It was about time, everyone in Asgard seemed to agree, that the King finally decided to marry Lady Sif. They had been talking about it for years. The court acted like they already were anyway, but tradition said they had to have a proper wedding at some point in order for things to be as they should be. And so, after a few centuries of doing everything married couples do, Thor and Sif announced a wedding date and began the year's worth of preparations.
By the time the year was up, the anticipation for the event ran high, and no matter where in the realm someone resided, they could find a celebration nearby. Of course, the single most dreamt-of place to be on the day of the wedding was in the City and for those already in the city, they dreamt of being in the palace, wondering just what it would be like to be in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the most anticipated wedding in many milennia.
Grace Stark did not have to wonder, though. She lived the insanity of preparing for the event of a lifetime, the biggest feast anyone in Asgard would see until the wedding of the next ruler. From dress fittings to consulting with the royal florist, to the hours of rehearsals of the formal duties required of her in the ceremony, she was incredibly anxious for the day to arrive, possibly even moreso than Thor and Sif themselves. From the servants to the council of the court, everyone had a role to play, a part to perform flawlessly, in order to make sure that the royal couple did not have a thing to worry about except for their vows to one another.
Even Loki had tamed down his mischief in response to the pressures placed on the royal family. He had pieces to memorise, lists of people to supervise, and tasks to remember for the big day. While he complained to Grace about the entire ordeal, he had to admit that he could not, in any way, be bored during this time.
After rehearsing the full ceremony for at least the dozenth time, Grace tossed herself onto her bed and pressed her hands to her face, "Oh. My. God. I can't wait for this to be over! If I have to light one more candle or carry one more basket of paper rosepetals, I'm going to scream! It's a good thing we only do this Queening once or twice in a lifetime or I think I'd lose my fucking mind."
Loki settled in beside her, "I cannot argue with your assessment- I do believe the ceremony is the one piece I have no need to rehearse yet again. The intricate details for the week of feasting to follow and the subsequent tour of the realm...now those I am nervous about."
"When do we get to sleep and stop dreaming in lists? I swear to hell I can't see straight anymore if there's not a list in front of me."
"The ceremony is in a week, the tour starts a week following and lasts about half of a year...so perhaps by next spring."
She curled beside him, "If she dies before him, he's never remarrying."
He laughed, "Oh Gracie..."
"I know you're thinking the same thing."
"I shall never say one way or the other."
"Proof positive that I'm right."
He merely gave her a mischevious grin and kissed her forehead before dozing off for a nap. It was the last nap either of them had time for before the wedding.
The procession to the throne room was hundreds of people strong, Thor leading the way, Loki and Grace following in their cream robes, monks in black between them and the court along with the citizenry lucky enough to attend. Once they were in their places lining the hall, the monks blessed the space, then blessed the groom, Loki and Grace serving ceremonial roles moving candles representing the nine realms, pouring wine into a crystal goblet, and handing tokens of the king's powers to the monks for blessing. Once this piece of the ceremony was finished, Odin appeared on the opposite side of the room and announced the entry of the soon-to-be-Queen.
Lady Sif's gown was a deep crimson trimmed in gold, that trailed many yards behind her. Odin escorted her to her place beside Thor and gave a lengthy speech blessing their union and asking the powers of the universe to grant her the wisdom the All-Mother had shown before her. Then the monks began their blessing the same way they had done for Thor, Loki and Grace again serving in their roles as attendents.
The proclamations followed, Thor proclaiming his kingship, then his love for Sif, and then finally his intention to take her as his wife. Sif proclaimed her love, and her intentions to take Thor as her husband. During rehearsals, she had always rolled her eyes at this, dispising the sentimental gesture and rushing through the statements. On this day, she spoke clearly and powerfully, claiming her place in Asgard's royal family.
Then came the vows. These had not been permitted in rehearsals, the monks insisting that they were sacred and to be heard once and only once. Thor and Sif had written them seperately, Loki and Grace assigned to work with them so that they did not say anything that would not mesh well with the other's vows and to make suggestions that would make them flow in complimentary ways. Despite knowing what was going to be said, neither of them could keep dry eyes as they heard Thor vow his loyalty and love to Sif, pledging his sword to defend her and promising that they would never face battle, whether in matters of court or matters of war, without being at one another's side. Mostly hidden from view behind the monks, Loki slipped his fingers between Grace's until he was required to bind Thor's wrist with a silk ribbon. He returned to Grace and once again wove his fingers in hers as Sif vowed to be a warrior queen, ever intent on sharing the battlefield with her husband, a woman of fire and passion in all areas of her life, just as he expected her to be, nothing less. Grace bound her wrist with a ribbon as well. The monks looped a third ribbon through the ones around their wrists and drew them together, binding their hands and weaving the ends of the ribbons into a single cord representing the unity between them.
There were other speeches following- the court pledging itself to the new queen, the guards swearing fealty to her as well. The Warriors Three also each took their turn to speak, asking for blessings upon them both, hoping their lives were filled with times of peace and only enough battle to keep them on their toes, never enough to constitute war.
The ceremony lasted for the better part of the day and both Loki and Grace were tired and sore by the time they retreated to their chambers to ready themselves for the feast. They had a few hours before it officially started, but they both had servants to oversee and preparations to check. They changed out of their robes, Loki donning his armour and Grace dressing in a long flowing dress made from silks she had wet and painted, the effect being that she looked like a walking rainbow. Loki draped iridescent jewels around her neck and they left, arm in arm, to oversee the first night of feasting.
Early the next morning, as they dropped into bed so tired they could hardly stand, Loki nuzzled against Grace and hesitantly spoke, "I am quite glad that were we to ever take such a step we would not be required to take such ostentations measures to declare our union." He hoped to hell he had not overstepped his bounds. There had been moments in the past few decades when marriage had been hinted at by members of the court and Grace had alwasy responded to the idea with some ire. She had gone so far as to tell one of the more persistant guards that if he were to hint at it again, for any reason, but especially if that reason included quieting rumours among the men, she would personally remove his capability to reproduce. While he was quite proud of Grace for speaking her mind, she also did, in many ways, remind him of her brother and he had not, even over the centuries, forgotten Tony's threat to dismember him were he to touch her.
Grace gently touched Loki's cheek, "Honey, you know I'm not all into the marriage thing... I'm happy as we are and I don't like people fussing over me."
"I understand, but the ceremony today was beautiful. Particularly hearing the exchange of vows."
"Yeah, not a dry eye in the house."
"Including yours, my dear Miss Grace."
"Are you feeling inspired?"
"A little. Though, like you, I am quite happy with how we are. Perhaps some day, though..."
Grace smiled and kissed his cheek, barely still awake, "Yep. Someday. But not today. Today we sleep."