by J P Anderson
"Certainly not," Alister said as more of a promise than a statement.
They all sat in complete silence; no one dared say the first word. She noticed that neither Therius nor Paige where at the table when the retched clock chimed nine as loud as it possibly could.
…Meanwhile, still in bed…
Therius opened his eyes looking down as his bride to be, he looked at the clock.
"Holy shit! Paige, wake up! Breakfast has already begun!"
…
Paige and Therius burst through the door and took their seats ask if they were right on time. Paige took her ridiculous seat at the far, far right and Therius beside Gen.
"And wherever where you two that you were a whole twenty minutes late for breakfast?" Gen asked.
"Somewhere of consequence, is all you need know dear sister." he whispered harshly.
"Ooh, of consequence, sounds scandalous, dish." Gen commanded.
"All the news I have to dish is that Paige is soon to be Mrs. Therius Caunell-Grave-Grey."
"Well that's a mouthful," she said absent mindedly and then it hit her. She screamed and hugged him. Damn; I lost the silence contest, oh well.
"Not. Here" he mouthed and she sat back in her chair and tried to pick at whatever was purple on her plate.
She looked across the table several minutes later, Acruz wasn't eating. He was however staring straight at her. His hair was damp from God knows what.
"I went swimming for your information," he said
"Good morning to you too," she darted him a look of disgust.
"And to you" he tipped his invisible hat from across the table and smiled.
"Wonderful day to get married is it not." she asked.
"Even better one to die. Don't you think?" she stood, completely offended, ready to reach around the table and slap the ever loving crap out of him.
"Yes daughter?" she looked at her father, unaware that her standing had caused attention to herself for the second time.
"M-May I be excused?" she covered.
"Of course daughter," she curtseyed and threw back her chair and stormed out before she could hear the fuss the others would surly make, she had work to do.
Chapter 18: Before the Wedding
Andria twirled silently admiring her dress. It was pretty, intense detail that must have taken months to complete. She stared at herself, putting on her veil the covered her eyes just so. She closed her eyes, and imaged the scene.
"Do you take Acruz Deveartae to be your husband?" she hesitated trying to keep her tone.
"Y-yes." she stuttered. "No," she whispered opening her eyes in silent grief and fell to the mirrored ground and sobbed quietly.
"Alexandria." Alister said running to her from the doorway where he had been shamelessly eavesdropping and falling to the ground beside her, she crawled into his lap and sobbed into his shoulder.
"It's okay. You'll be fine." he said rocking her and stroking her hair.
"Everything is falling apart. I can't do this. I can't pretend to be happy my whole life. I want to be happy." Alister froze; those words were spoken before, but not by her. He hugged her tighter.
"Go, don't go through with it, live your own life." he was still stroking her hair when she looked up from his shoulder and smiled knowing exactly what she had to do.
…Elsewhere…
"It is funny." Acruz said answering a question that had not yet been asked.
"What?" Genevieve answered, fiddling with her hair catching a peek of his gorgeous face from the mirror when he wasn't looking. They were in a powder room near the doors to the garden where the morbid festivities were being held not sixty yards from the edge of the forest of Eaton.
"How in three short days you have grown so close you and your sister," Acruz hissed gently taking her midnight hair and brushing it softly, her eyes closing and her head tilted back in secret wanting before she got a grip on herself and went back to fiddling with the frill of her dress.
"Already you find yourself mind numbingly desiring what she has, that you yourself do not already possess." he said looking at her looking at him from the mirror. She blinked hard, feeling her own eyelashes on her cheek as her mind cleared.
"You speak as if you are some third person indifferent bystander. But I believe it is you only moments from your wedding, who is speaking from desire rather than omniscience." he looked down; she saw weakness so she continued. "Let me tell you something, desire is poison. It infects your soul and makes the sense God gave a green apple run away faster than I'm sure your bride-to-be is about to."
"You don't understand." he chided.
"Then make me understand." she demanded turning to face him.
"There is no other choice." he conveyed sitting down
"There is no gun to your head, nor is there poison in your champagne may you refuse her hand, if you wish not to marry my sister than simply say "I don't"." she blazed standing up and walking out, but turned as she reached the door.
"I remember a great man once said he wished he lived in my world, well in my world we don't marry people we hardly know to keep 'the invisible peace'" she preached.
"And what do you think of this man?" he asked looking at her like never before, like an equal, a friend, there was no sarcasm in his tone, nor hatred on his face.
"I don't know yet, he hasn't shown me what he can do, what he can become." she inflicted holding out a hand, his ring in her palm. He smiled and took the hand.
"Genevieve, I'm sorry I held my side of the bargain, but horrible things will happen if I don't do this." he proclaimed and walked past her. He took the ring and left something else in her hand, the light burned into her eyes from the door opening to the garden. She shook her head as the best and worst man she had ever known went to take his place. She opened her hand to see her ring, but there was something different about it, she picked it up and put it on her pinky.
"So be it. Your funeral" she brayed.
"Yes it is." Acruz answered so softly that she couldn't have possibly heard him. She walked out into the main hall as Joshua, Therius and Alister and Peter walked in from the stables. They included Peter and not me? What am I, less important than Peter? That's like being less important than Bakura, it just isn't possible.
"Guys" she called.
"Miss. Genevieve," Joshua greeted his eyes red from crying.
"Oh Joshua," she cooed. She felt sorry for him, this was probably going to be the worst day of his life.
"I'm fine, really, I just need a minute." he faltered, biting his lip, breathed in sharply.
"Do your worst," she leveled.
"I don't understand." he bumbled.
"Whatever you guys are planning, do it, go through with it, sink the bastard." she declared hatefully, turning the ring burning hot ring on her finger. He understood and a broad smile draped across his face. For a moment, she was angry. How dare they not include her in this plan, but then she figured, she was the only one Acruz could easily read, making her mind unsafe to hold "plans to kill Acruz" like information.
"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about Genevieve." Therius said, walking past her to his sister.
"Genevieve!" Andria exclaimed. She ran down the stairs in her white lace wedding dress looking like the angel she was.
"Yes Andria." she spoke indifferently shooing, the now drooling, Joshua down the hall.
"I'm getting married!" she cried running and hugging her.
"I know. It hard to believe," she wasn't crying she looked, happy, her smile was genuine and her hands weren't shaking.
"Andria." her smile was contagious.
"Are you okay?" Gen asked stupidly.
"Sister I couldn't be better; this is such a joyous day." she stared in insuppressible horror as she realized she wasn't kidding, or was the best actress Gen had ever encountered.
"Ready?" Therius questioned locking arms with Gen and smiling at Andria. He gave her arm a squeeze.
"Little sister you look gorgeous." h
e whispered kissing her forehead.
"You don't look so bad yourself." she commented as the music started to hell. Henry walked down the hall, and hugged her holding her shoulders to examine her. He wiped the tears from his daughter's eyes as men opened the doors to the garden making it impossible to see.
"Let's go." Gen said, her heart beating a thousand miles an hour as Andria stepped in front of her, she looked around Peter and Joshua where nowhere to be seen.
Chapter 19: Wedding Dash
This must be how it feels walking to the gallows. They all stood in neat rows. Charlotte sat in her chair of honor, in silent indifference. Peter sat in the 3rd row second seat, turned to face the two story mahogany doors, awaiting the festivities. Therius held out his elbow and she took it, trying to clear her head as her nerves and fear burned down her throat every time she swallowed. Genevieve was in the front, Therius at her side, she knew Akadia was different in matter but she hadn't a clue that the Wedding procedure was completely different. If only I hadn't been unconscious for the rehearsal I would know what was supposed to happen, so when it doesn't I can plan. But no, I have to be a royal ditz and fall off my horse like an idiot. Not that it mattered all too much if they all went to six hundred rehearsals.
No one in the gathering was truly prepared for any one of them to die. Alister was behind her, Paige at his side. Therius squeezed her arm and she flinched, she had hardly noticed his presence and was not quite ready to be touched. She looked forward trying to concentrate on something less likely to cause attention to the fact she was swallowing every six seconds and noticeably shaking, the disgusting cawing of ravens made her look up. They covered every open surface in the distance, all the trees and the covered the sky. It was disturbing to her, so disturbing that she looked forward for the first time.
Unfortunately for her, she looked straight into Acruz's eyes, waiting at the altar. She was taken aback, taking a sharp inhale. It was unbearable and addicting all at the same time like being hit with a large gust of hot air. As it dries out her entire body with nauseating heat it filling your soul with warmth and completeness that cannot be compared to any other. Then once you are filled with love, you're shoved into the coldest place imaginable, such a gut wrenching cold. Then, when you can withstand no more torture, you take an inhale of neutral air, calming your frazzled senses, but also bringing you down to a numb low with you cannot be brought up from. She found herself blinking back tears of the worst sort.
He stared at her with a weak kind of indifference, the kind where you know, or at least desperately plead, that they wish to look at you, but refuse to. She was the one gawking at him for a change when Therius left her side and drifted to Acruz's left and left her, standing in front of him, unable to move or ever utter and silent plead. He finally stared at her, but this time, it was of silent recognition. He looked down and bobbed his head ever so slightly, bowing in his own way. A tiny smile turned his lips as he motioned to his right with his eyes. She breathed out, biting her lip and nodded a little too forthright as she walked past him bumping shoulders their fingers touched.
Unprotected contact, her mind hissed. A sharp electric current went up her arm and went through the path of her veins until in pumped into her heart and made her jerk forward as her eyes lit up a brilliant blue before going black and then slowly fading into green. She turned her head towards him, he hand was shaking and his eyes were blinking, their green color just beginning to fade back to blue. She took her spot in the line and kept snapping her fingers together, trying to get the feeling back into her arm and out of her pounding chest.
Alister passed by Acruz, their eyes met in silent recognition. She wished she could know what was happening and why they couldn't trust her with the specifics of the plan. She had this terrible wrenching pain in her gut as Andria got closer to Acruz. The revised "wedding song" was not at all what Earth uses. This one is a sad song what from the words that she can make out, are referring to a promise that lives inside us all. It's the most horrible thing in the world, watching fate unfold in front of you, knowing there isn't a thing you can do to stop it. This must be what it feels like to be Acruz all the time. They all knew someone wasn't going to make it out of this, even if whatever they were planning succeeds. Acruz will find a way to get whatever he wants, whatever that may be. It was all a matter of who took the first step that everyone wanted to take, who would be the first to speak what everyone thought, and who would be flying to the heavens by the end of the ceremony.
"How are you holding up?" Gen asked her sister telepathically. Andria reached her destination with a small curtsy. Her father unraveled his hand from her side her fingers slowly letting the fabric of his suit slip through. He lifted her veil and her face went from unsure, insecure and worry to cold confident blank stare in a fraction of a second. He kissed her forehead and took his place by his wife, the queen. Her eyes had not yet opened, she just stood facing the forest, eyes firmly shut and Genevieve wondered if she was about to run.
"Forgive me." Gen heard Andria's voice say, not exactly sure if she said it allowed in such a whisper that no one could hear it but the two of them or she had spoken to her telepathically. It wouldn't be smart to run when Acruz is right there, able to catch you. She turned to face her soon to be husband and flashed him a wry smile. He hesitated, not sure what to do with such a greeting.
"Catch!" she yelled, throwing her huge bouquet of daisies into the air, unraveling the ribbon and tying back her hair in a sing beat, as if the action was well practiced. She rubbed her fingers together and got into a sort of fighting stance that accommodated her large, but beautiful wedding dress. She ran for an opening between the spectators and the alter of flowers and a large oak.
"Get her! Bring her back to me!" Acruz yelled as he motioned to his guards who Genevieve hadn't seen before this very second. Now everyone was in a frenzy. Therius was by her side now, and Paige was nowhere to be seen. One guard grabbed Andria's arm, Genevieve tried to run to her but Therius held her arm tighter.
"Just wait." he whispered. Andria whipped around and socked him so hard in the face he fell to the ground. She slapped her hands together and they caught fire, blazing all over her palm but nowhere else. Another guard came at her and she palmed her hand in his direction as a snake of fire came from her hand and enveloped him in fire.
"Holy cow" Gen gasped in amazement at how much her own sister failed to mention she could do. Andria ran into the forest, hands still lit and Therius ran to follow. Genevieve turned around to look for Alister. When she finally laid eyes on the usually calm, cool and collected elf she was unhappily surprised to find him yelling at her father.
"Henry, where are your guards?" he screamed.
"I, uh, I called them off. I didn't want them to interfere with the elegance of the evening." Henry stuttered, glancing at his wife and then back to Alister. Alister looked insane; eyes where wide, red faced, with his finger shaking in the air as he bits his lip more than likely trying to hold in vile things from erupting from his mouth. When he finally found the will to walk past Henry he shook his head and turned, walking backwards towards her.
"How about now? Are they interfering with the scene now? As your daughter runs for her life are they ruining the ambiance? You're a stupid old man, Henry, and you will pay if she dies." Alister threatened. He turned as he came to where she stood.
"Come on, that'll keep him here just fine." Alister ordered, his face going back to its normal pale.
"What the hell is going on? Is this part of your plan?" Gen asked as he dragged her to follow him into the forest. She took one final look at the wedding scene. Her father sat down in his chair, his head in his hands. The seats where all filled with upper-class woman fanning themselves, all except for one, the third row second seat was empty. Peter, where the heck is he? She looked everywhere and to her displeasure she couldn't find anyone where they should be, including the groom. She heard a scream and turned her head from the before and towards the after. She could fe
el the door. They were definitely close to it. Andria was facing them. Hands still lit like the Fourth of July and very much rearing to go. Therius's eyes scanned the surroundings, looking for something or someone, when he came back into focus unsuccessful he motioned for his sister to run.
"Andria, you need to leave! Go now!" he yelled, pointing in the direction of the pulsing energy, or as Genevieve guessed, the door.
"No, this has to end, it has to end now!" she screamed dirt covered tears running down her face as she sobbed her response.
"Andria, go to the portal, Joshua and Peter will take care of you from there. This isn't smart to stay in one place. We will take care of Acruz, just go." Alister told her, trying to appear to her side of reason. Too bad Andria's side of reason had run away with her flight reflex. She didn't look like she was going anywhere, she looked, if anything, more intent on kicking some major bleach blonde butt than before Alister started babbling.
