A couple of moments later, Adeline had her eyes glued on the glass as they sped through the tarmac towards the the main building of the St. Jude's cathedral. They soon stopped and hopped out. Adeline could see Julian some feet away from her. The look of innocence, a warm smile on his lips. There was nothing more she could have asked for. Julian was just perfect for her. It didn't matter what Viktor had to say.
"Don't stare too long, girl," Sarah whispered into her ear.
Adeline nudged her calmly with a grin on her face. Julian signaled at them that they should be moving forward into the church.
The cathedral building was an architectural titan. An age long masterpiece of the Catholic circus made of cold stones and stained glasses. The long oak door creeked open, sending out waves of timbre and organ music.
Julian walked in first and headed straight to the altar.
"It's time, Ade," Sarah said calmly. "March to your forever."
Adeline began the glorious walk, her veil a barricade between her and the hundreds of eyes that were staring at her. It was her moment. And she would bask in it. Julian stood there, waiting for her. It was finally happening. With every step she took, her thumped harder. The reality was strange and overwhelming…even for her.
As she walked down the aisle, her eyes scanned the church through the veil. She looked up at the choir loft — where Viktor had wanted her to come to— and she saw it. A silhouette in lurking behind around the stone pillars. A man with a great stance. Though she couldn't make out his face, she could swear it carried the icy aura. Viktor. He was up there, watching her walk down the aisle to another man.
She got to the altar. The bishop spoke a few words before it was time for the marital vows.
"Julian Hamilton and Adeline Osprey, have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?" The priest had begun the gradual step to the marriage vow.
"Yes."
"Yes." The bride and the groom responded.
"Will you honour each other as husband and wife for the rest of your life?"
"Yes," Julian replied.
Adeline was getting quite emotional. "I will," she said.
"Will you accept children lovingly from God and bring them up according to the law of Christ and his Church?"
Adeline responded without thinking for a second. "Yes. Yes, I will." Her voice carried every bit of the emotions.
"Yes, I will," Julian responded with a less emotional entanglement. "Can we get over this already?"
Adeline was thrown aback by the sudden statement. She leaned forward a bit and said, "Babe, calm down."
"You nah say the vows now."
At that moment, Adeline no longer thought about what Viktor had said to her earlier. She was lost in the moment to think of Viktor's confessions of love to her and any good memories they may have had.
Adeline already rehearsed this speech over and over again in her thoughts. She breathed in heavily and let the words flow out.
"I, Adeline Osprey, take you, Julian Hamilton, to be my husband. I promise to be good to you in good times and bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life till death and after death. Not even death can do us part."
She was already sobbing. With stuttered a breathing, she added, "I love you, Julian."
The cheer from the crowd came through for a moment. Then, it was Julian's moment. He took the golden ring from the priest and stared at it for a moment.
"Go on, son," the priest said calmly. "Say the words."
The lingering silence aroused a sense of concern. Adeline searched his face for explanations.
"I, Julian Hamilton —"
He stopped the statement abruptly. Silence. No more words. The congregation was beginning to murmur.
What was going on?
"Julian, come on," Adeline said calmly. "Say the words. Everyone's waiting."
The silence that persisted was not the heavy, romantic silence of a man overcome with emotion. It was sharp. Brittle. Adeline couldn't place her hands on it. Her heart began to race. His facial expression had transitioned grimly.
"Say something, babe," she pressed on.
"I, Julian Hamilton, do not take you to be my wife."
The words dropped as a bombshell on the heart of Adeline. This had to be a prank. He didn't mean those words.
"What…are you saying?" Adeline stuttered.
A grim grin spread across his face—not a smile of joy, but a "witchy," predatory leer. . It was the look of a man who had finished a long, tedious game and had finally won.
"Actually," Julian whispered, the microphone catching the chilling rasp of his voice. "I've changed my mind. I must admit. This was far more entertaining than I expected. But it's over now. Justice is served."
He didn't drop the ring. He threw it. The glistening object clattered against the marble floor, sending echoes through the hall.
The congregation were broken. Shouts of confusion were flying in the air. Adeline's gown was suddenly becoming tighter. Her lungs yearned for breath.
The media people were beginning to swarm the entire space.
"Don't be too hard on yourself," he said. "This is justice for my family."
"Ju—julian, what are—"
The rest of the words were stuck in the air the moment Julian stormed off. With quick successive strides, he disappeared through the oak doors.
The crowd exploded.
"Babe!!" Adeline shouted.
Her hand clutched the very spot where her husband-to-be had been standing. Everyone got up in a frenzy. Sarah rushed to the altar. The priest couldn't believe what had happened.
In that moment, Adeline's eyes scanned the choir loft for the silhouette she had seen. It was no longer there. Viktor was gone.
The knight in shining armour has abandoned her in the dark.
She moved slowly, dazed completely. Her head began to spin and her vision blurred. Her knees were the first to hit the marble floor. Through the fainting sounds, Sarah's voice called out.
"Adeline!! Ade!!!"
Her world went black.