I just thought I’d drop an excerpt in here for people. It won an award for best wedding story over at WritersCafe.org. It’s from the Bar, so the character of Alaric Kohl belongs to Jennifer Morgan not to me. There are other characters mentioned that belong to other writers, although the characters themselves are not in this post. Just thought I’d clarify that for you since some of Alaric’s dialog was written by Jen. There’s a Rhapsody link in the middle of the story. Click it to hear the song Alexandria walked down the aisle to.

Enjoy!

The Wedding of Alaric & Alexandria

Stef and I walked to the vestibule outside the terrace room where Alaric and I were to be married. I was trembling but excited, my heart beating faster than it ever had before. The double doors into the room were closed, but I knew that Alaric waited on the other side for me. “The music will start and you need to wait for the chorus to start walking, okay?” Stef whispered as she fussed with my dress and veil and bouquet. “Are you okay in those shoes? They’re new and I don’t want you to trip on the stairs.” She frowned down at my feet, and I smiled feeling a little dazed.

“I’m okay, Stef. Really. When have you known me to trip in a pair of Manolo Blahniks?” I joked as I reached out and squeezed her hand.

She gazed down at me with a soft smile. “I know that you wish Carlisle was here to be your matron of honor and that Matt or Stein was here to walk you down the aisle. And I know Alaric wishes his brother was here to be his best man,” she said quietly. “But I know they are all here with you in their hearts, Lex. Ronnie and I are privileged to be your witnesses.”

She bent and kissed my cheek. “I’ll leave the door ajar so you can listen for the music. You just walk straight to stairs. At the bottom, on the terrace, is Alaric,” she told me. “When Alaric kisses you at the end of the ceremony, the first of your three songs will begin to play with the fountain. Then we’ll have dinner and cake on the terrace. After that, you and Alaric are officially on your honeymoon!”

Stef squeezed my hands. As the grandfather clock in the vestibule chimed midnight, she slipped through the door, leaving it ajar. I drew a deep but shaky breath and stared at the oak panels in front of me. The rest of my life was waiting on the other side…

My Rhapsody Playlist

I listened to the song from the night of our bonding and felt tears begin to fill my eyes. Hastily, I blinked them back. It would not do to trip on my way down the aisle, which included stairs, because I was blinded by tears. I quickly thought back over my time with Alaric, the dreams, the first moment I’d seen him at Wicked Pleasures, his handkerchief, bumping heads over the suitcase, ordering the same food, and that moment in the bathroom when we first saw each other naked. Every moment was clearly etched in my mind.

I pushed open the door and stepped through, a prayer to the Mother in my mind. Thank you for giving me Alaric, Mother. Thank you for not forgetting me. I promise never to disappoint him or you.

I looked down and saw Alaric’s blue eyes shining at me from the terrace overlooking the Bellagio fountains. His love was plainly written on his face for anyone to see, but I knew what he had gone through to make it to this moment.

I began to walk toward him, unable to look away from his eyes and his smile. He was dressed impeccably in a black suit with a crisp white shirt and tie, a white flower pinned to his lapel. His hair was neatly trimmed and brushed back from his face, giving him a much more elegant look than the shaggy hair falling in his face that I was used to. As I thought how incredibly beautiful he was, I felt him remembering things – how electric my touch had been to him that first night at Wicked Pleasures, how the dreams had confused and angered him, how he had been unable to stay away from me, how the scent of my skin and the look in my eyes had drawn him, how the sight of my hard nipples under my tank top had driven him mad with lust at the dinner table.

I stepped carefully down the stairs that led to the terrace, acutely aware of Alaric’s eyes on me. Our memories filled our minds, everything that had led us to this moment. The poignant thoughts made my knees weak, and it was all I could do not to grasp the stone balustrade to steady myself.

I was still shaky when I reached Alaric’s side, but I smiled up at him. He returned it, taking my trembling hand and raising it to his lips, his eyes never leaving mine. Then we turned to face the man in the elegant black suit who was to officiate our wedding. Dimly, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Ronnie and Stef standing to one side holding hands. Then I saw the camera crew that was videotaping the wedding for the live internet podcast our families and friends were watching.

The officiant smiled at us and said, “We come together, not to mark the start of a relationship, but to recognize a bond that already exists. This marriage is one expression of the many varieties of love. Love is one, though its expressions are infinite.”

We are already one, my Cherished One. This just makes everything more permanent, Alaric’s voice whispered in my head.

The officiant continued on, “It is fitting to speak briefly about love. We live in a world of joy and fear and search for meaning and strength in the seeming disorder. We discover the truest guideline to our quest when we realize love in all its magnitudes. Love is the eternal force of life. Love is the force that allows us to face fear and uncertainty with courage. But, you must ‘be of love a little more careful than of anything.’ For the giving of yourself in love is difficult: you must learn to give of your love without total submission of yourself. Therefore, in your giving, give your joy, your sadness, your interest, your understanding, and your knowledge–all expressions that make up life. But in this giving, remember to preserve yourself–your integrity, your individuality. This is the challenge of love within marriage.”

He turned to Alaric and asked, “Alaric, do you come before these friends and family to proclaim your love and devotion for Alexandria? Do you promise to respect her, and to care for her during times of joy and hardship? Do you commit yourself to share your feelings of happiness and sadness? Do you pledge to remain faithful to her?”

My fingers trembled in Alaric’s as he said in a firm voice, “I do.”

Now the officiant was looking at me. “Alexandria, do you come before this gathering of friends and family to proclaim your love and devotion for Alaric? Do you promise to respect him, and care for him during times of joy and hardship? Do you commit yourself to share your feelings of happiness and sadness? Do you pledge to remain faithful to him?”

I swallowed and was surprised when my voice came out calm and strong, “I do.”

The officiant slipped his hand into his pocket and produced two glittering platinum rings which he held out on the palm of his hand. “The wedding ring is the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two loyal hearts in endless love. It is a seal of the vows Alaric and Alexandria have made to one another. Bless these rings Holy Mother, that Alexandria and Alaric, who give them, and who wear them, may ever abide in thy peace. Living together in unity, love and happiness for the rest of their lives.”

He turned to me and held out a ring to me. I took it, looking down at the swirled design.

“Alexandria, in placing this ring on Alaric’s finger, repeat after me: I, Alexandria Valentine McBain, give myself to you, Alaric Volker Kohl, in marriage and vow to be your wife all the days of our lives. I give you my hands and take your hands in mine as a symbol and pledge of our uniting in one flesh. I give you my love, the outpouring of my heart, as a symbol and pledge of our uniting in one spirit. I give you this ring from out of my worldly goods as a symbol and pledge of our uniting as one family.”

I repeated the words as I slid the ring onto Alaric’s left hand, feeling the warmth of his skin against my fingers.

Then the man was turning to Alaric and handing him a ring. “Alaric, in placing this ring on Alexandria’s finger, repeat after me: I, Alaric Volker Kohl, give myself to you, Alexandria Valentine McBain, in marriage and vow to be your husband all the days of our lives. I give you my hands and take your hands in mine as a symbol and pledge of our uniting in one flesh. I give you my love, the outpouring of my heart, as a symbol and pledge of our uniting in one spirit. I give you this ring from out of my worldly goods as a symbol and pledge of our uniting as one family.”

Alaric took my hand in his and slid the ring onto my finger. I gazed down at it noticing that it was identical to his except that it had a swirl of diamonds decorating the front. I felt my heart turn over in my chest as I looked up at Alaric, holding his hands tightly in mine.

I licked my lips and said, “Alaric, when I met you I was dying. The dreams were so beautiful they made me ache, but I was so heartsick and out of hope that I couldn’t believe in them. Then I literally ran into you, and the moment my eyes met yours, those dreams came to life. You told me to fight for us, to believe in us. You told me I was your future, and you gave me hope. You loved me like no one ever had before. You took my broken heart, my broken spirit and made me whole again. My love for you is like nothing I’ve ever felt before. You are everything to me, my love, my lover, my Cherished One, my husband, my partner, and the father of my children. You are the sum total of my world, and I thank the Mother every day that your heart chose me to complete your destiny. I could never express in words how much your love means to me. I can only hope that because of our bonding that you know what I feel for you. I am so grateful to have you, Alaric. I love you.”

Alaric’s hands squeezed mine and he smiled down at me, his deep, honey over gravel voice making me shiver with awareness of him. “Alexandria, my Angel, the moment you collided into me, I knew my life had changed. I looked into your beautiful eyes and took in the unmistakable fragrance that is solely you and all my dreams came alive. I was bitter and disillusioned. I had no hope that those feelings would ever change. Then I looked into your eyes, and I saw a young girl, innocent and tenderhearted, who had been wounded by life and wanted nothing more than to be safe and loved, to have her dreams come true. I knew that no one else had ever seen her hiding there within you, and I wanted nothing more than to be the one to give you back your dreams and your life. I wanted to be your hero because when I looked at you, Angel, I saw my future. Your love took away my bitterness and made me complete. You say you are grateful, I say I am lucky. Lucky to have you, lucky that you deem me worthy of your love, lucky that you have given me back my soul and my reason to live. You are truly the angel of my dreams, Alexandria, and I will love you forever.”

The officiant stepped back from us saying, “In as much as you have each pledged to the other your lifelong commitment, love and devotion, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Alaric, you may kiss your bride!”

Alaric took my face in his hands and I felt his thoughts inside me. Mine, all mine. Forever, Angel. Then his mouth was on mine in one of those tender, hot passionate kisses that I loved so much. I reached up to sink my fingers into his hair, kissing him back with everything that I was. My fangs dropped as his tongue teased them and I did the same to him. He broke the kiss to lean his forehead on mine, a grin making his face look very young and carefree, despite the lethal fangs that gleamed in his mouth.

“Look at the fountain, love,” he whispered, and I turned my head a little not wanting to look away from his electric blue eyes. The fountain was cascading in time to the song I’d chosen. I watched for a moment and then turned back to my husband.

“I’d rather look at you,” I whispered back to him.

“In that case Mrs. Kohl, would you give me the honor of the next dance?” He swept me into his arms as the next song began.

I rolled my eyes. “Bastard!” I whispered teasingly. “You’re gonna make me go through all the bells and whistles when you know all I really want is you naked.”

Alaric threw back his head and laughed. “We’re only doing this once, Angel, so you better make the most of it. I doubt you’ll get me in a penguin suit again for the rest of our lives.”

I shook my head as Alaric twirled me across the terrace, the fountain doing its dance in time to the music. “Oh, I think I might be able to,” I smiled up at him. “Carlisle and Stein still have to get married and who knows what will happen with Sacha and Dare.”

Alaric shook his head and grimaced a little. “And there’s always my brother. Maybe he’ll make an honest woman of Opal,” he said quietly. “The way he feels about her, he should.”

“They all need to take a leaf out of your book, Alaric. You did exactly what you knew would take away my doubts forever. The whole world now knows who I belong to.” Alaric’s arms tightened around me, and I smiled at him mistily. “You know this won’t be easy.”

“I know, Angel,” he murmured. “But after years of drunken indecisiveness, I’ve found my way. I won’t lose it again.”

He bent and kissed me and I murmured against his lips, “You’d better not my husband or I’ll have to have a GPS installed in you instead of the new Beemer.”

“But I’ve got one, Angel,” he chuckled, swinging me around and off my expensive Manolo Blahniks. Right inside my head and my heart. You’ll always be there to tell me where to go.

To bed? I laughed delightedly.

In a little while, Mrs. Kohl. First, I have surprises for you.

You think you can’t surprise me in bed, Mr. Kohl? I arched my eyebrows at him.

He grinned wickedly. Oh, I’ll do that too. Just you wait. But first, all the little trappings of our special night await. Just for you Alexandria Valentine Kohl. Because I made a promise to myself to give that girl I saw inside you every dream she’d ever had taken away from her, starting with the lavish wedding.

Just giving me you was enough, Alaric. Even if you are an ass.

I pulled his head down and kissed him hard. I wasn’t naïve enough to think that things would always be this happy and poignant. The megabitch inside me would never go away completely, and Alaric would always be an ass about some things. I’d probably throw every glass in our house at him before a year was up, but I knew we had some very yummy ways to make up, including the incredible pleasure of biting each other far into eternity. I resolved to buy lots of glasses…

This is the Photoshop version of Alaric and Alexandria (Marcus Schenkenberg and Kelly Monaco). We had photos for their wedding too, a photo of her dress, the rings, etc, but that’s too much to post here.

9 Responses to “The Immortal Wedding”

1. jennifer M. says:

   October 8, 2008 at 6:45 pm

   Awesome! I can see why you one! This is so romantic hon!

   Amethyst
2. Lex says:

   October 8, 2008 at 6:51 pm

   You can see why I stole Lex’s name. She and Alaric are my favorite character’s ever. In fact, I think I’ll post their pic… well, my photoshop versions of them.
3. maryO says:

   October 9, 2008 at 10:37 am

   With or without the baby bump??? Did I just give way something??? Like we couldnt figure out that would happen. Those 2 ducker like 2 rabbits trying to repopulate the rest of the world.

   maryOs last blog post..Time time time
4. Lex says:

   October 9, 2008 at 10:49 am

   What do you expect Mary? I love them, so they gotta be doing it 24/7 cause the inside of my head is dirty, dirty, dirty!
5. Savannah Chase says:

   October 9, 2008 at 12:35 pm

   Fantastic…….

   Savannah Chases last blog post..Whipped Cream Review For PATP
6. Lex says:

   October 9, 2008 at 1:31 pm

   Thanks, Savannah! Glad you liked it!

   Lexs last blog post..World Building
7. Lips says:

   July 19, 2010 at 6:14 pm

   Not to be totally out of the loop, but what story is this referencing? I’ve looked and can’t find the origin. Thx.
8. Lex says:

   July 20, 2010 at 7:42 pm

   It’s from The Bar which was a serial story I wrote at for about 4 years online. We recently took it down. I miss it, my characters, and the other writers.
9. Lips says:

   July 24, 2010 at 3:46 pm

   Thx for getting back to me–oh well, it looked like it would have been one of those reads to savor, too bad I missed it.

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