50. Happily Ever After
I'm not in the least bit surprised when we finish dinner and Allison insists we spend the night, citing everything from the lateness of the hour to the fact she has several empty beds we can sleep in. She's right about how late it is, and a bed sounds better than a bedroll-especially to Declan, who's still sore-so we don't exactly protest loud and long. And so we spend a restful night, free of dreams of any sort, and leave in the morning after a truly farm-sized breakfast.
The walk back to the Vigil is quiet and uneventful, much like the walk out, though I do catch Nathaniel brushing his fingers against his new scars once or twice. When we get back to the Vigil and can have a truly private conversation, I really want to talk to him.
oOo
That opportunity doesn't come until several hours after we make it back to the Vigil. There are several issues that demand my attention as Warden-Commander, and when I finally do get free, I have to track him down. It's not very hard. Much like various corners of the ramparts are my retreat, the archery range is his. He isn't shooting when I find him, though; all his arrows are already lodged in the three hay-backed targets, in and immediately around the bullseyes. Nate is sitting on one of the rough-hewn benches by the fence, meticulously restringing his bow.
He doesn't look up, but as I sit next to him comments, "The old one was getting worn."
I glance at the discarded bowstring coiled next to him. Itis beginning to fray in a couple places. "That's not what I was gonna ask."
"I know. But what you were going to ask, we don't need to discuss."
"Are you sure?" I nibble at a hangnail. He did this grateful but brushing me off thing at the McClarens' too.
He nods, finally looking up at me. "Rahna, I'm fine. There's no blame to be assigned, and I can guarantee when I tell Violet, the worst that will happen is she'll fuss over me a bit."
I smirk. "And you won't mind that at all, will you?"
Nate shakes his head and smiles. "Can't say I will, no. But Jowan's currently holed up in the library, surrounded by stacks of books, trying to find the best way to minimize the damage. Internally, at least. I think the scars are here to stay."
"Oh. Good. Not the scars, the tryin' our best to make it better." I look over at the targets and their bristling crop of arrows. "Doesn't seem to've messed up your aim any."
"Even if it had, I would've adjusted," he shrugs. "Like you did."
I grin and nod a concession as I scratch the edge of my own scar. "Okay, yeah, I hafta give you that one. Just promise you won't be shy about askin' for help if you need it?"
"I promise," Nathaniel acquiesces as he stands. "I could use some help collecting the arrows, if you don't mind?"
I sigh as I push off the bench. "I just walked right into that, didn't I?"
"Yes. Yes, you did."
"So, you getin' excited or nervous or anything 'bout the wedding yet?" I ask as we carefully work arrows out of targets.
"Just impatient," Nathaniel chuckles.
"It does seem like a rather long wait, considerin' how head over heels you two are for each other," I agree. "Any particular reason?"
"Aside from the ridiculous amount of planning involved in even a small wedding?" He slides the arrows he's collected into his quiver. "That was her parents' anniversary. It's also, interestingly enough, Delilah's birthday."
"Aw, how sweet," I laugh. "Your birthday present to her will be the fruition of all the hard work she put in to get you two t'gether."
He roll his eyes and snorts but doesn't say anything.
"Don't worry, Nate, I'm sure it'll be here before ya know it."
oOo
I'm more right than I realize. Given the circumstances of my own attempted wedding, I really don't understand anything about how they work when they're for love rather than arranged, planned carefully with the date known in advance instead of happening in a rush of bright colors and giddy excitement.
But I'm a fast learner, and I roll with it when Nathaniel leaves to spend the last week prior in the city. It's only a few days after that Jowan, Sigrun, and I leave as well. We're serving as the Warden representation at the wedding, so we can leave a decent garrison at the Vigil. Just in case. I use the travel time to mull over a few things I've been thinking about for a while now, decide they're all good ideas, and wind up sleeping better than I have in weeks, snuggled close against Jowan's chest.
When we arrive in the city, Vi is too busy to give us more than a distracted-but still warm-hello before bustling off to deal with Wedding Things. Delilah is more than happy to play the hostess, however, Eli balanced on her hip half the time. The other half he's napping or I've borrowed him. He loves it when Sig and I make faces at him and blow raspberries against the bottom of his feet. He also likes to try and pull of Sigrun's tattoos, which makes her laugh. And Delilah is happy for the freedom to help her giddily nervous best friend prepare for the "most exciting day of her life".
oOo
The day of the wedding finds me delightfully less tense than I was about Anora's. This is probably due to knowing bride and groom both very well, and the fact it's significantly smaller. I am, however, planning to wear the same dress. It still fits, and I don't exactly wear fancy dresses for a lot; why bother with a new one? Maker only knows the next time I'll need it.
True to form, Jowan doesn't drag himself out of bed until almost lunch-and then only with much poking and prodding. He grouses a little as he slouches at the table, but I kiss his temple and hand him one of my sweet rolls.
"You're feeling gen'rous today," he mumbles as he bites into it.
"It's a special day," I shrug. "But if you don't want it, I'll take it back."
"No, no. Thank you." He eats the rest of it in two bites and looks more awake, tilting his head as he looks at me. "Your hair looks nice like that."
I laugh, one hand edging toward the messy bun. "Sweetheart, I haven't done my hair yet." I curl a loose wisp around my finger.
He shrugs, even though his face shades ever so slightly pink. "Still looks nice."
"You're biased."
"Extremely," Jowan concurs, grinning as he reaches for an apple. We slip into companionable silence as he finishes eating and I do my hair. Today is causing an understandable mix of emotions and feelings, but the primary ones are easy to identify. I'm excited and want everything to go well. Nate and Vi deserve a happily ever after-or at least as much of one as a Warden can get.
oOo
Despite the knot in my stomach that always expect things to go wrong at weddings, it goes off without a hitch. Unless each of them fumbling at one point or another in their vows because they're too busy grinning like idiots at each other counts as a hitch. It doesn't to me; just an excuse for me and Sigrun to tease Nate mercilessly for quite a while. But that can wait. Because Vi's beaming like the sun, which is fitting: Nate looks about as happy and content as a cat in a sunbeam holding her hand. Their entwined hands mean I can't tackle-hug Nate like I want to, so I settle for an enthusiastic sideways embrace instead.
"Congratulations, both of you," I grin, immensely enjoying how happy they look. Unbridled joy is a new look on Nathaniel, but I like it. "Vi, could I borrow your husband for a minute? There's something I need to tell him, just very quickly, and then I'll give him back."
Vi laughs as she lets go of Nate's hand. "You've always brought him back before, Commander. I trust you to do so again."
Nathaniel brushes a quick kiss against her cheek before he follows me. "Won't be long, love."
"That's what I like to hear," she teases, before Delilah seems to materialize out of thin air to drag her into a hug and start a joyous, rapid-fire conversation.
Nathaniel gamely follows me into one of the chantry's side rooms. "Alright, what's so important?"
"Your wedding present," I reply, twisting the worn golden band on my ring finger. "Well, part of it. Part's wrapped an' with the others, but this can't really be wrapped and I wanted to tell you first..."
"Rahna, what did you do?" He raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms over his chest.
I fix my gaze on the gleaming gold around his ring finger rather than meet his eyes. "It's not so much something I've done as something I'm going to do..."
"Rahna."
I sigh, move to rake one hand through my hair, but stop so I don't wreck it. "I'm gonna step down as Warden-Commander an' recommend you as my replacement."
His breath catches. "Can you do that? Either of them?"
"Dunno, but I'm going to," I shrug.
"Your idea of a wedding present is to give me a job that will stick me behind a desk?"
"First off, how stuck behind a desk have I been the past couple years?" I point out. "Second, I'm givin' you a job that will make it harder for them to reassign you out of Amaranthine."
"Ah." Nate chuckles. "You are a devious little minx, aren't you?"
"Yes, I am," I grin. "Obviously, I won't step down until you an' Vi get back from your honeymoon, but after that... it's all yours."
"You're not planning on leaving me, are you?" he frowns.
"'Course not. You'll just be the boss." I giggle. "Though I'd lay money Sigrun still calls me 'boss'. It's more a nickname than a title at this point."
"I'm not taking that bet."
I laugh. "Wise man. I knew it was a good call. I'll let you get back to your wife now. Enjoy your happily ever after."
"If I can pry her away from Delilah," he replies wryly.
"Hey, you're the one who decided to marry your sister's best friend."
"Very true. Rahna?"
I pause halfway to the door. "Hmm?"
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, Nate," I reply around a grin. I leave him to find his wife as I track down my better half. As expected, Jowan's hiding in a corner, but greets me with a hug and a relieved smile.
"There you are," he murmurs, pressing a kiss against my hair. "Everything okay?"
"Just fine," I nod, snuggling in against his chest. "Needed to talk to Nate. You havin' fun?"
"Well,now I am," he says wryly. "Sigrun went to bother someone else, and you're here."
"Hidin' in a corner is your idea of fun?" I tease, looking up to shoot him a smirk.
"It is when you're with me." He steals a kiss.
"Ah, excellent point." I kiss him back, then wriggle in closer. "Jowan?"
"Mm?" His hand captures mine, fingers rubbing over calloused and scarred knuckles.
"I love you."
I feel him chuckle softly against my hair. "I love you, too."
We fall silent, simply watching the ongoing celebration, and I smile. It may have taken a few extra tries to find, and be more than a little unorthodox in nature, but if this-the Wardens, my friends being happy, Jowan-is my happily ever after?
I'll take it.
A/N: Annnnd we're done. And I don't just mean this fic. My original plan with Rahna was to take her all the way to her Calling, but between changing life circumstances for me, and the fact DAI called into question if the Warden will even have a Calling, and I decided it was best to end things on a happier note than "Rahna and some friends go to the Deep Roads to die". I've also started to feel like writing her was more of a chore than something fun, and I love her too much to continue doing something that will make me resent her. I need a break. A nice long one. I will write her more one-shots for sure, and there's at least one more (hopefully shorter) multi-chapter thing I want to write her, but I need a couple months off first. Thank you so much to everyone who's stuck with me and my girl through all five years, I greatly appreciate your support, even if I'm lousy about replying to comments. :)
