Anna smoothed a wrinkle out of her exquisite white gown one last time before giving her brother, Harley, a nervous smile and taking his arm. "You look beautiful, don't worry." He reassured her.
"It's not that," she responded, "I just, I'm nervous. All those people out there, scrutinizing the most amazing moment of my life.. Am I even doing the right thing? And what about the foretelling? How can we be sure it didn't mean me?" She looked frightened, hanging her head and allowing her black curls to hide her jade green eyes.
"You will be just fine, don't worry. The foretelling was talking about me anyway, that's why I don't have a lady yet." He smiled gently, Anna nodded, still unsure, and they walked out the double doors and started down the aisle. Right on cue, the band started playing a rather unorthodox wedding march. Anna just smiled, she only had eyes for her husband-to-be, Nick, and he was only looking at her.
It seemed as though they were the only two in the room, and suddenly, she wasn't nervous anymore. She payed no attention to the jealous gasps from her friends in the pews, or all the stares. However, she couldn't help but notice the nervous, worried looks on her parents faces. Again she wondered if she was doing the right thing.
They reached the altar, and Harley begrudgingly handed his baby sister over to Nick. They said their vows, and agreed to the 'Till death do us part' promise, exchanged rings, and said their 'I do's', but just after they sealed it with a kiss, all the lights went out. A draft filled the sanctuary, and small children whimpered and clung to their mothers skirts.
A deep, rough voice filled the small room, sending shivers down Anna's spine. She dreaded what she knew was to come. "The eldest Lockheart child shall not be wed in their first life, lest a terrible evil befall them. This is the way it has been for generations, but thou hast broken the treaty between this ancient family and the world beyond. We require the bride in order to spare the others."
Anna looked frantically at her parents, who's eyes were wide with sorrow and fear and regret. "I thought it didn't mean me. I thought you said I was safe!" She said to her parents, vying for an explanation. They looked at each other and then her mother responded "Hon, we thought you were safe. We thought we'd found a loophole. But.. Harley's adopted. We shouldn't have let this happen, I'm so sorry, baby girl."
Anna's eyes grew wide, and she looked to her father, hoping he would say that she was wrong. But he only nodded. "Time's running out, little one. Make your choice. You... Or them." Anna turned to Nick and said "I'm so sorry, Nick. I should have told you about all this, but I didn't want you to worry. I have to go with him, to protect you and everyone else."
Nick looked distraught. "I'm not going to try and stop you, if it was me, I'd do the same thing. But just know, I did marry you, I do love you, and I will wait for you. Till death do us part, right?" Tears welled in his eyes as he pulled Anna close one last time. "Till death do us part." She whispered, and disappeared in a wisp of black smoke.
