31st May, 1016

Elijah returned home hours later after poring over extensive wedding plans with Belle and her parents. He had had no idea how much hard work had to be put into the organisation of a wedding. It was extremely tiring.

He found his sister, Aurelia, at the gates of their home with a broom, sweeping dust from the ground. She looked up when she heard his footsteps and stopped sweeping. She glanced behind her at something Elijah could not see before turning back to him and speaking.

"Busy day?" she asked.

"Very." he replied, suppressing a yawn. He was now close enough to see that the thing that Aurelia had glanced at was in fact his brother, Klaus, and Ava sat together in the far corner of the yard on a stone bench. Elijah suppressed a look of anger. He couldn't get away from them! Everywhere he went, there they were. It was infuriating.

"Are you ok?" Aurelia asked him, looking at him with concern.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?" he said shortly.

Aurelia looked at him. There was something a little too knowing in the look she gave him. He had a nasty feeling that his sister knew exactly what was going on inside his head.

"Where is everyone else?" Elijah asked, noting that it seemed rather quiet. Apart from Aurelia, Ava and Klaus, the yard was deserted.

"Inside, I believe. Mother is insisting on picking out garments for your wedding as soon as possible."

"Why are you out here?"

"I'm growing tired of the incessant wedding talk." She said apologetically. "I told mother I needed some air."

"Why isn't he inside, then?" he gestured towards Klaus.

"I think mother's hoping that the more time he spends with Ava, the more likely he is to marry her."

"She wants him married to Ava?"

"She wants him married to anyone. Surely you noticed that, until Ava came back, he was making his way through every girl in town? She wants him tamed."

At that moment, Ava appeared behind them, apparently leaving. Klaus was watching her from the bench with a soft expression. Elijah almost did a double take. Was it possible that Klaus - the brother who had once claimed that one woman would never be enough - had fallen in love? If so, why did it have to be with the girl that Elijah also happened to be in love with? Talk about bad luck.

Ava smiled at Aurelia and Elijah as she passed.

"Goodnight." she said, giving them both a small smile.

"Goodnight." chorused Elijah and Aurelia.

2nd June, 1016

"For the tenth time, Electra, I don't know! You'll have to talk to Belle!" said Elijah.

"But we're your sisters!" cried Electra, gesturing towards herself, Aurelia and Alistina who were all following Elijah around eagerly. "We should be the bridesmaids!"

"Girls," Elijah stopped walking and turned around. "Since Belle is the bride it is entirely her decision who are the bridesmaids!"

"I'll remember this when I get married." snapped Alistina.

"I bet all the boys have roles in the wedding, don't they?" asked Electra.

"Well, given the fact that that decision lies with me, of course. Evander and Bryden will be my groomsmen and Klaus will be my best man."

All three girls folded their arms and scowled.

"How unfair!" complained Aurelia.

"Take it up with Belle, girls!"

There was a pause within which all three girls looked at one another with disgruntled expressions before Aurelia spoke again.

"What about Ava?"

"What about her?" Elijah asked, slightly confused.

"Is she coming to the wedding?"

"Oh," Elijah hadn't actually thought about it. Given the fact he was already having trouble keeping his thoughts away from Ava when he was with Belle as it was, he thought it would probably be a bad idea, having Ava there on the actual day. "Oh I expect she'll have better things to be doing than a wedding." Elijah said lightly with a small laugh.

"Have you actually asked her?" said Alistina raising an eyebrow.

"No, but I'm sure the wedding of an old friend won't be of much importance to her."

"That's where you're wrong, brother!" Klaus came striding through the gate that Elijah had been heading too, smiling broadly.

"Excuse me?" said Elijah.

"I already asked her if she'd like to attend. She said she'd be delighted."

Brilliant, thought Elijah. Just what I need, he thought to himself bitterly.

15th June, 1016

Elijah stood at the altar, waiting patiently for his bride-to-be.

His family and Belle's had truly outdone themselves; a large, white marquee had been constructed, under which he and his guests now stood beneath.

Belle had chosen pale blue for the colour scheme, so Elijah's clothes were made up of pale blue and dark blue. It was supposed to contrast, apparently. There were ribbons of pale blue that had spread to each corner of the marquee. Chairs had been set out on either side of the altar for both Elijah's guests and Belle's. All of them were sat in their places, gazing around the marquee in interest. Every now and then their gaze would rest on Elijah for a few moments.

Elijah's brother and best man, Klaus, arrived with a beautiful woman on his arm. Not just any woman, but the object of Elijah's desire, Ava. She looked breathtakingly beautiful, more so than usual. He felt the usual hot jealousy at the sight of them, but, as usual, did nothing. His attention could not be diverted today. He would not allow it. In fact, during the days leading up to the wedding, he had vowed never to let his thoughts stray further than Belle. Of course, he had made the same vow numerous times, but this time he would stick to it. He had to. By the end of the day, Ava would be his wif- Belle! BELLE would be his wife. Damn it, he thought to himself.

He watched as Ava took her seat next to his sister, Aurelia, who - along with both of her sisters - looked thoroughly disgruntled at not being picked to be bridesmaids - and Klaus, followed by Bryden and Evander, made his way up the aisle towards Elijah.

"Nervous, brother?" he asked with a smirk as soon as he was in earshot.

"Not at all." he replied with a smile. It was true, he and Klaus hadn't been getting on as well as they once had in recent weeks, but he was glad that he had picked Klaus as his best man. Out of all his brothers, Klaus was his best friend.

A beautiful silence fell over the room when Belle entered. She looked amazing. Her blonde hair had been twisted into an intricate up-do and her pale blue dress clung to her figure in all the right places. She had a hold of her fathers arm and was smiling around at the guests until her eyes fell on Elijah. Her smile broke into a grin, which Elijah returned. He wished, with all his heart, that the sight of her would have pushed every other thought from his mind, that her appearance would have caused fireworks to start shooting through his body, but no such luck.