“The day is here!” she yelled, barely able to contain her excitement, and the other girls cheered.
Within moments, Caitlin was lost in a whirlwind of girls enclosing her, dressing her, rubbing her with oils, doing her hair makeup, her hair, and a variety of things.
Suddenly, the door opened again, and an attendant appeared, holding out before him a small tray covered in a red velvet lining. Atop it sat the most beautiful necklace and earrings Caitlin had ever seen, sparking and shining with large diamonds, rubies and sapphires.
The girls, including Caitlin, all gasped.
The attendant smiled back, looking at Caitlin. “A gift from your husband-to-be on your wedding day.”
There was dead silence in the room, as the girls all stared at the treasures. Polly reached over and took them, and came around behind Caitlin and put them on her. Caitlin was glad she had, because she would have been too intimidated to do so herself.
Caitlin now, more than ever, wished she was able to see herself in a mirror. But the awe-struck looks on the faces of all the girls, gaping at her, would have to suffice. Caitlin herself could see them shining as she looked down, and could feel their heavy weight in her ears, and around her neck, and she could feel how magnificent they were. She felt more indebted to Caleb than she ever had.
The girls rushed back to their preparations, and Caitlin told herself she just had to go with it.
Caitlin felt as if it were all so surreal, as if she were lost in a dream. It would be, she realized, just the beginning of what would be a long, inexplicable, magical day.
*
The morning hours, immersed in getting dressed, in hair, makeup, all flew by in a rush. Caitlin wanted to slow it down, to savor every moment; but there was no way. This day seemed to progress faster than any day of her life.
Before Caitlin knew it, it was early afternoon, and she found herself being led to the periphery of the wedding aisle, concealed, with her bridesmaids, behind a laced-off waiting area. From her vantage point, she could see the long aisle, draped with a red carpet over the grass, leading to a gorgeous altar, covered in flowers. On either side of the aisle, to Caitlin’s surprise, stood hundreds of vampires. Caitlin recalled being told that, in the ancient vampire tradition, vampires from fellow covens around the world would fly in to attend the ceremony and pay their respects.
In vampire tradition, nobody sat. Instead they all stood at attention, all dressed in the traditional vampire wedding garb—men wearing long-sleeved, velvet, black robes and women wearing the same, but in white. They all had a scarlet, linen cloth draped over their necks, like a necklace, hanging down low over the robe. The sight of so many people, so many of them strangers, made Caitlin more nervous.
Caitlin spotted Caleb, standing proudly at the end of the aisle, at the altar. Beside him stood Samuel, his brother and best man, and Caitlin was pleased to see them together. She knew that it meant the world to Caleb that Samuel had come. Polly, as maid of honor, would stand on the opposite side.
Caitlin was startled from her thoughts as Polly suddenly appeared, taking both her hands, and smiling broadly. Caitlin could see the love in her eyes.
“Are you ready?” Polly asked, excitedly.
Caitlin nodded, shaking inwardly, feeling too nervous to speak.
Polly hugged her tight, and Caitlin hugged her back.
“I love you,” Polly whispered in her ear.
“I love you, too,” Caitlin said, and meaning it. Polly now, more than ever, felt like a sister to her, the sister she’d never had.
Polly turned and signaled the bridesmaids, and they all began to filter out from behind the screen, each pairing up with a groomsmen and beginning to slowly walk down the aisle.
As they did, the music began. Caitlin looked over and saw a small chorus of four men and women, standing off to the side, singing an ancient Gregorian chant. It sounded beautiful, simple yet haunting. Timeless. Caitlin felt it was the perfect wedding song for this crowd.
Scarlet would be the last person to walk down the aisle before Caitlin. She stood there now, beside Caitlin, looking at her basket, which was overflowing with flowers, and which was attached to Ruth’s collar. Scarlet had ingeniously devised a way to hang the basket to Ruth’s neck, so that the two of them could walk down together, and Scarlet could reach in and throw the flowers that Ruth carried. Caitlin, happy to include Ruth hadn’t objected.
Ruth looked excited to be part of it, but as Caitlin looked down, she saw that Scarlet now looked very nervous. Caitlin laid a reassuring hand on her head, and Scarlet smiled back.
As one song ended and another was beginning, Caitlin knew it was Scarlet’s cue. She gently prodded her.
Scarlet regained her confidence, and began walking down the aisle. She reached over and grabbed flowers from the basket and threw them as she went. All the faces of the vampires lit up, as they watched her.
Now it was Caitlin’s turn to feel nervous. Caitlin felt her heart pounding, as she knew it was her moment. She scanned the crowd once again for familiar faces, but saw very few. She had never met so many vampires at once, or had expected them all to turn out for her. She could tell from their smiles that they were there to wish her the best, yet still, it was a strange feeling.
As Caitlin began to walk slowly down the aisle, to the sound of the chants, she couldn’t help but wish that she had someone to walk her down the aisle. A mother. A father. She had never been close with her mother, and actually wouldn’t want her here. But her father—that was different. Of course, she felt closer to him now than she ever had, after all these lifetimes of searching for him, of receiving his clues, his letters—after his appearing to her in dreams and riddles. Now, more than ever, she wished that he was there, really there, holding her arm, walking her down. Not in a dream.
Not as an apparition. But as a real, physical person.
Caitlin only hoped that one day he could really be there. That she’d really get to meet him. To spend time with him. That he could be a part of her life. And at that moment, for some reason, she suddenly wondered what he would think of her child. Of Scarlet. Of his grandchild. Would he be proud of her?
As Caitlin approached the altar, so dizzy from nervousness that she barely felt where she was going, she saw Caleb standing there, smiling back at her, and she felt at ease. He was dressed in the most beautiful attire she had ever seen, an outfit fit for a prince. It was a royal, black satin robe, with a high collar curving underneath his ears, a white shirt, and a scarlet tie. His hair was slicked back, formal, and he wore red gloves—apparently, another vampire tradition. He complemented his outfit with sparkling ruby cufflinks and shirt studs.
Over Caleb’s shoulder, Caitlin saw Samuel, his brother, smiling back at her, and it felt good to see him again, after all these centuries. He looked the same, donning a beard and mustache, like an older, sterner, version of Caleb. On her other side, she turned and saw Sam, her brother, smiling back, too. Caitlin knew that behind her, on her side, were Polly, Taylor and the others. She felt comforted and reassured having all these people she loved up there with her.
And as she and Caleb turned and faced the man standing between them, she felt most comfortable of all. There, standing between them, presiding over the ceremony, was Aiden. He wore an all-white robe, his long silver beard protruding from beneath it. His expression was somber, intense. As always, his large blue eyes seemed to glow, staring back at them. But this time, his eyes were half-closed, and Caitlin could feel that he was focused, drawing down energy for this event.
The crowd stood absolutely still, waiting. The only sound Caitlin could hear was the cool November air whistling through. Finally, Aiden opened his eyes: they were a bright, shining blue, and they stared back at her with such intensity, that it nearly took Caitlin’s breath away.
“We stand here today to witness the union of two beloved members of our race,” Aiden began, in a deep, solemn voice. “I have known Caleb and Caitlin for many lifetimes. I can think of n
o two members more suited for each other. We have already seen the product of their union, and we wish on this day that the beautiful Scarlet may be the first of many more to come.” Aiden cleared his throat, and Caitlin and Caleb exchanged a furtive look, smiling.
“A vampire union is very sacred. It is not one to be taken lightly. It is forever. It is the definition of forever. It makes human love pale by comparison.
“Caitlin and Caleb have a love which is enduring. A love which has withstood many obstacles, many times, many places. It is a love I have rarely seen. It is a love which will transcend everything.” Aiden turned and looked at Caitlin.
“Caitlin, of the Pollepel Coven, do you hereby accept Caleb, of the White Coven, as your husband, to love and to cherish, for lifetime after lifetime? Do you vow to remain by his side, even though death shall never do you part?”
Caitlin turned and smiled at Caleb, and saw him smiling back. There was nothing she wanted more.
“I do,” she said.
The crowd gasped. Aiden turned to Caleb.
“Caleb, of the White Coven, do you hereby accept Caitlin, of the Pollepel Coven, as your wife, to love and to cherish, for lifetime after lifetime? Do you vow to remain by her side, even though death shall never do you part?”
Caleb turned and smiled at Caitlin. “I do,” he said.
Aiden reached out, took Caitlin’s wrist in one hand, and took Caleb’s in the other, and then held their palms up, until they were touching each other. He held them that way, and Caitlin could feel the energy coursing through his hand.
“The rings,” Aiden prompted.
Caitlin reached into her pocket and extracted Caleb’s wedding band. It was a magnificent ring, with a gold band, covered in sparkling rubies. It had been given to her as a gift by Aiden, and he had insisted that she give it to Caleb on his wedding day. As Caleb turned his hand, she reached out and placed it on his ring finger. It was the first time he’d seen it, and his eyes lit up with surprise and, clearly, admiration. It was a perfect fit, and Caitlin had never felt so proud.
Caleb, for his turn, reached in and extracted the most gorgeous wedding band Caitlin had ever seen, covered in diamonds and sapphires. Caitlin was shocked—she hadn’t expected him to get her a second ring, above and beyond the magnificent ring she already wore. But as she looked down, he added this second ring to her finger, and Caitlin could immediately see how the two matched each other. She was speechless.
“By the authority vested in me,” Aiden continued, “and by the authority of the grand vampire council, I, Aiden, of the Pollepel Coven, do hereby, through the thousand year tradition, pronounce you man and wife, vampire and vampire, merged together in a union that no man or vampire shall tear asunder.”
He paused, looking at them both.
“You may kiss each other.”
As they kissed, a cheer arose among the crowd. Joyful music broke out, to the sound of a lute and a harp, and vampires on both sides of the aisles threw handfuls of flower petals on them, as they turned and began to walk back down the aisle.
Caitlin felt the petals showering down, all around them, and broke into laughter, as did Caleb.
Even while it was happening, Caitlin already knew that this was one of the peak moments of her life, one that she would never re-live again. She wished, more than anything, that she could just freeze it, hold onto it forever; but she knew, like everything else in the tide of life, it was something that could not last. So instead she just tried to enjoy it, staring at the petals, at Caleb’s smile, feeling his love for her, and hoping that they could be together like this for eternity.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Sam hadn’t stopped dancing for hours. He could not remember a night in his life when he’d danced this long, or had a better time. He’d been drinking for hours, too, ever since the ceremony had ended, which had been followed by a feast to end all feasts.
There must have been thousands of torches placed around the ceremony and reception area, in the huge, open field before the castle. Even the castle itself was alight with torches, placed all around the moat, all along the entranceway, and even in every window. In fact, the moat itself was filled with ingenious floating candles.
As if all this were not enough, there were thousands of flowers, elaborate displays of every color, in every direction. There were huge vats of wine, even bigger vats of blood, and dozens of boars roasting on spits. These had been complemented by every sort of delicacy. Rounding out the festivities were dozens of musicians, jugglers, clowns, and all sorts of tournaments, games and fun. It had been a grand spectacle. And the night was still nowhere near over.
Sam couldn’t be happier for his big sister, or his new brother in law. He was thrilled seeing the two of them so happy together. He was also elated for himself as he walked down the aisle with Polly, feeling how lucky he was to have her, and feeling her love for him as she held his arm. He couldn’t help thinking, throughout the ceremony, of their night before, of how they’d spent the night in each other’s arms, listening to the crashing of the waves. It had been a full moon, and they had slept right under it. Before dawn, he had taken her back to the castle, and they had slept in his bed.
For those precious few hours in which they’d slept in each other’s arms, Sam had finally felt at peace in the universe. He was now certain, beyond a doubt, that Polly was The One.
Now, more than ever, he felt a desire to make the depth of his love known to her. Throughout the night, he’d felt an urgency to find her in the crowd, to express his feelings to her, and, inspired by his sister, to propose. But he hadn’t been able to find her since the ceremony.
It had been a chaotic night, vampires streaming in from every direction, and it had been too hard to stick together. Vampires from every corner of the world grabbed him, danced, spun him around, and handed him off to partner after partner after partner. The music and dancing never stopped, and in the whirlwind, Sam had not been able to find her since.
Finally, he’d had enough, and had to catch his breath. He broke from the ranks and forced himself off to the side, to the wine vats, and he stood there, out of breath, combing the faces for her. He looked for her trademark hair, her large, bright eyes. But she was dressed like the others, and it was just too hard.
Suddenly, Sam felt a tapping on his shoulder.
Sam turned, and his heart soared.
Standing there, smiling back, her cheeks flush from dance and drink, was Polly.
She threw open her arms and gave him a big hug. He hugged her back, tightly, and spun her around.
She pulled back, and looked at him, and was beaming. He could see the love in her eyes.
“I missed you,” Polly said.
“And I you,” Sam said, and they came in for a long kiss.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” Sam said. “To ask you, actually.” Before she could respond, Sam took her hand and led her away from the crowd, off to the side.
He desperately wanted time alone with her.
Sam found a quiet spot, away from the chaos, and as they stopped, he could see her looking back at him with surprise, unsure what it was.
“I want you to know that I meant what I said the other night,” Sam began. “About…how much I love you.”
Sam paused. He could feel his heart racing. He took a deep breath. He felt that now, more than ever, on the night of his sister’s wedding, was the time.
Polly stared back, smiling, waiting.
“I want to be with you forever,” Sam said finally.
“So do I,” Polly said back.
Sam shook his head.
“No,” Sam said. “I really mean it. Truly. Forever. Just like Caitlin and Caleb. Forever. ” Sam dropped to one knee, and took Polly’s hand.
“I don’t have a ring—yet,” he said. “But I hope you won’t hold that against me. I promise that when the time comes, I will get you the greatest ring you’ve ever seen.” Polly looked down at him, and broke into a smile.
&
nbsp; “What are you asking me, Sam?”
Sam suddenly realized that, in his nervousness, he forgot to say the most important thing.
He smiled up at her.
“Polly?” he said, “will you marry me?”
Polly burst into a huge smile, and screamed. “YES!”
Sam stood, and Polly wrapped her arms around him in the tightest hug he’d ever felt. He lifted her, and spun her around, again and again, feeling his own joy in her response.
“YES YES YES!” Polly screamed. “A thousand times, yes!”
As Sam spun her around, again and again, he could feel her joy, her happiness coursing through him. And at that moment, he finally knew what true love was.
*
Caitlin looked up at Caleb as he held her in his arms, looking down at her with pure love. His eyes were shining with excitement, as he led her through the huge crowd, vampires cheering all around them. As Caleb parted the way through the crowd, leading them, Caitlin was overwhelmed.
Her wedding night had been incredible, like a dream, from the ceremony to the feast, to the drinking, to the dancing….It was grander than any wedding she could have dreamed of.
On the one hand, the festivities never seemed to end, but on the other, the night went by in a flash. Caitlin couldn’t believe it was already ending. And now, here she was, late into the night, holding Caleb’s hand as he led her away.
Caleb led her through the cheering crowd, across the small drawbridge, over the moat, and through the grand castle entrance. He led her down the torch-lit, stone corridors, and up the winding, ancient stone staircase. As they reached the top, he picked her up, and carried her down the hall, past their room, and to the entrance of another room. Caitlin was surprised. She had never seen this room before. It was framed by huge, golden arched doors.