After agreeing to leave together, the following six months were a whirlwind. They plotted their escape route and how long it would take before someone noticed.
At the same time, they planned their wedding. After Elara agreed to marry him, he had his parents propose marriage to her parents.
With the excuse that he had seen her at church and knew she was going to be 18 soon, he decided that she seemed like a good match. Since the church was the only place where they would see each other, the excuse was plausible.
Elara's parents saw the smile on her face, looked at each other and smiled as well.
The month before her marriage was the most hectic time for Elara. Although most of the wedding planning went through her parents, she still needed to make her own dress, as was tradition.
Elara knew the marriage was fake. However, her mind seemed not to have caught up. It kept telling her not to get married. Each time the discomfort found its way into her body, she shook it off.
Joseph was someone she trusted. She wanted to leave, and so did he. They made plans together, and she was sure they would follow through. So why was her body rejecting this?
She knew full well that she had no interest in Joseph; she had even told him. She didn't want him to get his hopes up.
When she told him, she could see that he was hurt. But there was nothing she could do about her feelings. She didn't find herself attracted to him. When they left, they would still spend time together.
She told him that they could be friends, but she was certain that when they left, he would find someone he was interested in more than her. She was sure of it. She spent some time coaxing him, and after a while, he seemed fine.
She noticed there were two days he didn't go to the thicket. She wondered if he was alright, but there was no way for her to approach him. She could only wait for him to come back.
Those two days felt lonely for her. Her friend left her to her own devices, and she could only continue to follow the routine that was devoid of the joy she previously felt. She knew it wasn't because she liked it. It was simply a momentary feeling of loss.
The month passed, and Elara was able to make the dress despite the nagging feeling. The closer it got to the wedding day, however, her sense of unease grew.
She voiced her concern to Joseph, who reassured her that she was overthinking.
Today was her wedding day, and she wore a beautiful white dress. The high neckline covers half her neck, and the finger loop sleeves cover all the necessary parts. She decided against gloves. For her, they were entirely unnecessary.
She felt it was unnecessarily restrictive. It was a small act of defiance that wasn't actually defiance.
Some women get married showing their hands, but not many.
To fit the high neck, Elara made the dress with a Celtic bodice, while the skirt was flared and floor-length. All in all, although Elara found it suffocating, she also thought it was beautiful.
Stepping outside to go to the church, Elara felt as though she was having an out-of-body experience. She watched herself get into the carriage, used only for weddings. She watched as her father walked her down the aisle and as they said their vows.
At the reception, only married people were allowed to attend. The women went to one side and the men to the other. With the room splitting, they would explain to the couple what to expect in married life.
When Elara heard what the women had to say, even in her frazzled state, she couldn't help but gasp and blush. Casting a glance to the male side, where Joseph stood, his face equally red.
When it was all over, they both got in the carriage and went to Joseph's house. The married couple would live with the man's parents until they pass away. At that time, if there were any brothers, they could choose whether or not to live together in the same house.
Elara made her way into the house. This was her first time seeing Joseph's house. It was not much different from her own. Because they only had two sons, there were only three rooms.
According to the village leader, everyone is created equal; there is no reason to have extra housing, more can be added should they have another child. Yet Elara remembered the leader's house having more than five rooms with only three family members.
Making her way up to the room, she was glad the church had stopped having bedding ceremonies. Elara had heard stories about people watching as they consummated the marriage. She wasn't sure why they stopped doing it. She was just grateful that it stopped.
Otherwise, she didn't know what she would do.
She looked around the room, not sure what she was expecting. She noticed the cross with the upward spiral around it. The symbol of their devotion. She noted how large it was. She assumed his parents had placed it in the room, and he had no choice but to keep it.
Both of them stood there awkwardly in the room, not sure what to do. They wouldn't be doing the things the couples at the reception had told them to do. Tonight was the night they were supposed to leave.
Knowing that people would be tired after all the eating, drinking and merrymaking, they decided tonight would be the best night.
Elara looked at Joseph and spoke, "Thank you for doing this for me. I know you don't have to, but I'm glad you did."
An awkward smile crept onto Joseph's face.
"You don't need to say thank you. We both agreed to this. I don't think it's a bad thing. I'm just a little nervous, I guess."
He scratched the back of his head and looked down sheepishly. When he raised his head, he motioned to the bed.
"I know we won't be doing anything, but it isn't midnight yet. We can't stand here looking at each other for the whole night. You can have a seat and change. Your parents brought your things over earlier."
She looked at the door, then around the room, trying to figure out how she would change with him in the room. She hadn't really thought about how to get out of the wedding dress until now.
"I'll go get some water for both of us. You must be thirsty after all the talking and such tonight."
She nodded and watched as he walked out. She changed into a lightweight dress. She needed ease of movement. It was close to November. The place is chilly right now; however, she preferred practicality over comfort.
She didn't want to go through everything only to get caught.
Sitting on the bed, she thought of what her future might be. Is it possible to meet Magdala? How would she even begin to look for her? Excitement radiated through her body.
She heard the door opening and turned to look. The smile on her face was still wide.
Seeing who was actually at the door, the smile on her face vanished.
"Mother, father, mother-in-law, father-in-law, is there something I can help you with?"
Behind them, she saw Joseph standing there, his face impassive.
None of them spoke. Only looking at her with a mix of anger, disapproval and something else. Something she didn't realise was cruelty until it was too late.
She watched as everyone entered the small room. The already small room felt even smaller as they crowded in.
It was then that she noticed the thing in her father-in-law's hand. It was rope.
She became panicked, not sure of what to expect. However, on the surface, she tried to seem calm. Her trembling hand betrayed her.
"Wh-", her voice cracked. She cleared her throat. "What's happening?"
She looked past the two sets of parents, hoping Joseph would give her some explanation. What she got was an ugly smile before he turned his face away.
While trying to get his attention, she didn't notice her mother lift her hand to slap her. She felt the sting of it across her face. The slap was so heavy it knocked her to the ground. Her ears ringing, she looked up at the people in the room.
Her mind racing, she thought of the possibility that they had found out. But it didn't make any sense. There weren't any traces of wanting to leave. She hadn't even packed a bag because she knew her things would be transferred to Joseph.
Only two people were aware of the plan. One is inside the room and the other is outside.
That's when it dawned on her. The one outside the room, Joseph. When she tried to get his attention, he didn't even look at her. He already knew.