Dracula's Groom

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE: Wedding Black Out

Nathan

The big day was finally upon us as I said goodbye to my last sunrise. In a separate bedroom overlooking the palace grounds, my suit for the wedding hanged above a mirror in the corner. Then came a knock at the door. I turned away from the window slowly and went to go see who it was. A servant girl, Sarah, I believe her name was handed me a red velvet box with an envelope addressed to me in fine, black ink. I told her thanks and shut the door once more as I went to a nearby chair and sat down, placing the box in my lap and opened the hand-written letter from Dracula.

Dearest Nathan,

By now I'm sure you have received the box containing your wedding present as a sincere token of my undying love for you. Because for tonight, our hearts will beat as one for all eternity. Meet you at the altar, baby.

Love, Dracula

With the letter placed aside, I opened the box and was taken back by the piece of jewelry that dangled from a little silver chain. A vial enclosed with blood seemed to pulse with vitality behind the tempered glass. I carefully slipped it around my neck and centered it on my chest before getting up and walking over to the mirror. My suit laid freshly pressed and fitted according to my current body size. I took it apart piece by piece as I got dressed and stared at my own reflection.

Out in the hall, soft music drifted up the grand staircase making me more nervous with each step that I took. You can do this, Nathan, I said to myself. But could I? Sure I loved him. I was crazy about him since the very beginning. Why now am I suddenly nervous about our wedding? Is it because he's planning on turning me tonight? My thoughts quickly filled my head as I winced at the first sign of a headache coming on. No! I told myself calmly. I know I'm doing this for the right reasons. I'll just have to suck it up and get through this night alive.

The stairs seemed endless with every step that I took to the ground floor. Flowers ranging from roses to lilies lined the railings while a breathtaking bouquet sat in the center of the grand vestibule. Where the music got louder, a pair of doors slowly opened revealing a crowd of people standing to face me with smiles on their faces. I approached the aisle with a pounding heart and a shaky breath. My first step forward and I saw Dracula appear next to the priest.

Suddenly, the room around me became darker causing me to almost lose my footing in the process. A few people whispered, their eyes upon me no doubt believing whether I was drunk or on drugs. A kind guest grabbed ahold of me as I steadied myself and willed my composure to keep going. But it didn't end there. Nor, did it go away by the time I reached the altar. Standing in front of Dracula and the priest I felt sick and it didn't help that my brain was about to explode all over the floor at any moment.

With a puzzled look on his face, the priest asked that everyone be seated as he opened the bible and began to read.

"Good evening, tonight there will be no betrothed, no ancient rhyme of the married. Tonight there will be no dead language to solemnize vows that are very much alive and will remain so for eternity. Tonight promises become permanent and friends become family. However, this night is not about the words spoken or the rings exchanged. This night—the night of Nathan and Vlad's wedding—is about love."

My knees grew weak, my breath trembling. My eyes wildly looked around the room as if I were waiting for someone to save me. When that didn't work, the last thing I remember is a loud gasp and a scream as my sense of direction shifted and I fainted. Afterwards, I came to lying on a bed wearing my pajamas and an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach. I sat up, seeing a glass of water and a pain reliever sitting next to each other on the edge of the nightstand next to the bed with a note that said, "Swallow and Drink".