TAKEN BY HIM

CHAPTER 9

Gem took in a much needed deep breath, blood pumping fast in anticipation. Because tonight for the first time she would be using a real sword, tonight was the ultimate test.

Her father had agreed to her using one, since she was going to mix her swordfighting with the malchiah dance. A feat never done by anybody living or dead. Or by any woman ever for that matter.

Her mother had surprisingly taken the news of her not getting married well and had told her she would forever be proud of her no matter what, before placing a flower in her hair and leaving the room.

"Stop being so nervous Gem!" Riblah said coming to stand by her in front of the large mirror. They were both dressed properly for the ceremony.

Gem was wearing the native short yellow blouse and a red flowing skirt lined with gold trimmings which happened to be her Royal colour. Riblah wore a simple top and a red skirt, after all she was a chokla of the royal house. She was entitled to their colour.

"Oh shilla!" Gem exclaimed nervously, "or I should just prepare another routine?" She asked suddenly panicking.

"Gem," Riblah called, but she just kept rambling on.

"What if I freeze up in the middle?"

"Gem,"

"Dance and drop the sword-" she said spilling all her fears of what could go wrong with the night.

"Gem!"

"Or accidentally embed the sword in somebody's leg-"

"Gem!"

"Or forget the dance steps-"

"Gem!"

"Maybe it is not good enough, what if I-" she continued, totally ignoring Riblah who was looking at her as if she had grown two heads.

"Gem!" Riblah shouted this time and smiled when she finally got her attention.

"What!?" She squeaked before speaking calmly, "what? What I am about to do has never been seen before, or done before, I could make a mistake or-" she trailed off, the wheels in her head turning abruptly.

"Or what Gem?" Riblah questioned, hands akimbo.

"Or they could hate me and laugh at me," she said quietly, bowing her head in defeat, Riblah was a little taken aback by this behavior, the Gem she knew would never ever give a thought to what people thought of her.

But apparently she was human too.

"Or they could hail you and applaud you, or love you for who you are," Riblah said.

"You do not know that!" She cried out.

"You are right, I do not know," Riblah said braiding Gem's hair to the back. And putting a red bow at the end.

"But what I do know is that you are good, you can dance and you can use the sword. That, that is just insane so stop worrying and just go out there and do your thing." She encouraged.

"Ok! ok turn around let me braid yours," she said, trying to calm down. Riblah turned around and Gem braided her hair with shaky hands before sneakily tying a blue ribbon to the end of her hair which Baruch had given to her earlier on.

"Trust me Gemariah, you are going to be great out there, okay?" Riblah said turning around to face her, oblivious to the shiny blue bow at the end of her hair.

"I know," Gem replied resting her forehead on Riblah's own and taking deep breaths together. This was their unspoken way of calming each other down. Just taking deep, deep breaths that calmed their nerves and soothe all their worries.