The Book of Days: Reign of Darkness

IV: Death at a Wedding

  I stood in an opulent hall in what appeared to be the queen's palace. The room was full of people whose faces I could not make out. It slowly came to me that I was in a royal purple tunic complete with gold filigree lining the hem, and long white stockings ran up to my knees. I glanced down; I had a pair of fine leather boots on over the stockings, and a white cape was clasped at my shoulders. I was at an altar, and it didn't take me long to figure out that this was a wedding: my own.

  I glanced around nervously, looking for some way, any way, that I could escape-- but there was no hiding from the expectant, adoring crowd. I was well caught. Just then, I heard a noise at the back; voices muttered, heads turned, craning around and over one another to see what it was. And there she was. In an enormous white dress as wide as the aisle, she stood stock still, her face veiled, a bouquet of flowers in her hand.

  Minstrels struck up a slow tune and she began to walk, step..... step..... step..... step..... and so on and so forth down the aisle until she stood facing me. There was no getting away. The music stopped, and the Queen appeared. Everyone knelt, raised a chorus of, "Long live the queen!"  And the ceremony proceeded. Words assaulted my ear, vows to be with this woman for life, to be bound to her always, and many others which my brain refused to process, and a sweat broke out on my back.

  Please, I thought, someone pinch me. But the ceremony went on, until I found myself saying as if it were being dragged out of me, "I do." Then the words, "You may kiss the bride."

  This was it. The veil went down. But to my great shock, it wasn't Kristen's eyes that looked out at me from under it. Instead, they were a shocking blue, the most beautiful blue I've ever seen.... but that was all I could see of her face--well, that and her red lips, leaning up toward me, closer.... closer....

  "Garret!" Someone screamed. I turned to see who it was; Kristen stood in the doorway, in a black dress torn to rags, the perfect mixture of hurt and outrage on her beautiful face. "Garret, don't you dare!! You said you would marry me! You said you would! You promised!" But the next thing I knew, those lips met mine, the marriage was sealed, and Kristen's heart-wrenching screams were drowned out by thunderous applause.

  I bolted awake in a cold sweat, wondering what I had just seen. I hastily checked to make sure I wasn't wearing a purple tunic and white cape, then felt a little silly for doing so. Could it have meant something? I hoped not. I wasn't sure I wanted to marry Kristen; but I knew I could never do anything to elicit such tormented screams from her as the ones still echoing in the depths of my mind. I couldn't sleep for the rest of the night.