OK everyone, the moment you've all been waiting for! Wedding bells are chiming today! With great thanx to all my dear readers for their heartwarming reviews, please keep them coming! -x- Lotte.
Venezia, il 16tte Maggio , 1876
Ma chère Maman Giry,
I hope this letter finds you in excellent health. I must commence by begging your forgiveness for my unpardonably long absence from your company. I trust you might have comprehended Raoul's doubts in allowing me to continue my contacts at the Opera long after our marriage. He feared to lose me to it's splendour once more, or to be critisised for letting his wife stray in such sinful surroundings. Either way, I was not strong enough to go against his will, a thing I am learning to regret and scold myself for more and more. I have understood from my dear Erik that you have indeed received most of my letters during those dark days, and that I solely owe it to your caring and forgiving heart that I was saved when I was.
You used to tell me that growing was not simply a process of becoming taller, but gaining mental strength. The ability to critisise yourself as the world around you. To learn to deal with your pain and your fears, and I believe I am well on my way in doing so. I need not confess to you I have the best of mentors with me, guiding me and helping rise above myself. For I no longer crave to put my own interests ahead, but pride myself in healing another in the process. My dear Erik has continued to love me throughout these years, no matter the cost to himself. He drew me back from my abyss, and accompanied me on my path back to light, love and happiness.
Maman, I am indeed very happy to tell you we will be married this night. As I sit here in my beautiful new surroundings, preparing for my wedding to my Angel of Angels, I could not help but feel the urge to write and express once again my deepest love and gratitude towards you. Know that we are both happy and healthy, and eager to start our new life together. A love no longer feeding on hurt and self destruction, but on respect and mutual support and guidance. Please know you and Meg are always in our hearts, and you are indeed most welcome to visit us at any time convenient. As you might understand, we do not desire to return to Paris any time soon, as too many dreams lie shattered there.
Your most grateful and loving child,
Christine Daaé.
She looked at the letter on her desk. Normally she would have signed with her official name, but on the day of her marriage, the day she would be Erik's bride and take his name, the continuation Raoul's name seemed utterly useless. Very early that morning she had taken a trip to Burano, a small isle opposite of Venice. On the island lay a chapel dedicated to loved ones far away. It was a place of prayer for those, whose graves could not be visited. Christine had first devoted a prayer to her father, thanking him for returning her Angel of Music to her, assuring him of her happiness. Then she had directed one at Raoul.
"I know with every one of your actions you only had my best interest at heart my darling. We should have foreseen earlier on, that I was never meant to be part of your world. Your dreams of light and happiness turned into a golden cage, one you could not immagine me wishing to escape from. And then you left me entirely, taking the keys to my cage with you forcing me to fight my way out. But I have, and do not regret it. I know in starting my life again, our daughter and me will be happier, and more complete beings. I will end my days with the man who truly knows my heart's desire. I have no regrets other then not showing you my dreams in your lifetime, so we may have chased them together. I hope to one day meet you again in the Heavenly Kingdom, and will seek to look upon you as a dear friend. I can only wish you will do the same. I will never forget you my darling, but will leave you now to your gloomy peace, for ever more."
With her prayer she had taken her wedding band, engraved with his sweet name, and had placed it on the altar in the midst of all other precious memories that had been left there. The bond of their love, the bond of their union, departed from her for good. She then turned and left the chapel, never to return there again. The dead should have to suffer her absence for she had ever so much more to find among the living!
Erik had to suffer Renzo to help him dress, for he could not steady his hands. The moment he had dreamed of his whole life it seemed, had now drawn so near that the tension had become insufferable. He still feared to wake up from a false and deceiving dream at any moment. He remembered the first time he had admitted this to Christine, and her reaction to it.
"Then let me hold you now, so that your fears of awaking without me may be silenced..."
This was no dream, she was here, in moments she would be by his side and they would be joined in marriage for ever more! On that night in the grand ballroom, watching the candles around them slowly give way, the subject of their wedding night had come up. An awkward silence had filled the room, anticipation mixed with uncertainty.
"How I wished I could offer you a husband...more experienced in such matters as love, Christine."
He had expected her to hurriedly silence him with sweet words of how it mattered not, but instead tears had come to her eyes.
"How I wished I could offer you a wife less so!"
He had kissed her tenderly, searching to catch her soul with his eyes in the near dark. "I suppose then this once you shall have to tutor me, my love..."
Christine felt nothing but the deepest of calm. Everything she felt had to be done, was done. Prayers said, farewells spoken, letters written. The book of her past was closed and locked, and she was ready for a new book to start.
"Maman, you look pretty!"
She turned her head carefully so as not to disturb Franca's work on her hair. "So do you my sweet!"
Céline proudly let her dress twirl around her. "You think papa will like?"
"I know he will. You are the prettiest little angel on earth!"
Céline laughed, and ran off again. Christine had made a brave attempt at letting her sleep through the afternoon, so she could join them this night. Her plan had only partly worked and she wondered how long it would be before her little angel would close her eyes.
"Is it comfortable like this, Madama?" Franca had pinned the sides of her curls away from her face as she had done that first night before the Opera, but in stead of the jeweled pins she had ordained the coiffure with heavily scenting white roses.
"It's fine, Franca, thank you very much. It looks absolutely gorgeous."
Franca smiled at her. "YOU look absolutely gorgeous Madama! I am very happy. For you both!"
All the staff had been very happy to hear of their engagement, and even happier to hear of the long weekend they were granted in celebration of the wedding. This night the whole house was decorated for the feast, with all the staff attending, and after that they were free to go wherever they pleased until the dawn of Monday. Upon their return Madama di Chiangi would be no more, only their new mistress, la Signora Alighieri...
Christine glanced at herself once more, before making her way downstairs with Nicole and Franca, who were to be her maids of honour. The sudden haste of her wedding had left her in a panic as what to wear. She knew it was not common for a widow to wear white again to her second wedding, but seeing as it was Erik's first and hopefully only wedding, she wanted to look bridal for him. But with a mere week preparations to spare, it would be impossible to commission a new gown. He had subtly provided her with a solution.
"I suppose you have not yet regarded the entirety of your wardrobe, have you ma chère?" And before her eyes he had presented her with a very familiar gown, carefully tucked away in a far corner of the cabinet. It was her gown from Hannibal, her first triumph, HIS triumph!
"I thought you had not brought anything from Paris?"
He grinned. "Not from your home, ma chère, but I did from mine. I have always had a particular weakness for this costume, and the way you looked in it for that matter. So when faced with bringing it or leaving it for Carlotta to ruin, the choice was easily made. I...suppose it would go very nicely for our purpose."
She had kissed him fervently, carefully running her hands along the golden embroideries on the hem of the gown. "I believe so dearest. I shall wear it proudly."
And so she did. In the years that had passed she had doubted whether it would still fit her, but then she had realised the costumes of the Opéra had always been slightly wider in the waist as to allow her soprano's to actually breath while singing. It now had grown into a perfect fit save for the top of her bodice, which now showed off perhaps more of her filled out bosom as had originally been intended in the design. It gave the white fluff just that extra sensuality though, which Christine found very suiting. She meant to look her best for her groom, which did not automatically imply she wished to look a sixteen-year-old virgin!
"Maman, maman, come! Papa is waiting!"
Christine smiled at her daughter who was still too young to understand that for this one moment, it was perfectly acceptable for her papa to wait a little longer. The garden was bathing in light, the delicate combination of hundreds of candles complimented by indeed a full and radiant moon. A path of flowers had been created towards its centre lined by their guests, the members of staff. Upon her entering through the garden doors one of the kitchen staff, Vicente, commenced a soft and romantic melody on his violin. Not entirely spotless but very agreeable and befitting the moment, and she immagined Erik to be far too preoccupied with other matters to attend such a trivial matter.
As Céline skipped in front of her, whirling even more rose petals about on her way to the altar, she felt a healthy set of nerves overcome her. The moment had finally arrived. Looking up at Erik, impeccably dressed in the darkest velvet imaginable, she noticed him struggling to hold his composure, turning his eyes to his feet several times before being able to look up at her again. "This is a dream!", the little voice inside of him once again shouted, but the enraged beating of his heart quickly silenced it.
She looked angelic. The dress was ever so much becoming on her as years had passed, and the subtle yet sensual swell of the overflowing bodice did not escape his notice. He swallowed hard not to cry out of joy and gratefulness and disbelief, and found Father Domenico's eyes just in time winking at him, assuring him that this moment was justly bestowed on them both. Renzo stood beside him as best man, and though bewildered at the sight of the approaching bride his eyes quickly moved past, to Nicole. She noticed and blushed. That night at the festival they had danced, and upon returning to the manor she had allowed him to kiss her goodnight. It had been a brief and courteous kiss on her cheek, but his temperamental heart yearned for more. A strict look from Franca quickly made him turn his eyes back in front of him, happy that the bride had arrived and the ceremony would start.
Céline was supposed to sit with Nicole to the side but was so loathe to leave her parents that Father Domenico stroke her fine curls smiling and allowed her to sit by him at the foot of the altar. With a content smile she sat down and stroke two little hands over her new dress before radiantly looking up at Christine and Erik, who now saw nothing more then each other.
"Dearly beloved, we have gathered here on this blessed night in the face of our Lord to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. After many hardships suffered, absence from one another patiently abided, trusting in the Lord's plan for them, they may on this day be rewarded with the Lord's blessing over their union in the sight of this congregation. May I ask you to join hands, and follow my lead in your vows..."
He nodded at Erik, summoning him to speak first. Erik felt a lump rise in his throat, unsure of being able to speak, but upon feeling Christine's warm hands clutch his own, seeing her looking up at him so lovingly and expectantly, he knew this was going to be the easiest thing he would ever have to do in his life.
"I Erik take you Christine to be my lawfully wedded wife, to love to cherish and to care for, in good and in bad days, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to death us do part."
There. The vows had been spoken. The words he had read in so many of his beloved books, dreaming of a moment he may ever have use for them, knowing that such sweet blessings would never be for him. But now they were, and he realised it ever so clearly as he heard Christine repeat her vows onto him.
"...in sickness and in health, to death us do part."
For a moment they could do nothing but stare, and smile, until Father Domenico reminded them that rings would be exchanged as a token of their love and fidelity, a constant reminder of their vows. Céline had heard the word ring and proudly offered the small box in her basket to the priest. They were simple golden bands, white gold as had been her engagement ring. Engraved safely on the inside, caressing the skin of their hands, were their mutual names and the date on which God had decided to cease his trials and granted them peace. As Erik reached for her hand he noticed for the first time Christine had discarded her old, diamond crested wedding band. Her finger once again bare and awaiting her new life with him as her one and only companion.
After the rings were safely in place, Father Domenico granted them the Lord's blessing warning all of mankind their bond was lawful and eternal and that those who God had joined together in his eternal goodness, could not be put asunder by any mortal force.
"In nomini Padri et Fili et Spiritus Sancti, Amen."
The Amen resounded throughout those present, and even Céline managed to cross in time, cautiously looking from one to the other, still not exactly understanding what ritual had just been performed.
"Signore Alighieri, I believe you may now kiss your bride..."
He needn't repeat his words for Erik's lips were already on Christine's, a gesture loudly approved of by their guests. Erik swept up Céline in his arms as together they walked back inside for a celebration to last deep into the night...