Wedding of the Dead

Chapter 14: Party Crashers

Celeste and Lucas peered out from where they were now standing - which so happened to be the hearth of the parlor room.

"Stay here," Lucas whispered, "I want to make sure it's safe."

Celeste wanted to argue, but knew he was right; the hearth had walls on either side of it, which was small enough for someone to hide behind. If the spell - or their movements - alerted anyone of their presence, they could easily have the upper hand. Lucas slipped from Celeste's grasp, turning toward the room that rested before them. He took tentative steps - resting a hand on the side and ducking his head to peer out. He took a few more steps, his dark opaque eyes taking in everything around him before he nodded.

The smile Celeste knew so well was back on his face as he offered his hand out to help her from the ashes, "We're in the clear."

"I wish I could say the same for our clothing," Celeste took his hand as she crawled out of the hearth.

Lucas chuckled, looking down at the state of his clothing. Ashes covered the shoulders of his jacket and bottoms of his pants while soot remained on his hands and touched a few parts on his face - specifically his nose. He reached up and took a handkerchief out of his pocket, wiping his skin and bones of soot as well as brushing it from his shoulders - ignoring the pants entirely. Celeste took the handkerchief from him and proceeded to wipe the remainder from his face.

"Thank you, but you missed a spot," Lucas stole the cloth back, wiping at her brow before dusting off her bare shoulders where some of the ash had gathered as well before tucking it back into his pocket and taking her hands, noticing some of the ashes had speckled on the flowers of her bouquet as well, "though, it seems I may not be able to get everything."

"It's alright," Celeste looked down at the flowers and to the dress she wore, the ashes mottling parts of her bodice and skirts before soaking into the hem - the mixture surprisingly beautifully with the cream and blue colors, "besides, I think it adds a bit of color to it."

Lucas clicked his tongue in thought, "Perhaps... but when we get back, I promise I'll get you a new one - a nicer one not coated in ashes for you to wear for the rest of our eternity."

'Rest of our eternity...' the words struck a chord within her, making her body quiver in excitement.

While Celeste was lost in thought, Lucas took a look around the room they found themselves in, curiously asking, "This is... the parlor we were in last night, correct?"

"I think so," Celeste caught up with him after a moment, looking around before turning her head toward Lucas, "How did you recognize this place as Sergius Hall?"

"It was hard to, last night," Lucas admitted, "This room used to be full of so much color - it was my mother's favorite in the entire manor."

"Really?"

"Yes... the double doors led to the back of the property, which allowed her to come and go from the gardens as she pleased. Oftentimes, when she was entertaining guests, I would hide in the thick velvet curtains and watch - however, this room is not the same it used to be. This room - this place - was once filled with happiness... so much so that you could feel it in the walls themselves. Laughter would echo down the long corridors for what seemed like an eternity, never ceasing, while sunlight poured in from the windows - brightening up everything in its wake..."

Lucas bowed his head with a frown, "Now it seems so dark... even with the curtains pulled open..."

Celeste gave Lucas' hand a squeeze, "I'm so sorry, I wish I had been here to see it in its former glory..."

"There's nothing to be sorry about," the corpse answered, "I should've realized this is what Isabelle would do shortly after my demise - even before we were married, on the few occasions I visited her in the townhouse she was staying in, she was cloaked consistently in darkness; it was as if she didn't know what real joy - real happiness - was."