Ariel winced as Mrs. Williams’s voice reverberated from inside the room, piercing her ears with a clarity that made her shiver. Could she muster the courage to face the old woman?

"Taylor, I’m not feeling well… could you tell me about the meeting tomorrow?" Ariel asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

The priestess’s lips curled into a sly smirk. "Nice try, but everyone has to face their in-laws sometime."

Ariel crossed her arms and shot a glare at Taylor. "They’re not my in-laws."

"You be sure to tell them that," Taylor replied with a wink as they entered the crowded room.

Fuming silently, Ariel kept her head down, desperately scanning the room for a seat in the back, hoping to avoid any unwanted attention.

"ARIEL!"

The old woman’s voice was startlingly loud, causing Ariel to nearly jump out of her skin. She instinctively grabbed the chair beside her.

"LOOKING FOR A SEAT?" Mrs. Williams bellowed, her wrinkled face wearing an unsettling smile as she fixed her gaze on Ariel.

Ariel offered a weak smile in return, feeling increasingly uneasy.

"WHY DON’T YOU TAKE THIS ONE?" Mrs. Williams persisted, her smile widening as she pointed to a chair in the front row. Her eyes glinted with a challenge, daring Ariel to refuse.

The room fell into a hushed silence. Ariel swallowed hard and began the long walk to the front. Every step felt like an eternity as she felt the weight of Mrs. Williams’s intense gaze on her. She forced herself to maintain a composed expression. Once she had awkwardly seated herself in the suggested chair, Mrs. Williams turned her attention to the rest of the audience.

"GOOD EVENING, LADIES," she called out, her voice echoing loudly enough to be heard clearly in the next room.

"Good evening," came the murmured response, barely audible in comparison.

"I HOPE WE ALL HAVE HAD AN EVENTFUL NIGHT," Mrs. Williams continued, her eyes pinning Ariel to her seat as she delivered the last part of her sentence.

A ripple of giggles ran through the room before it fell silent once more.

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"IT’S LATE, SO I’M GOING TO MAKE THIS QUICK. TOMORROW, AS YOU ALL KNOW, IS DAY THREE OF THE FESTIVAL. SINCE WE NOW HAVE OUR MR. MARLOWE AND MRS. MARLOWE CROWNED, IT IS ONLY FITTING THAT THE THEME TRANSITIONS FROM LOVE TO MARRIAGE—" At this, Mrs. Williams paused, casting a significant glance toward Ariel.

Ariel shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her cheeks flushing with warmth as she felt the weight of the room’s collective gaze. She even thought she heard Taylor stifle a snort.

"SO TOMORROW IS A DAY OF UNION, AND WHEN I SAY DAY, I MEAN IT. THE FESTIVAL STARTS AT FIRST LIGHT AND ONLY ENDS AFTER THE NIGHT’S PLAY. I SUPPOSE SOME OF YOU ARE WONDERING WHAT YOU MUST DO TO SYMBOLIZE MARRIAGE? ESSENTIALLY, TOMORROW IS THE MERGING OF MR. MARLOWE’S CREATIVITY WITH YVONNE’S INSPIRATION. A PERFECT MATCH, AND THAT IS EXACTLY YOUR GOAL. AS SOON AS YOU WAKE, YOU MUST FIND THE ONE PERSON WHO COMPLETES YOU—YOUR PERFECT MATCH," Mrs. Williams’s gaze bore down on Ariel with an intensity that could rival Jasper’s most penetrating stares.

"THUS, ALL THIS WILL CREATE THE BEST UNION. NOW, YOU MIGHT THINK THIS SOUNDS EASY, BUT YOU’RE VERY WRONG! LET’S SAY YOU LOVE SHOYA; YOU TWO ARE A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN. SO YOU GET UP IN THE MORNING AND HEAD OVER THERE, YOU KNOCK ON HIS DOOR, AND THE PRIESTESS OPENS IT. SHE HAS BEATEN YOU TO SHOYA. THAT IS THE REALITY OF THIS DAY OF UNION. THIS IS THE RULE AND IT IS A VERY BIG RULE: FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED. THERE IS NO SLEEPING IN TOMORROW, LADIES," Mrs. Williams announced with a hint of satisfaction as a few women frowned in response.

Taylor’s sigh of annoyance was loud enough to carry across the room. It seemed she would indeed be waking up at the crack of dawn.

"IN CASE SOME OF YOU ARE STILL UNSURE ABOUT TOMORROW’S URGENCY, LET ME GIVE YOU A GLIMPSE OF WHAT THE HALLS OF THIS INN WILL LOOK LIKE COME MORNING: CHAOS. THERE WILL NOT BE A SINGLE PERSON IN THEIR ROOM. IT WILL BE A MAD DASH TO FIND YOUR OTHER HALF BEFORE SOMEONE ELSE DOES. I STILL SEE THAT SOME OF YOU AREN’T ALL THAT BOTHERED—WELL, LET’S CONSIDER THE ONE BIG RULE ONE MORE TIME: FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED. YOU’RE NOT THE ONLY ONES GOING BY THIS; THE MEN ARE TOO, AND YOU KNOW WHAT—THEY MIGHT WANT YOU FIRST. SO HERE YOU ARE, RUNNING FOR SHOYA TOMORROW MORNING, AND SUDDENLY KEN COMES RUNNING UP—AND THAT’S IT. KEN IS YOURS FOR THE DAY," Mrs. Williams chuckled softly at the pale faces staring back at her, the idea of being stuck with Ken instead of Shoya clearly not appealing.

"THE FIRST PERSON TO ASK FOR YOUR HAND TOMORROW IS THE PERSON YOU MUST ACCEPT. YOUR GOAL IS TO FIND THE PERFECT MATCH, YES—BUT IT DOESN’T ALWAYS WORK OUT THAT WAY. YOUR IDEA OF A PERFECT MATCH MAY HAVE BEEN SHOYA, BUT KEN’S IDEA OF A PERFECT MATCH WAS YOU. ARE WE UNDERSTANDING NOW?"

A few weak nods were offered in response. Mrs. Williams’s smile widened in satisfaction.

"GOOD. IT’S VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU GET UP EARLY TOMORROW AND REACH THE PERSON YOU MATCH BEST WITH FIRST, WHILE ALSO MAKING SURE THAT SOMEONE ELSE DOESN’T BEAT YOU TO THEM," Mrs. Williams’s smirk grew as she observed her uncomfortable audience.

"GOOD MATCHES ARE SEEN AS AUSPICIOUS AND LUCKY, WHILE BAD MATCHES, WHICH USUALLY RESULT FROM RUNNING INTO SOMEONE YOU DIDN’T WANT TO BE PAIRED WITH, ARE CONSIDERED TROUBLESOME AND UNLUCKY. THE BEST UNION OF TOMORROW WILL BE RECOGNIZED THAT NIGHT AS THE PERFECT MARRIAGE OF CREATIVITY AND INSPIRATION. SO GO OUT TOMORROW AND FIND THAT ONE PERSON WHO COMPLEMENTS YOUR CREATIVITY WITH INSPIRATION AND YOUR INSPIRATION WITH CREATIVITY. GO AND CREATE THAT PERFECT MARRIAGE AND REMEMBER THE BIG RULE: FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED."