Unexpected arrival

I am a walking bundle of nerves. I walk around the room with fast pace. Wedding ceremony is going to start in just a half hour.

Bruises on my face almost fully faded, but I still can't sleep, so I'm exhausted. My maid did everything to make me look more lively, but there was nothing she could do with my face expression. I look like I would fall asleep in any minute. My eyes are narrowed, I can't hold them fully opened. I don't know, how I'll manage to not fall asleep during the ceremony.

Mary also braided my hair into a simple bun. Few locks of my wavy hair is left around my face, to emphasize its shape. Beautiful, deep green emerald earrings, that my mother chose for me, brings out my eyes color. And the dress… It looks magnificent.

Someone knocks in my doors.

"Come in," I say, expecting that it's my mom.

"Hello sis." I hear familiar voice. I open my eyes surprised and immediately run to my brother.

"Andrew! I thought that you won't come!" I jumped into his arms.

He gained some muscles since the last time I saw him. He was always skinny, but now his shoulders are broad and strong. He wears his chocolate brown hair short and grew a thick beard. That's something new for me, my brother was always shaved.

I am so happy to see him. He was always my best friend. When he left our home to study in London, I missed him so much, that I wrote him a letter every day. Most of them, I didn't even send. I didn't wanted to disturb his studies, and just writing them gave me some peace.

"How could I miss the wedding of my favorite sister?" He says, wearing his usual, wide smile.

"I am your only sister," I point out.

"It doesn't mean that you're not favorite. If we had more siblings, you would surely still be the number one." He untangles my arms from his neck and looks at me with furrowed brow.

"Why are you looking so miserable?" He asks, looking at me intently.

"Thank you for your compliment, it is surely what every bride wants to hear at her wedding day," I say, trying to keep cheerful facade.

"I'm serious, what's wrong?" He insists.

"I guess that our parents haven't told you yet what happened." I sigh and sit on the couch. I can't pretend that I'm fine any longer. I know that he won't leave me alone, until I tell him what happened.

"I've only came just an hour ago. I had time to take a bath and change my clothes, and then I came straight to you. I haven't even seen mom and dad yet," he says, gazing at me worriedly.

"Well, It is not easy for me to say," I swallow the lump in my throat. I feel that my eyes became watery.

"Oh my God, don't cry, what happened?" He sits alongside me and hugs me. Now he is really worried. I bury my face in his jacket, and try not to ruin my makeup with tears.

"A week ago, some bandit broke into our house, and he came to my room…" l stop, not being able to tell the rest. I'm taking few deep breaths to compose myself.

"Did He… Hurt you?" I hear fury in my brother's voice.

"He… He'd beaten me and wanted to… You know what… But then guards came in and killed him." Saying that was hard. I'm starting to tremble in his arms.

"I would gladly tear him apart with my own hands." He tightens his embrace. We sit like that for a few minutes, when he breaks the silence.

"So that's why this wedding is so sudden?" Andrew asks. I only nod in answer.

"Do you like this man?" He breaks our hug and moves away from me to look into my eyes.

"I don't even know him," I say with a sad voice.

"Was it your decision, or parents made you do it?" He sighs deeply.

"I've made that decision. It is now my only chance at making my own family. When news about the… Accident, will spread, nobody would want to marry me," I explain my situation.

"So this man doesn't know?" He asks.

"I guess that he doesn't. Why else would he agree on the marriage?" I answer with another question.

"And what if he finds out? Or rather when he finds out?" He points out.

"I don't know. I hope that I'll make him like me enough to look past that." Telling the truth, I haven't thought of that until now. My mind was focused on what had happened, and not on the future.

"Oh Ana, I hope that you know what you're doing." My brother kisses me in my forehead.

Truthfully, I really don't.