Chapter 4

Spring 20, 2022

It has been five days since Keira has started living in my house. I must say that having her around is quite the experience. Wherever I go and whatever I do, Keira is always following me. It does feel weird to have someone always around watching everything you do with such fascination and curiosity. Everything seems so new to her, even simple things like cooking or cleaning. I guess Carter was right, she was kept in a room her whole life. I mean, I really don’t mind to tell you the truth.

Ever since Witch Princess left my house, I didn’t really leave the farm much. Because Keira is so curious about everything, I pretty much have to watch her around the clock. If I take my eyes off her for just a moment, she starts touching everything. One time I found her fidgeting with my stove and nearly burned my house down. I can’t even be mad at her; she has no idea what she’s doing.

I ’m also not ready to introduce her to the village just yet. What will I tell my friends? The truth? That I just found a young girl who can’t speak my language living deep in the mines? She’s a princess from the Middle Ages that somehow survived a curse? How would everyone even react? People will think that I’ve kidnapped a young girl and forced her to live in my farm.

What’s also weird is that Keira still has not eaten or even slept yet. I guess the sleeping part I kinda understand, but no food for five days? Every time I even offer her some food, she just grimaces and walks away. I guess she’s still technically cursed, and she doesn’t need to eat or sleep to survive just yet. But it is kinda creepy with Keira staring at me as I wake up. I’m not used to living with someone, especially a girl.

That reminds me. . . The curse is ending very soon!

Marriage, huh? Of all the people I have met or even liked, I would have never imagined I would be forced to marry someone I don’t know. What makes this worse, is that I can’t even speak to her. I don’t have a clue how she feels about all this, and she’ll have to marry me? Imagine the last five days and what I’ve went through; that will be what the rest of my life would look like! I’ll have to pretty much spend the rest of my life taking care of her. Just me and Keira in a loveless marriage.

You know, thinking about all this kinda makes me think about my mother. I really wish she was here right now; I could use her advice. Hell, I’d settle for my dad if it means that I won’t be doing this all by myself.

I remember a promise I made to my mother a long time ago. I think I was thirteen or so when it happened. I promised her something. Not just any promise, one that I will need to keep at all costs.

One day after I was playing with some boys in the city, mom was cleaning some mud off my face. I was such a troublemaker, like other boys my age in the city. As long as I can remember, it has always been just me and mom. I never met dad until much later, and she never got married or even has a boyfriend. Since I was an only child, I was always spoiled and got whatever I wanted. Whatever mischief I got into, mom was always there for me.

That day after mom cleaned me up, she said something random. She smiled at me as she said, “you are such a rough little boy. Please be more gentle. If you do, you’ll meet someone who will be your bride and take care of you someday. I can’t wait to see my little man get married and have a family someday.”

I smirked as I answered, “I don’t have to worry about that! I’m never getting married! I just want to be free and do whatever I want.”

She then rubbed my hair and said, “you are just like your father. Being a free man is fine but being in love and raising a family is good too. You’ll never know what kind of special person you will meet, someone who will make you very happy. Why don’t you make me a promise, please give marriage a chance. When you meet that one person who can make you happy, make her your wife. Will you do that for me?”

I nodded, “sure thing mom, I promise. But only once, okay?”

I should have never made that promise, because she passed away three weeks later. I had no idea that she was ill all her life. And this promise I made to her is all I have left. My only mission in life to make her happy in heaven is to get married just once. All these years I spent searching for the perfect one. One that would make me the happiest man in the world. And I am about to spend that promise on Keira.

Can I really do this? Can I build a life and be a loving husband to Keira? What if after all the years we spend together, we find out that we just don’t love or even like each other? Will marrying her be a huge mistake? But what other option do I have? Just ignore her and let fate have its way with her? Can I even live with that guilt?

For the first time in my life, I am truly afraid of the future. . .

The days pass by quickly in Forget-Me-Not Valley. Mark and Keira remain in the safety of the farm until he can decide what to do. He knows that he can’t keep Keira a secret forever. Mark knows that so many things can go wrong, and Keira is the one who will suffer the most. For now, his priority is to keep Keira safe. The world she came from is so much different than the one she is in now.

Inside his house, Mark reads over his ledger to balance out his expenses and his income. Keira is standing right behind him looking over his shoulder wondering what he’s reading. At first, the lack of privacy was bothering Mark. Now he enjoys her company. Despite how strange his situation is, Keira makes the farm feel less lonely.

A sudden knock on the front door startles Mark and Keira. For a moment, Mark forgot that Flora promised to come by and check on Keira every now and then. He breathes a sigh of relief, then says, “come in, the door is unlocked.”

Flora walks in and greets, “hey Mark. How has everything been?”

“Hey Flora. I’m glad you came by; it’s been quite a week! So much happened since I last saw you.”

“Oh really? I can’t wait to hear all about it.” Flora then turns to Keira and greets, “hi Keira, you’re looking a lot healthier these days.”

“Hottoite,” said Keira in an irritated tone.

Flora gasps. “Hey, look at that! She’s talking now.”

Mark sighs, “yeah, but what’s the point? We still can’t understand each other.”

“That’s not a problem. She looks pretty young, so I’m sure we can teach her how to speak our language in no time.”

Mark sighs again, “only if we assume that she’ll be around long enough for that to happen.”

“What’s that supposed to mean,” Flora asked curiously.

“You might want to sit down; this is going to be a long story.”

Flora curiously takes a seat on the other side of the table so she can listen to what Mark has to say. He starts off by explaining what happened at Doctor Hardy’s office and what he learned. He then admits to asking Witch Princess for help and discovers that Keira’s body was preserved by a curse. Finally, he also explains that a demon will steal Keira’s soul if the curse is not properly broken.

Mark leaves out any mention that it was Witch Princess who cursed Keira in the first place. That way, Flora will never find out about her connection to the castle and the mines. He feels that telling Flora the truth about Witch Princess will not end well. Anyone finding out the truth would only cause panic around the valley and risk retaliation from Witch Princess. So, he vowed to keep it a secret he will take to his grave.

After hearing Mark’s story, Flora sighs sadly and takes another look at Keira. She is saddened that after surviving alone underground for centuries, Keira’s life might end in the most horrifying manner imaginable. In a way, she feels partly responsible. If they have never took the job to explore the mines, they would have never found Keira and succumb to her curse. She feels that it would have been better to leave her down there sleeping peacefully.

“How sad. So, Keira is just going to die from this curse? And there’s nothing we can do to help her,” asked Flora.

Mark remains silent for a moment before answering, “there is one thing I can do.”

“Really? Oh my gosh, I can’t believe it! What do you need to do?”

Mark falls silent for several minutes. Flora stares at Mark awkwardly as he looks uncomfortable to say it. He then takes a deep breath and admits, “you see. . . I’ll have to. . . Marry her.”

Flora’s eyes pop open from shock. The room becomes uncomfortably silent as Flora tries to process what he just told her. All Keira can do is look back and forth between them wondering what is going on.

“Oh, hey! I just remembered that Carter needs me to help him with some chores! You know, pack some samples, clean the tent, change the batteries on the lanterns. I am so busy, so I’m headed back to the dig site. Just let me know what happens,” said Flora desperately trying to escape the awkward atmosphere.

“Hey, wait a second! After all that I told you, you’re just going to leave me like that? I really need some help here,” shouted Mark

Flora sighs. “I get it. You haven’t decided what to do, and you need my advice.”

“Well, kinda. I mean, Keira has no idea what’s happening to her. I would go through with the marriage, but I don’t know if this is what Keira wants. And we only have one more day to do this!”

“I don’t know. It’s a crazy decision, and it’s not even mine to make. And still. . .” Flora takes another look at Keira. “If I were in your shoes, I’d do it. I mean, you don’t have a special person in your life, so who are you hurting?”

“You really think I should? Why?”

“Think about it for a minute. She survived all this time so she can wake up and live the rest of her life. After all that she has been through, you should give her that second chance. She can learn our language, join our community, and see what she wants to do from then. Keira will be nothing less than grateful to you. And who knows, maybe you two can fall in love and make things work. And if it doesn’t, divorce is always an option. There’s nothing to lose!”

“You do have a point, but still. . .” He takes another look at Keira. He knows that saving her life is the right thing to do. But Flora forgets that if he does save her, Keira will become his sole responsibility for a long time. Teaching Keira a new language will take years alone. Then he will need to try and teach her how to live with modern society. All he can wonder is how will he be able to handle that kind of responsibility while running a farm?

He knows that Flora and Carter will be too busy doing research to help him much with Keira. He isn’t sure if he can count on anyone in the valley either. They are his friends, but they too have busy lives with their jobs and families. He also worries if the other villagers would even accept Keira as part of their community. So many things can go wrong, and he is not prepared to handle any of it.

Mark also wonders what will happen once Keira does learn to live on her own. Will Keira leave and pursue some goal? Or will she stay and depend on Mark forever. She is a princess and Mark is a farmer. He feels that making and keeping her happy as a wife will be tough, if not impossible. Should he even pursue a romantic relationship, or just live together as friends until she leaves?

As she watches Mark having a hard time with his decision, Flora pats him on the back and says, “don’t sweat it too much. I know that you’re going to do the right thing. All I can do for you is wish you two the best of luck. I really do have to go, but I’ll check back next week. Take care, bye!” With that, Flora leaves the house and walks back to the dig site.

Later that afternoon, Mark wanders around his house pondering about what will he do with Keira. Time is about to run out, and he will need to make a final decision now. He already knows what he must do, but he will need to find the courage and will to accomplish it. He desperately wants to find a way to help Keira without resorting to marriage. After five days of thinking, he came up with nothing.

Keira can’t help but wonder what is going on. She watches Mark pace back and forth around his house silently. The worried look on his face makes her feel uneasy as well. She then approaches Mark and asks, “naze watashi no hiro wo shinpai shite iru no desu ka?”

He looks at Keira and sighs. “I’m sorry Keira. I really wish I knew what you’re telling me. If only I can know how you feel about all this, I wouldn’t be so worried.”

Mark goes to his room after thinking some more. He then goes to his dresser and starts looking through his top drawer. Resting in the bottom of the drawer, Mark finds a blue feather that he bought some time ago. He picks it up and stares at it for a while. The feather carries some heavy memories with it. He bought t to ask the only woman he ever loved to marry him, but he was too late.

After buying the feather, he rushed over to her home to propose. But after bursting through the front door, he found someone else on his knee with a ring on his hand. What makes matters worse is that she had already said yes mere moments before he arrived. He then quickly hides the feather and wished the newly engaged couple a happy life together. Since then, he kept the feather hidden in his room.

He thought about giving the feather to Keira, but he couldn’t find it in him to part ways with it just yet. He can still marry her without using it. So he puts the feather back where it was and returns to Keira. He then holds her hand and asks, “Keira, listen to me. In order to save your life, I will have to marry you. If this is something you don’t want to do, please find a way to tell me. I don’t care how you do it, I just need an answer.”

“Wakarimasenga, anata wo shinrai shite imasu,” answered Keira.

He has no idea what she just said, but he did notice something. Keira did not pull her hand away from him. He looks deep into her eyes and sees no fear or discomfort. Instead, he sees nothing less than trust coming from her. He can feel his heart beating just a little stronger for her. It’s not love, but a strong bond between them. He never got a yes or a no, but he feels that this is a sign. Something deep inside him saying that he should marry her.

Once his mind is made up, Mark walks to his phone and places a call to Mineral Town. “Hello, Mayor Thomas? It’s me, Mark from Forget-Me-Not Valley. . . I know this is sudden, but I need a favor. . .”

Around noon the very next day, Mark answers the door to find Mayor Thomas outside. He gives Mark a cheerful smile and greets, “good day Mark! It’s a wonderful day for a wedding! I admit that I was pretty shocked to learn that you want to get married today. But are you sure you want to do it here at your house? We do have an opening at the Mineral Town church in a week.”

“Yeah well. . . Let’s just say that I’m kinda in a hurry,” answered Mark sheepishly. He then looks around and notices that Thomas came alone. “Where’s Pastor Carter?”

“Oh, the good pastor couldn’t make it. He has lots of important work in the church to attend to. But don’t worry! As the mayor of Mineral Town, I can also perform weddings. Now, where’s the blushing bride?”

Mark invites Thomas into his hone and bring him to Keira. Keira tilts her head in confusion as she wonders who this strange short man in red is. Thomas smirks and nudges Mark saying, “I see why you want to get married as soon as possible. She’s a beauty, and you want to lock her down before anyone else does. You lucky dog!”

Mark sighs, “can we just get this over with already?”

“Of course, I get it. The quicker we get this done, the sooner you can get to business. Am I right?” He then approaches Keira and says, “I’m Thomas, Mayor of Mineral Town. It’s so nice to meet you!” Keira remains silent, not sure how to answer. He then scratches his head and continues, “not much of a talker? Or maybe you’re just nervous?”

“Don’t mind her, she’s just shy and doesn’t say much,” said Mark.

“That’s okay. As long as the two of you love each other, nothing else matters. Am I right?”

Mark groans quietly. He knows that explaining what’s really going on will only get messy. How can he explain that this marriage is not based on love, but a need to save her life? As long as Thomas doesn’t ask too many questions, he can get through this marriage in one piece.

Soon enough, everyone is all set up to start the wedding. Thomas is standing before Mark and Keira while holding a book of wedding vows. Thomas then opens the book and reads, “Good afternoon, we are here today to unite our two friends. . .Um, excuse me. But what is the name of the bride?”

“Keira. Her name is Keira Hanabishi.”

“Wow, such a pretty name! Okay, let’s try this again.”

Thomas clears his throat and continues, “we are here today to unite our friends Makku Artisan and Keira Hanabishi in holy Matrimony under the blessing of the Harvest Lord and his goddesses. Before we get started with the vows, allow me to read the holy scriptures about the meaning of being married.”

As Thomas reads from the book, Mark takes one last moment to look at Keira as a single man. So many thoughts float around in his head. As he imagines how his life will play out from this moment forward, he starts to get butterflies in his stomach. He asks himself if maybe he’s making a mistake. Here’s only a few minutes to change his mine and cancel the wedding. But he also remembers what will happen to Keira if he stops now. He made a commitment to save Keira’s life, and there’s no turning back now.

After about thirty minutes, Thomas closes the book and says, “and now it’s finally time for the wedding vows. Makku Artisan, do you take Keira to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold? In sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do,” answered Mark.

“And Keira Hanabishi, do you take Mark to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold? In sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?”

Keira remains quiet, unsure what to do. Thomas then turns to Mark and says, “I know she’s not the talkative type, but I do need her to give me an answer.”

Mark and Keira look at each other. He uses a single nod to communicate with her, asking her to agree. She then turns to Thomas and nods at him.

“I’ll take that as a yes. And now it’s time to exchange the rings,” said Thomas.

Out of his pocket, Mark pulls out two rings. He found those rings in the mines some time ago and held on to them. He had them cleaned, polished, and saved for the day he would get married. He then holds Keira’s hand and slides one of them on her finger. He then places the other ring in Keira’s hand and invites her to put one on his finger.

She stares at the ring curiously. She knows what they are, but has no idea why Mark put one on her at that moment. She then looks at Mark’s hand wondering what’s going on. Curiosity got the best of her, so she slides the ring on his finger just like Mark did.

With a grin on Thomas’ face, he declares, “I shall now pronounce you both husband and wife. You may now kiss the-” Thomas is interrupted by Mark making a hand gesture desperately telling him to skip that part. “Okay. . . Never mind then. You both are married now, I’m sure you’re saving the kiss for the honeymoon. Congratulations.”

Mark groans quietly at Thomas’ comment. Now that the ceremony is over, they now have to handle the paperwork. Mark signs his name on the marriage certificate. He then helps Keira write her name on it as well, hoping that he spelled her name correctly.

Once the document was signed, Thomas places it in his breast pocket, “okay, I’ll file the paperwork once I get back to Mineral Town. By midnight tonight, you two will be legally married. I wish you two the best of luck on your journey together.”

Once Thomas leaves the farm, Mark sighs and takes a look at his new wife. Normally marriage is a time for celebration. He would have held a party with all his friends as he starts a new chapter of his life with his bride. Unlike other couples in the valley, he feels differently. He feels that there will be no love, no kisses goodbye as he goes to work on the farm, and no children to raise. Just getting Keira accustomed to life in the valley and modern-day times, every day for a very long time.

Later that evening, Mark brings Keira to his second bedroom. He had this room built in preparation to raise a kid with a wife. Now it will be Keira’s bedroom instead. The room is simple with a full sized bed, simple furniture like a dresser and closet, and a mirror on the wall. There is even a window with a view of the pasture. The room is a bit small, but it’s comfortable enough for one person to live in.

“This farm is your home now, and this is your room. I know it’s not much, but I’m right next door if you need anything,” said Mark.

Keira turns around and faces Mark. Even though they can’t understand each other, they have learned to read each other’s thoughts through their facial expressions. She can tell that Mark wants her to stay in that room. Being alone makes her feel nervous, but she knows that Mark will always be nearby. Mark can clearly see the sad and lonely look in her eyes. He wants to comfort her, but he doesn’t know how.

He takes a deep breath and continues, “listen Keira. I know neither of us asked for this, but we really are in this together. I promise to take care of you for as long as you need me to. If you need anything from me, please let me know. I’ll help you figure this out, you have my word.”

Things go quiet for a while. Keira wants to say something to him, but she feels it’s pointless. There are so many questions she wants to ask, but they are all trapped in her mind. Mark will not understand the questions, and she won’t understand the answers. As long as this is the case, she may as well be as mute as they moment they met.

“Well, it’s getting late. Good night, I’ll see you in the morning,” said Mark.

Mark then closes the door and retreats to his own room. The day was stressful, and Mark falls asleep quickly. Keira just sits on the bed to wait for morning to arrive once again. She still is unable to sleep. All she can do is stare out the window at the strange new world she woke up in. The view is intimidating, but she feels comfort knowing that Mark is nearby.

Hours later, the moon is full and the farm is fast asleep. Only Keira is awake staring out the window with nothing but the rustling leaves to keep her company. The crickets chirping, the howling of the wind, and the stars in the sky are all alien to her. Even the swaying grass in the pasture feels new to her. For as long as she can remember, the room Mark found her in is the only world she has ever known. She should be afraid, but the four walls around her makes her feel safe.

Suddenly, Keira feels something call out to her. Not a voice, but some type of force luring her outside. She slowly follows it, careful not to wake Mark up. Once she’s outside, she looks around to see where this feeling is coming from. She doesn’t see anything other than what she already saw out her window. Just a sleeping farm in a cool spring evening. She suddenly feels the energy once again, this time coming from up in the sky. She stares at the full moon which seems to be glowing much brighter than usual. Whatever force she felt, it’s coming from the moon up in the heavens.

The moon shoots a bright white beam at Keira’s forehead. Her body glows as she is put into a trance. Once her eyes open, she feels something awaken in her mind. Strange knowledge she has never known flood her mind. Any fogginess she has felt before start to clear up. She starts to think clearly with a level of understanding of the world around her. She is no longer afraid and ready to live a new life in the valley.

The next morning Mark opens his eyes to check the time. It is six in the morning, and he knows it’s time to get up and start getting ready to work on the farm. He takes a big yawn and decides to sleep in a bit longer. So he closes his eyes and rifts himself back to sleep.

“Good morning,” said a familiar voice.

“Five more minutes,” answered Mark.

“Good morning, it’s time to wake up.”

Mark groans and turns away saying, “leave me alone. I had a long stressful day yesterday and I’m tired. I’ll wake up later.”

He tries to go back to sleep. A few seconds later, his eyes shoot open once he realizes that someone is actually talking to him. He pulls the blanket off of him and looks at Keira who is standing next to his bed. He sits on his bed staring at her in shock wondering if he really heard Keira talking to him. His eyes tremble with shock as he waits for Keira to say something.

Keira smiles as she greets, “good morning, my dear husband.”