Chapter Ten: A Gatecrasher at the Wedding

Hidden by the silhouette of the trees, Anthony watched from the outskirts of the forest as the vampire greeted his fiancée. In the darkness, no one saw his eyes glitter with malice. He had suspected Riza's unfaithfulness ever since the mid-summer Dance, because there was no other reason that that vampire, a famed murderer, would threaten the village with fire, but not kill anyone, especially when he already had Riza cornered. Anthony did not believe he had frightened him away with sword and gun, for what was one more victim to a ruthless killer?

He had tried to forget about it, until one of the village girls had let slip in her drunkenness that night, something about Riza's dilemma. Having put two and two together, Anthony made the hard choice to tail his love, and the result of that was right before his eyes: a secret rendezvous between his bride-to-be and the hated vampire.

Even as he congratulated himself for discovering Riza, Anthony pondered over his next step. He couldn't confront Riza; she would just deny it. And neither could he call the marriage off, because then he would have to explain what he had seen, and who would believe anyone could fall in love with a vampire? He would not have believed it either, if the proof was not staring at him right now.

And there was his feelings for his darling Elizabeth…

In a split second, Anthony Briggs made his decision. He would pretend nothing had happened, and go with the wedding as planned. After that, he would take Riza away to live in the city with him. If the vampire dared to interfere with the marriage, or tried to steal Riza away, he would have to eliminate him.

The next month was filled for Riza with many dress alteration sessions, flower arrangement discussions and wedding banquet menu arguments. Riza never mentioned the "other man" to Rose, Gracia or Winry again, and wisely, they never brought the subject up either, each of them believing that Riza was determined to go through with the wedding, and forget him.

But Riza never forgot Roy. Far from taking her mind of her love, the wedding preparations seemed to intensify the hole that Roy had left in her, and Riza found herself constantly wishing that it was that dark eyed, smiling, mortal Roy of her dreams she was marrying.

The morning of the wedding, Riza woke with a wave of miserable, cold dread. She smiled to herself ruefully. She was getting married, and everyone expected her to be cheerful, but all she felt was a sense of doom. It was like being sentenced to lifelong imprisonment, and in truth, she didn't see the difference. Dressing slowly, she checked her reflection in the mirror. There were dark shadows under her eyes, due to her lack of sleep, though everyone would simply put her insomnia down to excitement. Well, if it was a smiling bride they wanted, Riza would give them just that, even if the smile was a fake one.

As with the mid-summer Dance, there was lots of last minute preparations to do, although most of the villagers insisted that Riza rest and gear up for the wedding. After a quick lunch, Riza was whisked away by Mrs Briggs, Gracia, Rose and Winry to get dressed and have her hair done up. As bridesmaids, Rose and Winry also had to change into their matching light pink gowns.

Finally, at three in the afternoon, when everyone was comfortably seated in the village chapel, the church bells pealed, the double doors opened, and in walked Elizabeth Heinswen, attended by her bridesmaids. Vato Falman and Jean Havoc raised their violin bows and played a slow-paced wedding march. Anthony Briggs, standing at the front of the church, gave Riza the very smile she found most annoying, and it took every bit of her self-control to keep her own smile, and not break down and cry, or bare her teeth and glare at Anthony.

Unbeknownst to the two of them and the rest of the congregation, there sat a man in the far corner watching them closely under his wide-brimmed black hat. The night of their last meeting, as Roy departed from Riza, he had remembered the pleading look in Riza's eyes, and the subsequent disappointment as he had refused her wish. Then he, too, had made a decision.

Wrong though it was for vampire and mortal to come together, he would save Riza from her miserable marriage, at whatever the cost. He would sit in at Riza's wedding, disguised, and if Riza showed any signs of hesitation, he would take her away. Where they would go, and how long he could keep her, was another matter. Perhaps Mother could be persuaded to hide her for a month, and then she could move to France, to Venice, or even to America, and live the life she wanted to live. Surely she would be safe, for no one in their right mind would dream of chasing after her, when she had been kidnapped by a vampire.

Roy now scowled at Anthony's cocky smile. Insolent fool, he thought angrily, I wouldn't be so proud if I were you, knowing that I had forced a young girl into marriage against her will. Just seeing Riza walk as though every step pained her grieved Roy, and he longed to hold her, to hug her and to comfort her. But he would have to wait. If Riza had decided to forget Roy and marry this bastard, he showing himself now wouldn't help her at all.

It seemed to Riza to take an eternity to reach Anthony, as though time itself wanted to stop this union. But finally, with a quavering high note from the violins, Riza was beside Anthony Briggs. As he reached out to take her hand, his touch sent icy shivers down Riza spine. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought she might faint from the over-exertion.

Mayor Hohenheim Elric, standing three steps above the pair, smiled down at Riza and addressed the congregation:

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness the joyous union of this young couple standing here in front of me…"

Riza's hand began to sweat in Anthony's. It was going to happen, she was really going to get married.

"…start of a new chapter in their lives, where they shall cease to be two individuals and become one, joined together in spirit…"

She began to sweat under her lace veil; suddenly, her dress felt too small, too tight.

"… love and devotion, always honouring and respecting each other, and above all, trusting each other…"

Riza blinked a few times to clear her vision. Blood pounded in her head, and she desperately wanted to lie down and have a cool drink.

Major Elric concluded his speech and looked down to face Anthony. "Do you, Anthony Thomas Briggs, consent to take Elizabeth May Heinswen as your wife?"

"I do."

As dark spots continued to burst before her eyes, Riza closed them, and took a few deep breaths. When she opened her eyes again, Major Elric was looking at her. She suppressed another wave of shivers.

"Do you, Elizabeth May Heinswen, consent to take Anthony Thomas Briggs as your husband?"

"I…"

Riza felt though she could not breathe. Her veil felt stifling and restrictive. Pulling her hand away from Anthony's she pulled the veil aside and wiped her forehead.

"I…"

Now her legs started trembling. She looked from the Mayor's worried face, to Anthony's anxious expression, feeling sick. Pulling off her veil, she bent over, hoping she would not dirty her white gown as she threw up.

"Stop!" Riza's head snapped up as a voice rang out from the back of the chapel. As people turned, stunned, Roy stood up and took off his hat with a flourish. Relief washed over Riza as she saw Roy's white mask. Her head cleared immediately, and air returned to Riza's lungs.

Anthony's eyes narrowed as Roy crossed the church floor in a few long strides. "You," he growled, stepping in front of Riza, his hand going to his left hip. "Why are you here? To gatecrash? Or to steal my bride?"

"To stop an ill-fated marriage," Roy answered coolly. "Do not pretend you have not seen it for yourself, Anthony Briggs. Riza does not love you."

"And what if she does not?" Anthony retorted. "It's me she's marrying today." With one quick move, Anthony snapped open the flap on the holster attached to his belt, whipped out a pistol and pointed it at Roy, who merely smiled back.

"Anthony, no!" Riza shouted, grabbing his gun hand. "Think of what you're doing. Do you want to commit a murder in a church?"

"Well, this vampire – " Anthony spat the word out as though it was a curse – "isn't exactly alive, is it?"

Roy flinched slightly, but otherwise remained calm. "Crudely put, but yes," he replied. "But at least I've got feelings for others, not like you, a cocky bastard."

"You…" Anthony spluttered, but Roy ignored him.

"I have come for my one and true love, Riza, to save her from you and the miserable life you can give her. And if you think you can stop me with that gun, you are wrong. You cannot kill me."

Riza felt the muscle in Anthony's arm twitch, and reacted instinctively. Before the bullet had left the gun barrel, Riza had thrown herself in the path between Anthony and Roy. Before anyone could move, the small sphere of metal had pierced Riza's left shoulder. The force of the bullet dragged her backwards, into Roy's arms, as a red spot burst forth on Riza's white gown, like an ominous flower blooming.