Christine’s mother paced the corridor as Christine was tapping her feet, sitting on a bench across the hall. They were in the back of the church, waiting. Christine’s dress still hadn’t arrived but the ceremony was scheduled to be in an hour. Guests were taking their seats, James reported.
“What could possibly have taken her this long,” Lady Octania muttered, “we ordered it just like it was in the shop”
Christine stopped tapping her feet. James looked at her. She looked at him.
“Mother,” she said, “I did forget to mention something….I had Anne change the color”
Christine’s mother stopped pacing, “to what?”
“Red,” Christine muttered
“What?”
“Red! I…I changed it to red”
James put his head in his hand, half out of surprise and half to keep from laughing. Christine started to laugh herself, but her mother’s face quickly chased that laugh away.
“Christine! Red?! Not only that, but not telling me? Oh, girl you are so fortunate that we are in a public setting. How dare you? After all I’ve tried…..and red?!” Mrs. Octania was outraged.
“It’s only a dress,” Christine stood up
“For the most important event-”
“If you won’t let me choose my husband, at least let me choose my dress!” Christine fled to the backdoor
“Christine,” James followed, “Come now, let’s be reasonable”
“What do you mean,” Christine called over her shoulder as she stepped outside, “I’m not the unreasonable one”
She put her back against the wall of the building and crossed her arms. Her cheeks flushed red.
“Please, let’s calm down and go back inside,” James said, “The dress is ordered and on its way, there is nothing we can do about it now”
James took hold of Christine’s hands. This surprised her, but she didn’t pull away.
“Take a deep breath,” he said.
Christine reluctantly did so.
“Splendid,” James smirked, “that temper of yours”
Christine let out a harsh sigh. Suddenly, a small carriage stopped in the street down the alley they were in. Out of it came a maid, carrying a box.
“Dress for Christine Octania?” the woman sounded out of breath
“Yes, that’s me!” Christine smiled a little and sighed her name on the maid’s receipt
“Thank you,” she muttered and took the box inside.
James dug into his pocket and flipped a coin to the woman. She took it generously and left with a smile.
********************************************************************************
“Go on,” Mr. Waltz harshly whispered to James, “We haven’t got all day”
He pushed his son forward slightly, towards Christine. He shoved roses into Jame’s arms and muttered, “I do wish you would have gone with red”
James sighed and turned around, walking towards his bride.
She heard someone clear their throat and turned around.
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“For you,” James put his arm out straight, shoving a white bouquet into Christine’s arms.
She smiled at them, “Oh, how sweet…..was this your idea?”
“I must admit it was not,” James avoided her gaze, “….but the color was”
“Your father wanted you to give me red roses,” she smirked
“Would have clashed with the dress,” James answered, “I know a little thing or two about fashion”
“Oh really?” Christine laughed.
“Well my father was a tailor and he taught me all sorts of things, I am an expert on color palettes but I’m not bad at fabrics either-”
Christine’s smile faded. She sighed, James always had to bring the conversation back to formalities.
She forced her smile to return, “I guess I’ll…..see you out there”
“No runaway bride?” James looked at his pocket watch
“No promises,” Christine muttered as she walked into her dressing room.
***********************************************
The priest doing their ceremony was the slowest speaker any of them had ever heard, as caring and kind as he was. This caused Christine’s mind to wander during the ceremony, she had too much time to stand there and think about her future. Christine didn’t know half of the guests in attendance very well, the other half being people she didn't know at all. James caught her staring at a group.
“Is that your friends and family?” He whispered to her
“No,” she muttered, “I have no family”
She thought of apologizing but said nothing. Christine went back to scanning the crowd.
James sighed, “he’s not here”
Christine looked at him, “what do you mean?”
The priest said her name. Back to reality, her brain went to default.
“Yes,” she fumbled, “I do”
“What do you mean?” she muttered to James again.
“Thomas,” he muttered, “is not here”
James looked at the priest, “yes, I do”
“Then by the power invested in me, I now pronounce thee husband and wife. You-”
The priest was interrupted by the sound of doors swinging open.
“Thomas?!” Christine said, barely any sound behind her voice.
“Thomas!” Mr. Waltz’s voice rang out from the audience.
Thomas stood between the open main doors, breathing heavily. He ran down the aisle to Christine and took her hand.
“Come with me!” He said, “We’ll go out the back door!”
Christine just stared at him, wide-eyed. She started to scan the room again, seeing the shock on people’s faces.
“Please,” Thomas whispered, “I love you…..we were too close to forever for other’s expectations to decide our eternity. I can’t leave here without knowing you love me just as much”
Christine let Thomas pull her from the altar, but she saw her mother’s face in the audience. The look of confusion and frustration on her face. Most importantly, the look of disappointment. Christine planted her feet into the ground. James turned to Thomas, “What are you doing? Have you gone mad?”
“For the first time ever I am thinking clearly,” Thomas replied, “you should be thanking me. I am saving you both right now”
“No Thomas,” Mr. Waltz walked to their side, “This is unacceptable! What’s done is done”
“We’ve accepted our fate brother,” James said, “have you?”
Thomas just shook his head, “You’re just the same. I was a fool to think she could change you….come along my love, let’s go”
Christine didn’t budge.
“Christine?” Thomas looked at her.
“Thomas,” she whispered, “I can’t. It’s over. This is my….(Christine looked at her mother) responsibility”
Thomas dropped Christine’s hand, a look of betrayal and shock on his face.
“I’m sorry,” she choked
Mrs. Octania stood up, her voice shaking, “you are all dismissed. My apologies for this…..boy. Thank you for coming”
She looked at Mr Waltz who nodded and began ushering groups out. Thomas ran out the back door, Christine staring in shock at the floor.
“Are you alright?” James slowly reached for her shoulder.
“No,” she muttered
“Let’s….sit down, okay?”
“No,” she walked down the aisle and went to where she could see everyone leaving.
Christine ran to her mother and threw her arms around her.
“I am so sorry,” Christine was talking fast, “I never meant for this to go this way. I had no idea he would do that. I accept my duty to save and support us, I understand that now”
Mrs. Octania was shocked by her daughter’s affection.
“That is…wonderful darling,” she said, a little nervous, “I am so sorry it came to this……but I’m more sorry for lying to you”
Christine opened her eyes. Mrs Octania pulled away, smiling weakly.
“I did not make you marry James because of the possibility of an uprising,” she whispered, “the people do not think any of the upper class hate each other. They wouldn’t have risen up to destroy us. I….we….needed the money”
Christine starred in betrayal.
“You made me marry James to get the Waltzes money?” she asked, voice shaking.
Mrs. Octania shamefully nodded.
“No,” Christine shook her head, “No! You couldn’t…..you wouldn’t!”
“I did,” Mrs. Octania trembled, “I’m so sorry!”
“How dare you,” Christine said.
James came over to them, “is something wrong?”
Christine, exasperated, looked between them both, “What a foolish question, everything is wrong. What, do tell, is going right? I don’t want to see either of you, just….leave me alone”
She fled to the back alley she’d gotten her dress in earlier, trying to understand all that had just happened. Once she processed it all one time through, she sank to the ground, helpless in the situation. Trying not to cry, she breathed very deeply, looking at the ring on her finger. She pried it off, throwing it into the dirt across the alley. Then, for the first time since her father had died, she cried pools of tears.