Chapter 1

The beautiful church building was overcrowded with more than enough people Rachael had beheld— ranging from babies to adults probably in their hundreds.

 The Chandeliers overhead made her grandiloquent, explicit wedding dress glitter. Her hair was beautifully made like every other bride there have been. It appeared even blacker, longer and curlier. Her elegant silver heels darted lights about everytime it showed from underneath her long-trained dress. 

 With the flowers and candy girls, flower boy and ring bearer elegantly dressed in all white ahead, Rachael walked slowly down the aisle with her dad, senator Luther Blade, smiling at her bridegroom who reciprocated the smiles; not daring to take his eyes off his bride. 

He was always the most handsome man Rachael knew. His hypnotizing blue eyes, pink lips and his virile appearance didn't permit her to think otherwise. 

His groom man was also smiling at them, mostly Christina, her best friend and maid of honor who had on a long red dress, silver heels and a simple makeup. His smile said it all. 

People stood, took pictures. Some just stared with lust and others with admirations. 

When they reached the groom, Charles, senator Blade, her father embraced them then put the hand he had been holding in Charles' hand, and went to sit with his family at the front row. 

Charles stared at her for a moment, love evident in his eyes, then joined their lips together; sending the crowd into a wild phase of applauses and excitements. 

"The wedding, Charles," she managed to say through the kiss, gently pushing him back. She grinned when he let her go. 

"I can't wait for you to be mine." She giggle when he said the words as they walked up the alter; their fingers intertwined. 

The two large doors was closed when the bride and groom were settled on the alter, ready to become husband and wife. 

The priest commenced the ceremony with scripture reading from the Bible and a brief sermon. He did all the necessaries until he reached to the part where he asked if anyone among the thousand of people was against the wedding, for it was a norm in Liberia. The whole building was quiet like inside a grave. 

Rachael and Charles looked through the crowd. 

Nobody stood up. 

"Forever hold your peace," the priest stated, holding the rings in the small pillow to bless them. He blessed the rings then gave one to Rachael for her to make her vows. She repeated all that he told her to before she gave her own special vow then slipped the ring on Charles' fingers. 

When it was Charles' turn, he took the ring, repeated the same words after the priest. "Rachael, my love," he began, "words are inadequate to express my inexpressible love for you. You're my rising sun, my light in the darkness; the one who makes me a complete man. I don't know if I can do without you. Actually, I can't, because you're my better half." Tear dropped down his right cheek. 

Rachael held back her own tears so her makeup couldn't be ruined. It wouldn't be nice to have mascara on her face, and her dress which she made herself for so many months with the best fabrics. 

"Our love is for eternity. We will grow old together, see our grand and great children and beyond. We will die together."

Everyone were touched by the groom's mind-blowing words. Some even cried. 

As the ring touched the tip of Charles' finger, the doors swung open, revealing a silhouette which obtained everyone's attention, even the bride and groom. It did so because it stood there for a while before taking few steps into the building. 

A woman wearing a black wedding dress with an equally long train walked over the red carpet with two small black boxes in her hand. One looked like a ring box , and the other look like a small ordinary box. 

Some people were enchanted by her eye-catching beauty that they kept their eyes on her as she approached the alter, not smiling or glaring— expressionlessly. 

Edward eyes went wild as he recognized her. Immediately, nervous sweat started pouring down his back. Charles murmured something that Rachael only got the gist of two syllables. 

The woman kept her eyes on Charles' until she reached him on the alter. She stared at Charles then glanced at Rachael who was collecting what was happening. 

Author's Note: 

The Bride's Mate has been in my head for months now, and I feel this is the best platform to write it on. Please enjoy!