82. The end or not?

The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and today was the first day of the rest of her life. Funny, how things came full circle. This time just over some months ago, she had been suddenly thrown into a world she knew nothing about. This time just over some months ago, she had been thrown into what they called the slaves house and sold to a beast she didn't know what to expect from him

“You sure the bright pink is okay?” Martha asked Winifred for the fifth time. “Yes. I love it,” she said for the sixth.

She did a twirl in the mirror, smiling at her reflection, who finally looked just as happy as she felt. The simple, flowy gown had felt right the moment she'd put it on. All of this, Arthur popping the question after he’d filled their pond with roses, slipping the turquoise-flowered ring on her finger in the moonlight, being him every day and night—all of it had felt so right. Winifred smiled at the girl in the mirror who knew the same secret she did: she was the luckiest girl in the world. Today, she would say hef vows with the man who had already transformed her life so much that it was nearly unrecognizable.

“Hey, Winifred, check this out. You ready?” Martha whispered. Winifred grinned. “Hell yeah.” And so, out they walked.

The air was clear and warm, with just the slightest kiss of wind. Birds were rejoicing in the ceremony already, basking and fluttering and twittering in the ornate stone bird baths. The guests had all sat down on their white metal seats. The small orchestra set off to the side began its music, and Arthur walked up his long hair was done up in a neat ponytail. The sweet flute melody bid Winifred's to walk, and so she went alone, her eyes floating over the rainbow of flowers and flower-like guests, over to the man at the end of the aisle who was waiting for her. Her husband. Her King. Her Arthur. He was perfectly handsome in his attire, looking terrified and excited and delighted and, just as Martha had said, about to pass out.

It was a happy and beautiful bride who came down the old, homespun-carpeted stairs that noon ... slender and shining-eyed, in the mist of her maiden veil, with her arms full of roses. Arthur, waiting for her in the hall below, looked up at her with adoring eyes. She was his at last, this evasive, long-sought Winfred, won after years of patient waiting … Was he worthy of her? … then, as she held out her hand, their eyes met and all doubt was swept away in a glad certainty. They belonged to each other; and, no matter what life might hold for them, it could never alter that. Their happiness was in each other's keeping and both were unafraid.”

After a little bit of ceremony, Arthur who, his hand clasped in mind, turned to the crowd and said, “Thank you everyone for coming and being here with us for this joyous event. We really appreciate your support and are happy to have you. Thank you, humans. Thank you, lycans. We hope that we can continue to live harmoniously for as long as we both exist.”

And then it was time for the vows.

“King Arthur, Alpha king of the Lycan kingdom, will you have Winifred to be your wife, to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor her, keep her in sickness and in health, and be faithful to her? Do you promise to do this?” Arthur's eyes were shining as he spoke. “I do.” The priest turned to Winifred. “Winifred, will you have King Arthur to be your husband, to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor him, keep him in sickness and in health, and be faithful to him? Will you also promise to do this?" “I do,” Winifred said. Then he turned to the crowd. “Will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to uphold these two persons in their marriage? Will you do this? If so, answer ‘we will.’" “We will,” the crowd chorused.

The priest turned to both of them with a smile. “You may now make what promises you’d like to each other.” And, just like that, Arthur was turning to Winifred once more with eyes that were somehow shining even more than before. “Winifred, oh, Winifred. Finally, this day has come. It seems like just yesterday I was spilling out my soul to you in that room. I was scared then, but I’m not scared anymore. No, I know now that this tidal wave of feeling is not something to fear, not something that will hurt me, but something to celebrate, something that lifts me up each and every day. I keep waiting for these feelings to dull, to experience what everyone says has to happen—a settling—and yet, Winifred, something tells me that I’ll die waiting, that I’ll never stop loving you with this bodyaching, mind-crushing, soul-stretching feeling that swallows everything. No, Winifred, for love like this, true love, there is no diminishing. Not when I see how, every day, you lift me up. Every day you are considerate, compassionate, and funny. You are my best friend and my dearest lover, and, Winifred, you’re making me the happiest man in the world today. I could stand up here for hours and list out all the ways I’m a new man because of you, but instead I’ll say this: I will love you as long as there is breath in my body, and I will be happy as long as your hand is in mine. Thank you. Thank you with all my heart, my dear, sweet, Winifred. Thank you.”

Then it was Winifred's turn, except her throat was choked up and she could barely see through her tears of happiness. But the words came anyway. “It’s not fair that you get to go first. That you render me so overwhelmed that half of what I prepared rolls down my face with these heartfelt tears. I’ve said everything already, but I’ll try to do it again, try to explain just what you mean to me, just what transformation I’ve undergone thanks to you.

“Everyone around me sees it: the smile that comes from the inside, the light skip in my step. Everyone keeps asking me what’s changed. And always, always, the answer is the same: I haven’t made any change but you. And yet, that change has sparked a thousand others. Your support, your unconditional rock of love, has given me the strength to make a thousand other changes, to stumble closer to the life I’ve always wanted. Before, I didn’t have the courage to pursue anything, to find my place in this world. But you—you, Arthur—you gave me that. Your love and your strength, your fearlessness and tenacity these past few months as you rescued me over and over, as you held my hand every step of the way, it was nothing short of inspiring. Every morning I wake up excited because of you, and every night I go to bed with a smile on my face, eager to see what the next day in paradise with you will bring. I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you. And, Arthur, I will love you until the day I die.”

The silence brought applause, the applause more silence. And then the Priest said, “King Arthur, you may now kiss the bride.” Suddenly, the garden was thundering with more applause, his eyes were gazing into hers like he was looking far beyond the hair and makeup. Winifred stand and stare back at his eyes that glimmered like the stars in the sky. He looks at her lips and now she knew what he's about to do. She was not ready at all for this even though it was her wedding and they had done this numerous times already. Her hands get sweaty and shaky. He was leaning forward and her instinct is to take a step back and run for her life but she found herself moving closer to him and now she was just about close that she could see his nose hairs.

His lips touch hers and she somehow knew exactly what to do with hers. They move together like two dancers sashaying through a melody. His lips were delicate and warm. Hers were crusty and chapped but she does not seem to care because right now, in this moment, she feltas if  she was floating in space and everything around her has turned to dust but she was lost in those lips, those hands on her waist, the miracle of the man before her. Her husband, the Alpha king of the Lycan kingdom, King Arthur.

She could remain here forever, but as soon as she opened her eyes, she was shocked because, she wasn't in the venue of the wedding anymore, neither was she in her wedding dress. Arthur was nowhere to be found either. Instead, she was in a more luxurious and modern place, a room that seemed very familiar.

And when a familiar voice that she had not heard for over two years spoke, she choked on her saliva. "Oh my God. You're finally awake, Winnie. You've been out for a whole day, what happened to you, are you okay?"

She was back in 2022.