"Her Past was beginning to unleash in a torrent; it came to life as a great beast roused from the depths of an enticing slumber, as she was engulfed in this bittersweet trance, bringing the Seal to a sure future."
December 23, 1908
Wednesday
HollyDale
Merry rubbed her sleepy eyes as she blinked to see the faintest rays of sunlight streaming into her room, glistening dust dancing in the golden light, on the morning of her wedding day, unlike every other dusky, snow-clad morn of December. She looked around to find Claire's and Charity's bed empty. Pushing her comforter aside, she let the tips of her toes touch the cold floor before lifting herself off her perch.
As she collected her long tresses into a loose bun, Merry stepped out of the room. Descending the stairs in a haze shuffling between drowsiness and consciousness, she paused, her delirium instantly fleeing, when she heard a man's voice from the drawing room.
Perking up, she saw Christian standing tall in the hall, turning to look down at her. Spending a delusional moment staring at his masculine profile, suited up from the scarf around his neck, the over coat hung over his arm, hands casually pocketed, down to the leather dress shoes, Merry slowly wrapped her arms around her lacy nightgown, blushing under the intensity of his gaze studying her and the unreadable smile that lifted a side of his lips. Heat flooded her cheeks and neck and her feet felt numb, preventing her from hastily leaving the sight of his fully confident figure standing before her, till the man's eyes shifted to look behind her, where Allen descended the stairs and stepped in front of his sister.
Thankful for the shielding cover her brother protectively stood to be, Merry hurried to ascend the stairs. She didn't know how many were occupying the front room of her house, but she could censure that it had much to do with the arrival of her Father-in-Law.
~
Jesse could not understand why his sister was being as impossible that morning. She had brushed herself up in less than a quarter hour and refused to greet the visitors. "C'mon, they're waiting for you", he urged, staring at her holding the pillow close against her chest. Cheeks flushed as English roses and eyes down, he couldn't bear to see her pout. "Fine, what's the matter?" the boy relented, taking a seat beside her.
Muffled sounds from her made him wonder why he was still dealing with the mess that she was. Jesse could tell, however, that Her ridiculous reclucions were the result of something embarrassing that his sister probably brought upon herself. Resting a hand on her shoulder, he offered, "I'll hold your hand, we need to see them. Sir Gabriel came all the way here to meet you."
She slowly lifted her head to look at him with a smile, before placing the pillow down on the bed. Daintily talking her little brother's hand, Merry arose, her long skirt unruffled down to her feet and the two walked out the room.
~
Christian leaned against the wall, an uncontainable smile still lingering upon his lips. It had tickled his feelings to see his unreserved wife looking frightfully unguarded and entirely alluring in her slight and nightly attire. Allen did not look pleased at the unwinding of circumstances, standing by his side. Biting his lip did not stifle the growing smile and the man decided he would turn his attention to the conversation at the hall, with the family gathered.
His mind shot back to the last evening when they had visited this little cottage, and he had held a soulful talk with Merry. Thinking back to how she had confessed of her gift, he thought about it. Of course he had heard of a like circumstance from his father, but the person who had been endowed with such talents had healed from them. He did not intend to mention such to Merry for he could not confirm the veracity of the incidents, for it was never first-hand. It was evident that all of her sudden immobilities, faints and percussions were the result of her possible visions she may have seen.
Christian rested the back of his head against the cold wall, brushing his finger against his scar. Something inside stirred him to want to see his bride. Seeing her smiles, blushes, hesitation, listening to her, talking to her from the depths of his very heart had always given him a warm feeling of being at close. After all, home can be found on the branches of trees, in the land in one's dreams, in the deep of the forest, or in the arms of a loved one.
The sound of footsteps called his attention to the stairs, where he saw Jesse step down. Behind him came Merry, looking down like she always did and a tender feeling began to shroud inside. Despite how cold the weather seemed to be, she always had an effect that brought warmth. Christian watched till she stood to a side and Charity introduced her to his father.
The lofty man turned to see the bride and stilled for a moment. "I-is this-"
~
Merry could not contain how real everything about her wedding was beginning to be. She stood quiet by a side, when Charity rose to show her Father-in-Law. Just then, the man seemed to falter for a moment and the damsel made the mistake of looking up into his bewildered eyes, locking gazes.
It was that moment when she saw an entrancing and inescapable nightmarish vision unfurl all around her. Flames rising out and reaching into smock that ascended to the heavens, thick fog and suffocating heat, the sight only further ran into the burning building, portions of the frames falling on every side, consumed in the blaze. There was a faint sound of coughing towards which she was headed, before there was an elderly woman caught in the shambles. She was still greatly suffering until her challenged and frayed attention perked up to look, her old tear-streamed face showing faint rays of hope.
Strong arms extended to help the lady up, until she coughed endlessly and refused to be saved. "It's far too late... I cannot su-viv... t-take this..., Gabe" and her dreadful state of perishing health began to heave and gasp for fresh air. "I cannot leave you here", sounded Gabriel's voice, before he lifted her frail arms for support around his neck. "No", came her hoarse voice in strained whispers, "There is no time left for m... everyone is gone.. it was Blaize... the duplicates are stolen."
The lady coughed blood and leaned for support. Nearby was a Bible closely similar to the one from the library, documents held within it's pages. "Take them, son", were the final words before she seemed to have stilled.
That was followed by aimless running and confusion before escaping the building that was being devoured by the fire. "Christian", came his hoarse voice, calling out into the voidless night that was curtained by continuous flames. Just then, though the smoke, there was the silhouette of a young lad of about seven, a little baby in his arms. With the Bible tucked beneath the man's side, Merry saw the arms from her vision reach out to take the infant.
Flashes of the man that looked exactly as herself, at the court room of the House of Lords, behind bars and dying peacefully also followed, before everything she witnessed overwhelmed her, and there was nothing past floods of compelling darkness.
~
Merry's head throbbed, blaring thoughts drowning her senses until she blinked her eyes open, seeing vague images before closing them tight. There was too much choking her, questions that awaited answers, people that requires identification and a suffocation that made her want to cry. Tears beginning to roll out uncontrolled, she opened her eyes to see Charity looking at her, worries beyond consolable, before she reached to embrace her daughter. Burying her face into her mother's warm shoulder, Merry began to cry, her brothers' palms resting reassuringly.
Allen knelt beside her, before she realised that she was seated on her bed in her room. The fact that she had all this love from souls that bore no connection by blood made her feel unbearably emotional. Slowly regaining her composure, Merry drew herself away to calm down. She took a moment to look around, seeing Christian watch her, alarmed and concerned at the same time. Ladye and Nate stood beside him and the grand man from earlier, in whose eyes she had seen the grave images stood at the door, looking down.
"How are you feeling, darling?" came Charity's soothing voice and Merry nodded, "Cold."
With Allen draping a coat over his sister's shoulders and Jesse giving her a sip of water, Sir Gabriel stepped close and bowed slightly, a hand to his chest. Merry avoided looking into any part of his face, but merely nodded, "I'm sorry", she said, her voice barely audible.
Despite all the thoughts of whether he was the reason behind the imprisonment and death of the man who bore such a striking resemblance to her, the man by the name Blaize, for avenging an elderly lady's life, Merry knew that the man had an explanation.
"My dear girl", said he, stooping beside her, "There is much we must talk."
"Yes, sir", she replied, keeping her eyes down.
"I knew your family", said the man and something inside felt like it came alive, causing her eyes to feel pierced by tears that had come from her very soul. She looked over, "Who am I?"
"Merry O'Bell, Charity's first daughter. But before that, you were born into the Hills family", said the man, a tune of distant wistfulness flavouring his voice. "I knew your grandmother since I was a child. Lady Florence Hill, renowned for her kindness over all the mass and lavish wealth that was her mortal possession; I was one taken in to shelter and warmth, solely upon the mercy she had. I worked at her tea estate for all my youthly years and ascended till I was as her right hand.
She had a son, to be heir, and a daughter. It was years when her son left her side, in rebellion, and her daughter, your mother, stood sole heiress. Christian was with me, that one fateful evening when I had finished work at the fields, I heard the terrible news of fire. Shortly before the outburst of flames, the duplicate documents that only the son, your uncle, knew of, were stolen.
Rushing home with little Christian by my side, I saw that there was nothing left to salvage. Endeavouring to find a single soul to save, I met your grandma in her final moments, who had given me her documents of possession, presuming none of her blood had survived.
It was then that Christian had found you, a baby of a few months. We needed to save you, for Blaize, Lady Florence's son, ventured in thirst of any life that may claim stake of the Hills' wealth.
My wife's life was threatened in place and I needed to have you safe. I left you in the care of an elderly woman that I knew, but when it was safe, I searched endlessly for you, but to no avail.
Years to follow, Blaize Hill found his way to prison, charged with arson, but after his release, he died a peaceful and good man. And now, here you are before me, looking exactly as you mother did, graceful and lovely."
Sir Gabriel took her hand and bowed his temples against it, "It is an honour, we owe a great deal to your blood and the kindness it has shown us." Merry blinked, tears threatening to fall yet again, as she trying hard to swallow the great knot and all her frenzied emotions.
"How could you be so sure I was the grand-daughter of Florence Hill?" asked the damsel, feelings erupting within.
The man stood up, to his full height, a kind smile reaching his eyes, "Lady Florence could see visions of others' past in their eyes."
Merry's heart took a stab of shock as she blinked in astonishment. "Did she shed her gift?" asked the girl anxiously and the man nodded, his graceful smile still present. "It was the day she had found a diary from her mother where she read of her own Past and thereafter, she saw none out of the lives of others."
The words on the Bible that belonged to 'Florence Hill' surfaced to Merry's mind.
"And all those that I was seeing began to flee once I saw my own"
~
Charity could not believe how beautifully everything had settled. The bride was dressed and the wedding would commence in less than an hour. She stepped into the room when Natalia and Ladye exited, to find her beautiful daughter staring at the reflection on the mirror. "Merry..." she called, and the damsel looked up, eyes glazed with tears.
A moment's weakness choked her and she neared the girl who rose to her feet. "You look so wonderful today", she began, thinking of all the stages since childhood, in which she had seen the girl, now a lady. Tears began to flood her eyes as she rested her head against her daughter's shoulder, encircling her arms around her.
"I love you so much", she heard Merry say, drops of tears falling upon her as she felt the maiden's arms wrapping her. "Where would I be today if you had not taken me?" were words consumed in sobs and Charity pat her back. "I will always be there for you, until my parting breath."
It was a magical moment that surpassed all others they had shared in their little homely cottage for all those years.
~
Merry stepped up the stairs of the front of their beautiful church, looking around at the glistening silver threads woven by spiders, gleaming in the light and snow, glazed with frost; pristine and glassy icicles suspended from every protrusion; holly and ivy swirled in beautiful shapes like they required permission from none but the Creator to fly in every path they willed, leaving lovely star-shaped leaves in their wake, as Nordic lights in emerald aurora, swaying over the heavens to the eyes of those upon wind-swept wields.
Sir Gabriel Lockwood waited at the grand door, smiling to see her. She reflected his smile and walked up, taking his hand. "If your grandmother saw you today, she would be truly proud of everything you have grown up to be", he whispered, before he walked her down the aisle. All the town had gathered in church as one great family present to wish their beloved daughter and kin. Merry could see Allen standing by the groom, tears in his eyes as he watched her with a smile.
And there was Christian, eyes on her, a smile on his face and his scar reminding her that it was an emblem of how he had saved her years before she even knew.
Standing there at the altar, Christian gently unveiled his bride and as she looked into the depths of the midnight of his eyes, there was no vision that stole her present moment.
"I thee wed"
"By the power vested in me, I hereby pronounce you man and wife"
And there was the sound of church bells ringing 'ding-ding', singing the news of the delightful union.