Crossing A Bridge

Chapter 3

The golden afternoon shone of the cobblestone streets of Saint-Cirque-Lapopie. Anya stood on the small hill beside the church gathering wildflowers in her borrowed dress and veil. Pink and white peonies, lavender wisteria, and golden broom flowers tucked into her golden curls formed a halo of a crown around her face. She looked up to the top of the hill, and saw Dimitry standing there, draped in golden sunlight.

"Ready?" She asked. He smiled and extended his hand to her.

They made their way into the tiny chapel. The priest stood at the altar. A baker and his wife who lived by the river below had been called by the priest to serve as witnesses and sat in the wooden pews two rows back. They walked the short aisle, stopping in front of the priest and turning to face each other. Dimitry squeezed her hands.

"Dimitry Vasiliev. Voulez-vous prendre Anastasia Romanov comme epouse?"

Anya whispered to Dimitry "Dmitriy Vasil'yev. Ty khochesh' prinyat' Anastasiyu Romanovu svoyey zhenoy?"

"Et promettez-vous de lui rester fidele?"

"I ty obeshchayesh' yey ostavat'sya vernoy?"

"Dans Bonheur ou dans epreuves?"

"V schast'ye ili v ispytaniyakh?"

"Dans la sante et dand la maladie?"

"V zdorov'ye i bolezni.?"

"Pour l'aimer tous les jours de votre vie?"

"i lyubit' yeye kazhdyy den' svoyey zhizni?"

Dimitry smiled "Je le veux" he said in a heavy Russian accent.

"Avec cet anneau je te marie jusqu'à la mort nous séparons" recited the priest

"S etim kol'tsom ya vyydu za tebya do samoy smerti"  Anya whispered to Dimitry, he repeated, in the worst French Anya had ever heard, the vow, the priest stopping him several times to correct a word, as he touched the simple gold band  to each of her fingers before sliding it down her ring finger.

"Et Anastasia Romanov, Voulez-vous prendre Dimitry Vasiliev comme epoux?

Et vous promettez-vous de lui rester fidèle?

Dans le bonheur ou dans les epreuves?

Dans la santre et dans la maladie?

Pour l'aimer chaque jour de ta vie?"

"Je le veux" Anya smiled

"Avec cet anneau je te marie jusqu'à la mort nous séparons"

"Avec cet anneau je te marie jusqu'à la mort nous séparons" Anya repeated, touching the gold band to each of Dimitry's fingers before placing it on his ring finger.

"Puis par le pouvoir que Dieu m'a confié, je vous déclare homme et femme!" The priest chuckled and turned to Dimitry "Tu peux embrasser ta mariée!"

Dimitry turned questioningly to Anya. She beamed. "On govorit, chto my zhenaty, i my mozhem potselovat'"

Dimitry lifted Anya into his arms and kissed her. She pressed against his chest, feet swinging in the air. She could hardly keep from giggling into his lips. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her bouquet tickling the back of his neck. They embraced as the old French couple clapped and the copper bell in the steeple above began to ring, sounding off the stone village below. Dimitry put his lips to Anya's ear.

" Oni zdes' s nami, moya mama i papa, tvoi mama i papa, tvoi sestry i tvoy mladshiy brat. Oni zdes' s nami, dazhe yesli my ikh ne vidim."

Anya pulled back to look at him, tears glazing her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but could only nod.

"Are you ready princess?" He asked. She took his hand and they walked out the church doors and into the waiting world.