Taylor Swift - exile (ft. Bon Iver)

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A wedding is a union between two people. Two willing individuals who wanted to spend the rest of their lives together.

Till death do us part.

Even in death, Gideon will not part with her. He will love her in the next life and the one after despite not believing any religious bullshit. His fingers grazed the side of her face as they stand at the alter, the officiant reading a poem to the large crowd sitting in rows in before them.

Rory closed her eyes the closer they get to the exchange of vows of rings - the closer she got to signing away her freedom.

She wasn't blinded by the luxuries he had threw at her the last two days. She didn't fall at his feet the moment he bought her a millionaire dollar dress or slides the massive rock, called an engagement ring, on her finger. He had shown her the venue his team had put together, it was beautiful like a fairy tale wedding she used to dreamed off. An enchanted forest wedding, the planner had called it. But, she wasn't a princess marrying a prince. She was Persephone kidnapped by the god, Hades to become his wife and forced to live in the underworld for six months of the year. Unlike the goddess, Rory didn't have that luxury to escape her soon to be husband for six months of the year. She was to live in eternal hell.

Gideon brought her hands to his lips, planting a delicate kiss on her ring finger. As always she looked stunning but today she was breathtakingly beautiful standing in her wedding dress - a lace ball grown with the long veil. Her blonde curls were styled in an elegant up do and atop of her head laid a diamond tiara.

"Do you Gideon Torres take Rory Whitmore to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?"

"I do." He boasted with confidence.

"Do you Rory Whitmore take Gideon Torres to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do you part?"

A deafening silence fell on them all.

Rory was trembling violently. At some point in time her mouth had gone dry, her throat was closing in on her and she was involuntarily choking herself. The crowd began to murmured, whispering among themselves, asking why she was remaining silent.

She felt her fingers been squeezed by Gideon who was narrowing his eyes at him. Speak, Rory. Those black pearls reminding her of what she would lose if she didn't speak in the next second. Those eyes were all it took for the gears in her body to rotate again.

"I do." She managed to wheezed out in a hurry.

The officiant feigned a smile, his eyes darting between the two of them as sweat begins to gather on his forehead, "Your declarations have been witnessed by family and friends. And, with the power invested in me, and with the greatest honour, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may seal this union with a kiss."

Their guests stood, applauding as the lilacs petals from the ceiling. Gideon didn't need to be told twice as he captured her in a passionate kiss.

Rory remained still just like the first time he had kissed on the plane. His hands rested on her nape and kissed her harder until her mouth parted so that he could enter and entwine their tongues in a dance. The crowd cheered on, swooning and wooing as he kissed her.

This wasn't a loving kiss despite the passion, it was of ownership to let her and their witnesses know she belonged to him, like he always wanted.

Moments later, he pulled away meeting her glassy eyes with a smirk. Nausea stirred in the pit of her stomach at what she had subjected herself to. A life forever in a gilded cage. She quietly cursed herself for not running away in those 48 hours and for caring too much about the lives of other over her own.

She had dreams too but all of it came crashing down the moment she signed her name on their marriage certificate in exchange for those four lives.

It was one life lost for four, it was the greatest good for the greatest amount of people. She should feel proud about herself right? For choosing to do good. Perhaps, god will have mercy on her soul when she died.

They walked down the aisle hand in hand as the guests, people she didn't recognise, showered them with petals. A tear slide down her cheek as she realised no one was here as her family. Not even the man who had arranged this whole thing. This moment was meant to be the happiest moment in life so but she was so miserable.

The moment he led her out of the banquet hall and into a private seating room, she stumbled to the fall before he could even catch her. The tears ran down her cheeks and onto the tile floored as she hang her head, causing the tiara to fall. Gideon doesn't appear by her side like a good husband, instead he shoved his hand into his pockets and watched her break down with a frown.

"Get up." He ordered, coldly, pouring himself a glass of clear liquid that was no doubt alcoholic.

"I want my mom." She brawled like a child through hiccuping sobs. "Please let me see her."

"No," was his answer. This was her punishment for the silence earlier. She had almost embarrassed him in front of everyone who held him in high regards.

"Why?" Rory protested with closed fists. "I did as you asked. I married you." I gave myself up.

"Think a little hard, my love." He spat, "Think about what you did to piss me off."

Once again the words weren't coming to her but Rory knew what he meant. Her silence was louder than her "I do" - she embarrassed him because now people were speculating that she wasn't here by choice.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She lied. "I don't know why you're angry at me when I did as you wanted."

His glass flew near her face and smashed into the wall behind her. She let a small surprised yelped at the sound of smashing glass. Before she could even blink, Gideon was in her line of vision grabbing her by the chin and dragging her along the tiles towards when he seat back down. His iron gripped felt like it was pulling her skull from its spine causing her to winced.

"Lie to me again, I'll have your mother hanging from the ceiling of her prison." He threatened in a low growl.

"I'm sorry!" The apology falls from her lips quickly. It wasn't sincere, she was just hoping to calm his anger before he carried out his threats.

He released her, not because he believed her but because there was a party going on outside, his wedding party. He had waited two years for this day and refused to let anyone ruined his mood. With a possessive kiss to the corner of her mouth, Gideon stormed out the room slamming into a slender figure in his path.

"Watch it, Luci!" He snapped, moving pass her and disappearing down the corridor.

Luci stared at her brother's retreating back in utter shock. It had been years since since she had last seen her brother like that - storming away like a child who was refused candy. Usually he was calm and collected, this two facades usually depended on the situation. One should be afraid if he was mad. His calmness during his rage usually meant a storm was brewing.

Turning towards the door he had came from, Luci pushed it open inhaling sharply at the mess by the door. Shattered glass and brown liquid covered the tiles, Gabbie wasn't going to be happy about the mess their brother had just caused to her "top of the class" tiles.

Her eyes trailed around the mess, meeting a lace train and sheer veil piling on the floor.

Her new sister in law watched her with a tremble, wiping her tear stained cheek and quickly hopping to her feet.

"No,no,no!" She gestured for the girl to sit back down. "I came to say hi and," she hell up a golden party bag, "come baring with gifts."

A gift of protection, literally. Luci had made the same mistake of falling for men like her brother. As a result she fell pregnant with her daughter - a ray of sunshine yet also a reminder of what their world was like. It was no place for a child.

She'll need it especially with what her brother had planned. Gabbie had overseen the preparation of their wedding and their bedroom the night they consummate their marriage. Rose petals, candles and expensive Italian champagne awaited her. It looked like a dream but for someone who clearly hadn't asked for this, it was going to be her personal hell.

Gideon, for as long as Luci could remember, always got what he wanted. He had wanted her for so long bringing home women on his arm that closely resembled the crying bride.

"Hi," Luci greeted, sliding into the seat across from her, "I'm Luciana, I'm Gideon's youngest sister."

"I didn't know he had a sister." She murmured, wrapping her slender arms around her torso.

Luci frown, did her brother feed her at all?"

"Why don't you open your gift?" She encouraged, hoping they won't fall into an awkward silence.

Rory rummaged through the tissue paper, pulling out boxes of...birth control pills.

"I've been in you place before," she swallowed. "Falling for one of this Mafia men."

She almost laughed until the whites of Rory's eyes popped of her socket in surprised at the revelation.

"You didn't know?" She said sheepishly. Gideon was only to give her an earful. "You didn't know my brother is a mafia leader?"

She shook her head, feeling a violent urge empty to the content in her stomach. From the pills to her husband being in the mafia to being the leader of said mafia. Right now she could only process one thought at the time or else she'll forget how to breathe.

"Why did you give me these?" She asked after taking deep breathes. "I don't need these."

She wasn't have sex with anyone or had ever sex. She didn't plan on doing it either.

"I just thought," Luci began, feeling puzzled. "You and my brother, aren't you gonna consummate your marriage? Isn't that the tradition?"

Oh fuck, Rory thought. She hadn't thought about that but would anyone? She barely knew her husband heck, she had just only found out he was in the mafia. It made sense now. All of his actions were that of a criminal. She mentally slapped herself for being so blind.

She wasn't going to sleep with him. Ever. It was her body and something she could control, just barely. She won't let Gideon have that control.