was effortlessly beautiful.

Ely looked back at Wangyue, "What other people? You're the best man."

His face went pale, "Just me? Your co-worker? You seriously don't know anyone else, at this point, your father should be up there with me too," after he said that last part a smile crept at his corners while he looked away from Ely.

Ely knew many people were watching the two so he let out a chuckle and vigorously slapped his friend's back.

The two continue walking to stand straight beside the pastor, as the women on the other side all whispered to each other enthusiastically.

His eyes wandered around, the place was reasonably grand but not anything fancy. It wasn't a representation of their wealth, instead, it worked more as a placeholder.

Most of Tamari and Ely's money went into the: dress, reception, decor, photographer, and food. The place was picked and rented out by Sarai to hold a decent celebration of their binding.

Apparently, she was more connected in the world than Ely had thought. She was the definition of, "One phone call is all I need."

A woman in light mundane colors came out to spread the flower petals, dark red roses covered the floor as she speedily stepped.

Her head was kept low and her movements seemed out of practice since they came to her so easily and it was the same as the last.

Once she was done she walked to the left and it was like she vanished. Ely didn't think much of it since she must've taken a seat somewhere in the crowd.

The piano began playing, everyone became silent and Sarai looked him dead in the eye as everyone else watched Tamari make her way to him.

Her skin looked reflective in a way as if it held the sun's ray in its color. This day she let her hair take capture of her face. In all of its fullness. Her hair erupted from her scalp and reached out away from her face and shoulders out to anything else.

Tamari wore a mermaid-style dress that ruffled at the end. She barely wore makeup so anything she had on was light or barely noticeable—in a way she didn't need it.

Her smile was all she needed, something that made another want to replicate it.

She kept her eyes on Ely as her mother steadily held onto her arm and as her father did on her other.

As they passed the seats, everyone gradually started to stand up.

The two agreed to have their wedding without kids, Ely knew his mother would be ruthless if she caught wind of one trying to disrupt the ceremony.

When he was younger he felt as if her [Divinity], Qi, was also a mother since she'd be as still as a low tide but still had the capability to feel heightened emotions of sadness or anger to a level the same as a tsunami.

The music ceased and now Tamari was in front of him, her parents had taken their seats as well. He could tell she was nervous since she intently watched the pastor.

To him, everything went silent and the words of another were muted.

'Should I feel guilty?'