Like my father, Uriyah was one of King Dawid's elite warriors. Although Uriyah was only a child when we were officially married, he was still older than I was, so he became a man years before I became a woman.

However, the day inevitably arrived when my body began experiencing certain changes. On the day I first began my impurity, my mother asked me to take a walk with her so we could speak privately.

"You are a woman now," she stated, "so you will soon be given to your husband. When you are alone in your chamber, he will act gentle and kind, but when he has exposed your full beauty, he will be consumed with lust, and he will attack you as a wild beast."

My eyes widened in horror.

"You must not protest. It is simply the way things must be for women. Every woman experiences her wedding night differently. It may hurt slightly for a few moments, or you may be in crippling pain for over a week."

I was frightened, but there was no help for it. I must complete the wedding ceremony when my husband came for me.

"You will experience a week of impurity every month. If you do not, you are likely with child. If you carry new life, you will also feel ill, and you will gain weight, especially in the waist."

I nodded, remembering how Odeleya had looked.

"When your baby is ready to be born, you will feel such great pains that you will not care what parts of your body the midwife sees or what instructions she gives you about personal matters after the birth. It's only natural. All animals do it."

Was that all marriage was? A man and a woman gave their bodies to each other and produced offspring, just like animals. The man earned coins, and the woman made sure the home was comfortable. Was there nothing more to this arrangement?

On the day of my wedding, my youngest cousin helped prepare me to meet Uriyah. She painted my face with cosmetics and adorned me with jewelry, some of which had been in the family for years. Finally, Semadar helped me apply perfumed oil.

"You look beautiful!" she complimented. "Uriyah is a blessed man!"

"Thank you," I responded.

"I have been praying that Elohim will bless you with many sons."

"I also pray it will be so."

Perhaps it goes without saying that Uriyah wore the garments traditional of a Hittite wedding. He was in high spirits when the door was opened for him.

"We welcome you," I stated.

He smiled, looking me over from head to toe. "My wife!"

My heart was racing from fear as he took me into the room that had been prepared for us. However, I dared not protest, for I knew there were ten witnesses on the other side of the door. I must not disgrace myself or my family by complaining about my own wedding.

I wished to die of shame when I finally understood what my mother had meant about my husband seeing my full beauty. Was this truly how it was done? Had my father seen my mother this way on the day they were married?

"You're so beautiful!" Uriyah kissed my neck. "Why don't you let me rub oil on your shoulders?"

I lay down and allowed him to massage my shoulders and back. Although I could feel the strength behind his hands, he was surprisingly gentle. As he worked, he continued to compliment my beauty.

"Your slender form! Your red lips!" He kissed me again. "Your bright eyes!" Uriyah stroked my hair. "I can't believe how beautiful my wife is!"

To my surprise, he too removed his garments and lay beside me on the bed. My husband gently moved my hand to his upper arm, encouraging me to feel his muscles. I was still unable to understand fully how it was that we were seeing and feeling each other's bodies, hiding nothing, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

When Uriyah pushed himself up, I knew what he wanted. Not wishing to see a disrobed man over me or what he was about to do, I shut my eyes tightly. After asking if I was comfortable, my husband pressed his lips against mine in a passionate kiss to conceal my cries, and with a burst of anguish, I became his wife.

With an exclamation of delight, he quickly donned his robe and rushed out of the chamber with the cloth that proclaimed my former chastity. As I put on my own garments, I breathed a sigh of relief. Until the day came when I would bear my firstborn, the worst was finally over.

Now I was free to imagine our future together. What kind of husband would Uriyah be? Would he beat his wife? Did he drink too much? Did he earn sufficient income as a soldier? What were his annoying habits? Would he be displeased if I bore daughters rather than sons? What foods should I prepare for him? What would my new home be like?

The feast lasted for days. While our families were getting to know each other, we enjoyed fresh pomegranates, grapes, figs, and dishes of olives and baked onions with bread. Uriyah's parents had even prepared roasted lamb. For dessert, we had fresh fruit with honey.

At last, the celebration ended, and Uriyah and I began our daily routine as husband and wife. After so many years of being promised to each other, we were finally beginning life together.

Sometimes while we did our chores together, he told me about the culture and beliefs of the Hittites. He lived among them, despite being born Jewish. His ancestry was of both peoples.

In the late afternoon or early evening, we would take walks together. Although we had met a few times as children, we had never had time to get to know each other. It was pleasant just to be able to talk, to get to know my husband's dreams and fears.

"Did you ever meet King Dawid personally?" I asked. "You are one of his elite soldiers, after all."

"The king and your father are old friends," he replied. "They've fought together for years. It was only natural that I'd have the chance to befriend the king as well."

"What's he like?"

"Well, despite being older than your own father, he's still maintained his youthful appearance over the years."

I sat at my loom, weaving the cloth as Uriyah wove his tales of the king's past.