The wedding was going to take place at night and I still had a lot of time before I turned to Luke’s wife. I turned to look at the watch and went to pull back the blanket over my head as Julie had left the room.
I didn’t understand why I was woken up early when the bride could get her beauty sleep. Sleep was all that mattered before I peeked outside the window to see the number of people gathered. It was given that as time passes by the crowd would increase and so would my nervousness. I was marrying the vampire, I reminded myself.
"Lilly, get out of the bed and here I thought you were up! You’re going to be late for your own wedding," I heard Gwen’s footsteps inside the room and felt her tug my blanket.
"I’m helpless. My bed has seduced me," I said dramatically making her roll her eyes.
"When has it not seduced you. Now come on we have a hell lot of things to do," she said pulling the blanket away from me and finally getting me out of the bed, "Go brush your teeth and don’t leave the room until I or Elise or Julie come to fetch you. Got it? No one’s supposed to see the bride."
"Yes, ma’am, no one’s supposed to wait," I said as I headed towards the bathroom, "How come you get to see me?"
"We want to keep the whole suspense and surprise, now go! I have things to do," she said shutting the door behind her. Surprise people with me? Well whatever, I thought, before turning the tap.
Half of the day had passed since then and I was now sitting in a round bathtub that had red rose petals with milk in it. The bathroom was made of black rock like stones, giving it an antique-y touch to it. The room was lit with small lamps around and I had questioned the maid who was now scrubbing my shoulders that why would anyone want to waste so many lamps or milk, or petals on a simple bath. The answer I received was that it was a custom for the future queen to bathe this way.
After the maid was done with washing my back, I told her I could do the remaining job myself and asked her to leave the room. Moving in the center I let my body immerse down so that only my face was floating above the milky liquid of the layer of roses.
I was fine with everything except for one arrangement that was to be followed today. The wedding which I had imagined for myself in a pure white gown and walking down the aisle in the church went in the opposite direction when I heard from Elise as to where it was actually going to take place.
Graveyard.
Why would anyone want to get married in a place where bodies were buried?! Were vampires back in the old time so crazy that they had to pick the worst place for a marriage to take place? Guess they were. I had seen the graveyard before and it looked no less to a haunted one with the light amount of smoke floating around. It was downright creepy and I was to be wed at that place today.
I heard a small splash sound behind me, making my head snap in the direction where I heard the sound and fell backward in shock looking at the person, almost getting drowned in the process.
Luke was sitting at the edge of the bathtub with his feet dipped in the water while he had his eyes closed, enjoying the warmness of the room. He looked different since I last saw him, his dark black hair that was disheveled looked smoother and his skin tone had turned to a slight tan. It made me wonder if he went to sunbathe himself, making me smile internally. But that definitely was not the case especially when he had a handful of work to do.
Suddenly panic rose as I realized the bride and the groom were not supposed to see each other until the night time.
"Luke, you’re not supposed to be here!" I whispered to him hurriedly even though there was no one in the room but us. That reminded me of my nakedness exposed to him, though he wouldn’t be able to see anything with the milk and the roses hiding me.
Hearing my voice he opened his eyes and looked down at me. He did look different with his emerald eyes that looked sharper and deeper in color. A sly smile rose on his lips as his gaze never left mine.
"And why not my sweet Lillian?" he asked tilting his head in question even though his expression didn’t change from that fox-like a smile.
"Because it is considered a bad luck," I said looking at him.
"Is that so," he asked me and leaped into the bath, making my eyes go wide, "It was a little difficult finding where you were when no ladies were answering my questions when it came to you. But Dozer is a smart boy," he said taking a step forward.
"A-ah what are you doing Luke?" I asked feeling my nerves jitter as he took another step forward while I took one backward awkwardly.
"Taking a bath with you of course. I’m glad they got this ready for you," he said running his fingers on the red petals, few of them dipped in and out due to his hand movements, "Might I say you look-"
"Luke!" I interrupted him before he could say anything as blood rushed up to my neck, creeping up my face slowly. He let out a small chuckle and got out of the round bath like a tub, making me internally sigh.
"Sorry, love I was just teasing you. I wanted to see you and no one was ready to say where you were which made it all the more thrilling," he grinned with a cheeky smile, "I couldn’t wait any longer."
We could have met in a less compromising situation, I thought. He walked around the place but didn’t seem to find whatever he was looking for, coming back towards me he removed the jacket he wore.
"The towels seem to be missing. It seemed like you wanted to tell me something two nights before," he said turning his back so that I could wear his jacket.
I don’t know why but sometimes it felt like Luke was up-to-date when it came to me, as though he knew everything or he had an inkling about it yet he wanted me to give the details. I wore the jacket getting it wet in the process and sat at the edge of the tub, letting my legs to soak in the fragrant liquid.
"I..." I didn’t know how to start. The words Ace had uttered to me ran somewhere at the back of my head and it was hard to shut it out.
"Don’t marry him without knowing who he is."
"Is it compulsory to wear a black wedding gown?" I asked him and saw him turn to face me.
"It’s a tradition that’s being followed all these years. Black is a significant color in the world of vampires and the dark creatures. You don’t like it?" he asked me and I shook my head.
"It’s not that," I replied as his eyes turned a little darker in question, "The wedding is going to take place at night in the graveyard. I don’t think I would be visible, it would look like my head is floating in the air," he laughed hearing it and came to sit next to me.
"It isn’t going to be that dark with the full moon in view," he said taking hold of my hand that was settled on my lap in his, "I heard someone visited you," he said after some time as his hand held mine firmly. So he did know.
"He told me few interesting things," I said as I saw his free hand catch hold of few of the red petals.
"Did he now," he commented with a bored tone.
"He said you sent him to hell," I said looking at him play with the petals, "Is it because his heart was ripped out or because he had killed people before? How many people did you kill?" I asked him casually keeping the conversation light. He looked nowhere like an angel to buy a ticket to heaven.
"I am hell, Lillian for me to go there," he answered with a smirk and crushed the petals in his hand.
"The day I saw Ace in school it wasn’t him but my physco father who used Ace’s reflection to scare me," I said as my brows furrowed, "Luke what if he’s already here? What if he tries to stop the wedding?" I asked him.
"He is a coward to try anything in public, don’t worry darling," he said and then said, "I’m glad you are as eager to marry as I am," I turned my face away as a blush made its way to my face.
We sat there enjoying the silence. I had few more questions to ask Ace but had forgotten when I met him, like how did he die or who was the ghost named Glacia I met in the haunted house and why wasn’t she there anymore? After some time I decided to ask the question I was dreading to ask Luke.
"Who exactly are you?" I asked staring at him and saw the corner of his lips tug at the side.
"The vampire king Lucian Knight," he replied smartly but continued when he saw the expression on my face that I was serious, "Wait until the clock strikes one and I shall tell you everything."
"Why not now?" I questioned and he leaned forward to place a lingering kiss on my cheek.
"Because darling I have something to do right now," he replied as I saw him get up and to stand now. What was he hiding that he couldn’t tell it right now? That meant Ace wasn’t lying and Luke was keeping something important from me. Was it alright to marry someone who you didn’t know completely? So many questions popped up in my mind, "I won’t hurt you, Lillian and I mean it when I say I vow to protect you. Be patient and don’t do a scene of a runaway bride because I wouldn’t be pleased. Trust me for now. Can you do that for me?" he asked me as seconds passed and I sighed, following with a nod.
My instincts wanted to trust what Luke said therefore I did.
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