Two and a half months' time had me now standing before a mirror in my wedding dress. I fiddled with the hem of my three-quarter sleeves due to the ceaseless nerves whilst I desperately tried to breathe evenly.

"Kiley, calm yourself," Elinor chided, "Lest you faint walking down the aisle."

"I will be fine, just give me a moment," I requested, unable to tear my gaze away from my reflection. As Elinor followed my meaning and left me to be alone, I observed myself as a scientist examines a specimen sample. My dress was a thick, albeit surprisingly soft, white cloth with a thin lace overlay. The design on the lace was delicate, swirling flowers, leaves, and vines. About my waist was a wide, taupe ribbon; the sleeves tapered at my elbow and were almost translucent. The back of the dress dipped to just below my shoulder blades, and the gown was fastened to me with petite buttons that almost trailed down the entirety. Its skirts fanned subtly about me, and somehow made me feel almost weightless. My hair was partially held back with diamond pins that shone like morning dew, which were an early wedding present from Christopher; upon his insistence, I left most of my hair unbound, and Marci has somehow managed to transform it to tumble down my back in sweeping curls. I smoothed out invisible wrinkles on the skirts and then exhaled tremulously.

My body was alight with nerves and pulses of it would overwhelm me almost to the point where I thought my knees would give way. I had no qualms whether or not I loved Christopher- of that, I was certain...more than anything else. What worried me was whether or not I would be the wife he wanted...the wife he deserved. "I know that look; in fact, I wore it myself years ago. Do not trouble yourself with such insipid insecurities," Marci chided me as she came into the room.

"You felt like this?" I asked incredulously.

"Certainly, even the most confident and beautiful bride feels this way. Now for the task at hand, to help you with any qualms or questions about tonight."

"What of tonight?" I inquired in a slight panic, thinking I forgot some major detail of the reception to follow the wedding ceremony.

Marci pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, "Kiley, I am talking about your wedding night- your marital bed."

"Oh," I blushed fiercely, "What of it?" I asked hesitantly.

"I am here to help you by answering any questions and to give you a bit of useful information. First of all, I am going to be incredibly abrasive by telling you- it will hurt. For some, breaking your maidenhead isn't terribly painful, but that is not the case for all. The only useful, sage advice I can give you is not to shirk from your husband's touch or do anything that would otherwise deter his desires."

I was so red from my mortification, a passerby would have assumed that I was choking; as my sister prattled on about more appalling information that no doubt would have curled my hair if was not already so. I only wanted to curl into an indiscernible heap, and hide from the world until my sister ceased her counsel. "Thank you, Marci, for...informing me," I spoke haltingly.

"Do you have any questions or concerns?"

"What if...Christopher does not find me...desirable?" I asked, incredibly self- conscious.

To my surprise, my usually conservative sister embraced me with a fierce tenderness, and then kissed my brow. "Have no doubts, little sister, your beloved will find you most desirable. Now, take a few moments to collect yourself, and then Father will meet you downstairs."

I took a cleansing breath, and looked myself over once more; I now had a healthy blush upon my cheeks, and luckily the pomegranate juice's dye remained fresh and glistening on my lips. I breathed deeply one last time, and then departed to meet my father downstairs.

"You look beautiful, Kiley," my father spoke, "It warms my heart to have you wed to such a fine gentleman." He took my gently by the arm, and led me along the short walk to the church. "Are you well, Kiley, you are unusually silent?"

"Yes, Papa, just thinking of the new life that awaits me through those doors," I murmured, motioning to the chapel that lay before us.

He stopped us when we reached the closed front doors, and then turned to face me. "I am infinitely happy for you, Kiley, to see that you have found love and I wish you immeasurable joy with your soon to be husband, and in time- a family of your own," he said gently, and his eyes glistened lightly with the unmistakable shine of tears. He bent his head and kissed my brow, and then motioned for the doors to be opened.

All insecurities and qualms vanished for the most part at the sight of my beloved Christopher, who looked exceedingly handsome in his uniform, and I barely noticed my father guiding me down the aisle. This was it, in a matter of moments, I was to be Christopher's wife; a smile brighter than the sun curved my lips, and my eyes pooled with a few tears.

"I give my daughter to this man in the intention to be wed," my father said formally, kissing my brow one last time, and then placed my hands in Christopher's, "May you ever strive to love her as she does you and deserve her."

"Do you, Christopher Brandon, come here this day to marry this lady?" the friar inquired.

"I do," Christopher answered, his eyes never left mine- causing my heart to burn with love.

"Lady, do you come here this day to marry this colonel?"

I took a deep, cleansing breath and then smiled up at Christopher. "I do," I murmured with as much love that could be mustered.

"If either of you know of any impediment why you should be conjoined, I charge you on your souls to speak of it," the friar urged. "Have you any, Miss Jensen?"

"None, my good friar," I replied seamlessly.

"And you, Colonel?"

"None," he murmured.

"Then by the power invested in me by God, I pronounce you husband and wife," the friar proclaimed.

I smiled brightly up at Christopher as his arms wrapped about me; I leaned into him and my petite hands reached up to cup his face. He smiled down at me in return, and then lowered his head to capture my waiting lips in a kiss. Christopher's arms tightened around me when our lips met, and I easily fell into his embrace. A solitary tear of overwhelming joy stilled and glistened in the corner of my eye as they opened; as we drew back, Christopher gently wiped away the offending tear with his thumb- neither of us really acknowledging the applause and cheers that surrounded us. I took up a sliver of courage to kiss him swiftly on the lips.