My Angel of Music

Wedding Day

My heart was beating out of it's chest on the way to Erik's home.  We were both sitting quietly in the carriage, staring out the windows dreamily.  We had left the inn about an hour previous so we still had about an hour to go.  But I didn't mind.  I rather enjoyed dreaming about mine and Erik's life together.  The names of our children, how many cats we would have, and of course his vows to me on our wedding night.

I had been thinking about my own vows all night.  I just couldn't describe my love for him in words.  I could never hope to be a poet like him!  I was sure he would have beautiful vows to share with me tonight.  I wondered where he was taking me for our wedding.  The beach?  A meadow?  A creek surrounded with moonlight?  I knew whatever it was it was bound to be amazing.

Erik was the first to break the silence that had loomed over us ever since we entered the carriage.  "Is something wrong, Christine?"  He inquired.  I shook my head and took his hand.  "No.  Everything is perfect, my love."  I whispered, smiling.  He smiled back and tried to think of a way to start a conversation but I beat him to it.

"So you really won't tell me where my own wedding is to be held?"  I teased, stroking his arm.  He replied with a chuckle and a caress to my jaw.  I sighed and looked at my feet which were adorned with the most elegant shoes I had ever seen!  "Thank you for these wonderful shoes, darling.  Where ever did you get them?"  I tried to get him talking.  "I ordered them a long time ago from a seamstress in Norhtern Paris."  He answered.  "They are truly lovely.  I cannot express my gratitude for all these fine things."  I said, planting a kiss on his cheek in thanks.

"My dear, you only have three dresses at the moment.  I hardly call that "fine".  But I promise that we will go into the village and buy you everything you desire.  If you wished for the moon, I would gladly retrieve it for you."  He sighed and looked back out the window.

"If we lived in the gutter with nothing to our name, I would still be the happiest woman in the world."  I argued while rubbing his shoulder gently.  Erik turned to me and kissed my forehead.  "I am so lucky."  He muttered before once again looking out the blasted window.  "Erik, are you alright?  You seem quiet."  I asked.  "Yes.  I am just......nervous."  He confessed.  I gasped jokingly.  "The Phantom of the Opera, nervous?  It cannot be!"  I laughed but my features turned serious.  "Darling, what are you nervous about?  It's not like anyone is watching."  I pulled his hand to my cheek and stroked it lovingly.

"I know, my dear.  I have no reason to be nervous.  Forgive me."  He kissed my hand and started a conversation about the butterflies that fly to his gardens in the Spring.

We stopped so the horses could eat a few minutes later so Erik and I walked to a nearby bakery for a croissant.  The bakery was empty save for one beggar who Erik gladly gave a coin to.  I smiled at him lovingly when he did so.  How lucky could a woman be?  I was soon to be married to this amazing man!  Why did God decide to bless me, so?  What had I done to deserve such happiness?

I did not know.  But one thing was for sure, I was not going to complain!  

We shared the croissant in silence, only exchanging our delight at the food we consumed.  We stood to leave when we were finished and the beggar ran straight into Erik.  His mask flew off of his face and hit the ground with a thud.  The man saw his twisted flesh before he could cover it with his hand.   The beggar started to shake with disgust and I shook with fury.  "You disgusting piece of filth, crawl back to the gutter that you came from!  The rats cannot look upon your face without falling over and dying, how do you expect me to not do so as well?"  He yelled, spit spewing in Erik' face.

I stepped in between the men before there was a fight.  My hand found it's way to the beggars face.  I left a red welt on his cheek.  "How dare you!  How dare you!  You.....You trash!  You do not deserve to wash my husbands feet much less insult him!  Do you know who we are?  We could have you arrested in the blink of an eye, but lucky for you my husband is a forgiving, sweet man.  He is ten times the man you could ever hope to be!  Now run along you repulsive begger!  Before I kill you myself!"  I screamed at him, my rage letting loose on this insulting vermin.

He gathered his can of money and fled, only looking back when safely outside the bakery.  My body shook and tears flowed down my face.  I was in a daze of rage while Erik calmly led me to the carriage.  He had to lift me into the carriage because I couldn't even walk up the steps.  Once safely inside the vehicle I collapsed into Erik's lap and let my sobs loose.

He gathered me in his arms and tenderly stroked my hair.  "It is alright, Christine.  This is normal.  You must get used to it."  He whispered in my ear.  But that only made it worse.  Used to it?  How could I get used to someone calling my husband (well soon to be husband) trash when they looked at his face?  I couldn't!  I wouldn't!

"No!  No!  I will not get used to it!  I will not let anyone say things like that to you without punishment!  I sobbed my promise.  "Okay, my love.  Okay."  

***

My tears had long since stopped and been replaced with excitement when the carriage finally stopped.  We were there!  I was about to get married.....I didn't know what to think.  I just knew that was happy.  That's all that mattered right?

Erik helped me out of the carriage and my shoe met with a grassy terrain.  The sun shone in my eyes which blinded me for a moment but when my sight returned I gasped with delight.  What I saw before me was more beautiful than the rolling waves of the ocean, prettier than any sunset I had ever seen.  I saw a grassy meadow filled with new green grass, reaching my ankles and tickiling my feet.  Further into the field stood several tall trees covered in moss from head to toe.  They loomed over a clear gurgling spring wich flowed into a large stream, which provided perfect swimming enviorments for children.

"How could I expect any less...."  I muttered in awe.  Erik chuckled and told the coach man to drive the carriaage away-we would walk the way home when we were done here.  

He took my elbow and led me to the stream, sitting me on a rock.  "Christine, is this the place you wish to marry me?  Because we can go anywhere you-"  He started but I cut him off. "I love it here.  This is perfect."  I whispered before kissing his temple, then his jaw, his cheek, his eyelids, his forehead, and his lips.  He stood up and smiled, offering his hand.  I took it gladly and stood up with him.  

The sun was setting and the moon began to reflect off of the clear stream.  Erik took my hands in his and looked into my eyes.  I felt the cool wind whirl around me and tausle my hair softly.  He touched his fingertips to my cheek and began.

"Christine Daae.  I, Erik Destler promise to love you with all the power of my soul for the rest of my life.  I want to share with you one love, one lifetime, forever, until my heart stops beating.  Even then I will beg God to let me love you just one more day.  I promise to be there for you when you need me and come running when you call.  I take you, Christine, to be my wife.  To have and to hold, through sickness and through health, til death do us part."  He said confidently, making a tear form in the corner of my eye.

"I Christine Daee, promise to love you for all eternity.  And to do everything in my power to make you happy.  Our souls were meant to be together and I promise to make sure that they are.  I live to serve you and I will do so until my last dying breath.  I take you, Erik Destler, to be my husband.  To have and to hold, through sickness and through health, til God Himself parts us."  I mustered all of my love and poured it into that one confession, that one paragraph.

"You may now kiss the bride."  I whispered before I felt Erik's warm lips on mine, sweetly moving together as one, becoming one person, one being.  We pulled back, a smile playing on both of lips.  Erik scooped me into his arms and twirled me around like always when we were both happy.  I laughed and so did he.  A sound that filled my heart with joy for it was so rare.

"Take me home, husband."  I whispered before diving in for yet another kiss.