Part 2 - The Story That Never Was

Seraphine now stood beside him at the altar. The Bishop delivered his sermon about love, marriage and hope. She stole a glance at Kain and found him staring straight ahead. His face bore no expression but she knew deep within his heart, they were saying: This marriage is only my duty, nothing more.

"Duty." She repeatedly told herself this. She stared at the image of a bride in the mirror. Her face beautifully made up in pale hues of peach and pink. A lace veil covered her copper brown hair fell delicately over her shoulders and created a graceful train on the floor.

As lovely as the image was, her emotions were a sea of turmoil. Her brown eyes were a sea of confusion, doubt and fear. Her father's words, her mother's words and even Kain's father's words, Lucas Miyagi, played over and over again in her mind. It shattered those innocent dreams and wishes of her childhood days.

"Seraphine," they told her,"Just marry him. You don't have to like him. You don't even have to talk to him. Just be his wife." Her gaze fell on her gloved hands and her lips trembled as she willed herself not to cry.

The Bishop finished his sermon and two young boys appeared. The vows were recited as practiced. Slowly, solemnly -  Yet it was meaningless. Seraphine only felt cold dread as the words left her lips. They exchanged rings as the Bishop instructed. She raised her eyes to look at him, but he was looking down at her hand, which he still held in his. In his eyes, there was a faint glimmer of emotion. Of loss and despair.

Seraphine stepped out of her waiting room. To her surprise, a woman clad in a dark green dress was waiting for her. She was tall and exquisitely beautiful. She did not smile but stared at the bride. Before Seraphine could ask, she spoke: "You can still leave." The woman said with great effort to keep her voice calm. "Leave now and everything will be fine." The woman held on poorly as tears broke through her cold exterior. They poured from her eyes creating trails of dark mascara down her cheeks.

Torn between running away and following through, Seraphine whispered back, "I..I can't." It was her duty. 


The woman looked at her coldly with eyes filled with tears and said,"You can never take him away from me." Seraphine didn't have time to think about what she meant. As soon as her father arrived to escort her to the Cathedral, the woman was nowhere to be seen.

(End of Part 2)

Part 1 - The Story That Never Was

They always said that weddings are one of the happiest occasions in one's life. White flowers, doves, a pure white dress and spending the remainder of your life happily ever after. There was nothing that could wrong. Memories came flooding back as her father lead her to the Cathedral's grand doors.

Like most little girls on a Sunday afternoon, Seraphine and her friends would have a tea game with their dolls and tea sets. Playing in a fantasy world where Princes and Knights in Shining Armor would ride to their rescue. They would laugh and talk about how they would marry the finest most dashing man in the world. And they would live happily every after.

The innocent carefree dreams they shared entwined with laughter and great hopes for the future.

The wedding march started, slow and steady bringing Seraphine back to reality. Tears began to well in her eyes. She didn't want to cry. This were not tears of joy, like what most brides would be shedding.

It was barely a month ago~

Seraphine sat against her bedroom door. Hugging her knees tight while her tears fell. She had just said, "YES". She understood fully well what her answer meant. In order to protect her family and their land from certain poverty, she was to be married to the eldest son of the Miyagi family.

A choice that was not hers to make, but hers to fulfill.

She walked down the aisle with her head held low underneath an exquisite lace veil. Through the hazy fabric, she could see the figure of her husband-to-be: Kain Miyagi.

Dark brown eyes observed her coldly the first day they were introduced. His forehead matted with copper brown hair and his face, though undeniably handsome, was devoid of any emotion. Seraphine found it hard to remain calm under such close scrutiny. Of course, not only was he the eldest son of the renowned Miyagi family, he was also the man whom she would have to spend the rest of her life with.

(End of Part 1)