Petra Ral was the prettiest bride New Orleans had ever seen. Copper ringlets framed her porcelain face and a neat bun rested on her head behind her veil and tiara. White silk and lace wrapped around her body like a ribbon around a present and anyone who saw her would swear she looked just like one of God's angels. So why her family was holding her wedding at their house and not a church where she clearly belonged was beyond the New Orleans residents.
The other socialites and rich folk of New Orleans had been rather curious as to why Petra was marrying Levi Ackerman. He was a rude man that spent too much time in the unsavory parts of New Orleans; no doubt indulging in all sorts of vices. But he came from new money and he was incredibly wealthy, so it made the marriage make a little sense. Not to mention the two had known each other since they were children. And yet no one could really see this sour, sinful man and this darling little angel having a happy marriage.
No one said anything about it to their faces, though. That'd be a huge insult and no one dared invoke the wrath of the Rals or the Ackermans. The Rals were a powerful, old family founded in the roots of New Orleans and to insult them was like blaspheming against God. And although the Ackermans were not an old family, everyone knew people who disagreed with their family ended up taking extended trips to Europe never to be seen again.
Fluffy white clouds slowly danced through the blue sky as guests arrived at the Ral Plantation. Trees swayed in the breeze and several of the decorations the Ral servants had put up were swaying as well. From her childhood bedroom Petra watched as her servants scurried around trying to secure the decorations.
"Come on Petra, get away from the window. We still need to finish your makeup," bridesmaid Nifa piped up.
"The wedding will start any moment and we're running behind," Hange said, walking over to Petra and grabbing her arms. "Let's get you all prettied up for Levi."
"Of course," Petra said, letting Hange lead her over to her vanity. "Sorry. I guess I just spaced out for a moment."
"No, it's okay," Nifa said soothingly, rubbing Petra's shoulder. "This must be a very emotional day for you. Just enjoy today and keep out negative thoughts. You're finally getting your happily ever after and you and Levi are going to have a wonderful future together."
"We all want you to be happy, and I'm sure if we could contact your first husband he would also want you to move on and be happy," Hange added.
"I know," Petra agreed reluctantly as she grabbed a small tube of lipstick. "He'd want me to be happy and finally I've found someone that I want to spend the rest of my life with."
"And this time it will be for the rest of your life," Hange said soothingly. "There'll be no ship sinkings this time around . . ." Her voice trailed off as Nifa gave her a stern look. It was common knowledge Petra didn't like talking about her first husband's death. And who could blame her? Who in the world would like talking about their husband dying in a sinking during a trip through England? The whole social scene remembered Petra coming home three months ago in a fancy mourning outfit and telling everyone her husband had perished while they toured the Thames. It was a tragic event and it made her current engagement even more curious. Generally women went through a long mourning period before even starting to think about returning to the social scene, but after a month Petra stopped wearing black and started attending parties again, most of them with Levi by her side. But then again Petra was a modern girl: she didn't adhere to a lot of the traditions from past generations, whether it was spending unchaperoned time with men or refusing to take her husband's last name. In the end, the only thing that bothered the Orleanians was the mismatch personalities between Petra and Levi and whether or not this marriage would last.
The pitter-patter of tiny feet echoed through the hallway and the door to Petra's bedroom was thrown open. Flower crown askew and lavender satin slippers coated in dirt, Levi's little sister Isabel flew into the room. Even though she was disheveled, Petra had to admit she was pretty adorable in her flower girl dress.
"The wedding's starting!" she yelled before sprinting back down the hallway. Petra and her bridesmaids jumped to their feet and hurried after her, skirts bunched in their fists. I shouldn't have had all of us wear heels, Petra realized as Nifa stumbled and nearly fell down the stairs. They descended and ran to the garden door. Petra could see Levi and the priest already at the altar and her heart quickened. This is it. This is happening, this is really happening.
"Are you all right, Petra?" her father asked, joining her.
"Yes, I'm fine, Dad," she reassured him. Nifa and Hange were accompanied by Levi's groomsmen Farlan and Erwin as they made their way towards the altar. Isabel and Eren, the ring bearer, followed them and once they were halfway down the walkway Petra and her father started walking. She could feel everyone's eyes burning into her as she walked down the aisle, but all she care about was the look Levi was giving her. It made the butterflies in her stomach go into a frenzy and her heart melt.
"Family and friends, today we're gathered to celebrate the love between Miss Petra Ral and Mr. Levi Ackerman and participate in joining them in holy matrimony," the priest's booming voice soared over the crowd as Petra and Levi took each other's hands. "The couple has opted for no scriptures and to write their own vows, so without further ado I turn the attention to the bride." A few of the attendees glanced at each other, uneasiness written on their faces. No doubt the memory of Petra's first wedding, where she and her first husband hadn't written their vows and had everything by the book, was floating through their minds.
"Levi, we've known each other since we were kids and we've been through everything. We've gone to countless balls, we've gone on several trips through town, we've even gone sailing together. We've made a lot of great memories together and I'm looking forward to making more with you. I couldn't pick someone better to get married to and I am so blessed to have you in my life and even more so to have you as my husband. I promise to love you until death parts us and to be loyal only to you. I love you."
"My first memory of you was when our mothers and their friends were having tea together and Oluo Bozado wouldn't stop pulling your hair so you punched him in the face," Levi said and laughter crept up in the attendees. Petra looked only somewhat mortified. "We couldn't have been more than five years old and we've been friends since then. A lot of my memories involve you and I'd like to keep making more with you. You're a good woman who's kind and knows what she wants in life and I appreciate that about you. You have my love and loyalty." Another wave of glances went through the attendees. The vows were sweet and loving, yes, but the fact that they were incredibly short confused everyone. Not to mention that it was almost incomprehensible that Levi spoke longer than Petra did and that he spoke without swearing once. But the couple was looking at each other with a kind of adoration only old couples had so the uneasy glances faded. After all, it was clear they really did love each other and she wasn't just marrying him for his money.
The priest called for the rings and the ceremony was over in minutes, finished with a short kiss by the new husband and wife. Hange was bawling and continued sobbing through the reception and had to have Erwin help her out with her speech. She sat at a table by herself while the others danced after dinner, trying to get a hold of herself.
"If you keep crying you'll get a headache," Erwin told her as he sat down beside her. He pushed a glass of wine in her direction.
"I'm just so happy for them," she sniffled, taking his cue and taking a swig of wine. "They make such a good couple and I'm so glad they're getting married. I still stand by my statement earlier that she should've married Levi first instead of that awful businessman."
"She should have, but at least she had a chance to remarry," Erwin pointed out.
"True. I'm just happy she gets to spend the rest of her life with someone that genuinely loves her."
"What, you think her last husband didn't?"
"Yes, to be blunt. I don't think either of them oh hi Petra, Levi! God, you really do look lovely in that dress!" Hange quickly changed the subject as Petra and Levi walked over to them.
"Thank you! I love this dress too much for words," she said, beaming at her friend.
"Glad to see you're not crying anymore, Shitty Glasses," Levi commented, sitting next to her.
"Glad to see you're still an ass. Your vows had me going there for a moment," Hange said with a devilish grin. Levi rolled his eyes.
"We just came over to tell you two thank you for coming to our wedding. It means a lot to us," Petra said, smiling warmly. "You two have been in our lives for a long time and we're really glad you came."
"We've been friends since we were babies! Of course I wouldn't miss this!" Hange exclaimed.
"And once you decide to settle down, I'll attend your wedding," Petra replied. "We'd love to stay and chat but Levi and I are going to our home."
"So soon? The reception is still supposed to go on for another hour," Hange asked, frowning.
"Yes. Our boat for France leaves early tomorrow morning and we're still not completely packed up," Levi explained.
"France? I thought you were going to Spain a week from now," Erwin said.
"We were, but we decided that we'll make a quick stop in France first," Petra said. "We found out yesterday that it wasn't too late to buy tickets for a luxury liner that just got here from England, but it's heading to France tomorrow morning and it was a great deal so we thought we should take advantage of that."
"Makes sense," Erwin nodded. "I hope you two have a wonderful time in Europe."
"I'm sure we will!" Petra said brightly. She stood up, grabbing Levi's hand and pulling him to his feet. The new couple waved goodbye to their friends and left for Levi's home.
Petra Ral had the most mangled corpse that New Orleans had ever seen. Parts of her had been shredded into ribbons and her body parts were strewn across her and Levi's bedroom. Splatters of blood and strips of skin dotted the entire room. Organs looked like they had strewn around the room like dirty laundry. Levi wasn't in much better shape than her; he was torn up like she was but he was mostly intact. A maid and the Ackerman butler found them dead on the floor, Levi lying in a puddle of his (and probably his wife's) blood and a man still hacking at Petra's body. For a moment, the servants stood in complete and utter shock at the scene in front of them: the man they'd known since he was a child lying dead on the floor and Petra's supposedly dead first husband chopping up her body.
The butler and maid incapacitated the murderer and held him prisoner until the police arrived. The Ackerman household staff watched as the police dragged the first husband out of the home. All the while he fought them, screaming about how Petra had messed with his passport and kept him detained in England while she ran back to Louisiana and married Levi, the man she'd been sleeping with the whole time she was married.
Newspapers ran the gruesome stories for months and months, playing it up and milking it for all its worth. Reporters flocked to the husband's execution, notebooks and pens out as they hurriedly documented every last detail.
"You want to know why I did it?" the husband called out as the executioner tied the noose around his neck. "She never loved me even though I gave her everything. I just gave her what she wanted. After all, it's like what our vows said: till death do us part."