The Wedding

[Mira Nightingale]

A crowd was milling about in the chapel, talking, smiling, and congratulating the parents and the husband-to-be of the young woman in the next room. The crowd was all nobility- people wearing layers of silk, lace, and frock coats with glistening golden buttons. Everyone was dressed in their best, waiting for the ceremony that would tie two people together forever to begin. There was going to be a large reception, ball, and feast back at Lord Bryant’s home, and everyone was excited to see his large manor. Everyone except one person, that was.

That one girl was standing in a room in the back of the church, her blood red hair done up on top of her head in several ornate, braided twists. An ivory comb studded with real emeralds was placed delicately into her hair, and the traditional white wedding veil was attached to that comb, falling halfway down her back. She was wearing white as well, and that white dress signified her as the bride, the woman whose day this was. Today was supposed to be her dream day. Instead, it was her worst nightmare.

Turning and facing the full-length mirror in the room, Mira studied herself. If she was marrying anyone else she’d be happy, but she just couldn’t force a smile to her face or take away the pale tone her skin had turned. Lord Bryant was old enough to be her father, balding, fat, stubborn, snotty, pompous, prominent, and rich. Everything she didn’t want in a husband. He didn’t even need her disgustingly large dowry to add to his treasury and heaps of gold.

Licking suddenly dry lips that were painted just as much as her whole face was powdered and primped, she swallowed nervously. The crowd inside had quieted down, and the priest had started to speak. Soon, the music would start. Soon, she would leave the safety of this room and go forward to face her unwanted destiny. Soon…

[Mira Nightingale]

Soon enough it happened. The music started, and the solid oak doors to her room were slowly pulled open by footman. Swallowing nervously as the rustle of hundreds of people rising to their feet was heard; she lowered her veil in front of her face and clasped her hands tightly in front of her, around a small bouquet of roses and orchids.

Taking a shaky breath that was severely hindered by a corset; she stepped out of the room and started walking slowly, like she was taught, down the aisle. Eyes followed her every movement, but Mira forced herself to look forward at her father waiting barely five steps away. As she reached him, he took her arm and led her the rest of the way down the aisle in time to the music.

Every step brought her closer and closer to the man at the altar; closer and closer to the end of her freedom; closer and closer to her fears. Every step caused her breath to get shorter, her face hotter, and her hands more clammy. But then, it stopped. The music stopped and she halted quickly, trying hard not to stumble and appear graceful instead. They were there, at the altar. The bond that would tie her forever to the hideous man in front of her was about to take place.

[Mira Nightingale]

Letting go of her father’s arm, Mira stepped up onto the dais, turning her gaze toward the priest and trying to avoid contact with the eyes of the man beside her. There was nothing she could do. Two months had gone by since she had found out about this arranged marriage, and during those two months she had begged and pleaded to not marry Lord Bryant. Every attempt she had been cast down and sent away. Every thing she had tried to do had been a failure and now her life was as good as over.

Suddenly, she was jostled out of her thoughts as the priest started speaking, and she listened half heartedly. The words all jumbled together in her mind and made no sense, and even as she tried to focus on the words she felt sick, like she was going to faint. Maybe that’d be best, she realized with a suppressed smile, since then she wouldn’t have to bind herself for life to this pompous idiot.

Her pride was worth more than that, though, and so she stuck it out, concentrating completely on the words spoken even though they melted together into one long, monotone chain. Everyone in the audience seemed to be paying rapt attention, and Mira could even imagine the beaming looks of happiness on her parents’ faces. It was truly a shame she didn’t feel the same way.

“Lord William Oscar Bryant, please repeat after me.” the priest said, looking up from his book to peer at the fat man. Then he started talking, and the fat man repeated after him, agreeing to the marriage wholeheartidely with a strong proclamation of “I do.”

[Verdan]

(("If anyone has to say something as to why these two should not be married, speak now or forever hold their peace."

Say it.

Btw, can I join here?..))

[Mira Nightingale]

((Yep, go ahead. Once this is over it's PLOT TIME! Lol))

[Verdan]

A dark shadow slipped in thought the bustling crowd, unnoticed by these stupid, ignorant, pompous commoners. Or shall I say nobles. No matter. They were all stuck-up, rich, and most of all: helpless. They could not hope to withstand the powers of a mage if one arrived and had the desire to cause damage. The former thing had already occurred, but not the latter. Yet. Verdan would not miss Mira's wedding for anything. Plus, how else would he make a dramatic entrance and finally tell her everything?.. Yes, this would be perfect. All that was needed was for the priest, the only being in the room for whom Verdan had some respect (aside from his beloved, of course), to say the correct words and... He smiled inwardly. Nobody could have suspected that all these dreamy-soppy-romantic books would come to life, but here it was. The perfect opportunity. All that was needed was not to get noticed until the perfect moment. That was not a problem for even a beginner mage, especially among commoners.


((Make the priest say it!))

[Mira Nightingale]

After Lord Bryant had repeated his vows and accepted them, the priest turned to Mira. "Do you, Lady Mira Annabelle Nightingale, take Lord William Oscar Bryant, as your lawful husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, and to love and cherish until death do you part?" The old priest’s eyes pierced Mira’s own, and she wasn’t able to suppress a shiver.

Licking suddenly dry lips she turned her gaze upward to the priest, as thousands of thoughts whirled through her head; she tried to find her voice to say what she knew she had to say. Although she didn’t love this man, wasn’t attracted to him at all, and was actually rather repulsed by him, she knew that she couldn’t let down her mother and father and her brother Jason, whom she hadn’t seen for two years. Her marriage to Lord Bryant would increase her family’s status and wealth, and her parents had worked hard for this day.

“I… I do.” she managed to croak out after a long pause in which the audience had begun to shift restlessly. As she spoke those fateful words she could practically hear her mother breathing again, since she most likely had forgotten to in anticipation of Mira’s answer. But there was no going back now; she had just bound herself to this man… almost completely.

Turning her gaze back up at the priest again, he now addressed the audience. “If anyone has any protest as to why these two should not be joined forever in holy matrimony, please speak now or forever hold your peace.” The old man’s ancient gaze scanned across the crowd once again, and then for a long moment there was no sound. Then, deciding that no one was going to say anything, as was proper, he opened his mouth to speak again.

[Verdan]

((Wait for Verdan to get to know Mira's father in the other post. Then I'll have some fun here. Teehee.))

[Mira Nightingale]

((*grumble* Fine. Just don't have too much fun.))

[Verdan]

((Tee hee))

[Verdan]

The priest opened his mouth to speak, yet no sound came out. A dark figure separated itself from a wall and took several steps forward, into the light. Throwing his black hood down and exposing his face, Verdan spoke slowly, deliberately, seeing as the room was strangely, almost magically, silent. "I object..." he whispered. "What kind of blind, heartless, stupid, idiotic fool would allow for this marriage to happen? Can you idiots not see that Mira is about to throw up at the very sight of this tub of lard?" he asked, his voice crescendoing as he talked. By 'tub of lard' he obviously referred to Lord Bryant something-or-other. "And if anyone truly believes that she desires to be married to this giant Twinkie, let them speak, and I shall step down. However, no sane person would speak such an obscenity."

"Yes, daddy. 'Tis me. The big, bad mage. Whachagonna do?" he turned to Lance Nightingale. Taking several long strides to the altar, he offered his hand to Mira, as if saying "I shall save you!" Aloud, however, he said something slightly different. "Come, Mira. Do you not agree with me? Do you really wish to marry him?" he asked, finally letting the final decision rest upon the young woman. If she accepts his hand, she will be defying all the people in the room, yet going with her heard. Refusing Verdan's hand would mean she betrays him, and most importantly herself. What will it be?

[Laura Summers]

(OOC I will take up the priests position)
It was a brilliant day for a wedding she went down to the church floor and stood in front of the couple she said the vow and let them repeat them then it came to the objections "This is House of God how dare you come here"Laura demanded "Guards,Guards arrest this Demon and the bride to be" Guards came into the church and charged up to the Alter with cuffs at the ready, as well as swords.

[Mira Nightingale]

((Oh god. She’s supposed to get married. Hmmmm… thinking about what I can do… and Laura, I’m sorry, but you can’t be the priest. The priest is my original character, and you would be essentially god moding by playing him. You can be another priest in attendance, though. This is a plot thread, so I just ask that you don’t arrest Verdan and go along with what’s happening…))

The vows never continued. Someone else was there. Tearing her eyes away from the altar and the priest she saw someone she had never expected to see. Verdan. Her heart leapt as he said that he objected, but at the same time she blinked rapidly to make the tears go away. Beside her, Lord Bryant stiffened visibly at the bristling insults directed his way, but didn’t open his mouth. He was kneeling before God and would not retort. Neither, in that sense, could Mira.

Then, the worst possible scenario occurred. Verdan offered her his hand as her father’s chair was pulled back and the priest stepped away in hesitation, motioning for another priest to go get the guards. A heathen was in their church. Nonetheless, Mira wanted to accept his hand and flee as far away as possible. But then she would be betraying everyone that she knew, and pandemonium would most definitely ensue. These two months had been spent building up her courage and resolve, and she had been finally at a tentative peace with her life’s course. Verdan had just shattered that peace.

Looking from his hand to his face through the veil over hers, she blinked away a few tears that had started to form against her will. “I-I’ve said my vows.” she told him, eyes downcast, and her voice barely above a whisper. “I… I am betrothed to Lord Bryant. I… cannot leave.” Even though she was looking down she could imagine the expression spreading across Verdan’s face. An expression or horror and betrayal, and it was a knife to her heart. “I’m so, so sorry.” she added even quieter, so even Lord Bryant beside her would not be able to hear. Raising her eyes ever so slightly she looked back up at Verdan, dreading the wedding even more, and knowing that she had most likely lost him.

[Verdan]

"Vows?! What are vows but empty words?! They mean nothing, especially coming from someone who is saying them against their will!! Mira, you do not want for this marriage to happen. You know what as well as I do."

The guards were quickly approaching. With a dismissive wave of his free hand, Verdan sent the closest ones flying back with a force that could not be expected from someone seemingly as frail as the mage. The guards smashed into the ones behind them with a deafening clatter of big, clumsy armor, all of them landing in a haphazard pile, frantically trying to throw each other off to get at the intrusive mage.

"Vows are not made to hold. Laws are meant to be broken. If you stay here, your life shall be one of misery, always being constricted by walls, endless weaving, and I almost forgot the best part: kids. With that blubberball." he added, nodding at Lord Bryant. "Now, what do you say?" He held out his hand once more. "This is your only chance. I don't even care about me, but you're dooming yourself!!"

[Mira Nightingale]

“Verdan…” Mira started, wincing as a guard flew away and hit the wall. She hadn’t realized he was that strong. Sending people flying took a lot more strength than making a pebble float about. Knowing that she hadn’t much time, she raised a hand a bare centimeter as if to reach out to Verdan, but that hand was caught by Lord Bryant’s. Her gesture wasn’t even noticeable.

And then before Verdan’s very eyes, the ring was slipped onto her finger and another was pressed into her hand. Blindly, not really knowing what she was doing, she slid the second ring onto the chubby finger of Lord Bryant. The priest stammered the final vows as fast as he could, as a few more guards surrounded Verdan and Lance headed up the aisle toward the mage.

Mira took a step away from Lord Bryant and turned once more to look at Verdan, possibly to reach his hand and leave, but then the priest stammered something else and a fat face came down on hers, rubber lips down on hers. From anyone else’s point of view, it looked like a completely willing action on both parties. The wedding was officially sealed. Verdan was too late.