Disclaimer: I don't own Eragon or anything associated with the Inheritance Cycle.
Claimer: I, SussieKitten, own this plot and the story. Borrow or steal my plot, my original characters (Aksel) or story and I will report you. I also own my version of Saphira/Thorn's and Glaedr/Shruikan's human appearances.
Warnings: Male and female homosexuality. Heterosexuality. Swearing or strong language. Mentioned Hurt/Injuries – mentions of prior injuries on a character. If any of this disturbs you, click on the "back" button. I won't tolerate any flames.
A/N Happy New Year, everyone! Hope you had a blast and that the new year is filled with lots of promise for you.
A huge thanks to everyone who reviewed and to those that still reads this story. Here is one of the chapters I promised to get out during the holidays. A tiny bit late, but you know how it can be during the holidays.
This is also called 'the wedding chapter'. I cannot believe I used a whole chapter to write Thorn and Saphira's wedding. Lol. Well, there are some development bits for Murtagh too, so it's not just all one big party. But this seriously has got to be the first and only time I use an entire chapter in this story on just one day's happening. Mamma mia.
POISON
Part Seven; Belladonna
It was a new nightmare that night. Murtagh could only remember the walls closing in around him. The rest was a foggy haze. But at least there was no violent urge to puke his guts out this time. For that Murtagh was almost thankful.
He got up and showered. Thorn was going to come and pick him up in an hour. They were changing at the hotel where the reception was due to take place, then they were driving to the church. Murtagh was glad for that. The less time he had to spend in his tux, the better.
By the time Thorn arrived, Murtagh had managed to eat breakfast and watch a rerun of Mythbusters. Why that show was on at 7 in the morning was beyond him, but it was something to watch at least.
The ride to the hotel was silent. Thorn was apparently either very tired or very nervous, so Murtagh let him stay in his own thoughts.
When they got there, Thorn showed him to the staging area for the men. There were already a couple of people there. Murtagh recognised the two men he had seen talking to Thorn at the bachelor party. Murtagh was surprised to see that Eragon wasn't there.
"Ah, there you are, Thorn. We almost thought you had gotten lost," the blond man said teasingly.
"I can find my way to Murtagh's place in my sleep," Thorn answered. Murtagh found that he only sounded tired, not nervous.
"Ah yes, you must be Murtagh," the blond looked at Murtagh. He held out his hand. "I'm Glaedr."
Murtagh shook it.
Glaedr grinned. "So you are the guy that snubbed me of being the best man."
Murtagh blinked. Was that a joke?
Judging by the laugh that Thorn came with, it was. "I asked him to be my best man long before I told you two I had proposed."
Glaedr crocked an eyebrow. "I'm hurt."
"And you're a liar," Murtagh found himself saying. "You asked me well after you proposed to Saphira."
Thorn grinned sheepishly. "Not my fault I had to really think about it. And when I came to a conclusion, you kept -"
"Yeah, yeah," Murtagh interrupted. The others didn't need to know what a disturbed person he actually was.
Glaedr nudged the guy beside him. "Don't be rude. Introduce yourself."
The guy grunted.
Glaedr rolled his eyes. "This is Shruikan, the other groomsman and soon to be my ex if he doesn't sharpen up."
"You'd never leave. No one else would have you," Shruikan drawled.
Murtagh wondered if he could slip away unnoticed. He'd rather not get caught in the middle of a domestic fight. Then Glaedr spoke.
"Says you."
Murtagh blinked. Glaedr's voice had been filled with affection and amusement. And judging by the look on Thorn's face, this was only normal.
"The next time you tell me that I'm horribly besotted with Saphira, I'm going to remind you of this moment," Thorn said with a slight smirk.
Glaedr only chuckled.
Murtagh suddenly felt very out of place. All these people had a history together. Who was he? Just some kid that Thorn had known a long time ago, and he wasn't even the same person anymore.
"Alright," Glaedr clapped his hands, snapping Murtagh out of his thoughts. "Let's get this show on the road."
Thorn led Murtagh over to where their tuxedos were hanging. Murtagh was a little surprised when no one wandered off to change. Some were already wearing their tuxedo pants, but most of them stripped down right then and there and started to change.
Murtagh took his down and looked at it. He could remember picking it out. He could also remember the damned tailor from hell. Murtagh glanced around at the other men, then at himself. Suddenly he felt self-conscious.
"I'll be right back," he muttered in Thorn's general direction, then wandered off towards the bathroom. Thankfully Thorn had pointed out its location on the way there, though Murtagh was sure he would have been able to find it even if Thorn hadn't.
He entered the bathroom and locked the door behind him. He then started to change. As he took off his shirt, he looked in the mirror.
Murtagh had never been self-conscious before. You couldn't be in prison. But as he looked at his back, he couldn't help but to feel something. It wasn't often that his father had broken the skin or scarred him during the beatings, but there had been times when Morzan had been too drunk to care.
He had faint scars from when Morzan had attacked him the night Murtagh had fought back. He had a couple on both of his forearms, one near his heart and one by his right hipbone. But it was his back that was the worst. Murtagh turned around to get a better look at it over his shoulder.
He had a thick, ugly scar across his lower back. Morzan had been pissed the day Murtagh had gotten it. He could remember the day well, but Murtagh refused to visit the memory. He was not going to get sick on the day of Thorn's wedding.
Nonetheless, a hand reached around and touched the scar. It was rough and dug deep into the skin. He let his finger slide down from the skin above the scar to the skin under it. There was definite dip inwards where the scar tissue resided.
Murtagh sighed. Now was not the time to revisit old memories or practice self-loathing. He grabbed the shirt and put it on.
The tailor had thankfully gone with his suggestion and had chosen a white shirt. He could see that the vest was a midrange violet, but it was acceptable. The tie was a dark violet colour. In the shadows it looked black. But as soon as the wedding was over, he could take those off and be left with a white shirt and black jacket and pants.
Murtagh put on the pants and the belt before walking back. He didn't need to change completely alone. Just as long as no one saw him shirtless.
Thorn was tying his tie when Murtagh entered the room. Murtagh paused for a moment to just look at his friend. Thorn was wearing a black suit with a pale violet vest. The tie was black, however. He was once again struck by the thought that his friend was actually quite handsome.
He shook himself and walked over.
Thorn looked at him in the mirror. "Need any help with yours?" he said, straightening his tie to empathize what he was talking about.
Murtagh crocked an eyebrow. "Aren't the groomsmen supposed to be helping the groom, not the other way around?"
Thorn smirked. "Not when the best man can't even tie a tie on his own."
Murtagh rolled his eyes. "Give it your best shot, then."
Thorn chuckled. He walked over and grabbed the strip. He put it around Murtagh's neck and began to work on it. "Saphira and mom made me learn how to do this. Mom will probably check up on me later and fix it, even though I'm sure I did it right. You know how she is."
Murtagh could vaguely remember Thorn's mother. He could only remember fiery red hair and a kiss on his forehead when he had hurt himself while playing with Thorn. He remembered feeling envious of Thorn for having two parents that loved him, but he also remembered stopping because they grew to care about him too.
"There," Thorn stepped back. "That's the best I can do."
Murtagh looked at it in the mirror. It looked fine to him. Then again, he wasn't an expert. "Thanks."
Thorn clasped his shoulder. "If I can't help out my socially awkward friend with a simple tie, then what good can I do, eh?" he chuckled.
The other rolled his eyes. He picked grabbed his vest and started to put it on. Beside him, Thorn grabbed his jacket and put it on.
Murtagh finished with is vest, then changed his shoes. He looked around at the other men in the room. He saw Shruikan and Glaedr talking to Brom. Murtagh wasn't sure what he was doing in their room, but he didn't think much of it.
"Hey, why did you walk off earlier?" Thorn asked and turned to look at him again.
Murtagh finished tying his shoes and straightened. "No reason."
"There was a reason," Thorn frowned. "We're all men here. Why -"
"You know why," Murtagh interrupted and put on his jacket. If he was correct, they were due to leave for the church soon. At least, he hoped so. He didn't want to hang around at the hotel forever.
The redhead fell silent. Murtagh didn't really want to know what was going on in his mind.
"I never realised he left scars on you," Thorn murmured.
Murtagh felt himself give a bitter smile. "Well, he did. So then you understand why I didn't feel like dropping my pants in front of God and everyone. Can we drop it now?"
"Of course."
"I mean, fuck, this is your wedding day. Can you stop worrying about me for one damn second and grin like the fool you are?"
Thorn blinked. Murtagh wondered for a second if he had gone too far. But then Thorn chuckled and slapped his arm surprisingly gently. Murtagh knew what kind of strength he could have packed into that blow, and he was very relieved that none of it had been present.
"Yeah, I think I will," he said and proceeded to grin foolishly. "But you know it's your fault. If you didn't get yourself into so much trouble, then I wouldn't have to worry."
"Ah, Thorn, there you are!"
Murtagh felt himself freeze.
Thorn took notice, but he didn't have the time to react before he was pulled into a hug. It was short and finished with a slap to the back that actually sent Thorn forward a bit. Thorn was obviously still shocked.
"You look good, son," Brom said fondly. "I was half-afraid that I would be giving my daughter to a penguin lookalike."
The redhead looked very uncertain to respond to that. "Thank you?"
Murtagh felt the urge to laugh, but he'd rather not be in the centre of attention anytime soon, so he didn't.
Brom chuckled. Murtagh forced himself to relax when Brom turned to him.
He sudden wished he had questioned Tornac about Brom when he had had the chance. He could only hope that whatever in him that looked like Morzan was overshadowed by the violet colours on him, which he knew Morzan would never have even gotten close to, let alone wear.
"You too," Brom surprised him by saying.
"Thank you, sir," Murtagh found himself saying, and for once it didn't sound practiced and dull. It had been one of the phrases he had used back with Morzan most frequently. The other two he could remember at the moment was 'yes, sir' and 'no, sir'. If he didn't express thanks for the food he got, Murtagh often didn't get fed again that day.
"I still think I have met you before," the older man continued.
"I think I would have remembered you if you had, sir," Murtagh answered. He was lying. There were many faces of his past that he couldn't and wouldn't remember. But if Brom was a friend of Tornac's and Murtagh had met him, then he should have remembered him.
Thorn looked very disturbed all of a sudden. Murtagh could easily guess what he was thinking. He sent Thorn a quick headshake, which he really hoped had escaped Brom's attention.
Sadly, it hadn't.
"Is something wrong, son?" he asked Thorn.
"Ah, no sir," Thorn answered a little sheepishly.
Brom crocked an eyebrow. Clearly he wasn't buying it. "And please Thorn, call me by my name."
Thorn grinned sheepishly. "I'll try."
Brom let out a laugh and patted Thorn's shoulder. "You do that, son," he said and finally walked off.
"Thorn, don't," Murtagh said as soon as Brom was at the other side of the room. "You'll just say too much, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't."
The redhead bit his lip. "But you're sure? I mean, I can't believe even in my wildest dreams that he would -"
"Yes, I'm sure," Murtagh interrupted. "He wasn't one of them. I remember their faces all too clearly. He doesn't even remotely look like any of them."
"But I now see why you think he might have met your father at one point."
Murtagh sent him a sour look.
"Sorry," Thorn sighed. "Hopefully he won't make the connection. If it's a bad memory that he has with your old man, then that really is the last thing we need today."
Murtagh knew that all too well. For once, he found himself hoping that the genes of the woman he never gotten to know was stronger in him than the man he wished he had never met.
-:-
If Thorn was nervous, then Murtagh couldn't tell. They were in one of the rooms that Murtagh supposed were used for last-minute preparations during weddings. Right outside of the door was the entry way to the church. On the other side of the entry way was another door leading to the room Saphira and her party were currently in.
Murtagh watched Thorn closely. There was a big smile on his face as he talked to his other groomsmen. His shoulders were relaxed and his eyes were sparkling. He really seemed fine.
There was a soft knock on the door and a slightly older woman walked inside. She was a few inches shorter than Murtagh and very curvy. Her fiery red hair was pulled back in a bun, though a few slightly wavy locks had fallen out and framed her rounded face nicely. "Oh, Thorn," she breathed and walked over to her son.
Murtagh watched Thorn embrace his mother. It was really funny to see them together now. Thorn stood at a good 6 feet tall and then some and his mother Jocelyn was notably shorter than him. Thorn had gotten his height from his deceased father.
"You look so handsome, son," Jocelyn said and patted her son's cheek lovingly. She had to reach up to do so, but Thorn let her. "I only wish your father was here to see this."
"I do too, mom," Thorn said and hugged her again.
Jocelyn came with a soft sob and Thorn hugged her a little tighter.
Murtagh hadn't seen Jocelyn in over a decade. While Thorn lived in Carvahall because of college, Jocelyn probably didn't. And because of Saphira, Thorn was probably going to stay in the sleepy little town.
"Mom, there's someone here you might want to see," Thorn said and turned the woman around and pointed right at Murtagh.
He stiffened a bit. Murtagh wanted to glare at Thorn, but under the scrutiny of Jocelyn's blue gaze, he didn't dare to.
Thorn and Jocelyn walked over. Murtagh was very aware of how thoroughly Jocelyn was examining him.
Jocelyn had known Morzan, if only in passing, Murtagh suddenly realised.
Jocelyn stopped in front of Murtagh. Her piercing gaze continued to take him in. Murtagh had a very strong urge to flee. Before he could, Jocelyn pulled him into a motherly embrace.
"Oh, Murtagh," she murmured and pulled back. Her hands cupped his face gently. "You have grown up so much."
Murtagh felt a little weird in the company of the woman that he had, at one time, considered to be his surrogate mother. He wasn't really sure how to act around her anymore.
"Serena would have been so proud of you," Jocelyn said and smiled warmly at him. "You've become a very handsome man."
Serena. His mother. Jocelyn had known her too. There was a lump in his throat. "Thank you, ma'am," Murtagh heard himself say.
Jocelyn's eyes sparkled. "Haven't I told you to call me Jocelyn, Murtagh? Or mother, if you so wish."
His eyes were starting to get wet. "Of course. Jocelyn."
Her smile widened. "I almost didn't believe Thorn when he told me he had bumped into you in sleepy little Carvahall last year." She turned to her son. "It's a shame of you to not have brought him to see me, Thorn."
Thorn grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, mom. Things have been a bit hectic the past year."
Her smile took on a mischievous tilt. "So Saphira tells me."
Thorn blushed.
Murtagh had to let out a chuckle. Apparently Jocelyn knew she was about to become a grandmother.
"We really must catch up at the reception, Murtagh," Jocelyn said and patted his cheek just like she had done with Thorn. Something warm spread in Murtagh's chest. "Such a handsome man, indeed. I can scarcely see that father of yours in you."
Murtagh blinked. He felt himself frown.
"Mom," Thorn said with a slight edge in his voice.
"Now, I know you don't like to hear or talk about him, but I just wanted you to know," Jocelyn carried on. "You have your mother's lovely dark hair and her kind, warm eyes and smile. That makes up for any features he has given you. Because it's what's on the inside that counts, Murtagh. Remember that."
Murtagh could only blink again.
"Be ready, honey. They expect you out there in five minutes," Jocelyn said to Thorn and kissed his cheek before walking out.
Murtagh stared after her. No one had ever said that to him; not even Tornac who had been a very good friend of his mother's.
"...I think I needed to hear that," he said softly.
Thorn looked at him. "...Then I'm glad she did," he said and clasped Murtagh's shoulder. "And she's right. It is what's on the inside that counts, and I know you're nothing like him."
Murtagh had a very odd urge to smile. "Thanks."
Thorn grinned. "Come on. Let's get this show on the road."
"You better not let Saphira hear you call the wedding a show," Brom warned him from across the room.
Thorn paled. "Ah, thank you, Brom." He winced.
Murtagh crocked an eyebrow.
"The last time I did that she banished me to the couch," Thorn whispered to him.
"..." Murtagh cleared his throat. "That is more than I wanted to know about your sex life, Thorn."
The redhead gave him an awkward smile and let out a soft chuckle.
Murtagh frowned. Thorn's shoulders weren't as relaxed anymore.
"Thorn?"
He licked his lips. "...I'm nervous, Murtagh," he admitted softly.
"Don't be," Murtagh found himself saying. "You love her and she loves you. You're having a kid together. You're going to get married and be so happy together that you'll either make people jealous or disgusted because you are just too fricking happy."
Thorn blinked in shock.
Murtagh blinked too. Where on earth had that little speech come from?
Thorn suddenly laughed. "Thanks, Murtagh. That helped."
Murtagh just gave a shrug.
Thorn clasped his shoulder. "You sure you don't want to hold a speech at the reception?"
"Fuck. No."
Thorn laughed.
-:-
Murtagh stood in the entry way with the bridesmaids, the other groomsmen and the wedding planner. She was jumping back and forward to fix a tie, someone's hair or the way a certain clothing item fit. She was irritating Murtagh.
He looked into the church as he waited for things to begin. He really wished he could have been up there with Thorn, but he had to walk down the bloody aisle with some bridesmaid while everybody was watching. That was not exactly his idea of a good time.
The wedding planner checked in on Saphira, who Murtagh hadn't seen at all today – no shock there – and walked back to them. "Alright, places everyone."
The wedding planner had told Murtagh that he was to walk in last with Saphira's maid of honour. The only one that would come after them would be Saphira and Brom.
Speaking of, Murtagh could see Brom standing on the bride's side of the entry way with Eragon.
Now that he saw them together, Murtagh could more clearly see the family resemblance. Eragon had his father's brown hair, but his father was taller. And while Eragon had Brom's general characteristics, Murtagh supposed his mother's genes had softened Eragon's face a bit. He usually seemed very young – younger than he actually was. Now, dressed in a tux and with his hair actually somewhat under control, he looked more his age.
Murtagh looked back as the other bridesmaids and groomsmen got into a line. He placed himself in the back of it. He was vaguely aware of someone walking up to stand beside him, but he didn't bother to check who it was.
The first three couples made their way into the church easily. The wedding planner gave them a last scrutinizing look before sending them inside. She waved forward each couple when it was their turn.
When Murtagh's turn came, he sighed and walked forward. He felt his partner do the same.
The wedding planner gave a slight smile and motioned for them to wait.
Murtagh frowned. She hadn't smiled for any of the others. He looked to see who his partner was.
Two wide brown eyes and slightly tense shoulder's met his eyes. Eragon. Of course it was Eragon. Great, just great.
The wedding planner nodded for them to go ahead.
Murtagh looked ahead and started to walk. He felt Eragon do the same beside him.
Murtagh was painfully aware of the looks they were getting, but he ignored it. He could see the small, amused smirk on Thorn's face. He focused on that. Thorn was going to get an ass-kicking when he got back from the honeymoon. Murtagh was going to be considerate enough to wait that long.
The thirty seconds it took to walk down the aisle felt like hours. Murtagh didn't look at Eragon as he did so, and he had a feeling Eragon wasn't looking at him either. The other groomsmen and bridesmaids had linked arms when they had entered, but apparently Eragon shared his opinion on not wanting to do that, because Murtagh couldn't even feel their shoulder's touching each other.
Murtagh turned to the right and stood beside Thorn. He sent the man a discreet glare before facing the crowd. He heard Thorn give a soft chuckle.
The music changed about a minute or so later. Murtagh recognised it as the music that was played whenever a bride entered. He had never bothered to learn what it was called.
Saphira entered the church arm in arm with Brom. She really looked stunning in the dress she had gotten. If Murtagh hadn't known, he would never have suspected she was pregnant.
As everyone turned to look at Saphira, Murtagh shot a look at Thorn to see how he was doing. The anxiety had completely melted away. There was so much love in Thorn's face that Murtagh had to look away. He allowed himself a small smirk when he saw the same love on Saphira's face.
Oh yeah. They were going to be disgustingly happy, alright.
-:-
The wedding had gone off without a hitch. Murtagh had seen a movie or two with a wedding in them, and he had silently cursed them during the ceremony. The ceremony was at least three times as long as what the movies made them out to be.
After the ceremony, He had ridden back to the hotel in a cab with Tornac and a couple of others. Murtagh didn't care to remember who they had been.
It was now well into the reception. The table they were sitting at was U-shaped. Thorn, Saphira, Brom and Jocelyn sat at the top of the table. Murtagh sat next to Jocelyn and Tornac, though Jocelyn was actually more in front of him than next to him due to the design of the table. Murtagh was really glad Thorn had let Tornac sit beside him. The other groomsmen sat next to Tornac again, but Murtagh didn't know them too well and wouldn't have been comfortable sitting next to them the entire dinner.
The bridesmaids sat next to Eragon, who sat directly opposite Murtagh. They hadn't really looked at each other since the ceremony, or at least, Murtagh hadn't looked at Eragon. There were so many people in the room that Murtagh would probably not have been able to tell if everyone had been staring at him.
The first course had been served and devoured. Murtagh suspected that the speeches were going to be held next. He really hoped that only a few people were going to speak so they wouldn't have to sit there forever and listen to everyone and their mother express their view on Thorn and Saphira's relationship.
Thorn stood and everyone fell silent. Murtagh's eyes were instantly drawn to the gold wedding-band on his right hand. Murtagh wasn't sure when he would get used to seeing that.
Thorn didn't have any cue-cards, and while he appeared nervous, he looked calm at the same time. There was a certain glow in his eyes that made up for the slight shaking of his hands.
"Thank you all for coming to celebrate this day with me and my beautiful bride," he said and looked at Saphira. "We're very glad so many of you could make it here today."
Saphira smiled back at him.
"I cannot even begin to say how happy I am right now." Though he was speaking to everyone, he kept looking back at Saphira. This speech was clearly meant for her. "I met Saphira properly three years ago when she started at the college here. We literally ran into each other outside the library and I fell in love right away. Now, I know what you're thinking," he gave an amused smile, "we've all fallen for someone at first glance. But the minute I saw you, Saph, I knew it had to be you." Thorn looked at her as he said this.
Murtagh snuck a look and wasn't really surprised when he saw that her eyes were starting to get wet.
"The more I got to know you, the surer I got. I knew I had met my soul-mate."
Thorn seemed to have forgotten about everyone else in the room. His eyes were locked on Saphira.
"I am so lucky to have had you by my side for the past two years. You have no idea how happy you make me just by looking at me, Saph. I love you and I look forward to the years ahead of us as husband and wife."
Murtagh heard a few sniffles down at the end of the table, but he was too busy looking at the tears running down Saphira's cheeks.
The guests started to clap as Thorn sat down. Saphira didn't wait a second longer to throw her arms around Thorn's shoulders and kissing him.
Soft laughter and "aww"s echoed inside the room. Thorn and Saphira didn't even seem to hear them. Thorn pulled back and wiped away Saphira's tears with a big goofy smile on his face.
"I think Saphira wants to wait a bit with her turn," Thorn said and looked at the guests.
Saphira blushed prettily as people laughed. She poked Thorn's nose and turned to them. "If I don't do it now, I'll never be able to," she smiled and got up. Her cheeks were still a bit flushed from blushing and crying.
She took a deep breath and smoothed hair away from her face. Her hair was done up in delicate curls with a few strands pulled back with a nice antique hairclip, but some parts still managed to get in the way.
"Like Thorn said, thank you all for coming," she began her speech. "It really means a lot that you've all agreed to share this day with us."
Saphira turned to Thorn and her eyes started to well up almost instantly. "I am so lucky to have found you. You are everything I ever dreamed of my soul-mate having. You are so kind, so sweet and so gentle, and I don't know what I've done to deserve you in my life."
She put a hand over her mouth as tears started to fall. She blinked a couple of times and put the hand on her chest. Her voice was considerably throatier when she continued. "I am so glad that I procrastinated that week and didn't go to the library until the last minute, because otherwise I wouldn't have met you. I'm sure my professors wouldn't be thrilled with me for saying this, but I don't care. I have you, and nothing else matters."
Murtagh thought he saw a slight wetness in Thorn's eyes as Saphira rounded off her speech.
"I love you and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life as your wife."
The guests clapped and a few of the women dabbed at their eyes with a handkerchief. Saphira sat down and hugged the man sitting next to her. Thorn cradled her close.
Murtagh found himself very moved by the atmosphere in the room, and was glad he had decided to come after all.
-:-
The other speeches went by with fewer tears. Murtagh was glad he hadn't been asked to make a toast, though he suspected a few people were wondering why he, the best man, hadn't said anything. Murtagh had said his piece to Thorn before the wedding, and if he got the chance and the inspiration, then he would talk to Saphira as well.
Brom's speech had made people chuckle at Thorn's slightly stricken look when he stated "I'm glad you manned up and married my daughter, otherwise I would have pulled out the big guns and forced you to". Murtagh wasn't sure how many understood that Brom was talking about Saphira being pregnant, but people had laughed nonetheless.
Jocelyn had come with a speech to counter Brom's, making him gulp a bit at her "I seem to remember someone else being in the same position back in the day". Murtagh didn't need to ask to know that Brom must have knocked up his bride before the wedding as well.
Glaedr's speech had made most of the guests laugh when he teased the couple for being so besotted with each other and completely unable to see it in the beginning of their friendship. Murtagh had to admit that he had chuckled a bit at that himself.
Eragon had given a speech that made everyone smile when he had talked about how happy they obviously made each other and wished them all the luck in the world.
A few other people had made speeches as well, but Murtagh hadn't really bothered to take notice of them, let alone remember what they had said.
After the speeches came the main course. And after that, people were finally allowed out on the dance floor. As soon as they were released from the table, Murtagh had gone off and found a spot to sit where he wouldn't be too bothered.
Murtagh was currently watching Saphira and Thorn dance their first dance as a married couple. Their focus was only on the other.
Murtagh had used to be sceptical if such love even existed. It seemed too fairy-tale like. He still wasn't quite sure it did, but he now believed that Thorn and Saphira had found the real life equivalent of it in each other.
Murtagh allowed himself to wonder when it would be appropriate for him to leave. He had already gotten used to the idea that shedding the tie and the vest wasn't going to happen until after desert, but he would rather not stick around for much longer than that.
He was aware of someone sitting down beside him as he watched Thorn spin and dip Saphira, which to Murtagh's knowledge wasn't a part of the dance. It was probably just an excuse to make her laugh and kiss her, as that was what Thorn was currently doing.
"I never got to ask you how you know Thorn."
Murtagh recognised that voice. Brom really wasn't giving up; a quality he shared with his son.
"I met him when we were kids. He moved away the year he turned thirteen, I believe. We only recently met again," Murtagh answered. It was specific enough, even though it was pretty generic. There was no way he was giving this man more details than he had to.
Brom hummed.
Murtagh almost thought he had satisfied the other man's curiosity when Brom asked yet another question.
"In which city was this?"
Murtagh was tempted to just not answer or even walk away, but he knew it might upset Thorn or Saphira if he did either of those things. "Urû'baen. Didn't Tornac tell you that?" he asked as politely as he could under the circumstances.
"No," Brom answered.
He gave a shrug and went back to watching his best friend. Thorn was wearing that foolish grin again as he twirled Saphira.
"He did tell me you moved here less than a year ago."
Murtagh never liked getting angry. The emotion made him feel uneasy and he often found himself thinking about unpleasant things when he got angry.
"That is correct. If you must know, I came here on an after-prison program," Murtagh said, still not looking at the other man. If his anger showed on his face, then he wasn't looking at Brom, damn the consequences. He knew how much he looked like Morzan when he got angry.
"Tornac told me that as well. He also told me that it's a delicate subject with you, so I won't pry on why you were there," Brom said in a voice that Murtagh found himself comparing to that of a teacher. He didn't know why, but there was just something in the way he spoke that made him picture himself as a sullen teenager ignoring whichever one of his high school teachers that was talking to him.
"Thank you," he answered and tried not to make himself sound too snappy.
"He is very proud of you, you know," Brom said then, shocking Murtagh out of his worsening mood. "Tornac thinks you're a very bright young man, so it shocked me when he told me you never went to college, even in prison."
"It wasn't for me," Murtagh answered automatically.
"Perhaps, but people change," Brom then held something out. Murtagh turned to face him better. He blinked when he saw a business card in Brom's hand. "Here. I work at the college. If you're curious about any of the courses there, you can just give me a call."
Murtagh took the card on autopilot and looked at it without really seeing it.
"While Tornac is a teacher, it has been a few years since he was a college student himself, and he admits that the system has become rather complicated. You can of course ask him to ask me, but if you'd rather ask me directly, know that you can call."
Well, this explained the teacher voice, at least. Murtagh looked up and into Brom's eyes. "Thank you," he said and felt himself meaning it this time.
Brom gave him a nod. "I recognise a tortured soul when I see one."
Murtagh found himself unable to speak, even after Brom had walked away.
The cake was cut only a few minutes later. Murtagh almost had to look away when Thorn and Saphira fed each other cake. It was just so sickly sweet.
But he couldn't help but to feel happy for them. It was strange, to feel happy, even if it was just that he felt happy for someone else. He hadn't felt happy in a long time. A part of him had even doubted he would experience happiness again.
Everything passed by relatively quickly from there. After the desert, there was some more dancing before the bride and the groom were due to leave. Murtagh planned to take his leave then as well.
He was watching Saphira dance with Brom and Thorn dance with his mother when someone approached him.
"Dare I say that it actually looks like you're enjoying yourself?" Tornac said amusedly.
Murtagh just looked at him.
Tornac chuckled.
Murtagh looked back onto the dance floor. As he looked a little closer, he could see Nasuada and Arya dance together. Arya seemed to be leading.
"I have endured worse, I'll admit that," he said about a minute later.
"I guess that's the best I'm going to get out of you," Tornac chuckled again.
Murtagh looked over at his friend again.
Tornac clasped his shoulder and squeezed softly. There was a fond smile on his face. "I'm really glad you came."
"...Me too."
Tornac's smile widened. "Well, I assume you want to get out of here as soon as possible," he winked and removed his hand. "I'm going to stick around for a few more hours, but feel free to call if there's anything. I have my cell phone with me."
"I'm not a child, Tornac," Murtagh drawled.
He chuckled. "I know. Oh, believe me, I know."
Murtagh watched him walk away.
The bouquet was thrown a few minutes later. Murtagh watched it all from a safe distance. Even though he wasn't close to the action, he didn't want that bouquet to land anywhere near him.
A woman Murtagh didn't know caught it. The girls beside her squealed and hugged her. Murtagh shifted his focus back to the married couple.
It felt weird to think of Thorn and Saphira as married, but he would get used to it. Getting used to Thorn as a father would be even harder.
Thorn was reaching under Saphira's skirt and pulling out the garter. The men were cat-calling. Murtagh preferred to keep his distance for the garter throw as well. Saphira was blushing prettily as Thorn finally pulled it out. Murtagh noticed that it was blue.
Some guy Murtagh didn't know caught it when Thorn threw it. The men cat-called again. Murtagh just shook his head. He really didn't get half of these wedding traditions.
It was then time for the married couple to retreat to the honeymoon suite. Murtagh knew they were booked on a flight to some tropical island sometime tomorrow, but for today they were going to stay at the hotel. The bride and groom made their way through the guests, shaking hands and hugging people they were close to.
Murtagh was surprised when Thorn shook his hand, then pulled him in for a hug. "Thank you," he whispered.
"For what?" Murtagh asked.
Thorn pulled back and clasped his shoulder. "For coming. I know how much you hate crowds, but it meant a lot to me that you were here today."
Murtagh felt something inside of him soften. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world."
Thorn looked about ready to cry.
"Go on. Go and be with your bride."
Thorn laughed. "Oh God, it's going to be a while until I get used to that," his hands slipped into his pockets. "I have a wife, Murtagh. A wife."
The other felt himself smile just a bit. "You'll get used to it eventually."
"God, I hope so," Thorn chuckled. "Well, I'll see you when we get back."
"Enjoy your honeymoon."
Thorn grinned foolishly again. He left without saying another word.
Murtagh was surprised when Saphira sought him out, but what surprised him the most was when she hugged him too.
"Thank you for being here."
"Déjà vu," Murtagh muttered.
Saphira smiled. "I know you probably don't consider me a close friend, or even a friend at all, but a friend of Thorn's is a friend of mine."
Murtagh didn't know what to say to that, so he just nodded.
"I hope you enjoyed yourself a little bit, at least," she said.
He gave a half shrug. "It wasn't all bad."
For some reason, this made Saphira smile brilliantly.
"Enjoy your honeymoon," he said softly.
Saphira smiled and hugged him again. Then she was gone.
-:-
It could only have been a couple of minutes later that Murtagh found himself sitting outside as he waited for the bus to arrive. Murtagh didn't have too much cash and didn't want to take a chance by calling for a cab. A bus would have to do, even though he wasn't too familiar with the area. He'd make do.
He could still hear the party going on inside. It didn't bother Murtagh that it was still going strong while he was outside alone. If anything, he preferred it this way.
Murtagh closed his eyes and took a deep breath. For the first time in a long while, he felt calm and relaxed. The summer was still present in the night air, but the wind was still cooler than it was during the day.
He was so focused on simply breathing that he almost didn't hear someone approaching, but only almost. He opened his eyes and looked over at the entrance to the hotel. He was surprised by the sight that met him.
Unlike himself, Eragon was still wearing his suit jacket. His shoulders were hunched a bit and his hands were in his jacket pockets. He seemed both uncomfortable and cold. The wind was ruffling up his hair. Murtagh could remember it having looked almost decent for the wedding, but hours later with nervous fiddling and dancing had ruffled it up.
Eragon's tuxedo was dark, though Murtagh couldn't remember what colour exactly, and the night did nothing to distinguish it. He could remember Eragon's tie being a light violet colour, the same with his vest. His shirt was white. The vest was gone and the tie was loosened. His state of dress was more relaxed than the last time Murtagh had seen him that day, but he seemed tenser.
It was Eragon that broke the silence. "...I saw you talking to my dad earlier."
Murtagh looked away. "So?"
"...Nothing."
Silence echoed around them again.
"...Why didn't you give a speech?" Eragon asked, clearly having had to build up the courage to ask the question. Why he felt the need to ask it at all was beyond Murtagh.
"Because while Thorn calls me his best friend, I've only known him for a few short years. Before this, I hadn't seen him for over a decade. What could I possibly have had to say on his wedding day?" Murtagh looked up at the sky. "Besides, I'm not big on the whole speaking in public thing. I'm happy for him, and he knows it. That's enough."
Eragon fell silent again. Murtagh felt more than he saw the other walk over.
"I'm not big on speaking in public either," Eragon confessed, "but Saphira's my best friend. I pushed through for her."
Murtagh wondered what was on Eragon's mind. Just earlier the brunet had been pointedly ignoring him and he was trying to be nice?
He thought back to the comment about Eragon's father talking to him. Maybe Eragon figured that if Brom hadn't punched him or something of that fashion, then he was actually an alright bloke underneath?
Murtagh was tired and didn't feel like throwing out a sarcastic comment. He wanted to go home and sleep. And perhaps it would be better in the long run if they could be in the same room and not snipe at each other? No one said they had to be friends.
"She's lucky to have a friend like you," Murtagh said, though he still didn't look at the other.
He heard Eragon shuffle his feet a bit. "Thorn's lucky too."
His bus arrived then. Murtagh got up and hailed it. He saw it slow down.
For some reason, he turned around and faced Eragon. Eragon looked back at him. The tousled hair nearly covered his eyes and his cheeks were flustered, from the cold perhaps?
He felt a sudden urge to say something, but he didn't know what.
"Truce?"
When Eragon said it, he knew that had been what he had wanted to say.
"If you can handle it," he said with a slight smirk.
Eragon looked at him through his bangs. His eyes were twinkling. "I think I can handle it just fine."
Murtagh gave him a nod just as the bus stopped behind him. He turned around and walked on it.
As the bus started to move, Murtagh looked out of the window. Eragon was still there. Neither of them waved, but it didn't matter. They had an understanding now.
A/N This is where you guys tell me you love me for that last little scene. ;) I told you their relationship was moving at their own speed. And lookie, they talked without snapping at each other! Amazing.
I'd like to point out that while Brom calls Saphira his daughter, she's only his adoptive daughter. That part hasn't changed. But they're so close that Brom calls Saphira his daughter and Saphira calls him her father.
Also, please note that I've never actually been to a wedding. I have only seen movies with weddings in them, as well as TV shows and the wedding photos of my cousins. The reason I know weddings are a helluva lot longer than they show you in the movies is because one of my cousins taped her wedding and I had the pleasure of watching it. It was LONG. The same goes for receptions. I was basically making this up on the spot.
If anyone's wondering, Saphira is going to be about 2 and a half months pregnant when she gets married. Hence no mention of her belly. ;)
And that's all for now, I think. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. See you again soon!