Kiss the Bride
Disclaimer: All characters and locations herein are the property of Tamora Pierce. Plot and actual written words owned by me.
Raoul was beyond guilt -- he'd run away from more important parties -- when he ducked behind a curtain to hide in his favorite niche in the royal ballroom. Gods, he'd hidden just here in his own knighting party, why shouldn't he do the same at his best friend's wedding? He let the rich midnight blue velvet of the curtain drop, protecting him from the scurrying masses of nobility, and breathed a sigh of relief.
"I feel the same way," came a voice from behind him, and Raoul almost jumped a foot.
It was the bride.
Alanna grinned. "Like-minded people, you and I," she said cheerfully.
"You don't want to dance with your husband?" he asked.
"I did, already," she answered, making a face. "It's my wedding-day -- I don't need to overhear court gossips without the decency to wait for me to turn my back before they start badmouthing me and George."
"So you came here?" said Raoul. He was only a little annoyed that she stole his favorite hideout.
"Did I steal your favorite hideout?" teased Alanna.
Raoul swallowed. "Well…"
She grinned again.
"Did I even congratulate you?" asked Raoul hastily. "For your marriage."
"I don't believe you did," she replied. "In fact, I don't recall seeing you at all, after the priestesses finished their ceremony."
He hung his head. "I went out to the balcony."
"I figured," she said. She didn't seem insulted.
"You don't mind?" he hazarded.
She grinned, and he ducked his head again, to hide his face from her. "I'll be doing the exact same thing at your wedding, someday," she said, clapping him on the back.
"Yes," said he, his voice strangely quiet and grave. Somehow, he didn't see himself marrying.
The curtain was pulled back and another man stepped in through it. "I thought I might find ye here, darlin'," said George with a wink. Alanna laughed and he came up to her, swept her up in a hug and kissed her. Quietly, Raoul slipped away to find another reclusive spot. No, he didn't think he'd find a bride for a long, long time.