Chapter Eight

Andrea

With all the hustle and bustle of trying to get everything ready for the big event, all attempts for Devin to get Vincent alone long enough to talk were thwarted by sudden "emergencies" that needed attention. Vincent and Catherine hardly had time together those last few hours together before the traditional walk down the stone staircase through the Chamber of the Winds.

Finally the preparations were complete, and Vincent made his way to his chamber to bathe and change. He had hoped to spend at least a couple of minutes alone with his wife, but she wasn’t there; and by the looks of makeup, and work clothes flung across the room, she had already been there and gotten ready. He found his clothes for the evening already laid out for him on the bed. He smiled at the dark blue shirt she had bought for him. He darted into the bathing chamber and washed quickly, then dried his hair with towels. (having to use three).

After he had finished dressing, he appraised himself in the full-length mirror, an object never before seen in his chamber before the welcome invasion of his beloved Catherine. Since his marriage to her, his disdain for mirrors had dissipated. He no longer feared his reflection, no longer cringed at the sight of it. Catherine loved him this way. She thought he was beautiful and…he still couldn’t hold in a smile as he thought about it…sexy, so he gave up arguing. It only irritated her.

Vincent turned one way then another. He actually thought he looked rather dashing in this new shirt. He chuckled slightly. That was probably the reason she picked it out.

The sudden image of someone standing beside his reflection made him jump slightly and spin around to gasp at the image before him.

Catherine giggled. "I surprised you this time, didn’t I?"

Vincent was suddenly aware of her cheer and mischievous intentions, knowing she had temporarily hidden the bond so she could startle him. It was a game for her, but she usually failed. This time, however, Vincent was just distracted enough to not notice. He smiled warmly at her, but temporarily could not speak. Catherine was always beautiful in his eyes, but what he saw before him no words could describe.

She was wearing a new, midnight blue velvet dress, almost the exact same color as his shirt. It was unadorned, the bodice hugging her slim body like a glove then flowing out slightly at her hips and nearly touching the ground. It was strapless, but she carried a white shawl to protect her from the cold. She also wore elbow length white gloves, and a white ceramic flower in her pinned up hair, (achieved by almost a whole bottle of hairspray. She learned her very first Winterfest the damaging effects the Chamber of the Winds could have on a hairdo.)

Her makeup was simple, the way Vincent liked it; and she beamed up at him with a smile that seemed to illuminate the room. She spun around in a circle to give him the whole effect. "What do you think?" she asked.

Vincent grinned, showing his teeth as he seldom did. He opened his arms, and Catherine went eagerly into his embrace. "My angel," he said low in her ear. "I cannot begin to describe how lovely you look tonight."

Catherine chuckled happily. "You look very handsome in that new shirt, if I do say so myself."

Vincent pulled away, looking back into the mirror. "I agree," he said playfully.

Catherine laughed out, and gently punched his arm. "My, my, look who’s gotten vain!"

"He was always vain. He just didn’t want to show it!" Devin interrupted as he entered the chamber with Jenny at his side.

"I believe that was you who spent hours in front of the mirror," Vincent joked back.

"Jen, you look gorgeous!’ Catherine exclaimed as she ran to hug her best friend.

"So do you!" Jenny said, stepping back to admire Catherine’s dress.

"Yeah, Chandler," Devin said. "Me-OW!" that earned him a glare from Vincent, a slap on the head from Catherine, and an elbow in the ribs from Jenny. "All right! Okay! Sorry! Quit beating me up! Ugh, are you two ready to go?"

"You go on ahead," Catherine said. "We’ll meet you."

Devin rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically, then dodged another elbow.

"We’ll see you soon," Jenny said, and pulled Devin from the room.

"You’re not ready yet?" Vincent asked, wondered what on earth was left for her to do.

"Oh, I’m ready," she said, snaking her arms around his neck. "But I haven’t seen you all day, and have yet to greet you properly!"

Vincent smiled and leaned in to her kiss, pulling her tightly against him. The kiss lasted a few minutes, then Catherine pulled away. "Okay, mister, we have a Winterfest to get to!"

"Hm, we do?" he said huskily.

"Vincent," Catherine warned.

Vincent sighed and released her, "Oh, all right, just as long as I get to examine that dress better later! Where’s Jacob?"

"I already took him to Nancy."

Vincent nodded. Some of the more elderly helpers and tunnel dwellers usually volunteered to take the babies through a separate, small entrance in the back of the Great Hall, that didn’t go through the Winds, as the babies didn’t much care for the loud, biting gusts. He took Catherine’s arm and handed her their candles, then led the way through the tunnel.

***

The wind howled and whipped around the Tunnel dwellers and Helpers as they made their way slowly down the steep rock staircase. There were excited smiles all around, and many eyes wide in amazement as there were many newcomers this year.

Catherine held Vincent’s hand as he led the group down. She turned back to look at Jenny, who grinned back. She noticed with satisfaction that she held tight to Devin’s arm.

Vincent released Catherine’s hand and went to lift the beam off the solid oak doors leading to the Great Hall. As always, Catherine watched her husband, beaming with pride as he lifted the heavy piece of wood, one that would take at least two men to lift, with hardly any effort. He put the beam down, pushed the doors wide open, then came back to Catherine and held out his hands, his eyes asking the same question he asked their first Winterfest together. Catherine smiled up at him and sent waves of love through their bond, and stepped confidently through the darkness.

***

"The world above is dark and gray," Father began, sitting at his place at the head of the long table with Mary at his right and Vincent at his left. Catherine watched in awe. She wondered if she would ever become used to this breathtaking ceremony; she doubted it. Father continued, as Vincent and Mary lit their candles from his. "Summer a distant memory, so each year we begin in darkness."

A familiar chill went down Catherine’s spine as Vincent spoke, "Long before the city above us raised its towers to the sky, men sought shelter in these caverns."

He looked to Catherine lovingly, waiting while she took a deep breath to say her line for the first time this year, by unanimous decision by the counsel. "In those days these tunnels were dark places, and those who dwelt here dwelt in fear and isolation." She passed her light to Jenny at her side, who then passed it to Devin.

Vincent spoke, "This was a land of lost hope, of twisted dreams, a land of despair. Where the sound of footsteps coming down a tunnel were the sounds of terror. Where men reached for knives and rocks and worse at the sound of other men’s voices.

"But at last a few people learned to put aside their fear." Devin said solemnly

"And we began to trust each other. To help each other," Mary said. "And each of us grew stronger, those who took the help and those who gave it."

As the candles were all being lit, some of the children lit the chandeliers and the room began to brighten. Father finished the ceremony, raising his voice to add emphasis on his next words. "We are all part of one another, one family, one community. Sometimes we forget this. And so we meet each year, to give thanks to those who have helped us, and to remember, even the greatest darkness is nothing, so long as we share the light."

The chandeliers were raised, illuminating the vast chamber, and as always, Catherine had to gasp a little. Once the opening ceremony was over, some of the older children, under Williams’s guidance, served the feast.

As the food was being passed around, Catherine felt Vincent nudge her gently with his elbow. She looked up at him questioningly, and he jerked his head discreetly across the table and to the right. She followed his gaze to Jamie and an extremely nervous looking Mouse, who was fiddling madly with a little leather pouch. Jamie glanced at him suspiciously; looking as if she must be wondering what he had broken now.

Catherine stifled a giggle with her hand, then nudged Vincent back, gesturing to Father sitting beside him. Father was deep in conversation with Mary, who was hanging on his every word, but they could see how he too, seemed uneasy.

Vincent grinned at his wife, loving being able to be in on all the secrets with her. Catherine thought about that and felt a little guilty, knowing that she knew things that he didn’t. On that thought, she looked beside her at Jenny and Devin. Jenny was looking around, absorbing all there was to see, and Devin shared a glance with Catherine. He was fidgeting in his chair like a restless twelve-year-old, and Jenny glanced at him, probably wondering what law he had broken now.

Catherine shook her head with a smile and leaned on Vincent, who placed his arm around her. "This is looking to be an interesting night, isn’t it my love?" he whispered in her ear.

"Oh yeah," Catherine whispered back. "Definitely a night for surprises!"

~