Hankies at the ready, folks!

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Molly and the children came to the big double doors that led into the Great Hall and were met by three young men decked out in the Full Dress uniforms of their regiment, and looking extremely smart.

'Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,' said one of them, in a very pleasant Scottish accent. 'Are you with the groom or the groom?'

The tired groans of the other ushers were proof enough that this particular joke had already lost any appeal it may have ever had.

'Groom,' replied Molly, with a smile, accepting the Order of Service that the young man offered and taking herself and the children into the Hall. Looking around, she spotted two familiar faces in the second row of the right-hand side of the semi-circle, the Holmes family side of the room. She smiled and waved to Scotland Yard's finest, D.I. Greg Lestrade, and Mycroft's P.A., Anthea Smith. They had been together for over a year now and the thought occurred to Molly that perhaps their wedding would be the next big event.

She made her way to the front row of Mycroft's side, where Caro and Henrique were already sitting. Henrique rose to his feet and greeted Molly with three air kisses – right, left and right again – as was traditional in Brazil. He did the same for Violet, and shook William and Freddie by the hand. Molly passed Violet over to Caro, who was cooing fit to burst over the little girl's outfit, and they all took their seats.

'Oh, my goodness, Violet! You are adorable!' the honorary grandmother gushed. 'And you boys, too. In fact, you all are! So lovely!'

Molly gazed around at the room, admiring the good taste and skill that Mycroft's staff had put into dressing the space. She noted that the stage was now set up for the evening entertainment, with all the gear associated with a modern rock band – guitars, drum kit, keyboards, speakers and microphones. The band-members, she saw, were sitting together on Arthur's side of the room, chatting with his family and other friends – guests now, entertainers later.

Also on the stage, set to one side, were Sherlock's full-sized violin and William's two-thirds size one, sitting in their stands ready for the duet, scheduled for later. Molly thought she might just burst with pride at that point in the proceedings and she was certain that her waterproof mascara would be severely tested, too. Probably not for the first time, this day, or even the last.

Over to the left of the stage, the harpist was at her instrument, playing a delightful tune that Molly remembered from her childhood. It was the theme tune to a popular children's TV programme, loosely based on 'The Wind in the Willows' and featuring live action, using real animals. Molly had loved that programme. She wondered, absently, whether there might be a box set she could get for Freddie and Violet. She felt sure they would love it, too. William, maybe not so much. He would probably think it was silly to anthropomorphise the little animals. He was ever his father's son.

The room was almost full now, or rather the chairs were nearly all taken. It would take a lot more than sixty or so people to fill this room. But a dozen seats on the back row had been reserved for staff, who were invited to witness the ceremony, in between performing their duties.

Molly glanced across at the other side of the room – Arthur's side – and smiled at his mother and sisters. Mrs B looked very emotional, on the verge of tears. It must be difficult for her, Molly mused, with her husband refusing to attend his own son's wedding. Molly thought back to her own wedding and that awful business with her mother. At least she came to her senses, in the end. Molly hoped Arthur's dad would come around, eventually. But he would still have missed this joyous day.

'I see Sherlock gave you the perfume,' said Caro, bringing Molly's attention back to the present, breathing in her aroma. The package Sherlock gave her that morning had contained a bottle of her favourite scent, an exclusive fragrance she had discovered during her holiday in Brazil. The bottle she brought home eighteen months before had run out long ago so she was absolutely delighted when she opened the gift wrap and saw what was inside.

'Oh!' Molly exclaimed. 'He told you about that?'

'I brought it from Rio myself,' Caro replied, smiling.

Molly's smile faltered, inversely proportional to a rising sense of disappointment. What did this mean? Was the gift from Caro, then, and not from Sherlock?

'Yes, Sherlock emailed me – oh, weeks ago – and asked me if I could bring a bottle over with me. He said it was your favourite!'

'Oh, it is!' said Molly, all smiles again, and feeling more than a little guilty about doubting Sherlock's integrity.

The door to one of the side rooms opened and a small, fair haired lady emerged, carrying a leather satchel, and walked purposefully towards the table, set in front of the stage. She opened the satchel and took out a large, official-looking book – the Register of Marriages - which would need to be signed in order to make this marriage legal and binding. She opened the register at the appropriate page and placed it on the table, along with a platinum-plated Mont Blanc pen which she always used for this purpose. A momentous occasion called for a special pen.

Then she removed from the satchel a leather-bound folder, in which she had placed the transcript of the service that Mycroft and Arthur had chosen for their wedding. She checked that the pages of the transcript were all in the right order then moved to stand in front of the table, holding the folder open, in both hands. Turning to the harpist, she gave a nod to indicate that she was ready to begin. The musician brought her current piece to a suitably rounded end and smiled back, before extricating herself from the instrument and taking a seat in the audience.

The celebrant turned to face the congregation, straightened her shoulders, smiled at the assembly and began.

'Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,' she said, in a firm, clear voice. 'Welcome to Hertfordshire, welcome to Colbert House, and welcome to the wedding of Mycroft and Arthur. My name is Candy Lucas. I'm an accredited Wedding Celebrant and it is my great pleasure to be officiating at this wedding. Before we start, please could I ask you all to silence your phones? The ceremony is about to begin.'

A few people hastily fished in their bags and pockets to switch off their phones, as Mrs Lucas waited patiently.

'Might I also point out that we have an official photographer, who will be taking photos, discreetly, during the ceremony.' This was Mycroft's old friend, Archie Burgess, who had performed the same function at Sherlock and Molly's wedding. 'You will all have the opportunity to take photos at the end of proceedings but please don't take any during, as it can be quite distracting for everyone.'

Some people groaned but the vast majority nodded in agreement.

'So, now, let us begin,' announced Mrs Lucas. 'Please rise to greet our happy couple!'

As the audience got to its feet, the strains of 'The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba', by George Frederick Handel, poured from the sound system and two doors opened simultaneously, on opposite sides of the hall.

The audience emitted an audible gasp and burst into spontaneous applause, as Katy appeared from the door on the right, dressed in a bright red, velvet dress, trimmed at the neck, cuffs and hem with white faux fur, and wearing red patent leather shoes, carrying a little hand basket from which she was liberally sprinkling fragrant flower heads, as she walked.

Behind her strode Mycroft, smiling broadly and looking proud as a peacock. He was immaculately turned out in his charcoal grey cashmere three-piece suit, handmade dress shirt, in white silk, black silk tie and his trademark handmade Italian leather shoes. And beside him walked Sherlock, looking suave but solemn in a black Spencer Hart two-piece fine wool suit, handmade black cotton shirt and black Eton lace-ups.

From the door on the left, Arthur emerged, also smiling. Tall, slim and athletic, he drew the eye in his dark burgundy, mohair suit, white Irish linen shirt and black leather Oxfords. Trotting beside him, clinging to his hand, was Charlie. The little boy, wearing a mid-grey three-piece suit, white cotton shirt, navy blue tie and matching suede brogues, looked around apprehensively. Unlike his sister, he was not comfortable being the centre of attention but holding Poppah's hand gave him the confidence to cope with the ordeal.

On Arthur's other side was Jim, in a grey twill Jeff Banks three-piece, hired especially for the occasion, white shirt, black tie and black leather brogues. He also looked around nervously but all the happy, smiling faces in the congregation proved infectious and, before he knew it, he was smiling, too. As Arthur walked past his family and friends – soldiers, nurses and Uni students – they cheered, loudly.

The two grooms met in front of the celebrant and turned their backs to the audience.

'You look wonderful,' Mycroft whispered, leaning in to close the gap between them.

'Thank you,' Arthur smiled. 'You're not so bad yourself! Do you think they get the joke?' he added, referring to their choice of processional music. Mycroft merely smiled.

Sherlock took Katy by the hand and led her to their seats, handed her over to Nanny Michele and turned to stand next to Molly. Violet wasted no time in reaching out to her father, demanding he take her from her mum. After all, she hadn't seen him for days! - or, rather, since breakfast. Jim took Charlie to the seats on Arthur's side of the room, where Nanny Sara was waiting to receive him, alongside Granny Brocklehurst. As the music came to an end, the celebrant pronounced,

'You may all be seated, thank you', and everyone sat down, including the two grooms.

Molly slipped her hand into Sherlock's and plaited their fingers together.

'Thank you, darling,' she murmured. He wrinkled his brow, wondering what he was being thanked for. Not murdering Mycroft, despite spending three whole uninterrupted hours in his company, listening to him contemplating his own demise? Why his brother was suddenly so obsessed with death on his Wedding Day, of all days, he couldn't fathom. Then he spotted the hair corsage.

'Oh! Looks good,' he said, indicating the flowers in her bun. 'And you,' he added, leaning over to kiss her cheek, 'are the most beautiful woman in this room.'

'Shush,' she whispered because the Celebrant was speaking again.

'Welcome everyone,' she said. 'We are delighted that so many of you could be here today. One of the many wonderful things about a wedding is that it brings together families and friends from far and near and unites us all in celebration of the joining of two souls. I'm always impressed by how far people are willing to travel to be present on a day like this. It only goes to prove how important it is to mark these happy transitions in our lives.'

'Mycroft and Arthur,' she went on, 'would like to acknowledge the spiritual presence of some people who mean a great deal to them.'

Arthur looked down into his lap and his shoulders seemed to droop, very slightly. Mycroft reached across and took his hand as Mrs Lucas continued with the 'Honour the Parents' statement.

'Mycroft and Arthur deeply regret that their parents are not all physically here today to join the celebration. Arthur never had the opportunity to know Mycroft's parents, but Mycroft enjoys the privilege of knowing Arthur's mother, who has been so warm and welcoming, from the moment they met. She immediately made him and his children feel part of the family, for which he is both honoured and deeply grateful. Arthur and Mycroft extend the hand of love and reconciliation to Arthur's father, who is not able to be here today, and hope that he may soon find it in his heart to share in the happiness that we all feel today.'

There was the sudden sound of stifled sobbing from Arthur's side of the hall, as Mrs Brocklehurst's emotions finally got the better of her. Her daughters were quick to offer comfort but that only seemed to make matters worse and the sobs just got louder and louder. Eventually, Arthur could stand it no longer.

He jumped up and rushed over to his mother, knelt on the floor and threw his arms around her.

'I'm so sorry, Mum! So very sorry! Please don't cry,' he pleaded.

Her son's distress gave Mrs B the strength to regain control. She took a few deep, steadying breaths and pulled herself back together.

'I'm alright, Arthur, really, I'm fine. You go on, now. Mycroft's waiting.'

And he was. He had come over to stand beside them, with his hand resting on Arthur's shoulder. Arthur looked up and Mycroft offered him that hand. He took it and Mycroft pulled him up from his knees and into his arms. They held one another for a moment then broke apart and returned to their seats, as almost everyone in the room blinked back a little moisture of their own.

'Is Poppah awight?' asked Charlie, with a trembling lip.

'Yes, Charlie, he's absolutely fine,' Sara assured him, giving her charge a little squeeze of reassurance.

One way or another, this wedding was going to be quite an ordeal for everyone.

With the return of the grooms, the celebrant asked if they were OK to continue and got the red light. She took a sip of water, cleared her throat and began the next part of the ceremony.

'Mycroft and Arthur have asked me to read this excerpt from Plato's Symposium.'

There was a little frisson of curiosity amongst the members of the audience, in anticipation of the first reading. Mycroft and Arthur glanced at one another, smiled briefly, then looked away.

'Love is our best friend, our helper, and the healer of the ills that prevent us from being happy,' Mrs Lucas read. 'To understand the power of love, we must understand that our original human nature was not like it is now, but different. Human beings each had two sets of arms, two sets of legs, and two faces looking in opposite directions. There were three sexes then: one comprised of two men, called the children of the Sun; one made of two women, called the children of the Earth; and a third made of a man and a woman, called the children of the Moon.'

'Due to the power and might of these original humans, the Gods began to fear that their reign might be threatened. They sought for a way to end the humans' insolence without destroying them. It was at this point that Zeus divided the humans in half.'

'Each of us when separated, having one side only, is but the indenture of a person, and we are always looking for our other half. Those whose original nature lies with the children of the Sun are men who are drawn to other men, those from the children of the Earth are women who love other women, and those from the children of the Moon are men and women drawn to one another. And when one of us meets our other half, we are lost in an amazement of love and friendship and intimacy, and would not be out of the other's sight even for a moment. We pass our whole lives together, desiring that we should be melted into one, to spend our lives as one person instead of two, so that, after our death, there will be one departed soul instead of two; this is the very expression of our ancient need.'

'And the reason is that human nature was originally one and we were a whole, and the desire and pursuit of the whole is called Love.'

The members of the congregation released a communal sigh, as if they had all been holding their breaths, so intently had they been listening to the reading. They all shifted in their seats, taking advantage of the pause in proceedings to get comfortable again. The children were especially grateful for this, though they had all behaved extremely well, so far. Violet had succumbed to sleep, resting in the crook of Sherlock's arm, her head lolling to one side, Cupid's Bow lips slightly parted, arms outstretched like a crucifix, completely at ease.

Meanwhile, the next part of the ceremony was about to begin, as Anthea Smith took to the stage to deliver the next reading. Elegant as ever, in a 1940's style, bottle green wool mix two-piece suit, a purple felt, saucer-shaped hat, set at a jaunty angle, and matching shoes and handbag, she stood before the audience and effortlessly commanded everyone's attention.

'Sonnet XX by William Shakespeare,' she announced, in a clear, calm voice.

'A woman's face with nature's own hand painted,

Hast thou, the master mistress of my passion;

A woman's gentle heart, but not acquainted

With shifting change, as is false women's fashion:

An eye more bright than theirs, less false in rolling,

Gilding the object whereupon it gazeth;

A man in hue all hues in his controlling,

Which steals men's eyes and women's souls amazeth.

And for a woman wert thou first created;

Till Nature, as she wrought thee, fell a-doting,

And by addition me of thee defeated,

By adding one thing to my purpose nothing.

But since she prick'd thee out for women's pleasure,

Mine be thy love and thy love's use their treasure.'

During this recital, Mycroft wrapped an arm around Arthur's shoulders, pulling him close. Arthur rested his head against Mycroft's and they listened together to the words they had chosen to express their love for one another.

And then it was time for The Vows.

At the request of the Celebrant, they both stood up.

'Please face one another and take each other's hands,' she instructed.

Mycroft and Arthur turned to stand face to face and Mycroft presented both his hands, palms upwards. Arthur placed his hands into them and they both closed their fingers, each aware of the firm grip of the other.

'These are the hands of your best friend, strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow and forever.'

As the celebrant spoke, each man's eyes were firmly fixed upon the other's and small smiles curled at the edges of their lips.

'These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years and, with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other.

These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it, support and encouragement to pursue your dreams, and comfort in difficult times.

And lastly, these are the hands that, even years from now, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just one touch.'

Arthur was gripped by a sudden desire to capture his partner's lips in his own and kiss him, passionately…but, with a monumental effort, he suppressed that urge and instead mouthed 'I love you'.

'Well done,' Mycroft mouthed back, correctly deducing Arthur's inner struggle and eliciting an grin from his paretner.

'You may sit down again,' said the celebrant.

The grooms resumed their seats and Arthur's sisters stepped forward to share the next reading.

'This reading comes from the Book of Pagan Rituals,' Josie announced, her Lancashire accent giving the words an added richness of texture.

'Above you are the stars,

Below you the stones.

As time does pass

Remember…'

Rosie took up the task, in her broader brogue.

'Like a star should your love be constant

Like a stone should your love be firm.

Be close, yet not too close.

Possess one another, yet be understanding.'

Josie, again.

'Have patience, each with the other

For storms will come but they will go quickly.

Be free in giving of affection and warmth.

Make love often and be sensuous to one another.'

And finally, Rosie once more.

'Have no fear and let not the ways or words

Of the unenlightened give you unease.

For the spirit is with you,

Now and always.'

Entirely against convention, Arthur burst into spontaneous applause and was joined by the rest of the congregation, as the two ladies giggled and curtsied to the crowd before scurrying back to their seats.

Mrs Lucas waited for the applause to die down, then announced,

'Mycroft and Arthur have chosen to read an ancient Hawaiian wedding prayer which they think captures how they feel. It's from another time and culture but, like the Plato's Symposium reading, it is a perfect expression of their love.'

While she was making the introduction, the two grooms moved to the front of the hall and stood, one each side of the celebrant's table, facing the guests but looking toward each other.

Arthur spoke first.

'Before we met, you and I were halves, unjoined, except in the wide rivers of our minds.

We were each other's distant shore, the opposite wings of a bird, the other half of a seashell.

We didn't know the other then, did not know our determination to keep alive the cry of one riverbank to the other.

We were apart, yet connected in our ignorance of each other, like two apples sharing a common tree. Remember?'

Mycroft responded.

'I knew you existed long before you understood my desire to join my freedom to yours.

Our paths collided long enough for our indecision to be swallowed up by the greater need of love.

When you came to me, the sun surged towards the earth and the moon escaped from darkness to bless the union of two spirits, so alike that the creator had designed them for life's endless circle.'

Then both together,

'Beloved partner, keeper of my heart's secrets, clothe yourself in the warmth of my love so the icy hand of sorrow can never touch you.

We are joined together like a tree to the Earth, a cloud to Sky, a wave to the Sea.

Through the strength of our love, together we will face whatever life may place in our path because, at this time, in this place, in this way, we declare – I love you with all my heart, with all my soul.'

This time, nobody clapped or cheered. There was a deep hush over the room, broken only by the occasional sniff as some felt the need to dab at their eyes with a tissue.

Mycroft and Arthur moved back to stand in front of the celebrant. It was time to exchange the rings.

'Wedding rings are a symbol of commitment and love,' Mrs Lucas intoned. 'The rings are circular, like their love, with no beginning and no end. They represent what has been and what will always be. They are made of solid, sturdy material which is meant to survive years and years of hand-holding and tender caresses. Couples wear their wedding rings every day as a symbol of their love.'

Looking up from the text in the leather-bound folder, she said,

'Ring Bearers, please bring me the rings.'

Katy had been waiting for this moment for what seemed like forever. She jumped to her feet and ran to Sherlock, squealing,

'Uncle Sherlock! It's time!'

Sherlock taken by surprise. He had been miles away, inside his Mind Palace, running through his Best Man's speech. Katy's strident screeching brought him back with a jolt. Completely flustered, he bundled a startled Violet into Molly's arms and jumped to his feet, patting his pockets frantically, hunting for the ring box that Mycroft had given him earlier. Katy was, by now, jumping up and down impatiently, holding out her hand and demanding the ring that was taking far too long to appear.

At last, Sherlock found the box, in his inside breast pocket, pulled it out and fumbled it open. He hooked the ring out and stuffed it into Katy's outstretched hand. She grabbed it and raced off to Mycroft, shouting,

'I've got it, Daddy! It's here!' as the entire Hall roared with laughter.

Meanwhile, Jim had quietly taken the other ring box from his pocket, removed the ring and given it to Charlie, who carried it, carefully, over to Arthur, exchanged it for a kiss and trotted back to his seat, feeling very relieved that his part in the proceedings was over.

'Thank you,' said Mrs Lucas to Katy, as Mycroft took the ring from his daughter and pressed a kiss to her cheek, sending her, smiling, back to her seat, then frowned at his brother. Sherlock resumed his seat, scowling indignantly.

'That child is possessed,' he hissed to Molly – who was still giggling uncontrollably – as he took Violet back. 'By her father's evil spirit,' he added, for Violet's ears only.

The crowd quietened down and a buzz of anticipation settled over the hall.

'Mycroft, you will go first,' the celebrant said.

'Please, place Arthur's ring on the tip of his ring finger and repeat after me.'

'Arthur, I love you.'

Mycroft repeated the vows, in a quiet but clear voice.

'My heart is in this ring.

My love is in this ring.

I promise to be your faithful husband, to love you through the best and the worst, through the difficult and the easy.

I promise you my unconditional love and I give you my unwavering trust.

When you look at this ring, remember that I love you always.'

'You may slide the ring all the way onto his finger,' prompted the celebrant.

Then,

'Arthur, it's your turn.'

Arthur placed Mycroft's ring on the tip of his ring finger and held it there as he repeated his vows.

'Mycroft,I love you.

My heart is in this ring.

My love is in this ring

I promise to be your faithful husband, to love you through the best and the worst, through the difficult and the easy.

I promise you my unconditional love and I give you my unwavering trust.

When you look at this ring, remember that I love you always.'

'You may slide the ring all the way onto his finger,' the celebrant instructed, again. And then said the words everyone had been waiting to hear, not least the two grooms,

'By the powers vested in me by the County of Hertfordshire, I now pronounce you spouses for life. You may kiss your husband.'

As the couple pressed their lips together in a joyous embrace, the room erupted into a cacophony of jubilation.

ooOoo

It took quite a while for order to be restored, as people were out of their seats, hugging each other, running up to hug the newly-weds, hugging the celebrant and hugging each other again. But the ceremony was not over. The marriage was not formalised until the register had been signed, so Mycroft took control and ordered everyone back to their seats then announced that, while he and Arthur, Mrs Brocklehurst and Caro were signing the register, the audience would be entertained with a duet, composed and performed – as it said in the Order of Service - by his brother, Sherlock, and his nephew, William.

The signatories moved to stand behind the table, facing the crowd, so everyone could observe the signing of the register and Sherlock and William made their way onto the stage.

They picked up their violins and checked the tuning, William fine tuning minutely, when one string was found to be just slightly off. Then they stood opposite one another, and assumed the starting position, violins tucked between the jaw and clavicle and bows hovering just above the strings.

Sherlock mouthed,

'One, two, three, four…' and they were off.

It began, with William playing solo, a light, lilting pastoral melody, redolent of fields and woods and big, open skies, symbolising Mycroft's country roots. Then Sherlock joined in with a syncopated accompaniment that accentuated the lively rhythm of the melody, that had everyone tapping their feet and imagining country dances on village greens. This continued for several repetitions of the main theme, with a few innovative variations, and then the tempo gradually decreased and the key shifted from major to minor, imbuing the music with a grander, more solemn air.

For the adagio section, Sherlock took the melody, using a firm bowing technique and lots of vibrato to give the music a deeper, richer quality, while William played another melody in counterpoint, which the members of the audience correctly interpreted as being representative of the two grooms' chosen vocations – statesmanship for Mycroft and healing for Arthur – two very different themes but blending harmoniously together.

And then both musicians transitioned seamlessly into the third and final movement, which caused a ripple of laughter to spread throughout the room as people recognised it as an arrangement of the popular post-war radio programme, 'Housewives' Choice', with Sherlock taking the part usually performed by the woodwind section of the orchestra and William representing the strings.

As this jolly little tune came to a satisfactory conclusion, the musicians executed a synchronised flourish of their bows, turned to the audience and bowed low, acknowledging their appreciation.

During this virtuosi performance, Arthur, Mycroft, Mrs B and Caro had each taken their turn to sit at the celebrant's table, take up the Mont Blanc pen and sign the register, whilst the official photographer took pictures of them all, individually, in pairs and, finally, in a group. The conclusion of this ritual coincided neatly with the end of William and Sherlock's performance, so the grooms and the witness joined in the applause, too.

William, Sherlock, Caro and Mrs Brocklehurst returned to their seats.

'Dat wad bwiw-yant, Wiw-yum!' Freddie enthused. 'And you, Daddy! You id so clebber!'

'Yes, very clever, both of you!' Molly concurred, giving both William and Sherlock a congratulatory hug, trying to conceal the fact that she had blubbed all the way through the recital.

Mycroft and Arthur stood side by side in front of the table and Arthur raised his hand to command everyone's attention.

'My husband, Mycroft, and I,' he began, but had to pause as the crowd erupted at his use of the new epithet. He raised his arm again, grinning from ear to ear, but demanding order.

'My husband, Mycroft, and I,' he repeated, 'would like to thank you all for coming here today to share in our wedding celebrations. In a few moments, the wonderful staff of Colbert House will be serving champagne and canapes, but first, if you could all turn to the back of you Orders of Service, you'll find the words to the Maori love song, Pokarekare Ana – written phonetically, you'll be relieved to hear! - which we have chosen as our Wedding Anthem.'

'So, if you wouldn't all mind standing,' and he smiled and nodded to the members of the band, who all took to the stage and picked up their instruments, as the audience did as they were bid and stood, ready to sing, 'when you're ready, take it away, fellas!'

The band struck up the opening bars of the familiar tune and began the first verse, and the congregation all sang along.

'Pokarekare ana
Nga wai o Waiapu
Whiti atu koe hine
Marino ana e

E hine e
Hoki maira
Kamate au
I te aroha e

Tuhituhi taku rita
Taku atu taku ringi
Kia kiti to iwi
Raru raru ana e

E hine e
Hoki maira
Kamate au
I te aroha e'

ooOoo

If you're wondering why Mycroft and Arthur chose that particular song as their Wedding Anthem, please check out the video on YouTube of what happened when the New Zealand Parliament passed the law to make gay weddings legal. I would post it here, but the website won't let me! :)

Many thanks to 'The Knot' website for the template for Mycroft and Arthur's Order of Service. I've adapted it to make it personal to them.