VeilandRing
I stood in a little opera chapel. Beneath my foots, I could feel the coldness of unfeeling gray paving stones. As I sat down, my skirts fanned out around me. It seems like unfold of flower, with mass of soft, white silk instead of petals and small glittering ornaments on it instead of sparkling drops of dew. It was gown, which would make every girl happy to wear it. But not me.
For me, it was much more like sleazy snake, silently creeping everywhere beside me, wound around my waist, tightening around my lugs and smothering me. And these glittering ornaments? Nothing other than vipers' venom, slowly poisoning my very soul.
My brown curls were pinned up and on them was a veil. I must admit, it was a really beautiful muslin veil. When I had imagined veil, I had wanted to my wedding, it looked like this one. But this veil had been chosen by someone else for me. Someone, who knows me very, very well. As I thought this, strange shivering run through my body. This veil had been chosen by him. It was not pleasant to know, that he knows me so good.
My contemplation was interrupted sound of falling metal. I looked at floor and there, on a cold marble headstone of previous priest, was a ring. Plain silver band with ruby, which was as dark and cold as heart of his giver. It must have fallen out of my palm, where I had been holding it. Bright crimson colour of ruby was reminding a blood of a human being. How much blood of innocent peoples, who were just prejudicially, left on his hands?
Was it just my imagination or the ruby was beating? Beating like living heart. His heart. I laughed insanely. What kind of sick joke this whole thing was? Proof of love by giving your own heart locked in a ring? But, it seemed so fragile, so easy to be broken. Just like his heart.
I felt something warm slipped down my cheek. I wiped it away, looked at my finger and, to my surprise, I realized I was weeping. Why I felt so much sorrow at his fate? Many times he threatened me and scared me to death. I ought to feel nothing expect hatred toward him. But I realized I cannot hate him.
There was wedding gown, veil and ring. Only one thing was missing – the bride. Without bride, it was not perfect and he accepted only perfection. But he wanted willing bride, so he had given me time to choice. Came to altar from my own free will or flee like scared little girl, hiding behind her mothers skirts.
I looked around chapel. It seemed darker. Then I had come to know, that most of the candles already burned away. Wave of fear permeated through my body.
How much time had I spent here? How much time left me? But…time to what? To make my decision? No, in the deepest deeps of my heart, I know, that I have already made my decision. The time I needed was time to be brave girl, for once time, and finally accept choice of my heart.
I lifted the ring from tombstone.
"Come for me. I will be waiting for you." I whispered, knowing he would hear me.
With this words, I slipped the ring on my finger.
I chose my destiny.