Afternoon sunlight streamed through the tall stained-glass windows, bathing everything in the room in a multi-colored glow. Even the stones of the castle walls, normally a drab grey, looked luminous in the sun's rays.
The castle's chapel was decorated with flowers of every color in the rainbow, and petals lined the floor of the red carpet, looking like pieces of soft silk scattered on the floor, leading up to the pulpit where the minister stood.
Aurora stood at the back of the chapel, a bouquet of those same flowers clutched in her trembling hands. Her gown, made of pure white silk, flowed behind her, pooling together with her long veil.
This was it. This was the moment she'd been waiting for her whole life.
The organist began playing the wedding march and Aurora slowly inched her way down the aisle. All eyes were turned towards her. These were the smiling faces of her friends and family.
She spied Mulan, who had been her companion and protector on the fearsome journey they'd undertaken to find Phillip's soul. And beside Mulan stood Phillip, waiting for Aurora to join him and take his hand.
This should have been the happiest day of her life.
And yet, even as she made her way down the aisle, Aurora felt a sinking in the pit of her stomach and her breath quickened.
She reached the end of the aisle and Phillip took her hand, and they stood before the minister.
Aurora hardly heard the words the minister said, and as Phillip repeated his vows, everything sounded muffled or far away, as though she were in a well and trying desperately to get out.
This wasn't right.
The minister turned to her and began asking her to repeat her own vows. Aurora swayed a little and closed her eyes to steady herself. Just breathe in and out, she told herself. Just breathe.
Just as the minister was asking, "Do you take Phillip to be your lawfully wedded husband?" there was a loud knocking from the back of the chapel as the huge double doors swung open.
There stood Killian, autumn leaves blowing onto the carpet from behind him, his chest heaving with every ragged gasp. "Aurora!" he yelled. "Please don't do this!"
Frantically, Aurora looked from Killian to Phillip and the minister, and back again. She felt a tightening in her chest, like Killian's hand was closing over her heart, just as it had done once before.
"I…" She paused, looking deeply into Phillip's eyes.
"I'm so sorry."
Aurora let go of Phillip's hand and began running back down the aisle, her silk gown streaming behind her. She took off her long veil and flung it away, and there were gasps and shrieks from all around her.
When she reached Killian, she grabbed his hand and pulled him outside, into the sunlight.
This is right, she thought, and the tightness in her chest lifted as they ran. She was in charge of her own heart.