Beckett was the one to spread the news. In a manner of speaking. He'd barged into Artemis's room—how, exactly, he'd gotten past the security system had yet to be figured out—and pounced on the bed to wake Artemis up, squealing in delight when Holly had appeared from under the blankets too.
"Holly's back!" He'd shouted. And continued shouting as he ran laps around the manor, waking everyone up.
"That's one way to do it," Holly said, detangling herself from the blankets and from Artemis. "Do you think we'd better go explain before we've got the whole family in here asking awkward questions?"
"A sound idea," Artemis agreed.
Breakfast was a happy affair, including numerous hugs from Angeline to both Holly and Artemis, a high-five from Juliet, and excited questions from the twins making sure they were actually getting married this time. Myles had a chart and was calculating the possibility of a real union based on previous data. Artemis was simultaneously mortified and proud of his little brother.
"There's so much still left to plan," Angeline fretted as she saw them off after their meal. "Holly, I hope you had the good sense to hang on to your dress!"
"I never had it, Mrs. Fowl—,"
"Angeline, dear, please."
"Angeline," Holly amended. "You didn't trust me not to ruin it, remember?"
"Oh, that's right," Angeline nodded, brightening. "Have a good trip and tell Caballine to call me the moment you've told her the good news!"
"I'd feel better if you let me come with you, Artemis," Butler said, pulling Artemis aside and speaking to him in hushed tones. "Remember what happened last time you visited Haven."
"The circumstances are quite different today, old friend," Artemis told him. "And the fairies won't be happy at my unannounced visit, it would be even more difficult to clear up if you came along. Remember what happened last time you visited Haven."
"They had it coming."
"Be that as it may, it would be better for you to sit this one out. I'll make sure Holly knows she'll have to answer to you if I'm kidnapped again."
Finally, Butler relented and allowed Artemis to depart with Holly. There was a good deal of spluttering and blustering on their arrival in Haven but Holly effectively waved all the complaints away. Artemis had rather expected Holly to drive them home. If not home, then he'd have expected to be taken to Foaly's house. He actually had something he needed to discuss with the centaur and it was a trip he anticipated making before he was politely shuttled off to the surface again. Soon enough, though, he'd have full visitation rights again so the prospect of being chased out of Haven was more humorous and less painful than it had seemed only a week ago.
The house they pulled up to was one Artemis recognized but had not visited frequently, as its owner was rarely home. The warlock No. 1 was always busy and in high demand on some project or another. Today, however, appeared to be one of the rare occasions he was home or else Holly would not have come here.
"I was going to ask No. 1 to officiate our wedding," Holly explained before hopping out of the car. "If that's alright with you."
"Yes, of course," Artemis said, pleasantly surprised by the idea. It wasn't one that had occurred to him but he liked that Holly had thought of it. Liked the implication there of reinstating their bond.
They were cheerfully greeted and led into the house by their friend who bobbed about offering to make tea and insisting they have some of the muffins he'd made fresh this morning.
"I just got back last night and I must say I was surprised to learn about all the hullabaloo around you two that happened while I was off-grid. Terrible reception on the moon, you know. Not to mention I got my communicator crushed on my second day. I was planning to have a word with you two today but I see that you've already sorted it all out so there's really no need. Nice of you to drop in, though." No. 1 smiled brightly at them.
"Sorted what out?" Artemis asked suspiciously.
"The bond," No. 1 said, then frowned when Artemis and Holly both stared at him blankly. "You don't know, then?"
"Know what?" Holly asked, impatient.
"But you're back together, aren't you?" No. 1 asked.
"Yes," Artemis affirmed. "We plan to get remarried."
"We came to ask if you'd do us the honor of officiating the wedding," Holly added. "But what is it we don't know?"
"I'd be happy to officiate the wedding!" The little warlock said excitedly. "But you're already married. Technically."
"The Council—," Artemis started but was cut off abruptly by No. 1 shaking his head vigorously.
"No, that's what I've been trying to tell you!"
"For the love of—No. 1, if this is you trying to tell us something, I'd hate to see what it's like trying to get you to explain something you didn't want to," Holly huffed.
"No need to be upset," he pouted but at another glare from Holly, hurried on to explain. "Well, I just remembered something while I was on the moon. Lots of time to think when you've got no way of staying in the loop. And I remembered something Qwan told me when I first asked him about the marriage bond. He said that the main force binding you together is love and so long as you hold each other in your hearts, it cannot leave you. In other words, the bond is only broken when no love is shared between the bonded pair. No matter what. Which means that no one besides the two of you could ever break it."
"How could you forget something like that?" Holly demanded.
"In my defense, you called me very late that night and I was tired," No. 1 said sulkily. "And there was a lot going on, it's not my fault it slipped my mind for a bit. And then Foaly got me so worried about what would happen if it could be stolen from you that I just forgot it can't be."
"And Qwan never thought to mention it to us?" Artemis asked. "All this time and he never said a word."
"I think he thought you knew. You two should know best if the bond was actually broken. But I knew better than that, I was sure you still loved each other. So I was going to clear things up today but you've already worked it out. More or less."
Artemis stared at No. 1, completely dumbfounded by the news, then turned to Holly and saw his own surprise mirrored in her face. After everything they'd been through these past months, it had all been pointless. They'd never been divorced by fairy law. Not technically. Their bond had never been broken. But…he slid the small vial, warm with magic, out from his pocket and stared down at it a moment before presenting it to No. 1.
"This was extracted from us," he said. "If it is not proof of the bond's removal, then what is it?"
"Very impressive," No. 1 said, taking the proffered vial and turning it in his hand. "This is an extraction of the magic binding you," he said, handing it back to Artemis with a little shrug. "But love isn't finite. There's more where that came from, more than could ever be taken from you."
"We'd better go clear up our marital status so our visitation rights are reinstated," Holly said when they left No. 1's house an hour later. Artemis nodded absently.
"Yes, you'd better do that. But would you mind taking me to Foaly's first? If I don't tell him and Caballine the news soon, Mother will. And then Foaly will be both insufferable and mopey."
"You're right," Holly said, grimacing. "He's so sensitive sometimes. I don't envy you the job of telling him, though."
"I'm sure he'll save plenty of gloating and awful punchlines for you, don't worry," Artemis said dryly.
Holly dropped Artemis at Foaly's with the agreement to meet back home after their business had been attended. As much as Artemis expected to be the victim of a life time's worth of teasing over this, the satisfaction of Foaly's surprise when he opened the door to find Artemis Fowl II back in Haven was no small condolence.
"Afternoon, Foaly," Artemis said smoothly. "Are you going to invite me in?"
"Right, come in, come in," Foaly regained the use of words and ushered Artemis in, already speaking a mile a minute. "What in the—what're you doing down here? Not even a call to let me know, no, just show up at my doorstep in typical mudboy fashion. How'd you get back? Does Holly know—of course, Holly knows. Did you pull your heads out of your—?"
"I'll explain in greater detail in a moment," Artemis interrupted. "Hello, Caballine," he nodded to her when they entered the living room. "My mother has requested you call her the moment I've finished speaking, so I'll make it short, shall I? Holly and I are to be married after all, by our own choosing. We would be entirely grateful to have you back on the job of planning it if you'd be willing to lend us the help?"
"I'd better go call Angeline!" Caballine bustled out of the room excitedly, which Artemis took to mean yes, she would help them. "And congratulations!" She said, poking her head back into the living room. "I knew you two were meant for each other."
"Thank you." Artemis tried not to color at the words. He wasn't used to it being such an open topic yet.
"I'm going to need a more detailed story than that, Arty," Foaly said. "I need enough details to go sell the movie rights to the story. Actually, that's not a bad idea—,"
"Holly will be furious if you do," Artemis cautioned. "She's still seething over the last one."
"We'd get her a better actress," Foaly said with a horsey grin.
"Disregarding that, there are several things I wish to discuss with you about my marriage to Holly. And, perhaps, a favor or two. If applicable."
"Oh?" Foaly asked, interest piqued. "I'm listening."