<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: 110%; line-height: 116%;">Ester's bridesmaids had her partially primped for her big day. As her own eyes gazed into the mirror before her, even she knew that wasn't ready to be married to Edward but she kept silent about that among her friends, her bridesmaids. Ester let out a sigh as Lori came over and started to fickle with her hair, looking in the mirror at Ester with an arched brow now. <span style="font-weight: bold">"What's wrong, Ester?"</span> Whenever Lori asked that question, it seemed like everything and everyone around them had stopped and all eyes were now focused on her as those interested leaned closer towards Ester and anticipated a response.<br/><br/>Her eyes lowered down to the ground now as she began to twiddle her fingers over each other. Her heart had suddenly stopped beating with a rhythm as another sigh came from her. What was she going to say to them? She could not be honest with them about her not wanting to marry Edward because they had traveled far to help her get ready for her wedding. Ester bit her bottom lip out of nerves then scooted the chair back and stood up, turning heel to face her bridesmaids now.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"Do you guys think I am doing the right thing here? By marrying Edward?"</span> Ester finally asked them as they all looked at each other then back at Ester. Lori stepped forward and grabbed Ester's hands into her own with a slight smile. <span style="font-weight: bold">"Honey, if we did not feel that this marriage would not work then we wouldn't have traveled here to help you get ready for your big day today."</span> Lori muttered as all of the other ladies nodded their heads in agreement. <span style="font-weight: bold">"Wait, do you not love Edward enough to marry him, Ester?"</span><br/><br/>There it was. The infamous question that she had hoped one of her friends would not ask her in front of everyone but alas, there it was. Her silence was not helping ease the sudden tension that had build around her so when she parted her lips, everyone gasped because she hesitated to answered the question. <span style="font-weight: bold">"Is it that obvious?"</span> Ester asked of them as they groaned and Lori dropped her hands with a scoff and waved her arms in the air with a shrug of her shoulders. <span style="font-weight: bold">"I wish you would have told us something instead of wasting our time, Ester. Why did you not tell us?"</span><br/><br/>Ester could feel their anger rising as she began explaining with tear filled eyes. <span style="font-weight: bold">"I wanted to. I really did, Lori and everyone else but I thought you girls would've been mad at me and I could not have that."</span> Ester sniffled after she spoke those words then turned to walk towards her window now. <span style="font-weight: bold">"Besides, my mother and father would not allow me to back out of this marriage because it benefits them so. Two wealthy families merge by marriage. That's why I do not want this marriage and I do not love him. I already have wealth but I do want to experience love."</span> Ester said as her friends stood there astonished by the words that were spilling over her lips now.<br/><br/>Lori, her most closest friend, stood beside her now and embraced her in a hug. <span style="font-weight: bold">"We shall help you get out of this marriage but first, we need to make it look like you are still getting married. So, come and let us finish you up."</span> Lori suggested as Ester nodded her head and walked back over to the vanity area and sat down in front of the mirrors that were placed there. Lori tied her head into a bun with two curls hanging over her forehead.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"There. We'll put the wedding dress on you whenever we get to the church. But we must hurry before anyone sees us."</span> Lori said as Ester quickly maneuvered to grab her wedding dress then handed it off to Regina, her other friend then all of the others, with their bridesmaid dresses in hand trailed behind Ester and Lori now. <span style="font-weight: bold">"Wait, where are my parents?"</span> Ester asked as Lori responded as they were headed towards the door now. <span style="font-weight: bold">"At the church already to guide people in and into their seats."</span><br/><br/>Just as Lori and Ester along with the other women were seen running through the town and towards the church, Ester could've sworn she seen Edward at one of the taverns but thought that it might've been her imagination but it did look like he was about to get into a fight or something of the sort. Stopping in her tracks, she halted the other women, as well. <span style="font-weight: bold">"I think Edward's in trouble. We have to go and see."</span> Ester pleaded as Lori shook her head. <span style="font-weight: bold">"No, it's bad luck."</span> Lori said as Ester shrugged her shoulders.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"Forget luck. I am not ready for til death do us apart."</span> Ester said as she walked through the crowd of women, heading back towards the tavern where she think she might've seen her groom, her husband, Edward and if he was in some sort of trouble, she surely was going to help him, one way or another.</span></span>