Author's Note: This story is a companion story to 'All The Right Moves' and 'A Knight's Journey'. It can be read by itself, but certain references might make more sense if you have read the other two stories. This came about because Lance and Allura deserve a grand wedding, and momentous wedding night. The title comes from the very romantic song of the same name, by The Platters. You can listen to it on You Tube if you've never heard it before.
They used to call me the wanderer
Who never wanted to settle down, yeah
But I'll tell you baby,
I wander no more, got to stay around 'cause
With this ring I promise
I'll always love you, always love you
With this ring I promise
I'll always love you, always love you
(With This Ring, The Platters)
Lance's POV
"Allura Valeria Malvina Xenia Ekaterina Aisling..No wait Allura Malvina Aisling Xenia Valeria..Fuck it all! Allura Valeria Ekaterina Xenia Malvina Aisling." Lance was standing in his quarters in his dress pants, his white shirt on but not buttoned. He was trying to remember the correct order for Allie's names, as his nerves wound tighter and tighter.
"Hey Little Buddy, just think, this will be you in three months! How many names does Larmina have?" Hunk nudged Pidge with his elbow, trying to get a smile out of him. Pidge shook his head at Hunk as if to say 'not now'. He was in fact very worried about Lance, having never seen the man nervous about anything before.
Pidge was also trying to feel sympathy for Keith, who was the best man, and should have been the one calming Lance down. However, he reasoned to himself that Keith was probably still in shock at how everything had worked out. Pidge decided that if he ever wrote a wedding how to book, his first piece of advice would be not to choose the jilted suitor as your best man.
"Damn it all, why are there so many names? Who the hell needs six names?" Lance's anguished cry filled the room. Pidge looked at Keith, who was looking off into space, and sighed.
"Lance, go outside, have a cigarette, and stop thinking about her names, please!" Pidge declared, as he almost shoved Lance out the door. He thought some time alone would be good for Lance, as well as a cigarette too. Pidge didn't want to think about how he was going to be feeling in three months, and instead turned to look at Keith.
Keith had been trying to process everything that was going on, and hearing Lance recite all of Allura's names had twisted at his heart. He knew that as best man he should have been doing something to help, but he all he could see was Allura's face. He'd really thought he was doing well with the whole thing, but the wedding was opening up the wound again.
He turned to look at Pidge, as he was talking to Lance. Keith didn't approve of Lance smoking, and was surprised that Pidge went along with it. He must have gotten a disapproving look on his face, because once Lance was gone, Pidge turned to him.
"Not one word Keith, ok? This is not the time or the place, not today. Now you are his best friend and his best man, so could you help him out?" Pidge shook his head in despair, wondering how Lance and Keith were going to get through the ceremony. Hunk watched his friend take Keith to task, and decided elopements were probably the way to go.
"I'm sorry Pidge, I got distracted." Keith sighed, knowing what his teammate was telling him was correct. He knew he was distracted because he had missed the perfect opportunity to get a look at Lance's cigarette case; the one with his family crest on it. He had registered Lance taking something from the pocket of his jacket, which was lying on the bed. Only now did he realize it was the case and lighter.
Keith looked over at the jacket; the medals and lion badge jumbled together in a pile next to it, and sighed. It was obvious that in his current state he couldn't deal with his family's mystery, a broken heart, and a nervous bridegroom. Keith looked at the jacket again, and while he could not do anything about Allura's names, he did know someone who could deal with Lance's uniform.
"Pidge, I'm going to go get someone to help. I'll be right back." Keith stated as he left the room. After he was gone Pidge threw his hands up in the air. He didn't think Keith was a great loss, but he did hope Lance would come back in a better frame of mind.
"Here Little Buddy, have some of this!" Hunk exclaimed as he passed him a silver flask. It said something about Pidge's mental state that he looked at it for a minute, and then took it from his friend. He took two very large swallows, not even caring what was in it.
Lance made his way to the small walled garden off of the hanger bay, and with shaky hands managed to get his cigarette lit. He took a deep drag, hoping it would calm his nerves. As he took a second deep drag, he was amazed at how nervous he was. He had loved Allie for eight years, but had never thought she would love him back, and that they would be getting married. It was the most wonderful day of his life, and he was shaking like a leaf.
"Of course, if I don't get her names right, I won't be marrying her." Lance thought out loud, as he exhaled a stream of smoke. He was starting to feel a little calmer, between the cigarette, and being outside in the morning sun. Lance thought about Allie, and remembered the note she had sent him early this morning. He sat down on the bench in the garden, laying the white enameled case with its decorative fox, and his lighter down next to him. He pushed some buttons on his mini voltcom, attached to his wrist, and brought up the message to read.
Dear Lance, I am writing this very early because I am too excited to sleep anymore. I am so full of joy that this is our wedding day, and you are my bridegroom. I am so blessed to have you and your love in my life. As I think about all we have gone through, and how you have always been there for me, I am very humble. Even at my worst you still loved me, and wanted me.
Lance, I promise to spend the rest of my life loving you, cherishing you, and just enjoying being with you. Thank you for putting up with everything you've had to in the last year, and for not giving up on me. I am probably going to cry when I see you at the altar, but they are tears of joy and happiness. Love, Allie
Lance smiled as he read the note, having no problem picturing her sitting at the small desk in her room, as she wrote it. He then wondered about what kind of nightgown she was wearing, and if it was the thin green silk one she'd worn when they'd had breakfast together. He finished his cigarette, and decided that if he could fly a lion and win a princess' heart, he should be able to remember six names.
When he got back to his quarters he saw Hunk and Pidge, but no Keith, which almost made him feel better. Keith staring off into space at had been off putting at best, and damn weird at worst. Lance then felt bad about feeling it, because Keith was his best friend, and the person he'd asked to be his best man. It was just too bad that Keith had been in love with Allie too, Lance sighed to himself.
"Better?" Pidge asked, as Hunk peered at him intently. Lance nodded his head, as he was putting his case and lighter back into his jacket pocket. He popped a breath mint, and was all set to say something when Keith came back into the room with Firth.
"Firth fills in as valet when a guest doesn't bring their own with them. He said he can help with your uniform." Keith informed them, as Firth followed him into the room. The young man smiled at everyone, and then turned his attention to Lance.
"Commander, excuse me, Your Highness, why don't you button up your shirt?" Firth requested in a kind voice, and then "while you are doing that, I'll sort out your decorations for you." Pidge had to give Keith credit for doing something positive for the morning, as Firth talked in a soothing voice.
"The worst orders are the ones that the Pensuns wear; very complicated to figure out. I was talking to Prince Fauk's valet, and he has his man check with a ruler to make sure his medals and orders are perfectly straight. My understanding is that he is very exacting to work for." Firth was making small talk to lighten the mood, as he sorted out the jumble on the bed.
He picked up Lance's jacket and noticed the label inside, with the tailor's name. "He does nice work, but I've heard that his nephew, who set up his own shop, is starting to cut into his client base." Firth observed, as he helped Lance get into the jacket, and then he buttoned it.
"Well now the nephew is all right if you like very trendy looks, but I don't think he really has staying power." Lance observed, and Firth made a comment about suit lapels, which elicited a reaction from Lance. Keith knew his friend was a clothes horse, and had his suits, along with his dress uniforms, custom made for him. Listening to him and Firth talk, he was impressed with how much Firth knew about tailors and men's fashions. Keith reasoned though that if your job included valet duties, you probably picked up a lot of information along the way.
Hunk and Pidge exchanged a look, as they saw Lance calm down, with Firth talking about clothes with Lance. He then started pinning the medals on the jacket, while discussing French cuffs. Pidge decided that maybe Keith would be some help after all, but he still wasn't sure about leaving them alone. He could only imagine how awkward that conversation would be.
"Your Highness, I think you are set. Take a look." Firth said as he turned Lance toward the mirror, to inspect the work. Lance smiled as he saw everything was in its proper place, with the blue satin of his sash glowing, while the gold lion head hanging from the scarlet ribbon gleamed brightly. Everyone in the room relaxed for the first time that morning as they saw Lance smile. However, it didn't last long, as the look of panic came back into his eyes.
Lance turned to look at Firth as he panicked "Her names, I can't remember all of Allie's names!" Pidge's heart fell, and he wondered if Hunk had anything left in his flask. Hunk was starting to wish he'd gone to the church with Daniel and Vince, who were acting as ushers. Keith was staring off into space again, with an almost cationic look on his face.
"Your Highness, don't worry about it! The Archbishop will say them for you, so you can just repeat them. The important thing to remember is that her first name is Allura, and the last name is Valeria. As far as the ones in between, you can just mumble them." Firth explained in a kind tone, patting Lance on the arm. Pidge decided he would talk to Allura, after the honeymoon, about giving Firth a raise or a bonus; the man had earned it this morning.
"You really know all of her names?" Lance had awe in his voice, but Firth just laughed.
"The first name is easy, and all members of the royal house are always Valeria, if female, or Valerian, if a man. It means valor and is supposed to bestow that attribute on the person; it always comes last." Firth informed them with a grin.
He turned to Keith and said "Commander Kogane, do you have the ring?" Firth had to repeat the question twice, before Keith stopped staring into space. "Do you have Her Majesty's wedding ring?"
Keith looked at the young man like he was talking Greek, which made Lance's eyes go wide with worry. Pidge and Hunk saw that, and without another word Hunk passed the flask to Pidge, who drank the rest of the contents in one gulp. They saw Keith's eyes blink twice, and he slightly shook his head, causing Lance to start almost hyperventilating.
"It is right here in my pocket." Keith said, as he reached in and took out the ring. It was a diamond band, with the large, flawless diamonds set invisibly, making it look like a perfect circle of never ending fire and sparkle. Lance calmed down measurably when he saw the ring lying on Keith's palm.
Keith was staring down at it, trying to keep the wave of despair from overwhelming him. He was holding the wedding band of the woman he loved, or rather, the illusion of the woman, but as Eimear said love was love. In his mind a wedding band was gold, and as he thought that he remembered the plain gold band on Eimear's right hand. His thoughts were broken by Pidge commenting on the ring.
"I have to say Lance; you've set the bar pretty high for me. Allura told Larmina all about the ring, so now I have to come up with something equally good." Pidge was telling Lance, who laughed.
"Yes, she does love it. I had a basic idea of what to get, but I took my Mother along, because she knows Allie really well. However, after I picked it out I had her ok it, because she has to wear it." Lance told them in a pleased tone, while they all admired the ring.
That at least answered a question for Keith, as he looked at the, in his opinion, ostentatious ring. He had wondered whether Allura would like something like that, but it sounded like she did. Keith wondered what her reaction would have been if he had been the groom, and given her a plain gold band. He realized everyone was staring at him, and put that thought aside.
"It is lovely." Keith said simply, not liking how they were looking at him, with worry and sympathy.
Lance looked at his best friend, wishing it wasn't like this between them. He then thought about Allie, and how she looked at him, and everything they'd been through together. They loved each other, and that was what mattered at the end of day. Lance said a silent prayer that one day Keith would understand that.