Chapter 159 Nothing Left but Forward
Bella
Red knocks once, firm and final. It's my wedding day. I lie there for a moment longer than I should, hand sliding to the ring without thinking, my thumb brushing the band like it’s a habit I’ve had for years instead of weeks. Then another knock, sharper this time.
“Up,” Red calls.
I dress quickly in clothes that don’t matter, braid my hair loose enough that it won’t pull, and follow the smell of food down the corridor. Breakfast is set in one of the smaller rooms near the kitchens, away from the open halls and wandering eyes. Ashlyn is already there, perched on a chair like she woke up early and decided to be unstoppable.
“You look too composed,” I say as I sit.
Ashlyn grins. “I slept great. This isn’t my wedding.”
“Rude.”
Red sets a cup in front of me and waits until I take it before turning away.
“I am not being dragged and ordered around today,” I say.
“You’re being supported,” she replies.
Ashlyn nods. “Bride support. Premium service.”I tear bread apart and eat slowly, mainly to keep my hands busy. My stomach feels tight, but the warmth of the tea helps.
“You’ll eat,” Red says calmly. “You’ll breathe, and you'll have the most memorable day of your life... Thanks to all of my planning.”
“I feel cherished.”
“You are.”
Ashlyn is halfway through another bite when the door opens, and she straightens immediately.
“Okay,” she says brightly. “Before we leave, I have a surprise.”
Red turns her head slowly. “Ashlyn—”
“He’s important,” Ashlyn says, already stepping aside.
A large shadow fills the doorway, then resolves into a man with broad shoulders and steady eyes who looks like he’d rather be anywhere else. Travis, bear shifter, cabin hermit, is here with clean clothes that look wild on him. His posture is set, as if he’s bracing for noise.
“You’re here,” I say, standing.
He nods once. “You asked.”
Ashlyn beams. “I told you I could find him.”
“You yelled in the woods until I answered,” he says.
“I still found you.”
I step closer because it feels wrong to leave him standing there.
“It’s good to see you.”
“It’s good to get out of the cabin,” he replies. “The trees start talking.”
Ashlyn nods solemnly. “Exactly.”
Red clears her throat. “Eat. Then go where you’re meant to be.”
Travis glances at the table, then at me. “You alright?”
“Yes,” I say. “I am.”
He studies my face for a second, then reaches out and grips my forearm briefly, careful with his strength.
“Good to see you're not stealing food anymore.”
Ashlyn shoves a plate into his hands. “Bread. Smile if you can.”
He pauses at the door. “I am happy you made it out,” he says, then leaves before I can answer properly.
Ashlyn exhales like she’s finished a mission. “I did good?”
“You did.”
Red looks at me. “Finish.”
I sit back down and eat the rest of my breakfast, and when the plate is empty, Red sets her cup down.
“Time to move, ladies. We have a wedding to get to.”
The dress is in the village, close to the hearth hall, where the path is short and manageable, and I won’t have to pretend my ankles don’t exist. We leave wrapped in cloaks, slipping out while the castle continues its quiet work behind us. A cart waits, sturdy and borrowed, loaded with small things that Red insisted on bringing. By the time we reach the village, many people are pretending not to look. We’re led into a warm house near the hearth hall. The windows are fogged slightly. The room smells like bread and woodsmoke, and someone has cleared the space. A mirror leans against the wall, bowls of water sit near the fire, and someone neatly laid out pins and ribbons. The dress hangs covered in the corner, radiant as ever.
Ashlyn bounces. “This is it.”
Red checks the door and the latch, then looks at me. “Sit.”
I do, and the time after that breaks into a whole lot of people touching me all at once. Fingers move through my hair, others on my face. I swear someone popped a pimple on my back, either that or they're just pinching me for fun. Ashlyn is talking nonstop, so there’s no quiet for my thoughts to wander into. Red steps in and out, adjusting, checking, making the world submit to her wrath. When she pins my hair back, I catch her smiling. I know deep down she loves this. Then the dress comes out and gold spills into the room, warm and deep. The colour shifts as the fabric moves, darker where it folds, brighter where it stretches smoothly. The structured bodice features a clean and elegant neckline. Layers of sheer gold fabric lie over deeper tones, creating depth instead of shine. The skirt falls in long panels that promise movement, delicate embroidery disappearing unless you’re close enough to notice it’s there. I step into it carefully, waiting for resistance, but there is none. The bodice settles. The skirt falls. The fabric moves when I do. When I turn toward the mirror, my breath leaves me before I think to hold it.
Ashlyn presses her hands together. “Oh.”
Red studies the fit and nods once. “Perfect.”
Red lifts the tiara. Gold, delicate, set with small red gemstones and softly pins it into place. When I look back at the mirror, everything settles into place at once. I'm getting married.
Ashlyn squeezes my hand. “You’ve got this.”
Red opens the door, and outside the village bustles softly. Beyond it, the path rises gently toward the mountain, toward the place Damien chose. I lift my chin, take one breath, then another, and step forward. He’s waiting. I step onto the path as the sounds fall away behind me, gold brushing stone, each breath steady, the space ahead widening until there is nothing left but forward, and I walk on, unafraid, toward the life already choosing me.