(Author's notes: Okay, so this is my first attempt at writing a story, not a one-shot, a story, so I hope this goes well! Anyway, I hope you enjoy anyway! *If you have any ideas, please let me know! Thank you! :D)
Chapter 1: The Promise
Anneliese walked down the stairs early in the morning. This was the day. The day she's been waiting for her whole life: Her wedding. Her stomach was in knots, she couldn't believe that just a month or so ago, Preminger's main intention was to marry her, than it changed to her mother. Anneliese shuddered at the thought of that horrible man, everything he did… and they used to trust him…. She took a deep breath, and began walking down the stairs.
"Are you excited dear?" said a sweet and familiar voice that belonged to her mother, the queen.
"Of course mother!" Anneliese answered sweetly with a smile. Anneliese was very excited for the wedding, but yet, she looked around the room with a frown.
"Something wrong dear?" her mother asked, noticing Anneliese's grimace.
"Yeah… where's Julian?" Anneliese asked, still frowning.
"Is he still sleeping?" she asked.
"No…" she said. "When I woke up this morning he wasn't there…" the expression on her face seemed even more somber.
"Perhaps he's gone for a walk. You know how Julian is." Her mother said.
"Yeah… maybe your right." Anneliese said, her spirit's feeling higher.
Anneliese walked out to the garden hoping to see Julian somewhere. She looked around, but he wasn't anywhere to be seen. He wasn't in the garden, and he wasn't in the palace. She sighed, taking one last glimpse at the empty garden, and then she went back inside. She hoped Julian would be back soon, it would be quite a shame if he missed his own wedding.
Anneliese came back into the kitchen, the queen had fled; she probably went to the throne room. Then she moved into the living room. She stared at the empty fireplace; she wished Julian was back already…
"Morning!" said the happy voice of Erika; she had just walked into the kitchen.
"Morning." said Anneliese glumly.
"What's wrong?" Erika asked coming to sit down next to Anneliese.
Anneliese took a deep breath and sighed, "I don't know where Julian is. Do you think he left because he doesn't love me anymore?" she felt extreme sadness at thought of it.
"Of course not!" Erika shouted, standing up. "Anneliese, he loves you! He probably went for a walk."
"Maybe…" Anneliese said, after all, she did only check the garden…
"See?" Erika said, and she walked out.
"Wait!" Anneliese called after her. "Where's Dominick?"
"Oh, he's still sleeping. I'm going to go and wake him up." And at that moment, she went upstairs and left, leaving Anneliese feeling rather lonely.
Anneliese sighed; she couldn't stop thinking about what Julian was doing, where he was, and why he left without telling her. She decided she would remain calm: after all, Julian did love her. Why wouldn't he come back?
"Hey, Anneliese!" shouted a man's voice from behind.
"Julian?" she asked, getting up.
"Uh- no, Dominick." He said.
"Oh…" Anneliese sighed again.
"Why did you…" Dominick started, but Anneliese interrupted.
"Where's Julian?" she asked.
"I don't know; did you…" again, he was cut off.
"Where did he go!" she shouted her voice rising. "TODAY IS THE DAY OF OUR WEDDING AND HE DISAPPEARS!" she shouted. "HOW DARE HE!"
"Anneliese, just calm down. I'm pretty sure…" again, he was cut off.
"I don't even know why he would leave today of all days!" she shouted.
"Well, maybe…" but again, Anneliese interrupted.
"He was here yesterday and the day before!" she yelled, her voice actually much lower than before. "Sometimes I don't even get him…" she sighed, Dominick gave a sigh of relief; she was finally done yelling and screaming. Anneliese recomposed herself and took long steady breaths.
"Look," said Dominick after a silenced moment. "I'm sure Julian has a good reason for why he left. You never know, he might just surprise you with something." He said comfortingly.
"Yeah . . . maybe you're right. I probably shouldn't have gotten so paranoid." She said.
"You should probably get ready though," Dominick said. "The wedding is in three hours." Anneliese nodded and headed upstairs to get her wedding dress on, and hair done.
She finally reached the door of her room and opened it quietly.
She walked in and got her wedding dress, which was hanging up elegantly in her closet, sealed up. She sighed happily, she remembered when she got this; Erika made it.
The thought she had dreaded to think of came back again: where was Julian at? If the wedding was in three hours (The wedding was going to take place at twelve o' clock in the afternoon.), why hasn't he shown up? He should have been here by now. She sighed.
She began getting her wedding dress on. Very gracefully, she slipped it on, and began making adjustments as she looked at herself in the mirror.
For this special occasion, Anneliese had hired a professional hair stylist; who would be in her room momentarily. She stared at her reflection, and pressed her lipstick to her mouth. She heard a knock on the door.
"Come in!" she called.
'Your majezty?" said a French-accented woman.
"Ah!" Anneliese said, delighted. "You must be Flaire!"
"Yez, I am. Profezzional hair stylizt." Said Flaire. "Would you pleaze take a zeat?" she asked.
Anneliese sat done at her vanity, and Flaire began to get her instruments out.
"Zo," she began, "who is zee lucky man?" she asked.
At this moment Anneliese frowned, because Julian had not showed up yet.
"His name is Julian." Said Anneliese, regaining a bit of her smile.
"Oh, zat name is French you know." she said, nodding.
"Oh wow really?" Anneliese said, wondering why Julian never told her that...
Few minutes passed, and Anneliese couldn't keep herself anymore. She began a huge conversation about Julian to Flaire; everything she had been thinking over the past few hours seemed to just pour out of her mouth. Flaire nodded and said, "Ah, I zee." most of the time.
Anneliese told her how she had no clue to where Julian was, what he was up to, and why he had left.
"Zeems rather myzterious, don't you zink?" Flaire said. "Vose he kidnapped?" she asked.
"Oh, I don't think so… He's just being… well… Julian, I guess." Anneliese answered.
"Oh, I zee." Said Flaire. "Vell, your hair is zee finished."
"Oh, thank you!" Anneliese cried, looking how beautiful it was.
"You vook beautiful." Said Flaire, as she packed up her tools.
"I'll make sure your pay is delivered." Anneliese said.
"Zank you, your majezty." Flaire said, and she swept out of the room.
Anneliese admired herself in the mirror. The wedding was now in one hour.
"Where is he?" Anneliese thought desperately.
She then heard a quiet knock on the door. "Anneliese?" said a voice that Anneliese recognized as Erika's.
"Come in…" Anneliese said gloomily.
"What's wrong?" Erika asked, walking into the room.
"The same thing that was wrong three hours ago, Erika." Anneliese said, extremely irritated.
Erika chose to ignore Anneliese's statement and said, "I heard you yelled at Dominick, Anneliese."
"Yeah? So?" Anneliese snarled.
"Just calm down…" Erika said, "Come with me outside to the wedding."
"IF JULIAN ISN'T EVEN HERE, WHY WOULD I GO OUT THERE?" Anneliese shouted.
"LOOK!" Erika shouted, "I'VE PUT UP WITH YOUR PATHETIC SHOUTING ALL DAY! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO GO OUTSIDE, THEN, WHATEVER!" she shouted.
Anneliese was baffled; she certainly was not expecting that…
"I'm sorry." Anneliese said quietly.
"No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled." Erika apologized.
"I shouldn't have put all my anger out on you…" Anneliese said, getting up. "Will you forgive me?" she pleaded.
"Of course." Said Erika.
The two girls embraced, "Let's go now." Erika said and the two girls went outside to the wedding.
"You look beautiful, Erika." Anneliese smiled at her best friend.
"You do too." Erika said, smiling back.
They went outside to a white tent, only a few of the guests had arrived so far.
"Only forty-five minutes until the wedding starts." Erika said, peering out the curtain of the some-what enormous white tent.
"Hello girls." Said the queen, entering the tent.
"Hello, mother." said Anneliese.
"Has Julian arrived yet?" Her mother asked, concerned.
"No…" Anneliese said; she felt her eyes fill with tears.
"Anneliese, I'm sure he'll show." Her mother said, assuring her.
Anneliese nodded; even if she really didn't believe it.
"I just wanted to remind you girls:" the queen said, changing the subject. "Erika, you'll be walking down the aisle first, your Uncle Henry will be assisting you." Erika nodded toward the queen. "Anneliese, you'll be walking down secondly with me." Anneliese nodded glumly.
"Alright then, you two know the cue. We'll be waiting outside." She said happily.
"Don't worry Anneliese, he'll come…" Erika said.
The two girls heard the wedding march sound, and Erika stepped out and walked down.
The queen was at Anneliese's side, her sadness was now fright. She was very nervous to begin walking up there, and not see Julian. It was now her turn to begin walking down the aisle. She breathed in and closed her eyes; she began walking with her mother as she entered, and step by step, they made their way down the aisle.
Anneliese looked up at the altar. She couldn't believe her eyes… he was here! Julian was up at the altar, looking as wonderful as ever. He smiled as his beautiful dark eyes stared at Anneliese.
Anneliese smiled, she didn't want to walk this slowly toward Julian; she wanted to run and embrace him.
For what seemed like hours, they finally made it up to the altar. Anneliese couldn't stop smiling, and by the look on Erika's face, she knew she had been surprised as well. Dominick, however, didn't look surprised.
"Where have you been?" Anneliese whispered to Julian as the priest began speaking.
"I'll tell you after the wedding, Anneliese." Julian said, smiling.
Anneliese half-smiled back. She was overjoyed Julian was back, but… Where did he go?
The priest's speech seemed to just keep going.
"Can you hurry this up please?" Anneliese heard herself saying.
"Oh, well- yes," The priest stammered. He cleared his throat and then said, "Do you, Dominick Ordeneaux, take Erika Maddox, as your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do." Dominick said, gazing at Erika happily.
"And do you, Erika Maddox, take Dominick Ordeneaux, as your lawfully wedded husband?" he asked Erika.
"I do." Erika said, beaming at Dominick.
"Do you, Julian Mills, take Anneliese Acciavatti as your lawfully wadded wife?"
"I do." Julian said, smiling at Anneliese.
"And do you, Anneliese Acciavatti, take Julian Mills as your lawfully wedded husband?
"I do." Anneliese said, smiling at Julian.
"Then, you may kiss the bride!"
Anneliese was very happy now; Julian had made it to the wedding, and they were married! But, she still wanted to know where he was.
"Julian?" Anneliese asked him at the after party, which still took place outside; it was Anneliese's idea to be married outside.
"Yes?" he said smiling at her.
"Where were you?"
"Well, you see, I went to my house to take my family here." He began.
"Then where were you the rest of the time? It shouldn't have taken that long…" Anneliese said.
"I'm getting there. Well, Dominick told me you were having a bit of a fit when you couldn't find me, even if I did leave a note on your pillow-"
"Wait! You left me a note? Ugh I'm so stupid!" Anneliese said, irritated with herself.
"No you're not! Anyway, Dominick thought it would be fun if I didn't show until the wedding. So that's why I was only there at the wedding."
"I'm going to kill him…" Anneliese said.
Julian only smiled. He then said, "Don't forget, I went along with it."
"Whatever, at least that's over. Will you please promise me you'll never leave me again? Please?
"I promise I will never leave you again." Julian said sincerely, holding out his hand to Anneliese.
Anneliese, smiling so wide that she thought it would touch her ears, take his hand, and they both went on and joined the party.
(Hope you all enjoyed! Thank you! Read and review! :^D)