Morning came too soon for Sophie; the sun's taunting light revealed to her at last that Amon Goeth had left sometime during the night. Sophie battered her eyes open to reveal that the empty space next to her was real. She was left alone to dwell in thought about the tortuous moment that would become her wedding. As she sat up, the cool December chill forced her to wrap a blanket around herself. She sat there, puzzled and desolate.
Her thoughts grew drearier as the morning progressed. She sat on her bed for another hour until the heavy knocks roused her from her thoughts. She thought about how Landa was going to be her lifelong partner and how she was going to have to see him every single day of her life. He had taken no time to get to know her before their wedding. The last time they saw each other was when he peeled her dress off at the restaurant.
Before any more wretched thoughts grew in her mind, her door opened to reveal her mother and the household maids overjoyed with excitement. They pried her out of her bed; Sophie let out a wince as she was forced onto her feet.
"Good morning, Mrs. Landa" her mother chirped.
Sophie's only response was a meek smile before she was hurried away towards the bathroom. Within a few hours, she was stuffed into a crème colored gown that sculpted her body into a slender figure. Her hair was curled and pinned into an ornate bun that trapped a comb into her curls. As she was escorted out into her parents', the sheer throb of fear escaped her. What if Landa found out about last night? She was starting to shake when her father greeted her at the doorway.
Mr. DuBois smiled at his daughter and took her hand gingerly into his.
"Are we nervous today?" He smiled at her.
Sophie met her father's smile with a soft one of her own. As the two entered the car, she stared out the window. Today was going to be an interesting day…
Landa
Hans Landa stood in his suite at the church. While he adjusted his tie, he smiled about what he had just learned. Amon Goeth was back in town and Landa was certain that he was going to come and disturb the wedding. As he continued to think, he reached for the pistol lying on his table. There shouldn't be any reason as to why nobody would believe him if he said Goeth attacked poor, young Sophie due to jealousy.
His thoughts were interrupted when one of the alter servers came in.
"Excuse me, sir, but your bride has arrived. I think we're starting now."
Landa smirked, "I should be right there. I have to make sure that everything is perfect."
The boy exited the room and Landa continued to straighten himself out. He exited his suite and stood beside his groomsmen.
Sophie
She did not want to move further. The car pulled towards the front of the church and her legs froze. Her father, not knowing about her emotions, grew puzzled as she refused to step out of the car; Sophie would be damned if she was going to step a foot inside the church. Mr. DuBois calmly reached for his daughter's hand,
"There is something I must tell you, child." His gentle eyes glanced over at her in desperation and fear.
Sophie's eyes met her father's. She held her breath as he squeezed her hand tightly. Whatever he was going to tell her was important; whatever he was going to say bought her some time before she was going to be forced to marry a monster.
"Sophie…your mother and I are not what we seem."
The girl's eyes shifted from concerned to fear.
"Father, I do not understand…"
"Sophie, listen to me. We are in hiding. I don't believe that I am going to expose this to you, but perhaps it is now that you must understand."
Sophie's lip quivered as she forced herself to listen.
"You are to marry Hans in order to protect us from further harm."
"Father, you are babbling…please get to the point."
"I committed a crime. We are not French nor do we have any French lineage. I am so sorry, my darling girl. We are Jews."
Sophie felt her heart stop; how could they lie to her like that! Her rage settled as she examined her father's face.
"We received false papers in order to obtain a French citizenship. Our name is actually Hildebrand. The war had damaged whatever assets we had left and the Depression created even more of a hardship for us. Now that Hitler is full swing in power, we must continue to hide…like rats."
Her father spat the word rats.
"But…I was baptized. You were willing to destroy your faith for what?"
"We wanted to protect you, that is all. Many of our close friends and relatives moved to America during the 1918 influenza outbreak. We were blamed for that as well…this marriage, this union between you and Colonel Landa would give you the power to be protected. Nobody will ever question you. Your mother and I…we are going to America to start over. Remember we love you, Sophie."
For the first time in her life, Sophie and her father shared a moment in which they both cried. This was going to be the last time she was ever going to share a moment with her father. Why would her mother be so excited about this? Then Sophie remembered how strong her parents really were.
Landa
The prelude died down as the rest of the people settled into their seats. Hans Landa looked majestic in his formal SS uniform. The grey material was decorated with medals and pins. He had his hair combed over to one side and his crisp shirt was securing his tie in place.
Within the crowd, he saw several of his officers sitting down on the lookout for Goeth. If that bastard came to claim Sophie, Landa had vowed to shoot him dead. The crowd started to stand as the bride and her father made their way towards the awaiting groom.
Landa sucked in a breath as he watched the beautiful Sophie DuBois make her way towards him. She was so stunning in her gown; the material nestled around her curves gently while the skirt waved around her feet. Hans let himself give a small smile before he extended his hand towards her.
"Who gives this woman in holy matrimony?" The residing pastor asked
"I do, sir."
Hans reached in and tenderly took her hand. He brushed his thumbs over her hands as he stared at her. Although he truly held no love for this woman, he could learn to treasure their time as a married couple. She was too beautiful of a woman to waste on a petty captain.
Sophie
Sophie was shaking. Her eyes glanced around the room as she walked down to greet the man who would be her husband. He was dressed in a handsome uniform that boasted his rank and achievements. Her father gave her away and she stood there with Colonel Hans Landa, ready to take her vows.
As the pastor went on with the ceremony, Sophie felt Landa's cold eyes more than she saw them. The look he gave her proved that he knew about something she was hiding. He was a handsome man, but Sophie could not bear to think about that. Her love was for her captain and only he shared a secret bond that would define their love for one another.
"Now, Sophie, repeat after me…"
Sophie robotically repeated her vows and Landa did the same thing. When the rings came out, her insides felt as if they were filled with lead. Where was Amon? Why didn't he stop this from happening? Before her thought process was over, Hans slid the gold band down her tiny finger. It was too late; she had to do the same thing. She thought of her family and what this marriage meant for them.
With a shaking hand, she slid Landa's gold band onto his finger. Tears started to well up in her eyes. The pastor declared them as husband and wife and gave permission for Landa to land their first kiss together.
Landa
"I now pronounce you man and wife. Colonel, you may kiss the bride."
Hans leaned in and placed a hand over his wife's cheek. The few seconds it took him to kiss her created a climax for the congregation. In the eyes of the public, he was going to be the perfect husband. Perhaps in time his wife will come to fully be a woman of true worth and not some little girl.
As he kissed her, his thoughts revolved in his mind that he had beaten Amon Goeth in his very own game. Goeth did not show up to the ceremony and would not show up to the reception-Landa was certain of that. He pulled back from their kiss and gave Sophie a sly smile.