"Oh, darling, I wouldn't have missed this for anything. This is the only reason we live this long. To see our beautiful girls grow up into beautiful women. Tír na nÓg couldn't have kept me away."
Her grandmother stepped forward, holding her own arms out. "Well, darling, it looks like you did this on your own way as well. I'm sensing that to be a theme in your life, Lurielle. I cannot wait to see what a strong mother you are. And you look beautiful. I'm so pleased we could be here."
"And there's a casino right off the highway," her great-grandmother burbled, clearly a major selling point for the entire affair.
"Ladies, I'm so sorry to interrupt!" Grace's voice trilled out. "We have your very first wedding gift here, but it probably needs to wait until you're in your dress."
"We have a schedule to keep," Lurielle finished, nodding. "Say no more. Okay, Ris. Spray the shit out of me."
She glanced up in the mirror as Ris fixed the last of her makeup, touching up what had already been excreted by tears, applying a ridiculous amount of setting powder over her blush, and then standing back with the setting spray. Her mother stood over her shoulder, bottom lip trapped in her teeth, eyes filled with tears, not saying a word.
Lurielle sucked in a breath through her painstakingly whitened teeth. She had been an ugly duckling her entire life— never fitting in, never made to feel she was enough, always made to feel that she wastoomuch. Too bookish, not vivacious enough, not sparkling enough, notenoughenough. But far too much.
. . . And now she was getting married to the love of her life, none that mattered anymore. Lurielle had a feeling it never had.
"I'm glad you're here, mom."
She closed her eyes, feeling the cool mist settle over her face. Settle . . . and settle, settling until she choked.
"Okay, I think that's enough!" Ris announced cheerfully. "Let's get you into these Skivs!"
She didn't like the idea of other people seeing her in her underwear. She liked the idea of them pulling her into the internal organ-displacing shapewear even less. She liked the person who greeted her in the mirror each day, but the self-confidence required for unsupported shapewear was higher than her current weekly therapy pay grade. Once she had changed her bra and stepped into the short, they got to work.
She'd already known Ris would be the heavy hitter, but Violet certainly did her part, yanking on the top of the short as Ris pulled it over her gut.
"ComeonHedda, you gotta put up the legs. We're almost done, babe."
"You need to just smooth out this bit . . ." Her grandmother grabbed a handful of the heavy duty spandex, yanking it up her midsection. "There you are, darling. Now you'll actually be able to breathe. Someone get the dress."
The small goblin woman was panting by the time they were done, she could tell Violet was trying not to collapse into giggles. Her hair was touched up one more time, sprayed again, and then Grace was pulling out the circlet from the box she carried in.
"This is from Ranar. He really does feel terrible that he couldn't do the whole wedding."
"Lurielle, if you start crying again, I swear to Ealand . . ."
Blush colored roses, peach ranunculus, curving stems of white sage and eucalyptus. She didn't know who the beautiful stranger the mirror was. Surely good that couldn't have been her. She'd never been that girl. But maybe you are. Maybe you were all along.
"Beautiful, Lurielle. Just beautiful."
She nodded, one less deep breath. "Let's go get married."
From the moment she arrived at the lake, all she saw was him.
Not least because he was towering over everyone else in attendance, mopping his forehead with the handkerchief his brother Kesst handed him. She had no idea what she would be expected to wear to the fire oath, when they flew down to his clan. She had no idea what he would wear. She had no idea what the customs were, only that she would receive a cuff around her wrist, even though she couldn't even wear her smartwatch for more than an hour to work without it chafing and rubbing at her sensitive skin..
She had no idea what any of that would entail, today, on this day, he looked like the perfect Orcish dandy. His blue suit was several shades lighter than the one he'd worn that first night at the resort, when he'd taken her to dinner. The light colored shirt beneath his vest made his milk chocolate eyes glow, and the white and blue checked pocket square finished the look. A perfect gentleman.
Lurielle realized, as she met him beneath the tree, the willow providing a bit of shade from the sun, her long tresses dipping into the placid surface of the water, that it didn't matter what sort of scene her mother would've tried to create. She wouldn't have noticed it anyway.
She felt like she was floating . . . Until it came to their binding promises.Why the fuck did you let him convince you to write your own?
"First of all," Khash began, flashing her that same crinkled smile that he'd hooked her with that night in the sauna. "I like to thank our friends and family for making the journey here today, to be with us. To celebrate with us. To celebrate the most beautiful, tenacious, brilliant elf any of us know. When orcs take a mate, it's for life. It's not a decision you rush into. I know it may have seemed to some of you that we've rushed things along, this whole relationship, but especially in the last six months. I know my own kin likely thinks so. I'm sure the bride's family would agree. But that's by design. Darlin', I know why you wanted to get us here as quickly as you could."
There was not enough setting spray in the world that would be able to preserve her makeup. The tears began falling as soon as she turned to face him, and now they were threatening to choke her.
"You might not remember this, Lurielle, but the very first night we met, I told you your name sounded like a song. And that's what it is. It's the only song I want to sing for the rest ofmy life. And I know that means different things for us. And that makes the gift of you even more precious to me. I know this has been weighing on you, darlin'. But this is my binding promise to you. No matter what happens after I'm gone, no matter what you go on to do, no matter what place you go. When you're ready to rest and you kiss our greatgrandbabies goodbye, I'll be waiting for you. No matter what. No matter how long it takes, Bluebell. I'll be there waiting."
Over the sound of her own sobs, she could hear Ris crying somewhere to her side, heard the sniffles from their guests, but all she saw was him.
