He Who Finds a Wife
The room was small, and full. Small for a wedding, that is. There were, perhaps, sixty people in the seats. Hadassah, coming in on the arm of her Father, noticed the Queen, who sat at the edge of the front row on the left, smiling at her. Hadassah blushed again seeing her, and remembering the graphic advice she had rendered just an hour or so ago. Hopefully everyone just thought that she was blushing with maidenly modesty at her own marriage.
Which, she supposed, she was.
The walk to the front of the room, which in the large cathedral she should have been married in would have taken minutes, took only seconds here; very long and very short seconds. In the cathedral dozens of lads and lasses, on either side of the room, would have been walking slowly and lighting candles with every step. As it was it was only her Brothers and Sisters… who walked solemnly along the sides of the room with their candle lighters; her Brothers on one side, her Sisters on the other, with a total of three candles each to light along the way.
She and Father reached the front of the room, and her siblings lit the candles arranged there. Hadassah smiled at the flowers beautifully arrayed all around the candle stands, but before she could even really see them all, she heard a noise at the back of the room, as the door, which her Father had shut behind her, banged open, loudly, as was the custom.
Her hand tightened on her Father’s arm as she pictured, in her mind’s eye, Seth and his Father walking through the now open door and down the aisle, Seth trailing his Father obediently, respectfully, his eyes downcast. She felt her Father turn toward them. “Why have you come?” he asked, his voice echoing loudly in the small room, and causing her to start.
“My Son has come to take his Wife,” the King answered, his voice low but clear.
Her Father stood silently for a long time, and Hadassah’s heart began to beat heavily, but eventually, he said, “Here she is,” and turned toward her, pulling Hadassah slightly forward and stepping back.
Seth came forward, in his turn, taking her hand in his own shaky and sweating hand. Her heart pounded, and her hand burned where it touched his.
The silence seemed to hang over her forever before the Bishop came forward, “Why are you here?” he challenged Seth.
“I have come for my Wife,” Seth replied, holding up their joined hands.
“He who finds a Wife has found a good thing…” the Bishop began.
An hour later, Hadassah still stood, holding Seth’s sweaty hand, in front of the entire crowd, listening to the Bishop’s interminable sermon. Even interminable things must come to an end, however, and eventually, the Bishop finished his sermon, and her Father stepped forward again. “My Daughter,” he said, “I have given you to this man, and he has come to take you. Now you are to forget my house and cleave to him, submitting to him in all things. Go and be the Mother of hundreds of thousands.”
“My Son,” said the King, stepping forward in his turn. “Today you take your Wife, the Wife I have found for you. I charge you to love her, as The Saviour loves His people. Take her and raise me up generations to glorify He Who Is.”
The closing chorus rang out, with the crowd filing down the aisle.
Farmer tradition left the bride and the groom alone in the room with everyone else leaving. Among the lower classes, the (much shorter) ceremony was held in the nuptial bedroom, and the ‘bedding’ would be carried out as soon as the guests had left.
This was not the norm among the ruling class. Instead everyone left the new couple alone, and they would talk together and go off to their suite.
What was common among both classes, however, was that no one (at least, no one but servants) would see them for at least a week, and sometimes two.
Ordinarily, this all would have been worked out during the betrothal negotiations. And of course it had, but her Father’s rebellion and partial pardon had changed all that.
So now it was up to Seth to determine what they would do, and Hadassah stood, nervously waiting for him to speak. After what seemed an eternity he turned to her, “I am sorry that this time has been so difficult. I wanted to talk to you… to you and explain several things, but I couldn’t, and can’t even yet. But I will be able to do so soon. Right now, I need for you to go up to your room. Your Maidservant will have some things ready for you and,” he paused, then plunged on, “she will tell you how you must dress. Then come down and meet me at the stables. I have given instructions that no one is to be there except the groom.”
Hadassah stood rooted to the spot, her head whirling, and then, with an effort, turned toward the door, her Maid holding up her train as she walked down the aisle. This was extremely strange! She had never heard of any groom wanting to go riding immediately after the ceremony. It certainly wasn’t what, ‘The Talk’ had led her to expect!
(Initial image courtesy Hotpot.ai. The image does NOT reflect the actual events in the story it is meant to be ;suggestive only)
Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!
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Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,
Von
Links
Island People
Island People is a young adult fantasy book centring on a young prince. The book starts with his kidnapping and follows his adventures as he not only escapes from his kidnapper but gains critical allies and friends.
The entire book is scheduled on Substack, and there are several sequels. This is a book I wrote years ago, so it is in a bit of a rough form. Critiques and comments are more than welcome, they are requested.