A Prophecy Fulfilled

Chapter Eight

"I can't believe what's happened! Vincent asked me to marry him! I felt so sure of myself, until I came home. I want to marry him, I know that. Perhaps every bride is nervous. I'm glad that he asked when he did. Vincent was right when he said that our families wouldn't let the accident go unnoticed.

"Father came to my chamber door just minutes after I came through the window from our picnic. Our families have declared war. I was so surprised and angry. Vincent is nothing like what my father said his family is. Vincent said the same thing about me at our picnic this morning. Father expects me to fight with them. But how can I fight my husband's family? How will I explain my marriage to my mother and father? By this time tomorrow, I will be a wife.

"Regardless, I am sure of my decision to marry Vincent. He loves me as much as I love him. No matter what happens between our families, Vincent and I will find a way to be happy. I will be happy of the time we have to spend together. The one thing I am sure of is that I am ready to be a wife.

"The strangest thing happened at the picnic today. Well, maybe not strange, but I had one of the strangest feelings today. We kissed. The kiss wasn't bizarre, it was what happened afterward. As we kissed, I felt the weirdest sensation in the pit of my stomach. And I found myself thinking things I've never thought of before. I felt the softness of his skin, muscle tone. For the first time in my life, I desired him. When we pulled away, I saw a strange look in his eyes, so I don't think I was the only one of us who thought of it. I'm pretty sure that Vincent wanted me, too.

"I may or may not write in here again. I'm sure I won't. I don't know what the future will hold for Vincent and I. So I will say farewell. To this writing and to the life I've always known."

Andromeda locked her diary in the desk drawer. Her robe from the Midnight Ball was safely hidden beneath the loose floorboard. Now to find a token to exchange at the ceremony. It was tradition for each member to exchange a token of significance as a sign of their love and fidelity. Andromeda looked around, unsure of what would be fitting for this occasion. Then an idea came to her. When she was a child, she carried a handkerchief, embroidered with violets and roses around the edges. And if she started now, she could sew his name into the fabric. Andromeda grinned at the thought, and picked up her needle and thread.

Vincent walked around the room quickly gathering up what he would need. He folded the robe and slipped it snuggly under his pillow, and hoped that no one would notice anything. There was a firm knock on the door. As he opened the door, he was surprised to see his father at the entrance.

"Father, is everything alright?" Vincent knew that for his father to come to the door, something was dreadfully wrong. His father hadn't come to his compartment in a fatherly gesture since Vincent was a small child.

"War." Stephen answered simply.

"What?!"

"We've declared war. We fight the Luminar coven in two days. Ready yourself." With no further words, King Stephen stormed down the hall. The terseness of his father's words stunned him. Vincent's thoughts were much the same as Andromeda's had been. Before his thoughts could go any further, there was another knock at the door.

"Why is it that any time we meet lately, it's almost always in here?" Lorenzo asked as soon as Vincent let him through the door.

"I've been awfully busy lately. I don't have a lot of spare time to just go around where I want to, you know."

"Seems to me like you've been making enough spare time to see Andromeda Luminar, lately. How are things going between you two, anyway?"

"We're getting married." Vincent informed him. Lorenzo was silent for five minutes while digesting this. Vincent nearly jumped when he spoke again.

"WHAT! YOU ARE NOT!"

"Will you be quiet? Do you want to get me into trouble? I'm anxious enough as it is. And yes, we are getting married."

"When in the hell did you decide this?" Lorenzo demanded.

"I proposed at the picnic we had this morning. She said yes."

"When?"

"Tonight."

"Oh, good God. What made you decide to marry her?"

"Nothing really made me decide to marry her. But I love her, she loves me, and if we keep meeting like we have been, we'll eventually be caught."

"You're bound to be caught now if you marry her, Vince." Lorenzo pointed out.

"If it hadn't been for your little stunt the other night, I probably wouldn't have proposed so soon. But we both knew our parents wouldn't accept our being together, and we feel that just because our parents hate each other doesn't mean that we don't care for one another."

There was a hurt look on Lorenzo's face. Vincent rarely snapped at him like he just did. Vincent turned to see the injured expression.

"I'm sorry, Lorenzo. I didn't mean to snap at you like that. I've never been so excited and anxious in my life. And with the war coming up-

"What war?" Lorenzo asked.

"You have to tell my mother and father what happened the other night. If you don't, we're going to war over it in two days."

"I can't."

"And why is that? I don't exactly feel like fighting against Andromeda's family just days after our marriage, Lorenzo."

"Even if I tried to tell them, they wouldn't listen to me. You of all people should understand that. Not when it comes to something like fighting against the Luminars."

"You have to try, Lorenzo, please." Vincent pleaded.

Lorenzo took a deep breath. "Okay. I'll try."

"Thank you."

"If this works, you owe me, big time." Lorenzo commented.

"If this works, you can be glad that nobody has to die over something that shouldn't have caused a fight in the first place." Vincent shot back.

Lorenzo went to find King Stephen, hoping that Vincent's father was in a mood to listen. As soon as he found him, he immediately wished that he had gone to talk to Vincent's mother about it instead. Stephen had always been intimidating to Lorenzo for a reason he didn't understand. As Lorenzo had thought, Stephen was not in the mood to listen to anything unless it had to do with preparations for the battle. He returned to Vincent's compartments to tell him he had failed, but when he arrived Vincent had vanished.

Vincent continued to prepare to leave for the wedding. The gravity of his decision now weighed heavily on him. Vincent wanted it, but he wondered what their lives together would be like. How would he tell his parents he was married to their enemy's daughter? Most importantly, how could he, with good conscience, do battle with his bride's family?

For the moment, Vincent put the thoughts from his mind. Lorenzo had just left to talk to his parents about what had happened, so he would leave it in Lorenzo's hands. For now, the most pressing issue was what to give Andromeda as a marital token? It was customary that the groom present his bride with a ring, as well as another small token to show her his commitment. A ring was not possible due to the urgency of the situation. Vincent decided to go to the silversmith's shop and pick out an elegant but small chain Andromeda could wear around her neck. What else could he give her? Most families in the area had crests. The Blacks most certainly had. A red triangular shield, on which there was the head of a grey wolf, its eyes gleaming yellow. The token itself would be simple, but he knew that Andromeda's token would be much the same in these circumstances. He too would present her with a handkerchief, the family crest sewn onto it. Placing the handkerchief with his robe, he walked through the halls in a calm manner. Within an hour, Vincent purchased a chain, and was home again to continue waiting. He was away purchasing the chain when Lorenzo had returned to tell him the bad news.