The Long Version
 
 

     Lissette Harberge was the most exquisite woman that Dalton Bizet
     had ever beheld. Her long golden brown hair hung in perfect
     ringlets, framing her pale, delicate face. And, oh, how her eyes
     shown and her face lit up when she smiled. She took his breath
     away...well, she would have if he'd had any breath to give. But
     he'd given all of that up. Breathing was a chore of the living, and
     Dalton wasn't exactly living. Had he known that such a perfect
     creature dwelled right there in his homeland he might not have
     sold his soul. Then again, eternal life was quite a temptation. He
     would probably have done it anyway...but at least he would have
     thought a little longer about it.

     The moment Dalton saw her, he knew that he wanted Lissette to
     spend eternity with him. She wasn't the sort who would easily be
     convinced to become a member of the devil's legion, but Dalton
     could sense that the effort would be well worth it should he
     succeed. Ah, to have such a lovely creature at his side throughout
     eternity. He would have to be very careful to keep his secrets from
     her until he was sure that there would be no turning back for her.

     For weeks he followed her, cautious to remain unobserved, so
     that he could learn all about her--what she loved, what she hated,
     and most importantly, what her weaknesses would be. Day after
     day he would watch as she picked a rose from her garden and
     laid it on the doorstep of the elderly woman who lived next door. It
     was a sweet gesture, and one that he was sure that in time he
     could break her of.

     Each time he learned a new aspect of her he fell in love all over
     again. The mere fact that whenever she thought she was alone
     she would pull off her shoes and walk barefoot excited him. Yes,
     he was quite smitten with her. All he needed was a way to get her
     into his world.

     A few weeks after he first spotted her, Dalton was ready to make
     his move. He began to spend his evenings at the local pub,
     befriending his obsession's father. He knew that if he could
     convince the man that he would be a perfect mate for the chap's
     lovely daughter that he would easily win her over. She was so
     devoted to her friends and family that there wasn't anything she
     wouldn't do for them. That, Dalton knew, would be her downfall.

     It took several weeks of excruciating kindness and many drinks,
     but eventually he got Henri Harberge's invitation to visit his
     homestead and meet his lovely daughter. He was home free. All
     he had to do was remain on his best behavior. It was tough, he
     needed to feel the kind of pleasure that could only come when
     squeezing the final breath out of a mortal being. Somehow, he
     managed to control his urges and slowly integrated himself into
     her world.

     For several months he courted her, never once slipping up in her
     presence. Whenever the craving became too bad, he would leave
     town under the guise of being away on business. Once he felt he
     had the Harberges hooked, he began making preparations for the
     special wedding ceremony that would need to be performed for
     her to become his throughout eternity. Once everything was in
     place, he went to old Henri Harberge and asked for his daughter's
     hand in marriage. He could not have been more excited than
     when an arrangement was agreed upon. Things were falling into
     place at an incredible rate.
 
 

     It was quite possibly the happiest day in Lissette Harberge's
     young life when her dashing suitor, Dalton Bizet announced that
     he had asked her father for her hand in marriage. She was going
     to be married, and to such a wonderful man! Her heart soared as
     she thought of all the beautiful times they had shared. He would
     take her for a stroll in the park and tell her of all the wonderful
     sights he saw while he was away on business. He was exactly the
     sort of man she had always fancied for herself. Young, handsome,
     wealthy, and romantic. Who wouldn't fall for such a man? Sure,
     she would miss her family when he whisked her away to live in his
     distant villa, but it wasn't as though she couldn't visit them.

     The weeks that followed their engagement flew by quickly as
     wedding plans were made. Despite her father's offer to buy her
     the most luxurious gown that money could buy, she chose to wear
     her mother's wedding dress. It wasn't the best fit, or the prettiest
     dress, but Lissette so loved her mother that she wanted to wear
     the gown as a tribute to her. The flowers were to be picked from
     her own garden, and she asked that her friends bring food to
     share rather than traditional wedding gifts. She wanted the day to
     be a day surrounded by the people she loved.

     The wedding day came and Lissette could not have wished for a
     more beautiful day. As her friends and relatives gathered at the
     homestead she grew more excited. She could hardly believe that
     as of that afternoon she would no longer be a Harberge. While it
     saddened her in some ways, she was more than happy to become
     the bride of Dalton Bizet and walk hand and hand with him
     throughout life.

     Henri Harberge was never as proud of his little girl as he was
     when he saw her in her mother's wedding gown. "My Azalea, what
     a lovely young lady you have become," he murmured as he
     prepared to give her away to the man she loved.

&n