Finally, the long awaited day had come.Zane’s father held his wife as she cried openly in his arms.She sobbed, overjoyed.
“You need to get yourself together Jasmine.”Arrio pulled her from him and held her at arm’s length.He looked at her, adored her, his wife of a thousand years.“The wedding is less than a half an hour away.”
Arrio looked grand, intimidating, stately.He donned king’s clothing and chains of gold hung from his neck and shoulders.His long, silky black hair hung to just below his shoulders.His features were sharp, his eyes a shade of gray that glittered like pale mercury.Jasmine smiled, her round face dimpling.Arrio wiped the tears from her eyes.As he led her to the door, the full, heavy taffeta skirts of her pale green dress rustled over petticoats.
Zane stood at the alter of the huge cathedral.There must have been eight hundred vampires filling the seats, all dressed in the finest clothing.Diamonds and rare gems glittered in the light from the chandeliers that trickled with a million prisms.This day, this long awaited day, was here at last.
Zane, contrary to his mother’s strong disagreement of his choice of clothing, was wearing his usual style of modern gothic dress.His jacket was bedecked with leather straps and heavy black metal buckles. A few silver chains of various sizes hung from his studded belt and black skinny pants, which led to his heavy, mean looking boots.A spiked leather bracelet adorned one of his wrists and the shirt he had on underneath was made of heavy silk and zipped up to this chin. Yet, he looked positively radiant as he waited patiently for the music to start, the music that would usher his bride to him.
The large pipe organ sounded, the first few notes solo and haunting.Then with an eruption so magnificent that it moved every vampire in the cathedral nearly to tears, the wedding march laced with many harmonizing notes began.
Bree emerged from the large arched doors.Everyone turned to see her.She stood shyly before she moved slowly forward, melting at the sight of Zane.He looked more empowered than ever.
When Zane first saw Bree, a single tear fell from his eye.She was so beautiful, more so than he could have ever imagined.Her dress was soft and white and it trailed behind her gently. There were flowers in her long, wavy deep brown hair. Her hair was over one shoulder, gracefully cascading down the front of her body to her waist.And her face, so sweet, so rosy… so breathtaking in its timidity. Zane could scent her blood as she approached.It smelled more delicious than ever.
When Bree met Zane, he took her by the hand and at arm’s length, swept her up the wide steps that led to the alter.
And they were wed.
Before Zane kissed Bree, he beheld her with his eyes.They were silvery and pale.Bree had never seen them this way before. She gazed up at him. She was the lovely human woman who was now the Vampire Zane’s wife.With his pale hand Zane brushed Bree’s beautiful hair aside to reveal her neck.The leather of his jacket creaked and the chains that hung from his belt tinkled when he moved.He closed the gap between them, their noses were nearly touching.Bree trembled as Zane leaned in to kiss her.Then, as his mouth trailed down her neck, nipping at her soft, smooth young flesh, the cathedral full of vampires looked on to see what would happen next.It appeared as if he was going to bite her.But instead, he whispered into her neck that that would come later.She sighed and became weak as his cool breath tickled her neck.
As Zane and Bree marched down the isle and toward the doors exiting the cathedral, the place erupted into a chorus of cheers and the joyous sound echoed off of the lofty arches of the ornate ceiling.Jasmine was weeping heavily into Arrio’s chest, his arms were around her.As Zane passed her, he called to her.She looked up, her eyes red but dry.He smiled wide and once again, she sobbed with joy.Arrio smiled a grand smile and for once he dropped his aloofness in the presence of others besides his family.
The feast was amazing.There was such a fine array of gourmet foods and drink and that Bree’s head spun.Then, they entered the huge ballroom which was gilded with gold everywhere, the walls bedecked with narrow, high mirrors framed by golden, thick crushed velvet curtains held back by ropes made of pure gold.Bree marveled at all of this wealth.Zane laughed softly in her ear, telling her that it took a full millennium to acquire it. “And now, my love, it is yours too.”
They danced and danced for hours.The ballroom was a sea of twirling couples, swaying to the haunting music of the orchestra.They all fell in unison with each other, creating a vibe so strong that Bree was overcome by it.Zane gently prodded her in the direction he wanted her to go, one hand in hers and the other on her chiffon clad waist.He twirled her along with him, sweeping her away into the crowd.She looked up at him with adoration, he looked down at her somewhat aloofly, but she knew that it meant nothing bad.It was just Zane being Zane.
Eventually, the mass of vampires moved to the walls for Zane and Bree to dance alone. Before the music began, Zane produced a necklace of fine pearls and put it around Bree’s neck, lifting her hair to fasten it.She let her head fall to the side and he bent his head down so that his mouth met her neck.He then pulled away and lifted Bree’s hand to hold it at arm’s length.She looked up at him.As the haunting music began, he swept her away and across the golden marble floor.The train of her dress was hooked to one of her wrists and it along with her long, trailing sleeves flowed out from her like a wispy mist swirling up from a lake in the early morning before the sun rose and burnt it away.
After everything was finished, and all of the vampires had had their fill of wine and fine food and goblets of blood, Zane led Bree out of the ballroom and down a wide set of stone stairs that led to a darker place.“Where are you taking me?”Bree sounded nervous.
Zane placed his hand on her shoulder.“Do not be worried.This is the tunnel that leads in the direction of my resort.”Zane never told Bree that he had had slaves prepare it for him, nor that he had killed them when they were finished.It was too risky for any human that knew the resort’s whereabouts to remain alive.Zane disposed of them quickly, he did not make them suffer too much.It was their reward for having done a good job.“The tunnel is long.I can carry you if you become tired.”
Bree looked around her as they reached the bottom of the stairs. The tunnel was large and arched and the ceiling of it was carved with intricate art.Gothic style pillars and arches branches out from the walls.Periodically there were floor posts and they were topped with great cauldrons of fire to light the way.Bree’s dress took on the orange glow and Zane’s face, although still much paler than her own, also seemed less harsh.There were many shadowy places and when Zane noticed Bree looking about nervously, he drew her near.“Nothing can harm you as long as you are with me.Nothing lives in this passage.It is forbidden, and anyone that ventures down here -.”
“- is killed.” Bree finished his sentence for him.She looked suddenly somber.Zane saw her face and stopped her.
“Bree, just because I am your husband now doesn’t change the fact that I am still a vampire.You cannot change me just because you are my wife.You do not understand my feelings toward any human besides you, nor will you ever.” He turned her to face him, his hands remaining on her shoulders as he looked directly into her eyes. “I eat people like you.It is how I survive.How I treat my slaves is not for you to get concerned with. Like I said before, everything I own is also yours, except for my slaves. Their purpose is to serve us and that is all you need to be worried about.”
Bree thought she sensed irritation in Zane’s voice.“I’m sorry Zane.”
Zane pulled Bree to him and ran his hands down her back.“You wore flowers in your hair instead of a veil.It is nice touch and I’m sure will be quite tasty.I see you haven’t forgotten how I like to snack on flowers.”
“How could I forget?”She remembered that night in the park with the yellow rose.Then she felt a tugging on her hair as Zane wrapped his mouth around one of the roses and began to chew it.He jerked it away then and Bree flinched as it pulled some of her hair with it.A few of the petals escaped Zane’s mouth as he devoured the pink rose.He then smiled wide. “Come on, we should not be wasting time. There is still one more part of the curse to be appeased.”Bree knew what he meant.As she thought about it, she felt nervous, excited, afraid, unsure of what to expect, aroused, weak with desire…. Tonight they would begin to try and conceive the baby that would end the curse, once and for all.
