A Woman's Empire

X

CHAPTER TEN

The wedding came along quickly, just as fast as the sun would rise on a summer morning. Sipping on her cup of Jasmine tea that she had every morning, Audrielle stared out of the window. A million thoughts ran through her mind. What happens if she just ran away? Could she risk it all just for a small taste of freedom? Would she actually ever come around to the idea of an arranged marriage?

A knock on the door echoed around the room and placing the cup of tea carefully down on the saucer, Audrielle stood up and Maria walked in the room. With a large grin on her face, she pulled Audrielle into her open arms.

"My daughter is getting married today!" Mrs. Harrington exclaimed. Seconds later, over the shoulder of her mother, Audrielle saw a team of half a dozen or more walk in. The last thing that was pulled into the room was the wedding dress which hung delicately on the wooden coat hanger. The lace that covered the skirt flowed in the breezes like small waves rolling in the ocean. The tiny beads that were scattered all over the expensive dress captured the sunlight and beamed little octagon shaped rays against the light peach walls.

Women dressed in little black dresses hurried around the room talking quietly to one another. Audrielle tried to keep up with the maids as they scattered around her room. From placing vases of flowers on every empty space possible to fixing the smallest little things possible on the dress, the maids had an endless to-do list that needed to be done before the grand steel gates of the Harrington estate rolled open and Leo would be dropped at the front door step of the mansion.

A lady wearing a dark blue dress soon walked in towing a suitcase behind her. She stopped and talked to Mrs. Harrington before gushing at the sight of Audrielle.

The stranger then unzipped her bag and began pulling palettes of eyeshadow out as well as a can of hairspray and a curling wand.

A couple of hours later, the make up artist was done and sent a warm smile to Audrielle who was starting to get cramps in lower back from sitting still for so long. Before Audrielle could even pull herself out of the chair to look at her reflection in the mirror, her mother guided her to the bathroom, giving her a little white box that had a black bow wrapped neatly around it. Audrielle didn't even bother opening it. She knew what was inside already and she definitely wasn't putting it on underneath her wedding dress.

Chucking the box aside, she pulled the fluffy pink robe off of her tan body and replaced it with a simple nude slip dress. Walking back out into the room, she was suddenly dragged over by the bed to where the dress was waiting. Charlotte, the designer of the dress, was already undoing all the ties.

"We have thirty minutes before you walk down the aisle." Maria mumbled as she paced around the room in a hurry.

With help from Charlotte and a couple of maids, the dress was on and Audrielle could feel her mother's eyes on her already.

"You had something to eat this morning didn't you?" Maria suddenly spoke and Audrielle rolled her eyes. She didn't want a fight to break out just before the wedding.

"I had an apple." Audrielle admitted and Mrs. Harrington growled, unhappy with Audrielle.

"I told you not to eat anything before you're bloody wedding Audrielle!"

"It was only an apple mother! Besides it's not like we're having lunch or anything." Audrielle muttered and she suddenly felt her mom harshly tug at the ties. Mrs. Harrington didn't say anything else and tightened the dress, pulling tight enough that Audrielle wasn't slouching.

After what felt like forever, Mrs. Harrington tied a bow at the end of the back and Charlotte helped pin the veil in Audrielle's hair while a maid bent down and slipped the nude heels on Audrielle's pedicured feet.

Audrielle was spun around and when she caught herself on her feet, she saw her reflection in the mirror. She looked stunning. The dress was hugged her hips and made her cleavage larger. The diamond necklace sparkled brightly and the veil was so long that three maids had to hold it from getting damaged. Before a tear could slip out of Audrielle's eyes, the noise of bells ringing echoed through the estate, warning guests that the ceremony was about to begin. Looking out of the window one last time, Audrielle held the bouquet of white roses in her shaking hands as she was guided out of the room.

As her mother helped her walk down the grand stairs, Audrielle lifted her face to see her father at the end of the stairway. His eyes were glassed over and Audrielle had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. Oh, so now he wants to cry?

Ever since Mr. Harrington broke the awful news, Audrielle had been distant with her father. Her answers were short and simple. Her smiles were cold and her eyes didn't glow with warmth or respect when she talked to him.

Mrs. Harrington passed Audrielle's hand over to her father who gladly took it. He pulled his daughter in for a hug and Audrielle did not protest.

"Audrielle, my sweet, sweet daughter, you look beautiful." Mr. Harrington stated, his eyes raking over the dress and Audrielle's face.

"Thank you father."

Placing a delicate kiss on Audrielle's forehead, Mr. Harrington linked his arm with daughter as they walked out towards the backyard where the wedding was being held. The spring sun shone down onto the Harrington estate when the large doors were opened for the bride, Audrielle was greeted with a piano and violin melody humming softly. Dozens of people turned in their chairs to watch Audrielle walk down the aisle. In the front row sat Grandpa Charles and Maria as well as Mr. Amour, Emma, Alessio and Camilla, Leo's mother.

Taking a quick glance at her father, Audrielle started to walk down the aisle with her father right beside her. Everything was happening in slow motion. The sun beams danced around, scattering shadows from the trees onto the fresh mowed lawn. People grinned in admiration as they watched Audrielle walk past them, her veil elegantly dragging behind her. And then, when she was just ten feet away, their eyes locked.

Leo stared at his fiancé. Then his eyes maneuvered to her dress. It elegantly sparkled and with the sun capturing the lace that was draped over the silk underneath, Audrielle looked like a princess out of a fairytale.

"Wow, fratello. Hai segnato alla grande." Antonio chuckled quietly behind Leo but Leo was so focused on Audrielle and that he could barely make out what his brother was saying to him.

(Wow, brother.You've scored big time.)

When Audrielle was an arm length away from Leo's grasp, her eyes resembled her heart. Wide awake, alert and warm like a jar of fresh honey that had just been collected.

Leo wanted all of Audrielle. Her soft murmurs of sentences when she spoke, the aroma of freshly picked strawberries and vanilla that lingered in the air whenever she was present, her warm inviting, brown eyes, the elegant but cautious strut that she had when she walked around, her goddess like body; he wanted every single thing from her.

Leo, the devil, yearned for a tiny drop of heaven. And now that he had just been gifted an angel, he was gonna drink up every drop of pureness from her that she wouldn't be able to fly back to heaven.

Audrielle was going to be Leo's angel from heaven. Caught and tagged, she would have no way of escaping Leo's presence. Leo couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life with Audrielle by his side; his little bottle of pure. And if the angel can show the devil what heavens like, well, Leo may as well give his angel a taste of hell.