Chapter 36 Part I

Going to the Chapel

My father was pacing in his gorgeous Victorian tuxedo that had been tailored for his thirtieth birthday party, the night he finished being turned. The top hat made him look so incredibly handsome that I could easily understand why women found him so sexy, although it seemed weird to think of my own father as sexy.

The temple, one hundred feet below the Temple area of London, was lit in hundreds of candles from dozens of sconces and wrought iron chandeliers that hung from the gothic cathedral ceiling. The filigree of each chandelier was intricate, made by craftsmen in the seventeenth century. Feathers from numerous species of birds adorned various surfaces of the temple. Flowers were not welcomed at a vampire wedding because they only tended to remind vampires of their own funerals. The ceiling was gothic in nature and at the end, behind the altar, was a beautiful mural of a full moon over a black river with a long ship sailing across. The river represents the river Styx , the moon is life and the ship is the vampire sailing between the two worlds.

Greg decided to wear a full dress tailcoat with a notched lapel and a white vest. His shirt and bowtie were gorgeous white pique. The shoes were Armani, purchased on Bond Street during an excursion with Caleb to purchase the entire outfit. I peeked out and saw that he looked absolutely stunning, so elegant and sophisticated. What I didn't expect was that standing next to him was James Wilson! I almost passed out. What was going on?

I turned back to my father, "Daddy, what is James Wilson doing out there?"

"He's the best man."

"He's a mortal! He doesn't know that I'm--"

"Different?" Daddy snickered.

"A vampire."

"He's going to see a lot of strange things tonight. Obviously, Greg has told him something to prepare him."

I swallowed hard, shaking my head. "Daddy, knowing Greg, he's probably just told him it was a fancy dress wedding."

He shrugged, "Acushla, it's time."

We took our place in the vestry and waited for the harpsichord player to play, Greensleeves. I looked at my father, who was now without the top hat and slipped my arm through his. "Daddy, you look so handsome."

"You look absolutely beautiful. I remember the first ball gown you wore, to the May Ball. You were the prettiest girl at the ball. You still are."

"I love you, Daddy."

"I love you, Acushla, more than life and death itself." The music began. "I think that's our cue."

The doors were opened for us and I started up the cavernous temple. There were probably four hundred vampires present. More would have attended had we sent out invitations. Most of the guests were from the British, Irish and East Coast sects. Security had been very heavy with people being screened before entering the temple. Outside there was a virtual army guarding the building in a two block radius. The temple was so large that it was only one third full.

My dress wasn't one of my ball gowns, but the wedding dress of my second cousin, who died on her honeymoon in Italy from some type of food poisoning. I had been her maid of honor and she had entrusted me with her wedding gown when she left. I had insured its preservation until she returned and it could be altered. Usually, a Victorian bride would have their wedding gown altered to be worn to balls or important events in the year that followed the wedding. It was considered an honor if the bride showed up to their event in the altered dress, a demonstration of the bride's esteem for the host. I had forgotten about the dress, but Daddy had arrived from Ireland with it and told me that Maureen would have been honored to know I wore it for my wedding. He was holding the gorgeous dress so lovingly. We both had been fond of Maureen and I knew how much pleasure it would have given her to know I was married in it. I smiled and took it from his hands.

The dress took up most of the aisle as we marched slowly up to the altar. The fan train trailed behind me as we inched towards to Greensleeves. The cream silk satin was lovingly embossed with the finest white crystal beading from Switzerland. The dress had a large bustle preceding the train with rows of pleats fanning down the back. Only the wealthiest of brides would have worn such an elaborate wedding gown and my cousin had been very wealthy. I had to have it let out, my cousin had not only been a size smaller than me, but it was a size smaller than my pre-mom figure. The corset underneath was tight, but not unbearable, but that bustle! They were a bloody nuisance in 1880 but even worse now-- now that I knew what freedom from them felt like. Nonetheless, my father and I glided gracefully down the aisle to a very amused Greg House. I don't think he had expected my dress. He broke out laughing when I couldn't get within three feet of him at the altar without bunching the dress. I gave him a half-serious look to tell him to behave. Behind me I could hear Riane and Jack calling out for us.

"Daddy! Mummy's dress is big!" Riane's voice echoed through the temple to a spattering of laughter.

Jack just kept yelling, "Mommy, Caleb, Daddy!" Trying to get our attention. I turned to both of them and put my finger to my mouth.

"I love you." Greg whispered out loud to them. "But, use your inside voice."

They went quiet.

I smiled back at Greg and nodded, then turned back towards the altar. I'm sure it was strange to our guests to have small children interrupt a wedding. There just weren't small vampire children in the majority of the sects.

My bridesmaid was Maeve Collins, an Irish vampire I had known since I was thirty. We drifted in and out of each other's life just like most vampires do. But, we always managed to stay connected.

Caleb soon appeared on the tall altar, approximately three feet higher than us, in his Centurion uniform consisting of a sideways horse hair crest on his shiny helmet, a shirt of mail armor over a leather arming-doublet. His scarlet cloak was made of the finest wool. His chest was full of medals awarded to him from bravery in battle. His solid sword was sheathed on his left side while his dagger sat in a leather sheath on the right. He looked magnificent, a true warrior. I thought that Greg was either going to break ranks and run or start laughing.

At the sight of Caleb in his uniform, Wilson went completely white, his pupils dilated and sweat started beading up on his forehead. He had no clue what was going on. Leaning into House, he whispered, "Professor Burberry?" Of course the acoustics of the temple and the heightened vampire hearing insured that we all heard the question. There was some tittering in the audience.

Greg nodded back.

"Caleb, Caleb, look at my new dress!" Came a cheerful little voice from my darling daughter.

Caleb winked at her as my father pulled her into his lap for safeguarding and a hurried shhhhh.

The ceremony proceeded in Latin. The smell of incense burned throughout the temple and when the response was required, the crowd responded in Latin too. Approximately twenty minutes into the ceremony, Caleb descended to the step just above us on the altar and handed me the jeweled knife of Romania. I slit my wrist and allowed my thick blood to drain into the Chalice of Venezia. I handed the chalice to Greg and extended my hand for his wrist. The look on Jim's face was bewilderment. Greg handed me his sinewy arm and I undid his cuff, rolled it back and held his wrist gently in my left hand while cutting lightly over his wrist with my right hand, enough for his red blood to drain freely into the Chalice. Caleb handed him a sacred cloth to bind the wound.

I held the Chalice up to the sky. "With this, the blood of my life, the blood of my ancestors, the blood of the world, I commit to you my love." Then I drank from the Chalice.

I handed the Chalice to Greg who took it and rolled his eyes. I know he thought it was corny, but he wasn't about to say that in front of scores of vampires. He held the Chalice up to the sky and repeated what I had said, "With this, the blood of my life, the blood of my ancestors, the blood of the world, I commit to you my love." And then he drank, knowing our blood bond was even stronger.

Now that the blood bond ceremony was over, Caleb took the Chalice and put it on the altar. As he did, Greg's wound healed from the benefit of my blood.

In the pure Roman Latin of the Romana Pax, Caleb announced that we were married.

Turning to English he smiled at Greg. "We don't normally call for a kiss, but I think that in this case it would be welcomed. Greg, you may kiss the bride."

Greg turned and bent forward, grabbing around my hooped waist and pulling me into him, kissing me in front of everyone. There was clapping from the crowd and then we turned. As we walked down the aisle, my friends reached out to shake my hand and wish us well. Several thanked Greg for his service to the Order.

"What are they talking about?" Jim asked from behind.

"I'll tell you later."

When we walked through the temple we crossed the vestry to the hall. Caleb had paid for a reception as his gift for us. There was an orchestra and a very large buffet of the most delectable foods, including lobster, scallops, shrimps, filet mignon, clams, truffles, oysters and every exotic vegetable known to man. The dessert table had a cornucopia of luscious delectable treats to satisfy my sweet tooth.

"Can we just slip away somewhere for a few minutes?" Greg asked.

"You're feeling a little randy?" I knew the blood bond would make it difficult for him to handle.

"All I can think of right now is what's between your legs. It's going to make it very difficult in a receiving line if I have a woody."

"Come with me." I grabbed his hand and as we passed my father I whispered in his ear to keep everyone out of the bride's room and to keep Jim occupied. I took Greg up to the celestial library and pushed him back on the edge of the large cherry desk. His legs were stretched out in a 'V' in front of him.

"I can't get out of this damn dress, but I can take the edge off your urges." I reached down and unzipped him. "Just don't get it on my dress."

"Oh!" He shivered as I took his penis out of his trousers. "Well, then you better swallow." He grinned devilishly at me.

I dropped down to my knees and took a position between his legs where I started to jerk him from his flaccid state into a more alert one. It didn't take long. It was time for my mouth to do the work. I licked, sucked and pulled until he took over, pushing my head down while he pumped up and down. Within five minutes he was moaning and jerking like a schoolboy as he came. When it was over he handed me his handkerchief, which I quickly used.

There was an amusement in his eyes that had nothing to do with what had just happened. I wasn't quite sure what was going through his brain.

"What's so funny?"

"It's just bizarre to be getting head from a woman in an 1880 wedding dress with a ten foot bustle. Your dress takes up half the room and that train is almost out the door."

"Zip up and let's get back to the reception line." I put my fists on both hips. "And for the record, I'm your wife, not 'a woman.' Understand?"

"You really think that ceremony counts?"

"This is the blood ceremony and it's more real than any civil or church ceremony. If you break these vows, you don't just go through a nasty divorce, you go through hell. My father will make sure you die a slow agonizing death if you screw this up."

"Wait a minute. What happens if you screw up?"

"I get spanked. Hard."

"That seems a little lopsided."

I laughed at him. "I'm just teasing honey. You just apply to Caleb for a divorce if you find out I've run off with the blood man."

We walked into the hall, took a deep breath and smiled at everyone. I turned and whispered to Greg, "What in the world are we going to do about Jim?"

"I figure we've got to convince him at some point that you're a bloodsucker. Your family is too weird to explain away by any other means."

I sneered at him and then dragged him towards the obvious end of the receiving line. Standing in line, we welcomed the hundreds of vampire and the occasional mortal guest. Occasionally there would be a tiny drop of blood at the corner of a mouth or on a collar which meant that Caleb had set up a donor room somewhere in the temple. I made a note to try and find it so that I could keep Jim from stumbling into it at some point.

We were eventually able to get off our feet for a few minutes after the reception line had come to an end. Greg was knocking back the Oban that Caleb had presented to him just before sitting down. I stuck to champagne. The orchestra struck up a waltz and I draped the string over my wrist to hold up the train and tugged on Greg, who winced but followed me onto the dance floor. In an exaggerated gesture, Greg swept me into his arms and we danced slowly around in a circle. Somewhat surprised that my husband knew how to properly waltz, I threw back my head and giggled at how he could still surprise me.

Narrowing his eyes, he grinned and teased me, "You are one charming little vampire. So this blood bond… no potion this time?"

"No potion darling, you're going to want to be near me and you'll feel my strongest emotions for the rest of your life."

"How is this going to work with us being separated?"

"Well, it's going to be harder on you because of the biological pull, but don't forget that I want to be with you too…blood bond or no blood bond. We're just going to have to suffer."

My father brought Riane out onto the dance floor and danced with her in her ruffled red dress with black lace. She was so proud of her dress and little head dress of feathers that she had paraded around the room for half an hour seeking compliments from all the men in her life including a very adoring Mario. The waltz ended and Greg cut in, standing Riane on his shoes for the next dance so that my father could dance with me.

"I haven't seen you look so happy in a long time." Daddy said into my ear.

"I am Daddy. I'm surrounded by the people I love and who love me. I just wish Sophia …" It was hard to put it into words, the disappointment in her behavior, the sadness at not having her here.

"I know darling. I know." Daddy gave me a hug to comfort me.

"But, I am very, very happy."

"I have to admit, I wasn't happy that you fell in love with a mortal, but Greg's a good father and he's good to you. If not for him, we wouldn't have gotten you back. I hate to admit it, but I like him. I still have issues with him, but then no one is good enough for my daughter."

"Daddy!" I gave him another hug.

"He's got to be her step-dad right? Her mother was considerably older than him when they married right?" Wilson asked as he watched Kiara dance with the man who was introduced to Wilson as Kiara's father.

"Sean?" House asked, taking a bite of the chicken. "Wilson, there's something you need to know, but you aren't going to believe me just yet. These people aren't just a little eccentric or a cult, they really are vampires."

Wilson looked around and shook his head. "House, if Kiara were a vampire, how can she walk around in the sun?"

"Oh, boy. Well, you see, she's a live vampire, a rare vampire."

Wilson gave House a look of annoyance that House knew all too well. "House, we're all having a good time here. Let's just table this nonsense for now. Enjoy the music, the friends, the food. In fact, can you introduce me to that woman there?"

Wilson pointed toward Emily Price, a vampire dressed in Edwardian clothes, meaning she was turned sometime around the turn of the twentieth century. Kiara had pointed her out to House as Caleb's previous girlfriend. Kiara had graciously admitted that Emily was nice, smart and funny, a perfect companion for Caleb. House thought she would probably be a safe bet for Wilson, but since he had never met her, he went over to Caleb and explained the dilemma. Caleb took Wilson over to Emily.

"Emily, this is Dr. James Wilson. He is a world renowned oncologist at Princeton Plainsboro Hospital. I was wondering if you could perhaps look after him for awhile until his duties as best man pull him away?"

"Yes, my lord. I would be happy to show our guest around."

Emily took Wilson by the arm and started to make the rounds. After Kiara returned from the donor room, she and House watched as Wilson started to relax and laugh. Before long, Emily had cajoled Wilson out onto the dance floor dancing to the vampire band that had taken the place of the orchestra. The band, dressed in various periods of costume from when they were turned, including someone who could have doubled for Frank Sinatra, played rock n' roll from the fifties through the eighties. Wilson and Emily did a great swing to several Buddy Holly songs, causing half the room to pause to watch and enjoy their moves.

Caleb had chosen the wedding cake when Kiara, strapped for time, had finally collapsed in tears saying she couldn't be everywhere at once. Assuring her that cake was his forte, he chose one with her in mind, a chocolate fudge cake with a deep fudge filling and chocolate cream cheese frosting, Kiara's favorite. Of course, no one consulted House on his preference because he was the mortal and frankly, Caleb didn't care what House's preference was. Nonetheless, House loved the cake. There was no smashing of the cake, probably because House could see that the gown Kiara was wearing was probably worth more than his precious Flying 'V.'

By four in the morning, the crowd started to thin as they made their way home to their coffins. Caleb had arranged for nannies to take care of the babies so that House and Kiara could take advantage of a night by themselves at Caleb's Soho apartment, which also happened to be the site of his infidelity. Kiara kissed the sleeping Riane and tickled the sleepy Jack. before handing her babies to the mortal nanny. The nanny slipped them both into their car seats and Mario drove the precious cargo home.

Dear Readers:

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I wanted to wish everyone around the world a happy day full of gratitude and love. I hope you all have enough to eat and that you take time to appreciate your family. Caleb, Kiara, Sean, the kids and House all understand the meaning of family in this story which is one of the things I like best about it. Happy Thanksgiving and I want you to know I'm grateful for all my readers! Kim