Chapter four:
The third day was spent once again with the queen, she helped Jim to design his headpiece and the jewellers and metal workers got to work. It was during this third day that the first attack on Jim's character as a bride took place. A couple of the nobles came up to him and started to mock him for his shorter hair, Sulu and Spock quickly stepped in seeing the men off efficiently.
The fourth, fifth and sixth days were all spent with Jim trying on his quickly developing wedding costume. Both Sulu and Spock were evicted for the trying on, the two men were happy to leave Jim and the twittering women to the fittings. Sulu looked at the Vulcan standing beside him outside the shop and spoke. "The idea of the captain getting married like this makes me a little uncomfortable."
"It is his choice."
"Not really, I and the rest of the crew know that, just as much as we know who he really loves."
Spock's dark brows rose at those words. "Everyone knows?"
"Oh yes, the captain didn't have to say a word, the looks the way he acts round him it's easy to see, well maybe not for you but for humans it is very easy."
The Vulcan's dark brows went up again. "What do you mean it might not be easy for me to tell? Is it because I am Vulcan and not desiring of emotions that you think I cannot see them in others?"
Sulu shook his head. "No commander, I simply mean that this has been going on so long, that you probably think it is just part of the Captains nature."
"This person he loves has clearly affected the Captain in a much greater way than I anticipated."
"It is a love which is far stronger than any of us gave the Captain the credit for being able to feel."
"Yet he would give it up, all because he cannot have this other man. It is no wonder the captain seems confused and hurt by the situation he finds himself in. He hopes in vain that the man he loves will realise he cares and knows at the same time he will not."
"Yes, it is hard on him. To say the one he cares for is emotionally inept only begins to cover it. At least the people of this world recognize the captains bond to this man. They have been willing to give him this time, in case the other man realises and for out captain to get used to the idea of losing his love and becoming married."
Spock fell silent absorbing the information Sulu had just imparted. As Jim exited the shop, the dark haired Vulcan noticed his eyes rest on him for a moment before he pulled them almost forcefully away and Spock was puzzled by this action on the other man's part. The Vulcan was to be denied the chance to analyse what this action meant as another party of people questioning Jim's fitness to marry the prince arrived.
By the time Sulu and Spock had dealt with these men, but when the dark haired male turned back towards the captain whatever had been in the eyes of the blonde was long gone, which left the Vulcan a lot more puzzled than he would have ever liked to admit.
Spock spent that afternoon puzzling things over in his logical mind, Sulu had give away that the person the captain loved was in the other mans words 'emotionally inept'. The Vulcan had a hard time thinking of many male members of the crew of the Enterprise who would fall into this particular category. The dark haired man could in fact only think of one person on the crew that fitted the comment that Sulu had made and that was himself.
The mind of the Vulcan almost came to a halt, when had Jim fallen in love with him, why had the other man fallen in love with him of all people. Spock spent the night thinking, his mind and memory turning over the events that had occurred during these last few days and on the way to this strange world. He realised Jims love had been there in a million small gestures, lots of looks and small things that Spock had missed or thought of as insignificant. The question for him was did he feel the same way for Jim.
When Jim met the others on the morning of the seventh day he noticed that Spock did not look quiet right, he was fairly sure that no one else had noticed but Jim was very sure that something was defiantly not right with the Vulcan this morning. The blonde captain wanted to ask the other man if something was wrong but knew better than to do so, it was most probable that he would be told that he was being illogical.
So instead at the head of his party Jim went to meet the king and the queen who took the blonde and his companions to the high temple, they carefully walked the blonde captain round the large circular building, they pointed out where when he entered the temple the priestess would stand to meet him. They showed them were the witnesses would stand, then to were Jim would bath the day before the wedding to begin cleansing himself for his new husband. They moved onto the place before the main alter, where the blonde would be handed over by those he chose to represent his mother and father to the prince. It was not hard for the captain to make his choice he decided that Uhura was to represent his mother, and Dr McCoy was to be his father for the day.
Jim was informed of what would take place during the ritual, when his headdress would be removed, what words would be said when, the time at which he would drink the sacred water and forget his old love completely and come to instantly love the prince truly and the same would of cause be done for the prince. Then they would walk from the temple proceeded by the priestess who would be scattering petals before them so to little their path with joy and children which the prince would carry for them.
It was towards the end of this seventh day that the third and final attack on Jim's fitness to wed was made, as with the other two which had come before it Spock and Sulu took care of the situation quickly and efficiently. This being the third time they all knew that these traditional attacks would now be over as the scared three had been honoured.
The eighth day was honoured as a day of rest for Jim, as the ninth day was to be a hectic one, Jim however was finding it hard to relax. Uhura shot the nervous man a look of understanding and then spoke to him. "You are not going to be fit for tomorrow at this rate."
"I know but I'm so nervous."
"That's understandable considering the situation. Why don't you try a walk in the gardens, it might help you to unwind."
"Good idea." Jim left the rooms, he went down into the garden, and he sat beneath a large tree, crossed his legs, listened to the sounds of the trees and admired the view.
It was in this same position several hours later that Spock found his captain, carefully the Vulcan lowered himself onto the grass beside the other man and looked at him. As if Jim had sensed him the blue eyes blinked once and came he came back from where ever he had been and the blonde turned to look at his companion. "Hello Spock what brings you here?"
"It was growing late and you had been gone some time."
"Oh, I hadn't noticed. I can see now though that the sun is getting low so I suppose I should be heading back, tomorrow is going to be my finally fitting and the bath of purification."
"Yes a long and important day, it is their fore logical that you make sure to rest."
"Thank you for pointing that out Spock."
"You are welcome Jim."
The captain closed his eyes and let out a breath. This drew the Vulcan's dark brown eyes to him; it was as if using the captain's name had somehow caused him pain. "I am sorry Captain, did calling you Jim offended you?"
"No, it is just that you would pick now to call me Jim, despite my trying to get you to do so for years. I wondered what it would sound like and now I know."
"Why would you wonder something like that captain? It is illogical."
Jim couldn't help but smile sadly at the other man. "As you so often say humans are illogical beings." With that the blonde man stood up, Spock stood with him and together they walked back to the rooms. When they got there, Jim did not even say goodnight, he just walked into his rooms and shut the door behind him. Spock watched the blond man walk away, the Vulcan knew that it was not like the captain not to bid him goodnight, he did this despite the fact that Jim knew that Spock did not require much sleep. The Vulcan was loathed to admit to yet more emotions over this situation but he was worried about Jim and the ceremony to come.