Welcome back to another week of Defy discussion. This week it’s all about Chapter 15: Amour! Let’s get to it!
Nazis and Weddings
As I mentioned in many prior posts, the Nazis did not see religion having any place in their regime. Believe me, they had a lot to say about it. When it came to weddings, they were completely without any mention of religion at all. Any aspect that might even have some religious background was taken out.
For example, here are some things that would change for a Nazi wedding ceremony from what we usually see:
- No Veil – it’s considered an oriental tradition, so it will not be included
- The Officiant is a higher ranking S.S. Offical instead of a priest
- Not often did the ceremony take place at a court house but a Nazi party meeting place with an alter designed with Nazi paraphenelia
- Couples recieved Mein Kampf as a wedding present
This wasn’t all that was required of the Bride and Groom to have. In addition, the bride was often sent to a Nazi bride camp. There they learned how to cook, clean, take care of a household and learn to be mothers. On top of all of this, the bride would have to prove her ‘”racial purity” by obtaining birth certificates, tracing her family’s history as far back as the early 1800s. Plus, she would be examed for racial purity in her characteristics. It was very serious business to marry an S.S. Officer.
If you want to learn more about Nazis and Religion refer back to Chapter 7: Ideology or check out this article: Nazi Bride Camps
Why did Annabelle want a Chruch Wedding?
As mentioned in Chapter 7: Ideology, Annabelle is a Catholic. Why? Well, before I even began to write this book, I knew I wanted to make the characters religious, mostly Catholic. However, I also wanted to see what would be most historically accurate. Looking at demographics from that time, France was still predominantly Catholic. So, it made sense that Annabelle would most likely be Catholic. From there, I went off of the belief by the Catholic Church that civil ceremonies are not recognized. So, this would leave Annabelle in a bit of a conundrum – marry outside of the Church and not have it recognized or defy the Nazis and have a religious ceremony.
You can guess what she did. After all, one of her favorite past times is defying the Nazis… 🙃
Wedding Time!!
This is kind of the serenity I imagined when I was thinking about the wedding scene. Very peaceful and a special experience. It probably was brighter with more candles in reality. Here’s a picture of the inside of the Church in real life (Basilica of Sainte Clotilde):
This is a more modern look at the church – I couldn’t find any depictions from World War 2 era. But this is the place in which Abbé Bernard Bouveresse, Annabelle’s priest, is at (at least in the book – technically, we wouldn’t be here until after WW2). This is where the wedding ceremony takes place. Only two others besides Annabelle and Albrecht are in attendance – Acadia and Dimitri. Acadia, during the ceremony, is very entranced by the whole thing. She’s very much for the relationship between Annabelle and Albrecht. However, Dimitri is still holding onto reservations. His thoughts even start to take a turn in which we’ll get to see more of in the coming chapters. With the power of the narrator in my hands, I just glossed over his thoughts. This isn’t about you Dimitri – let them get married in peace!
Alas, I guess I should’ve used my creative liberties to stop the Nazis from crashing the party… Oops 🤷♀️.
The Nazis Crash the Party
“S.S – Open up!”
pg. 61 – Defy
I don’t think Annabelle was expecting this… All four of these secret spies thought they’d been sneaky enough to escape detection. However, as you could see in the above photographs, there are many windows in which light can escape out of. At this time, blackout conditions were strictly enforced. Any amount of light could be seen from the skies above where bombers were searching for targets. While Paris was never really too much the center of attention, an eager young man on a bombing raid might mistake this light to be his target.
So, taking notice of the light, S.S. Officers were alerted to the scene, namely our favorite party-crasher – Emmerich. He just can’t seem to stay away from the trio.
Escape Time
It’s not exactly a crime to be in a church at the dead of night, so they wouldn’t be arrested for that. However, to be found have a religious ceremony? That would most certainly get Albrecht in trouble. So, the group needs a quick escape – fast! Luckily, Abbé Bernard Bouveresse has some experience with the resistance, making him prepared for anything, including a secret escape door. Is it real? Sadly, no – this is entirely out of my imagination. So next time you visit the Basilica of Sainte Clotilde don’t try to find a secret exit – it does not exist.
Now, for the moment everyone has been waiting for…
WHAT DiD ALBRECHT SAY?!?!
He said _________________________________. I know, shocking!
Just kidding! I’m not going to divulge that information to anyone. If Albrecht won’t say, then I can’t say! Sorry!
Still, it’s something to think about – what did he say? Whatever it was, he ended up with a promotion in the end, so it must’ve been something bad…
And voila! We have made it to the end of Chapter 15! Only 4 MORE CHAPTERS TO GO! AAH!
What did you think? Tell me what you like about Chapter 15: Amour! What do you think Albrecht said?
Till next time!
L.A.
But, before you go, have you read…
Secrets of the Forest
It’s the year 2300. The earth as we know it has been completely changed by war and a new civilization has arisen from the rubble. It seems like everything is good and fair – violence seems nonexistent. If their life is so perfect and wonderful, why are people banned from venturing into the Forbidden Country? The laws were clear. No one was EVER allowed to go there. Yet, Annalise Bella Mason was determined to go there. She wanted answers. Now, there’s no going back. Episodes up every Thursday!
Read on Kindle Vella! Chapters 1-9 are now up!
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