The Book of Maiden

Chapter Five

"Why do you think they showcased us like that? Like we're objects to have fun with? Because they were sick. Sick in the mind and the soul. I wasn't sure what was going on behind the blindfold, but I did know this. Meeting him completely changed my overall experience. Was it good? You tell me...."

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Tess sits there, moving her leg up and down, waiting patiently for any news. She was taken into this conference type room, with a table in the center and only two chairs in the room.

She only hopes somebody chose her as a potential wife, but why does she want that? It's messed up for sure, but she has no choice. She Has to hope everything goes to plan because if not, then she'll never leave here alive.

The door opening pulls her out of thought, and she immediately sits up. Her head low and her body sitting up in the chair. The shuffling of feet moving to her left, makes her look at the shoes, the shoes she recognizes from before.

"I wanted to give you my sincerest apologizes for the other day. It was wrong of me to lay a hand on you and I wanted to know, if you'd forgive me?" he asks me, making me glare up at him.

He apologizes but his expression on his face says otherwise. Tess was about to answer when the door opens again, and she hears movement to her right. She looks down, keeping her head low and notices new pairs of shoes she's never seen before.

"Mr. Hayes. This is Cady. Your new wife," the doctor says.

"Please leave us be," the young man says, in a husky voice.

The doctor does as told and leaves Tess alone, with an unknown man whose her new, "husband". Tess keeps her head down and the awkward silence is unbearable. She hears the movement of the chair at the end of the table, and then he speaks to her.

"Please. Lift your head. Let me see my new wife," he says.

Tess hesitates at first, feeling nervous.

Why does she want him to look attractive? Attractiveness shouldn't be a factor in this situation? Right? Why does it matter to her now more than anything?

Tess finally does as she's told and looks up, staring into his blue eyes. He's attractive and young, close to her age at least. His brown hair fixed professionally and his blue eyes, eyeing her up and down. She got lost in them at first before looking away, her cheeks getting red.

"So? How are you? Are you feeling, okay?" he asks her, the first time somebody has asked her since she's been here.

"I'm fine. Thank you," she says.

"That's good. Let me introduce myself, my name is Joshua Hayes. I don't want you to feel, uncomfortable here. I want you to feel like you can come to me with anything, any questions or concerns. I am here to be there for you," he says.

"Thank you."

"Your welcome. Now, let me explain what's going to happen from here on out. So, potentially, in God's eyes, we are not officially married. Not until we say 'I do' and hear the messages of Father Elam, who will wed us. Do you understand?"

Tess nods, listening to him.

"So that means, we can't live in the same area just yet. You will head back to her room until the ceremony, which will take place in a few hours or so. They move these things fairly quickly if you couldn't tell," he says, smiling at her.

Tess smiles back shyly, trying to keep his happiness in check. But she doesn't want to keep him happy for the sake of being his "wife", even though that plays a role in this, but mostly, he comes off as different.