Nacre's Promise

Chapter XXV : Outcome

Cuevas-Blancas, 1909.

The revelations of Don Rodrigo and Don Alessandro had upset Isabel and Diego, but their wedding project had not been called into question.

They had already waited so long that a week later everything was ready and all that was missing was the future bride and groom in the church of Saint John the Baptist, where Salvador had married Soledad.

They had originally planned to get married in Barcelona, ​​but this idea was quickly abandoned because the city was too far away and the ceremony would have been too difficult to organize.

Diego was turning thirty and Isabel past twenty-six. On this beautiful autumn day, they were going to swear fidelity near their home but only with their closest friends as well as Salvador and his family who had promised to keep the secret.

Diego found a pretext to slip away and he joined Isabel near the church. They hadn't dressed in wedding attire, but new, well-ironed clothes. Josefina had taken care of it. Isabel had simply added, for the ceremony, an embroidered white tulle mantilla.

They entered the church together, and knelt in front of the hotel, holding hands. Josefina and Carlos stood a step behind them, on either side. Carlos was Isabel's witness and Josefina Diego's witness. Without saying anything, Carlos had bought two wedding rings as a wedding present. There was a crease in the box in his waistcoat pocket that he had not managed to remove.

The ceremony began with a short sermon on the importance of mutual consent. Alessandro then declined the identities of the two newlyweds, looking at them in turn, before continuing. Behind the organ, a seminarian was playing soft music at this moment of meditation. They exchanged their vows, facing each other and holding hands.

— Isabel, today I am no longer afraid of anything or anyone to tell you how much I love you. Our love will come to light. We are going to live through difficult times, but I promise to be always by your side in joy as in sorrows and to protect and cherish you until death do us part.

These words moved Isabel so much that she waited a few moments before speaking.

— Diego, I love you and I will love you until my last breath. I swear to you never to leave you and to do everything in my power so that we are always united and happy.

To the surprise of the two future spouses, Carlos gave them alliances that they put on each other's fingers.

— I declare you husband and wife before God and men, solemnly announced the priest. Be happy my children!

A light and joyful walk closed the ceremony.

Isabel couldn't contain her emotion any longer and let out tears of joy. They kissed each other as the witnesses affixed their signatures to the wedding book.

— There you go, it's done! she whispered, not really realizing.

Diego felt himself floating after these moments of intense emotional tension. It now remained to announce their union to their families, but for now, a new surprise awaited them.

In the hostel of Soledad's parents, the witnesses had reserved a room and organized an evening of celebration. All the resistance members of Limpieza-Verde who had shared their months in hiding were invited to attend. They sat down to eat sangria and tapas, followed by a "Fideuà"[1] of which Soledad had the secret.

At the inn, they would be quiet for at least twenty-four hours, since the instruction had been given not to disturb them.

The party was in full swing until very late at night. Around midnight, there was little more than the family of Salvador and Soledad as well as their daughters Octavia and Teresa who, despite their young age, had taken advantage of the evening to run around every corner. The bride and groom abandoned them earlier to find themselves in the privacy. It was their wedding night and they had no intention of shortening it!