A Time of Sanctuary

Maria stood on the shore of the ocean, the sand damp and soft beneath her feet. Occasionally a gentle wave would rush up and cover her feet; with each wave, Maria was surprised at how warm it felt. She felt like she could watch the sea forever, because it was constantly moving and in motion, it's colors changing with the passage of time and the texture of the sky. It was captivating…

She knew she was not alone, and felt only comfort and sanctuary when she felt a strong arm wrap across her chest. She leant her head down and rested it in the crook of his elbow as she let herself fall back against his chest, letting her eyes close. Slowly, he began to rock her back and forth.

He'd held her like this once before, the night of that magical opera, just like how the Phantom had held his Christine as he'd sung that song of seduction to her in his lair. He'd sung that song that had stayed in Maria's mind…

Floating…falling…

Sweet intoxication…

Touch me…trust me…

Savor each sensation…

Now, Maria wanted to feel those sensations, all of them, with her husband, whom she loved with every fiber of her being and who loved her just as much.

His cheek pressed against hers, she could feel his hot breath on the nape of her neck. She knew what she wanted, but she didn't have voice enough to ask. So, she brought up her hand, sank it into his dark hair, and lowered his head so he could kiss her hot skin. His lips kissed, caressed, and suckled her neck, making Maria feel things in places that had never felt anything before.

When his hand came up to cup her breast, Maria moaned and turned her head to capture his lips in a searing kiss. He turned her around and, before she knew it, he'd picked her up. Their lips still pressed together, he walked them both into the warm, strong ocean, the waves lapping and caressing against them, until they melted into the water and became one with the water and one with each other…

Maria woke slowly from her peaceful nap, opening her eyes slowly with a smile on her face. Her heart saddened when she saw that she was alone on the bed, but it warmed when she felt her husband's smiling lips giving her cheek a kiss from behind her. "Sleeping Beauty awakens."

Maria's cheeks turned pink and she turned over to lie on her back, and her smile widened at the sight of her husband's face above her. She brought them both back to the night of the New Year when she said sweetly, "You missed, Prince Charming."

Within a moment, he was kissing her lips, and Maria giggled into his mouth when she felt him scoop her up, holding her tight to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, wanting the kiss to last forever. This was a lot better than any dream.

"Oh, my love," he murmured, brushing his lips against her own.

Maria smiled, kissing him again. Unfortunately, he couldn't hold her like that forever, and eventually he set her down, but kept his arms around her.

Having gotten her breath back somewhat, Maria asked, "How long did I nap for? What time is it?"

Georg smiled and ran a hand through her hair. "A few hours. It's almost five o'clock."

"Oh, Georg, I'm sorry," said Maria. "I didn't mean to sleep for so long, I didn't want to waste any time with you."

"Shh," said Georg, kissing her forehead and then laying her head on his shoulder. "You needed it, you were exhausted. And it certainly wasn't a waste of time. You have no idea the worlds of good done to me to be able to just be with you, and watch you so at peace. I got in an hour's sleep as well." He kissed her hair. "My bed has been empty for much too long."

"Mine too," Maria whispered, holding him tight and relishing in his embrace. After a content moment, she pulled away to look at him. "So where are you taking me out this evening?"

"As if I'm going to give anything away," said Georg, looking mock-offended. "If you're all rested, why don't you go freshen up? The weather promises to be quite warm with clear skies, even for the ocean."

Maria smiled and nodded, and picked up her suitcase which she took into the bathroom. There she had a quick shower and dried off. After brushing her hair, Maria looked through her suitcase and pulled out what she and Philomena had bought in the store three days ago…

…"Of course I will," replied Philomena to Maria's plea for help. She wrapped an arm around Maria's shoulders and, to the younger woman's surprise, led her away from the section she had been staring at.

"Philomena, what –"

"You said you wanted to be yourself, Maria, and you wouldn't be yourself in one of those contraptions," said Philomena firmly. "Perhaps after you and Georg have been intimate several times will you be ready for something over there, but this is your first time. You're not yet ready for anything back there."

Maria felt both grateful that Philomena kept her voice down and also relieved at her statement. "Then where are you taking me?"

She soon found out when Philomena stopped them before a wall of pretty summer dresses that looked delicate, feminine, and flirty; Maria knew that if she wore any of them, she would be showing more skin in public than she ever had before.

After about five minutes of silent browsing and failed suggestions, a flash of ivory white caught Maria's eye, and she pulled out that dress. The silk captivated her, for it was unlike silk she had seen before. Ivory white, like the color of the pearls of her necklace. The skirt was floaty, and ended at her knees; the top was a halter, which would tie around her neck and her upper back would be completely exposed. Red thread was sewn in intricate patterns along the hem of the skirt and the edges of the halter top. Tiny gold pearls were scattered spaciously apart on the whole skirt, sewn there by red thread.

It was a beautiful dress, and Philomena saw how Maria's eyes glowed at the sight of it. She too smiled at the look of it. "Try that one on. If it fits, we're getting it."

Sure enough, it fit her like a glove then, when she tried it on, and now, when she put it on. Maria turned her back to the mirror and looked over her shoulder, and was glad to see that her scars on her lower back were covered. Turning back around, she blushed as she looked at herself in the mirror, remembering what Philomena had told her about the dress:

The silk is from India, and was originally the silk of a sari, a formal form of dress for women. So this is very nice fabric. I think the color scheme is very appropriate for you, Maria: You have ivory white, the traditional color for the bride in the Western World, but in India, the traditional color for the bride is red, hence the red thread. And the gold pearls are appropriate, for they are the same color as your wedding ring. In many ways, you are a bride going to your groom, Maria.

Because she and Georg had only recently told their feelings to each other, and had never been intimate, this made a lot of sense to Maria. The last time she had been a bride, she had felt more like a prisoner being led to her cell. Now, she really felt like a bride on her wedding day: the butterflies of excitement, anxiousness, happiness, nervousness, and love in her stomach. All for her husband.

Taking a deep breath, Maria slipped into the matching flats and wrapped the shawl that matched the dress around her shoulders before turning off the bathroom light and stepping back into the bedroom.

She found Georg standing at the window, looking out at the sea, which made her smile. He looked very handsome, wearing only a nice but casual pair of pants, comfortable shoes, and a white shirt with the top few buttons unbuttoned casually. Maria's heart fluttered.

He seemed to sense her presence and turned to smile at her. She saw his eyes take in her appearance, and was suddenly thankful that the shawl was wrapped around her shoulders and back. I'm taking it slow.

But just because she wore her shawl didn't mean that Georg didn't find her so beautiful that he immediately went to her and gave her a kiss that left no room for interpretation.

Slightly breathless by the end of it, Maria just smiled at him. "Will there be any point in asking where you're taking me?"

Georg smiled at her innocently. "No."

Maria burst out laughing and threw her head back by the force of it.


They headed down the stairs hand in hand a few minutes later and, after bidding a pleasant farewell to Julietta – and telling her not to wait up for them and her telling them just to lock the door when they got back – exited the cottage.

The sun was sinking towards the horizon in the late afternoon, and the air was warm and a little humid, the breezes warm and comforting. For Maria, this was bliss after a long Austrian winter.

The sound and smell of the sea seemed to captivate them both, and simultaneously they walked towards the rocks that Georg had been standing on when Maria had first seen him. Maria held tightly to Georg's hand, but she was a nimble climber.

Remembering her dream, Maria said to Georg, "I want to touch the ocean. Hold onto my hand?"

Georg nodded, entwining his fingers with hers. Maria squatted down on a large smooth rock and, with her free hand, reached down to the lapping water and dipped her fingers in.

She smiled. It was warm. She swished her fingers in the sea water for a few minutes, a child-like smile on her face, before standing back up and looking at Georg. "I knew it would be warm," she said to Georg.

"Oh, really?" said Georg, helping her up off the rocks. "And how would a mountain girl like you know that?"

Maria shrugged, still smiling. "I dreamt of the sea during my nap and it was warm." Now on solid ground again, Maria ran her wet hand through Georg's hair, restyling it so he looked more youthful and carefree in her opinion, while getting the water off her hand. "That's better," she said when finished, pulling one stubborn lock that occasionally fell onto his forehead down to rest there.

Georg took her hand and kissed her palm.


They began walking idly down the path that ran along the shore of the sea. Though Maria was following Georg's lead, it seemed that he was in no hurry to get anywhere. Their hands remained firmly entwined, their thumbs stroking each other's skin.

Georg noticed how often Maria's eyes stayed on the sea. "This is your first time by the sea, isn't it?"

Maria nodded. "It's my first time ever out of the country, hence my first time at the sea. It's beautiful, and much better than my imagination or any picture could portray." Maria bit her lip and looked at him. "This is going to sound so silly, saying this to a sea captain, but the sea really does remind me of you."

Georg didn't find this silly but extremely flattering. "Tell me how, please."

Maria looked back at the sea and answered carefully. "Well, for one thing, it's always in motion, either on calm or stormy days. Reminds me of how your mind works, how it analyzes everything and is always thirsting for knowledge. Next, it's powerful, just like you are capable of being in every way. It's depth reflects the depth and complexity of your own personality. One would think the water is cold, but it's quite warm to the touch. Finally, it's the color of your eyes right now."

Georg paused in their walk, and turned her to him. Keeping his hand in hers, Georg lifted his other hand and cupped her cheek. "What did I ever do to deserve you, Maria? After all I've done?"

Maria sighed and shrugged. "Perhaps it's the simple fact that you let yourself be yourself; that's what I fell in love with."

Georg kissed her brow reverently. "Touché." He smiled at her, wrapped his arm around her shawl-covered shoulders, and they resumed walking again. "If you hadn't come, I would have spent the night moping in my room feeling sorry for myself."

Maria smiled, wrapping her arm around his waist, and resting her head on his shoulder. "I hope that's not always how you spent your leave."

Georg shook his head, chuckling. "After I was married, yes. But when I was young, in the service with Max and Hans, we got into all sorts of trouble on leave that, miraculously, our commanding officer never found out."

Hearing this comment, Maria stiffened and slowed her steps, remembering something similar Max had said about Georg in his early navy days: Oh, that man had a libido that could not be controlled! All of the girls swooned over him, and he kept himself plenty busy on our leaves. His words rang loudly in her head, and she wrapped her arms around herself, turning towards the sea and away from Georg.

Her husband saw this, and realized what his comment could have sounded like: the truth. "Maria, I'm sorry, I…" He walked up behind her put his hands on her shoulders, still covered by her shawl, protecting herself. He tried to say it wasn't what it sounded like, but then he would be lying. He couldn't lie to her.

Maria shook her head. "I wondered if Max was exaggerating or not."

She felt his hands clench and unclench on her shoulders, and she knew he was angry. "What did Max tell you?"

"It was just a comment he made when Philomena came down to take his place with us. We were enjoying a dessert and drink after dinner, and I think the wine had gone to his head." She repeated the comment reluctantly to him, after which she heard him mumble curses against Max only sailors used. So what Max said was accurate, thought Maria, feeling her stomach turn to lead as she lowered her head. "If it makes you feel any better, Philomena slapped him up the back of the head after he said it."

Gently, Georg turned her around and lifted her face by the chin to look at her. He looked nervous, apologetic and compassionate. "Do you think badly of me, Maria?"

Maria looked into his eyes and contemplated the right words before shaking her head slowly and saying, "Your past is your past. You don't judge me for mine, so how could I judge you for yours? I only ask not to hear some specific details of those leaves, you know what I mean?"

Georg nodded, and pulled her to him in a comforting hug. "I won't lie to you, my love. From puberty, I was fascinated by the libido and wanted to be the most charming man that all pretty girls would go for. I was so arrogant and immature, not even the tough training of the navy stamped it out of me. It wasn't until I met Agathe that I was tamed, as some would say…" Georg suddenly pulled his face away to look at her.

Reading the nervousness in his eyes, Maria realized what it meant, and immediately set him at ease. "Don't be afraid to talk about her with me, Georg. I love her because she loved you and gave you those wonderful children; I hold no resentment or jealousy for the love you had for her or your past. Because I know now you return my love." She bit her lip for a moment. "The only thing I wish I didn't feel is fear…fear that I'll never be able to fully show you mine."

And this was true. She felt no jealousy or resentment about anything in Georg's past, only nervous that she, a naïve virginal ex-postulant mountain girl, could never measure up to the experience he had. But Lord knows she would try her best…she only hoped it would be enough.

She had a feeble hope Georg would not read the meaning behind those carefully chosen words (or did she?), but he could read her eyes as well as she could read his. "Oh, Maria…" he murmured, pulling her close for another comforting hug. She held him tightly back, trying to calm her insides down. She did not want to waste the time they had together with fears.

He held her for a long few minutes, and then he gave a deep sigh before breaking the embrace, taking her hand again, and resuming their idle walk.

Georg couldn't believe what Maria had been telling him between the lines, and it made him both ecstatically happy and also nervous. He knew that, before they could become one, she needed to know that part of his past. And while it would make her uncomfortable to hear some of it, he knew that he could put her at ease with the truth.

"Being with you, my love, in this place," he began, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb, "is like being in the safest sanctuary. I feel I can tell you some things that I feel you have the right to know. All I ask is that you hear me out. Will you?" He wished his voice didn't have the tint of nervousness.

"Yes," replied his beloved, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze.

Reassured, Georg began. "I won't deny that my past as a young man was anything but celibate. I lost my virginity just before I entered into the Naval Academy, by an older, experienced girl I was infatuated with. The one-night stands I had during my leaves were purely carnal lust, just servicing to ease my appetite. A year after Agathe died, I seemed to retract back to a similar habit of having empty affairs. Elsa was my longest and last one."

He hated how she involuntarily stiffened and looked at him surprised, almost disgusted. He looked back at her guiltily and offered only one defense: "I was anything but myself; I was my darkest, desperate shadow."

After a moment, Maria nodded, and she unstiffened, but she scrunched her nose a bit and muttered, "You're telling me."

Thankfully, Georg's only reaction to that was to chuckle and squeeze her hand. The worst was out in the open. Now onto something that he hoped would give her comfort and ease her nerves.

"Maria, there is something else I want to tell you, but I must ask for your complete confidence. You will be the only other person alive besides myself to know this."

His wife turned her head and looked at him with wide, apprehensive eyes. "Of course, Georg."

He patted her hand. "Don't worry, it's not serious, just a bit delicate." He breathed in deeply. "I was not Agathe's first husband."

Maria stopped dead in her tracks, and so did he. She hadn't expected to hear that. "Really? But…I've seen your wedding photos, Georg, she had to be younger than I am now."

Georg nodded, tugging slightly at her hand again, wanting to keep walking. "You're right, she was just shy of twenty. She had a childhood friend who became a childhood sweetheart, but his family was quite a bit poorer than hers was, so they kept it a secret. When they had completed secondary school, he signed up for the Austrian Army. In an act of teenage rebellion and romance, they lied to their parents and made up alibis for the night before he would leave. They were married in an isolated church by a priest who knew neither of their families, and spent the night in a lodge; but because the legal documents were never drawn, I'm not sure the marriage was ever legitimized. But the next day, he was deployed away from Austria, and was killed a week later in combat. He, like her, was only Liesl's age."

Maria lifted a hand to her heart, her eyes wide and almost filled. "Oh, my goodness…how tragic…"

"Mm-hm."

"Then, when and how did you two meet?" asked Maria.

"Two years later, at her coming-out ball. As she told me, she was meant to have that ball when she turned eighteen, but she had begged for her parents to wait a year without telling them why: she wasn't ready yet. She never told them what had occurred when she was seventeen.

"We met and we fell in love quickly. Within a few months I had proposed. One day of our engagement, she tearfully told me of her first love, saying she couldn't lie to me about something like this."

"How did you react?" asked Maria, seeing a hard, ashamed look cross Georg's face.

"Like the arrogant youth I was, I became angry and jealous. I went to Father Norbert, not knowing what to do, and immediately set me straight by reminding me of my own colorful past, and that I would be a hypocrite if I broke off our engagement. It took a whole morning of begging and a full disclosure of my past to get Agathe to forgive me. She did, and we were married a month later, right on schedule."

His story done, he looked at Maria as they slowly walked. Her face had been attentive and now it was both thoughtful and processing with the new revelations. He stopped them both and, taking her other hand, turned her to face him. "I need you to understand, Maria, why you have absolutely no reason to be nervous or afraid of this. Just as you've never been with a man, I've never been with an untouched woman; I am just as nervous about this as you are, especially considering our history."

Maria looked into his eyes as she spoke, and knew he was speaking the truth. She did, indeed, feel much more at ease than she had before about this subject. Wiggling her shoulders a bit, she let the shawl fall from around her shoulders to hang in the crook of her elbows, showing Georg a better view. He did seem to enjoy it, for his eyes burned and widened as he took in the sight of her before looking into her eyes again. She spoke in a quiet, sure voice.

"I love you, Georg, and I want to be your wife…in every way."

Such a profound look of love and desire and happiness crossed Georg's face that Maria's breath was taken away. But what he did next she did not expect. "Then come with me, we're almost there," he said, and dropped one of her hands to lead her more quickly along the unfamiliar path by the sea they had been walking along.

You've never regretted trusting him yet, Maria, she thought to herself.


The location Georg brought her to was on the outskirts of the village of Montamare, and took Maria's breath away. It was the ruins of a small, stone church by the sea, with only remnants of the walls remaining. Nature had taken it back over, with growing greens and flowers and ivy everywhere. In the light of the now setting sun, it was absolutely beautiful.

"Oh, Georg…" she breathed, walking into the ruins and looking around in awe. "This was a church," she murmured, seeing the raised stone platform where the altar had once been.

She turned to look at Georg, who was staring at her lovingly with a hand in his pocket. "I stumbled on this site on one of my long walks here." He walked towards her, his gaze never wavering. "I want to make a few things right before we become one, my love. There remains the fact that the way in which we became engaged and then married you didn't deserve."

"Georg…" she murmured, lowering her head, wanting to protest but knowing he spoke the truth. He caressed her cheek, raising her gaze.

"I'm going to make that right now," he said softly. The hand that was in his pocket came out, holding his birthday present for her that she had brought with her here. The box was quite small. Before Maria knew it, he had gotten down on one knee and opened the small box to her.

Inside rested a beautiful ring: a white-gold band with a beautifully cut diamond, which was surrounded by tiny sapphires and aquamarines. Maria gasped.

"This was my grandmother's," said Georg. "My grandfather was deeply in love with her and gave this to her. Both died over twenty years ago, and she left the ring to me. But I didn't take it out of the safe until last August. I considered giving it to you then, but it didn't feel right. Now I feel is the right time."

A happy tear fell down her cheek as she watched Georg take the ring out of the box, take her hand, and hold the ring to the right finger. "Maria, I love you with all of my heart. Will you be my wife and take me as your husband?"

Though she had tears streaming down, her voice when she answered was steady and strong, "Yes, I will."

Georg smiled, and slipped the ring onto the right finger, so it rested atop her wedding ring. He stood up and wiped the tears from her face. Then, smiling, he lifted the shawl from around her arms, and placed and arranged it on Maria's head like a bridal veil. She smiled back, offering no objection.

He took her hand and they both walked, in sync, down what had once been the center aisle, and up onto the stone platform. They stood there, hands joined, facing each other.

"I, Georg, take you, Maria, to be my wife, my partner, my lover, and my soulmate. You shall never be lacking in my love or the love of our children. You've saved all of our lives, especially mine, for you awakened, reformed and stolen my heart. I promise to be yours and only yours all the days of my life."

"I, Maria, take you, Georg, to be my husband, my partner, my lover, and my soulmate. I never imagined something so wonderful would be a part of my life, and I will never take our love or family we have for granted. I promise to be yours and only yours all the days of my life."

They stepped into each other, and their lips met in a kiss, married in a true sanctuary of God. The rays of the setting sun shone through the trees on the husband and wife: the blessing of God as he joined their hearts and souls forever.


A/N: The wedding scene was highly inspired by the wedding scene in the second Star Wars prequel. The same beautiful music would be playing in the background for the one I wrote. Please keep reading and reviewing!