A/N: Wedding day!
The last of the people stood in the warm morning sun. After midnight they had watched lights in the castle turn vibrant red, the screams and cries of people being murdered was heard for an hour. They heard the Decay cackle and screech as the stench of death and blood came like a fog downwind to the city. The people were thankful that the breeze cleaned the air in the city, for the night tasted of blood.
But there was fear. They stood in the streets and walls, looking at the castle. The morning sky was red, the sun a blazing orange as it rose form the sea. The people dared not go outside the city to the cliffs and beech, for there in the mountains and crags were swarming with dark things.
As they soon noticed, the things were Decay, swarming closer and closer to the city! Panic spread around with great speed as the people hid. They watched, hugging their children and cowering as they saw the carriage.
Alexander held his beloved in his lap as the carriage rumbled its way down the mountain pass to the city. Wearing his mask, he watched as the Decay went into the city setting up the church for the coronation. He smirked at this.
Virginia wore a beautiful red dress, with ribbons and pearls and her long hair free to the wind. However beautiful her dress and jewelry she was not happy. She was in the depths of despair and dread. She was beaten, weak, and limply letting him hold her. She was at least warm and was in the arms of someone who would protect her, but also could harm her with lustful intentions.
"You will be my queen Virginia…" He purred in her ear. She gave no answer as he caressed her cheek.
Frowning, he looked out the window again as the carriage drew to the open gates of the city. He saw the dirty and depressed peasants being herded into the cathedral, the Decay pushing them inside to witness the wedding and coronation.
Soon the carriage stopped, the decay rolling out a carpet to the towering cathedral. Virginia looked up at the gothic monstrosity, the dark church with ancient gargoyles and fine stained glass. It was here all the kings and princes of the land were crowned…and here her fate was to be sealed.
A Decay in fine yet ragged red clothing, the driver, opened the door. The Red Death holding Virginia carried her out, setting his lady on her feet. She stood in the morning light, shaking and terrified as her lover stood behind her in full luxury, placing a veil over her face.
"Now you are ready…" Alexander purred and took her hand. The same Decay handed her a bouquet of roses, which she reluctantly took. Then it cackled as it ran ahead of them, the church packed with whimpering and fearful people in the pews awaiting the wedding.
The ending of her world was beginning.
Forced under pain and hopelessness, she walked arm and arm with the fiendish man. The doors opened, the light of the sun dazzling the inside. The glass was red, hues of the sun and flame.
She began crying as they walked inside. Slowly, with the organ music playing from the clawed hands on the keyboard. There was an alter, the people frightened and watching in terror and the priest, threatened with death, standing the ready to marry and bind these two together as King and Queen, as husband and wife.
She looked at the stained glass. The 7 Darkness was in the corners, and the glass was depicting…angels…roses, and the Gods of Light and Death. It was a beautiful church, but not as beautiful now because of the evil inside it.
She saw young children, men, women, trembling girls around her age…staring, soon to die after witnessing this monstrosity of a wedding.
Turning towards her fate, she soon realized she was standing in front of the altar, the high priests saddened by the sight before him. A pale, traumatized woman of the highest honor being married to this tall, skull faced wicked creature. The priests were sickened with fear and disgust.
Now they stood at the altar of the sacraments. The idols, the faces of the gods looked down. Blood was spread upon their priceless figures, defacing the deities of the culture. A tear dripped down her cheek as she saw the idols of her life show in such irreverence.
The altar was a small table, with red cloth and the head priest standing with a scepter of bones. The demon nodded to the priests, holding Virginia's hand as he pulled her down to her knees.
They kneeled, their eyes lowered as the priest did as he was ordered to. To marry them both in the ways of land, that has never changed since the forgotten creation of Labarverion.
"Gathered here, oh lords of the lords…One man and one woman seek your power of union." The priest boomed through the silent church. The Red Death took his hat off in reverence as they awaited the blessing.
"Gods, of Death and Life…bind The King and The Queen together in spirit and body, forever their souls will never part, unless it is your gathered wishes to undo in the afterlife."
The priest dipped his fingers in blood, splattering little drops unto them as he blessed them. Virginia shivered and dared not move.
"I now declare to the heavens that this couple shall be bound together and forever in the eyes of heaven and earth." With that he knighted them with the scepter, and the pair rose.
"You may kiss…the bride…" The priest sighed as he slouched in defeat.
Turning to her King, she silently wept as terror and utter despair ensnared her. Alexander, promptly putting his hat back on, looked at his bride.
"You are beautiful, my queen." He purred as he leaned into her weary face.
"You would have been too, in my eyes…" She whispered as he kissed her.
The crown started their weeping at such dishonor, at such evil and pain they saw before their eyes. It was a mockery of pleasantry, of love and kingdom. Anger and despair filled the church from their weary voices.
It was music to the Darkness.
Virginia felt her insides boil as she felt the masses feel their end. She saw the Decay waiting for their master's word to feed on the last of the land…to destroy, and plummet them to the waiting arms of Death.
But it was not really what Alexander wished. She knew thus. For it was the Darkness that controlled and wished this. She was married forever in the binds of matrimony, beaten and raped and tortured and destroyed in her mind…
Only to be the manipulated toy of the inhuman. Her soul to Alexander was what made him go through with this barbarity, this long hunger for vengeance.
Again she braved herself and turned towards him. He looked at her, his eyes red as he did not know or feel the Darkness control him. He leered at her with his lips, on the tip of his tongue the command to destroy all hope. And she was married to this beast…
"No." She spoke in tears.
The eyes seemed bottomless. The humanity ensnared with the perpetual rapture of bloodlust. Evil desires mixed in perpetually of his almost destroyed mind.
"What?" The beast spoke with a laugh on his face.
"If you love me…you will not destroy the innocents."
Ability. Power. Strength took over. Virginia knew, as Queen, then, her power over his subtly influenced mind.
She was everything to him.
Daringly she broke her grasp from his hand. Endurance and purpose brought forth her true speed in her legs as she ran into the sunrise. The doors swung open as she escaped and felt the thrill of short freedom…
The Red Death bit his lip as he couldn't say the words. He had to follow her. He smelled ambition and ill will from her as she wrested control of herself.
How could she break free? He thought as he swooped after her into he streets. His lady was so weak and submissive to him before…now she gathered a deadly courage to fight him back, to fight her real love for him…
She ran. Ran out of the city, running in her blood-red wedding dress and out into the fields. Tears streaked past her face as one purpose came to mind…one…
I will die with the rest of my land. Or…he will come to the terms and let them live. Let my people live…live…
The Red Death followed, trying to catch up. Watching her run, his rose, it slowed his senses…he was in Dazzlement, and it soon changed.
It looked like she was about to run off the cliff into the sea.
The speed of demons he leaped, his arms outstretched as she was about to bound over the precipice.
NO MY LOVE!! NO! His mind roared as he collided with her, wrapping her tightly to his body and dove to the ground.
He felt her shivering warm body cling to him as they hit the grass. His elbows and bulk kicked up clods of turf. Her mortal fingers clung to his red body as they breathed and held each other on the ground…
His shape protected her from the gale winds of the cliffs. The sky…as red as blood, the sun tainting it into shades of light and mourning. Still it was red; still it was painting the sea into blood. Like it was bleeding into the waters…where Virginia would have died.
He looked down. The Darkness in his head watched through his eyes as he took in her state of mind.
Limp. Alive and sad, pale and so very, very strong.
Her hand that was part of her abused body reached and tossed his skull mask off. He neither flinched nor blinked. Her eyes lit up as she studied his almost human face…though scarred and marred. The demons of his mind hid, letting the man that was Alexander croon and hold his obsession, his lust.
"I will die…if you kill them." She whispered. Alexander stroked her cheek…sensing her will.
All those years, all his ingenious tortures had created strength. He was even marveled at how he had shaped her will…and now that will bound her life to the lives of her people.
She was now Queen, after all.
"You have no need to die with them. You have me!" Alexander hissed caressed her body, hoping to coax her back to his side, hoping for lust to take control of her mind…
"It is selfish to live while they are dead. It is selfish to only have you as my mate…it is selfish for you to become the only one left." His rose's eyes glowed with inspiration and the will to fight back for what was right.
At those words, he knew she was lost to him.
His eyes threatened to water with salty tears. She looked at him with sincerity. She WOULD die if he went on destroying.
Enough of his vengeance had been sated already. How much more blood would he have to spill to satisfy? How could he settle down and live after all this if he completely finished what he planned?
He had hurt her enough. What he did…what he had done to her, her family, her people…
Alexander punished those who sinned. Yet he too sinned…and he needed punishment.
What a vicious circle I have lived. All but a lie!
The vision of beauty before him had shown him the way. It was there to him all along, all those many years! Oh how he felt so terrible that he could not see for himself…that he was too arrogant to let himself see another opinion.
Unless he was controlled.
Her eyes shone brightly with tears, like beautiful blue glass orbs. His lust for vengeance and his dreams all revolved around this one woman he was destined to marry…all he did was for her and himself.
No it wasn't…all I did was for her…The Red Death did for himself.
His mind felt pressure as he felt his inner demons fight and tell him no. He got off his beloved, standing up in the wind of the sunrise and glancing at the city.
The people that were alive watched from the walls, the Decay ready for his command to slaughter and destroy.
He could make only one choice.
He threw his hat into the wind, letting it fly yonder the cliff's edge and over the sea. The Decay, in fury screeched and flew into the sky, flapping as a mass of large crows over the city and past the walls into the mountains and pastures. They had been released of his service.
"They will go back to the hell they came from." He quietly spoke. His long rouge hair blew with the wind as she slowly got to her feet.
"What will you do now? The demons still control you." Virginia said.
"I will fight them." His voice lowered as he was feeling more pressure in his head…the voices of the darkness chiding and clawing at his inner mind.
"Alexander…" She said as she walked to him. "I will miss you."
"Someday when the world settles down, we shall see each other again." Alexander held her hand, bringing it up to rest over his heart.
How I will miss the warmth of your hand…
"I…I love you, you know that?"
Alexander smiled as she said this. He kissed her knuckles and her ring, feeling more pain in his head but he didn't care. She only wanted to feel him alive and near her again for the last time.
She kissed him, both weaving their fingers into each other's hair, both passionately showing their love, both hoping for the future.
She felt no expanse of time as she hugged and kissed him. The warmth of his mouth and body sent chills up her spine. He shivered as he caressed her warm lips with his own. No one could stop them from speaking odious love without voices.
"May you live a long and happy life. Go; lead your people to a new age." He whispered as he parted from her embrace. A tear came down her cheek as she watched him walk…walk a long, long way along the cliff edge towards the forest.
I will move on and stay strong for your sake…my King.
The Queen went towards the city, to begin the new age.
The King had some other business to attend to first.
A/N: This isn't the end just yet me friends!
If you want to read the last two chapters, READ and REVIEW. THAT MEANS YOU!!
Shoys.