Part 31 enjoy!!

Chapter 30

The week flew by and I have got to say I was definitely right about the paranoia; to say I was irritating would be an understatement. I was pacing around the bedroom waiting for my mum and Maya to come back with Ingrid who had been to collect the coronation/ wedding dress. Damn idiots thought they'd do the traditional thing of bride can't see the groom the night before the wedding so it's be approximately 12 hours since I've seen him and the state of panic I've been in, I have to say it's driving me crazy. I decided to have a shower because I just couldn't handle the waiting anymore.

I threw off my clothes and walked into the bathroom and once again marvelled at it. It was like a heaven. I jumped under the hot water which immediately began to pound into my skin. I stood there letting the water to relax my tense muscles and sighed as I felt myself loosen up. I couldn't help but think of the date Nate and I had yesterday. He had made a picnic and mum looked after the kids so we had the whole day to ourselves. It was great, no worries just kissing... and a little bit more kissing underneath the blossom trees. It was perfect, I gave a contented sigh.

"What do you think you are doing?!" Someone shouted and I screamed bloody murder and jumped backwards so that I slipped out of the shower onto the floor pulling various piles of towels onto the floor with me on the way down. I am soo not cleaning that up.

"Oww what the hell is your problem?" I shouted back as I picked up one of the towels and stood up wrapping the towel around my body. I looked for the person who shouted at me and was a bit disconcerted when I saw Ingrid, my mum, Maya and the twins in the doorway, gaping at me. Well the twins were rolling on the floor laughing and Ingrid was barely holding back a smile but it's beside the point. Why the hell are they gaping at me?

"Why are you gaping? Have I got something on my face?" I asked going over to the mirror and checking myself over and seeing nothing I turned back to them. They were still gaping so I raised a brow at them. My mum seemed to snap out of it then.

"I knew you had a lot of those markings but when you said all over I didn't think you meant literally all over." She said gazing over my exposed skin. Lab rat much. I shifter uncomfortably, does it really look that bad? As if reading my thought my mum smiled at me in reassurance. "Honey it didn't mean it nastily, they are beautiful." She said sounding kind of awed; yeah, not weird at all.

"OK so what was it you guys wanted?" I said crossing my arms over my chest protectively.

"You need to get ready you idiot." The twins chimed in at the same time. I rolled my eyes.

"Fine." I said and strolled back into the bedroom with them close on my heels.

I was immediately shuffled onto a chair in the middle of the room where they immediately began fiddling with my hair and make-up I just sighed and sat back in the seat, I really can't be bothered with this. I just want to get this dress up malarkey. They spent about an hour doing all that before they decided it was time for me to get dressed. About bloody time I was freezing my butt off in just a towel.

"Here we go!" Maya squealed as she opened the dress bag. It was a gorgeous white lace wedding dress.

I'm surprised they went for that because it's more of a coronation ceremony. Yeah Nate and I have to exchange rings for show but really a white dress?? Oh well mum looks happy. Mum chucked some underwear at me and I went into the bathroom to change before coming out again in matching lacy underwear. I even had a garter. I had the towel wrapped tightly around me. Yeah they've already seen my body but I seriously don't want them to see it again.

My mum just ripped it away from me. "Mum!!" I squealed.

"Stop being a baby we've all seen it before." She said which caused me to blush furiously and earned a chuckle from the others. "Okay step into the dress." I did as I was told and stood there patiently as they did up the dress.

"All done." Maya said jumping up and down on the spot. Even though Maya was older than me, I somehow got the impression I was the mature one, which is saying a lot. "I'll go get the big mirror." She said before tearing out of the room.

"Ok just the shoes." The twins stepped forward with a pair of delicate white shoes that also had lace on them. "Now we're done."

Maya chose that moment to come back empty handed but the clanging of metal hitting stone made my eyebrows furrow. What the hell? Not even a minute later Riley and Maddox came in with a giant mirror that was embedded in a golden frame. They placed it on the floor before taking notice of me at which point both of their eyes widened.

"What is it that bad?" I said shakily. Oh not good. I knew I shouldn't have trusted them.

"Take a look for yourself Ari." Riley said recovering himself.

[ Ari in coronation/wedding dress http://mjbridal.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/lace2.jpg ]

I did as I was told and all I can say is wow. Ok when did they put the goddamn flowers in my hair??

"I look..." But I couldn't quite finish the sentence.

"Beautiful." Riley whispered before giving me a bone crushing hug.

"Yeah you look stunning sis." Maddox said giving me a slightly awkward hug.

"Thanks." I mumbled as I looked in the mirror once more.

"You guys ready?" My dad asked as he walked into the room. I nodded. "Let's go then." He held out his arm to me and I wrapped my own around out. I can't believe this is really happening!! I am going to be a bloody queen!

"Oh and just to warn you Ari there's a procession after this where they take you and your new hubby for a ride round the capital whilst you're wearing your freshly polished crown." Riley said with a smirk. Oh great just what I need.

The dragged me down the stairs and through the castle until they reached the throne room which had undergone a major transformation. The room was now filled with chairs and aisle down the centre and the room had been decorated but more befitting to a coronation than a wedding thank god. Each of the seats with men and women dressed in all sorts of finery and there at the end of the ridiculously long aisle stood Nate with a huge grin on his face. The wedding procession started up and I couldn't help but chuckle at how different to ours it was. It sounded so...exotic.

When I reached the raised platform with the thrones, my dad handed me over to Nate and took at seat next to my mum in the front row. Then some priest dude started talking. Where the hell did he come from?

"We are here today to acknowledge the bonding between these two people before the eyes of the God's and the people on Antoria. If anyone has a reason for this marriage not to be sanctified please speak now." There was complete and utter silence...thank you Rosmardin!! "They will now exchange rings to symbolise their union, to symbolise their promise to one another to love and cherish for as long as they both live." Nate and I slipped on identical gold bands on one another's fingers whilst grinning like idiots. He blabbed on for ages but his tone changed after a while and I could tell it was drawing to a close thank god; this priest sure likes to talk. "...To uphold the principles of marriage and uniting with another is one of the greatest gifts that life has to offer. With the power invested in me and the vows you have taken I now pronounce you two bonded for life as man and wife. Your majesty, you may kiss your bride."

The priest didn't have to tell Nate twice as I was tugged forward into a passionate embrace. His hands instantly became entangled in my hair and he pressed his lips to mine. The rush I felt was 100 times more intense than any other kiss we'd shared. It was like our emotions were being put into it. I didn't have to open my eyes to know there was fire glowing on my skin because I could hear the gasps of the people in the audience. I suppose it's got to be pretty terrifying seeing two people on fire.

We broke apart eventually and were both panting for air. When we turned to face the audience they whooped and cheered. Damn I feel special. Now, on to the important and scary bit; some official looking guy and the priest were up on stage with a strong burly man standing next to a small white marble column which held a pillow with the crowns sat on top of it.

Nate and I walked over to the thrones that were sitting side by side and stood in front of one each. I was grateful that I didn't have to say anything on Nate had to. They made him swear some oath, to govern

with his heart and to protect his people to the best of his ability blah, blah, blah.

"I swear." Nate kept repeating in response to the priests questioning. "...I swear." The official looking dude lifted the huge chunky crown with tonnes if jewels in it and placed it on top on Nate's head.

"And whom in the front of these here witnesses do you proclaim to rule by your side?" The priest asked him.

"I proclaim my wife Arianna of the La Chantrell bloodline to rule by my side as queen." He replied in a strong booming voice that reeked of authority. The priest picked up the delicate crown from the cushion and placed it on top of my head.

"And so it is done!" The priest said raising his arms above his head as if he was praising to the heavens. Sounds more like a magic spell or something than a wedding if I am being honest.

With that Nate and I stepped backwards so that our legs touched the edge of our thrones and then with more grace than I knew I possessed I sat back in the seat and looked over at the people before us. I could see my mum and dad gazing up at me with pride. The people got up from their seats and bowed to Nate and I before the ones on the edge of the aisles pulled out a sword and raised it across the aisle so there was sea of swords, tip to tip, creating an archway for us to walk under.

"Presenting, their Royal Highnesses King Nathaniel and Queen Arianna." At this Nate and I both stood up with our heads held high and walked towards the archway.

I didn't see what happened next I just felt myself being shoved to the ground. The same happened with Nate and by that familiar cussing I'm guessing Holly just got pushed on her butt too. Who the heck pushed me? I looked to my side and saw my dad staring right in to my face unblinking.

"Dad?" I asked quietly but I got no response. "DAD!!!" I shouted rolling him over but his body wouldn't lay flat due to the blade sticking out of his back. Sobs began to spill from my body as I pulled the dagger from his back before pulling him into my lap and watching as tears dripped from my face on to his. I looked at Nate to check he was OK and couldn't help but sigh when I saw he was fine and Sam who had pushed him out of the way had a small nick on his face.

I scanned the room for the perpetrators and couldn't help but gasp when I saw three black eyed boys standing in front of me with about 50 swords pointed at their chests. Sammy, Dior and Theo all stared towards us without a single emotion on their features. "You killed him!!" I shouted at them.

"Now, now, watch how you talk to your elders." Theo hissed in a cold and emotionless voice. I involuntarily shuddered. "Don't worry I won't try to kill you again...yet. Just as soon as I've released my brothers from the cage you can do what you like." The demon possessed boys zoned out for a minute before a loud cracking sound echoed throughout the room. "Looks like it's time to go open a cage, I'll be seeing you!!"

With that the black faded from the boys eyes and a black mist hung in the air for a few seconds afterwards before disappearing. All three boys looked equally scared and confused.

"What's going on?" Dior asked as Sammy burst into tears. He clutched the crying child to his side as he surveyed the swords a pointing at his chest. I just ignored him I didn't have time for this.

"Is everyone alright?" I asked gently lowering my dad's head onto the stone floor. I don't think my mum even noticed until then what was in my arms but at the sight of the body in my lap she dropped to the floor and an indescribable wail left her lips. If I wasn't crying already I would definitely have started upon hearing that.

"Ari?" I heard a voice sob from behind a crowd of people. "I need help, he's hurt..." I jumped off of the ground and pushed people out of the way to get where Holy's voice was coming from. I couldn't help but feel my stomach turn at the sight of Blake lying in a pool of blood. There was an identical knife on the floor to the one that had been imbedded into my father's back. I looked at Blake who was slightly ashen and was clutching tightly onto his leg, his hands coated in blood.

How the hell am I supposed to sort that out? "Mum who's got Izzy? She can heal him right up?" I called out.

It wasn't my mum who replied. It was Dior. "She's gone. He made Sammy take her. None of us could stop ourselves...it's like you're there but then at the same time you're not."His voice was so quiet when he said this that I had to strain to hear him. But I don't care about most of what he'd said only those first two words...she's gone.

I grabbed part of the wedding dress and tore it so that I had some strips giving me some gasps from the women in the audience but I didn't pay attention. I tied the strips of material above the wound on his leg and pulled it so that it was really tight. "We need to get him to a doctor. Blake? How do we open the portal?" I asked.

"I can do it...you need...to stop...the demon...Izzy isn't in this world any...more...I think he put her in the human world. " I nodded as he closed his eyes and scrunched his brows together.

"Nate we've got a demon to stop." I said as I got up off of the ground. I caught sight of my mum bent over my dad's body but i pushed it to the back of my mind. Now was definitely not the time.

© Katherine Pocock 2010