Chương 3: Chapter 3 In The Eyes Of God

From the moment I first saw her to the moment I talked to her and held her hand and when she called my name for the first time, it became clear to me that this was the woman for me. The only woman that I would ever involve in my life.

Aria Monroe.

She was my undoing. The seductress in my dreams, she who managed to keep me awake all night without even being there. Her unraveling smile, her enticing beauty and the childlike innocence in her eyes.

I vowed to myself that I would make her mine.

And now, she will finally become mine in even God's eyes. We'll tie the knot in his house, in front of a wild array of squabbling guests, slipping a ring onto each other's finger. I'll call her wife just as she'll call me husband.

Months of courting has finally paid off for today. Because I'm getting married to my muse.

Church bells rang along with the quiet murmur of excited guests, my mother and father-in-law thinking they've won the prize of the century at having been able to marry their daughter off to the wealthiest and most handsome bachelor in all of Great Britain.

But despite all that, it is I that felt as though I've won the prize of the century; to be able to call this wondrous woman my wife, my hard work of wooing her has paid off because she was about to become mine; body, mind and soul.

I watched as she nervously glided down the aisle, clutching onto her father's arm with one hand and the other hand holding her bouquet. A small, beautiful smile on her face and shaking blue eyes filled with an innocence that I wanted to protect.

Her beauty was enough to leave everyone speechless and I was no exception.

With happy smiles, we held each other's hands and turned to the priest who didn't waste a second until he began talking. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God and in the face of this congregation, to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony-"

Beside me, I turned to look at Aria who had her eyes cast forward, the kaleidoscopic lighting streaming through the stained glass window and perfectly highlighting her beauty for all to see. One would think that she was nervously staring at the ground and I did too, for a mere moment until I almost laughed out loud right then and there in the middle of my own wedding. Judging by the look in her eyes, the curve of her lips and the scrunched nose, I had grown to learn that this is the face she made when she was holding back a yawn.

And I couldn't blame her.

This priest was talking as slow as a turtle walks and to add to that, his voice was like a lullaby that mothers sang to their newborns. I myself would have succeeded in dozing off if not for the clear fact that I was too entranced by my wife-to-be to bother with even listening to the man.

I squeezed her hand, firmly, glancing down at her from the corner of my eyes and slowly, her own gaze lifted to meet mine and all the tiredness vanished at that moment as we simply stared at each other, sparks arising through our eyes.

Just a little longer.

And eventually, after what truly felt like years, his speech was finally coming to an end and his next words were spoken loud enough to wake everyone up from their daydreams.

"-If any man can show any just cause why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him speak now or else hereafter forever hold your peace and silence..."

And silence followed. A wonderful silence loud enough to prove that there was truly no one else for me just as there was no one else for her, my Aria and my muse. Who would have known? That the absence of sound was such a beautiful thing that would be able to give me the greatest joy?

Moments passed, more words slipped through the old man's lips until he peeked over the cover of his book, and his eyes met mine. Coughing, he cleared his voice, raising his head high as he spoke the words that would bind me to Aria for the rest of my life.

"Wilt thou have this woman as thy wedded wife? To live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honour, and keep her in sickness and in health... and forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her, so long as you both shall live?"

His words echoed off the hollow walls of the church as a deafeningly loud silence followed his voice. I could almost hear the sound of my own blood running through my veins, if not for the sound of my heart racing in my ears.

I turned to look at her, my green gaze searing into the depths of her blue eyes... and finally, a smile laced my lips while I clutched tightly onto her shaking hand.

I didn't need to think twice.

"Yes... I will."

Forever and always.

I turned to look back at the priest and a broad smile sat on his face until he moved over to Aria, the excited smile widening.

"And wilt thou have this man as thy wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou obey him, and serve him, love, honour, and keep him in sickness and in health and forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as you both shall live?"

Obey him... and serve him... I never liked those words... and I can confirm that I still don't.

Aria seems to have felt the same as she hesitated for a moment but the squeezing of her hand was enough to snap her back into reality as she turned to look at me.

I promise to never expect of you to obey me and to serve me. I didn't need to say it for her to understand but it was enough for her.

As long as it will make her mine. Any measures are necessary.

"I do," she nodded at the man and not a moment later, hushed whispers spread through the threshold of the room along with some quiet sobs and laughter. Raising his hands up, he raised his voice a slight octave higher.

"Who give this woman to be married to this man?" Her father stepped forward, a proud smile on his face as he held his daughter's hand in hers.

After stating our vows, we slipped a gold band onto each others fingers and finally, the words I had been eagerly awaiting were spoken.

"Those whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder!" And the crowd yelled their cheers but it was nothing compared to the silence between my bride and me. My one and only wife. From today and for the rest of eternity.

"You may kiss your bride," and that is exactly what I did without a moment of hesitation.

Pulling the veil away from her face, I wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her to me and landing my lips on hers without a second beat. For the first time, my lips finally touched hers and this reality was over a million times better than what I had imagined.

Finally.

Arianna Monroe was now Arianna Callisto, my wife.

She was mine now. And I was never going to lose her, my greatest prize.

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