Behind The Veil

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I was only eight when they decided to put me into a veil. Mama placed those beautiful pink roses into my hands before straightening out my white fluffy dress, she wore a smile upon her face yet the tears in her eyes confused me.

She placed her hand upon my head and said some sort of mumbo gumbo. She wouldn't tell me at that time why she was crying but I knew it was something bad.
Mama only cries when daddy hits her...

She pushed her fingers underneath the veil and tucked my curly brown hair which stuck out back under the veil, I couldn't help but giggle as her fingers rubbed against my neck.

She smiled and placed a kiss upon my cheek and hugged me so very tight that I couldn't breath, if only I knew it were the last time I'd ever be getting hugs and kisses from her...

She covered her face with her own black veil after dressing into a black and gold long dress. "What's happening mama, are we playing dress up?" I asked loudly which made my tiny voice echo throughout the dome hallway which we walked down.

"Hush, Zara you know how your father gets when u speak to loudly" she whispered.

I could never understand why we weren't allowed to speak loudly...

The hallway was long and had poor lighting yet I could see the stains on the carpet beneath us. The dress she had put me into weighed a ton which caused me to stop a couple of times. I tried catching my breath but she pulled me along and insisted we be quick before he got upset.

She was the bravest woman I knew, she stuck to a man who beat the crap out of her for just taking too long to bring him a glass of water or speaking when she wasn't told to speak.

We walked into a huge hall filled with black chairs which no one but dad and Azar sat on. "What a strange place" I whispered.

"Hush child" she whispered back at me.
A man wearing a black suit sat at the front accompanied by a man wearing white suit.

As we grew closer I recognized him, he was Mr. Jacob the man who always pitched up at our house unannounced.

Mum took a hold of my hand and approached dad which had his head down the whole time playing game of thrones.

I stretched my tiny hand out towards him "Can I play?" I whispered not wanting the two men to hear me, after a few moments he finally looked up and gawked at me in amusement. "I've always known you'd make a beautiful bride Zara" he mumbled.

"Bribe,what is a bribe mama?"

She got onto her knees and looked at me through my veil, "not a bribe you silly goose, a bride" I continued looking at her still filled with confusion, she lifted her black veil just a bit and wiped her eyes before dropping it down once again.

Dad stood up and yanked her up forcing her to not make a scene, whatever a scene was; she was not allowed to make it...

I looked up at them as he shouted at her saying, "the deal has already been made."

First bribe now the deal what's going on...?

I looked at Azar thinking maybe he would have the answer but he sat there looking just as confused as I was.