Snippet #1753263

"Now I have to come back from this, but I'm determined to make this work."
Simon listened closely. It was almost hard to hear her over the whispers in the crowd. There were so many things to distract him right now, but he knew that he had to comfort the wife he barely knew. Why did he feel so obligated to make sure she was alright? After all, half of the reason vampire/human marriages are arranged were only so the human could be used as a blood bank. Simon shuddered. How many times would he feel Aavyn's teeth meeting his flesh? This was only the first of many.

The music loomed throughout the cathedral once more, and he followed beside her down the aisle. Simon kept swallowing small amounts of his own blood, only so no one would see it pool on his lip. He felt like nothing more than prey as he walked just feet away from potentially thirsty vampires with a bleeding lip.

The laws would become active today. They were already active, as a matter of fact. From now on, it was punishable by death for a vampire to kill a human being through the process of bleeding them dry. It made Simon relax slightly, even as Aavyn's mother came up to the newly weds. "I'm looking forward to conversing with you both," he said to her mother and his bride. Her mother whisked her away, and Simon immediately went in search of his parents.

When he found them, they welcomed him with an awkward group hug. "We were informed of what happened. You handled that well, son. You're doing a good thing for this country." It was only the beginning of the night, and Simon felt exhausted. He would have to snag a few drinks at the reception. "Thank you. I believe I'm going to go out to the courtyard for a breath of air."

As he headed for the back door, he caught sight of his bride and motioned her to follow him, though he didn't look twice to see if she was really going to. The courtyard behind the church was where the reception would take place. It had tables with red cloths draped over them, a beautiful garden full of delicate white wooden benches, and candles or lanterns lit the scene. A large oak tree covered with hanging candles was the primary decoration. Beneath it, a servant stood with various drinks. Simon picked up two, assuming that Aavyn had followed. He turned to start walking towards her, but found her standing right next to him. The alcoholic shots spilled when he jumped back, but thankfully spilled on the grass and not either of their clothes. Simon blushed slightly and picked up two more off the tray, offering Aavyn one.
"You vampires are stealthy," he said, unsure of whether she would take that as a compliment. He watched the church door open as one guest after another poured into the courtyard. "I don't know if alcohol affects you, but I know I could use a drink before the politics begin." Simon watched his parents enter the yard and quickly downed his drink before they could catch sight of him consuming anything that would alter his brain at this hour.