These Threads That Bind

Blaze took a deep breath, smoothing down her white satin dress as she eyed herself in the mirror. Her hair hung loose around her shoulders, pulled free from her normal ponytail. She brushed her fingers through it, wondering if perhaps it was too much.

With a shake of her head, the cat bit back a smile, realising how silly the thought was. This was her wedding day, and being the Princess, nothing would be considered too much. But even still, the main wedding was hours away and she still had one important thing to get to before then.

She couldn't very well go gallivanting around the palace in her actual wedding gown without alerting a few nosy palace staff and her guards as to the true reason for her excursion, and so she had opted for the simple dress she was to wear beneath her actual gown later that day.

Blaze headed to the window, shifting the velvet curtains to get a view of the buzzing crowds below. In the early afternoon, both she and Silver would take to the palace's largest balcony that overlooked the gardens below to publicly tie the knot.

Her people had been gathering below since the gates had been opened this morning, many having staked out beyond the palace walls for days to get a prime position despite several warnings from guards about keeping safe. All waiting for the most high-profile wedding in recent memory.

Blaze blew out a soft breath as she let the curtain fall. Later, they would get exactly what they came for. But as for now, the cat had a more pressing matter to attend to. With one final glance at her reflection, she headed out of her rooms into the corridors beyond, glancing around carefully to make sure nobody had caught on to where she was headed.

Luckily for her, anybody she passed was too busy setting up for the wedding to bother her with much more than a passing greeting. And so, before long Blaze found herself pausing at the top of a spiral staircase, staring intently at the wooden door before her.

It was where she had been heading this entire time, but now that she was here, she found herself hesitating. Not from nerves or fear or anything of the sort. But from overwhelming sense of knowing that everything she wanted lay behind that one slab of wood.

The door to her pre-wedding wedding.

The moment she passed through that threshold, her life would change forever, for the better. Both she and Silver had talked on multiple occasions on what they would want their ideal wedding to be like. Simple, small and meaningful were the only things they could pinpoint.

After concluding that with their status being what it was, that was almost impossible, the pair had unanimously decided on holding two ceremonies, one after the other.

The first, a private ceremony for just them. No pomp. No grandeur. Just him and her and the love they shared, the way they both wished it could always have been.

The second, a public one for the world with all the full-blown ceremony expected of a traditional Royal wedding. It was the best of both worlds, albeit unconventional - hence the sneaking around.

Silver's voice from beyond the door brought her back to her senses, tugging her back to reality. Without thinking, Blaze pressed her ear up against the door.

"Are you s-sure she wants this?" his panicked voice stuttered. "What if she marries me and decides it was all a mistake!"

"Calm down mate, you're lettin' ya nerves get the best of ya," another voice chimed in, Marine undoubtedly.

"But-"

"Loosen ya tie Silver, it's cutting off ya circulation. That sheila's got it bad for ya. You'll get past today and pretty soon, you'll have little ankle biters running around making ya wonder what ya were ever worried –"

Someone cleared their throat and Blaze startled back from the door to see her Captain of the Guard coming up the stairs behind her. She wasn't sure if the blush that graced her cheeks was from Marine's observations or embarrassment at being caught in the act of eavesdropping.

"Pardon the intrusion my Queen," Gardon said as he continued his approach. "But is that truly wise?" he asked, keeping his voice low as to not betray their arrival to those who waited beyond the door.

Blaze shook her head. "No. I just couldn't help it," she said quietly, a hint of regret in her voice. The koala merely gave her an understanding smile.

"Not to worry my Queen. It's a big day for you, you're allowed to make the odd mistake or two. Are you ready to go in?" he asked, nodding to the door. As if on cue, Marine's voice blasted through the door so loudly that it seemed to permeate even the stone bricks of the palace.

Gardon sighed defeatedly.

"If you will my Queen, may I ask you hold off on your entrance for just a moment longer. I wish to have a word with a certain racoon on just when a witness to a wedding is advised to speak and when they are advised to not."

A small smile snuck on to Blaze's lips and she nodded.

"Just knock and I'll make sure everything is ready. A few minutes should be enough," he said before cracking open the door and slipping inside. It shut with a loud thud behind him and Blaze took a deep breath.

She heard voices and waited a few moments until the commotion had settled before knocking twice, sharp and quick. Before she could reach to push the door, it seemed to open of its own accord and Blaze's heart caught in her throat at the sight before her.

Silver stood against the doorframe wearing a purple bow tie that matched her perfectly, his amber eyes wide with awe. In an instant, every other thought in her mind melted away and there was only her and him and an endless moment of them.

"Hi," he said timidly.

"Hi," she whispered back, at a loss for any other reply.

Gardon spoke something incomprehensible at the far end of the small room and before she knew what was happening, Marine had appeared out of thin air. She grabbed her hand and tugged her beside Silver before reaching for his arm and hooking it onto hers.

With a mischievous grin the raccoon shuffled to the side of the room and Silver seemed to have come back to his senses as he began to lead her towards Gardon. Blaze took a moment to take in the room around her.

It was small and circular, the sunlight from the two large windows illuminating the room in its warmth. Whatever furniture it usually held had been cleared out in favour of a small arch that stood in the centre, twisted with flowers in pale purples and whites. Gardon stood just beyond it, waiting patiently until the pair stood beneath the arch and came to a stop.

Her nerves blazed like a wildfire as they stood before the koala, the gold buttons on his blue suit polished to perfection. The pommel of his ceremonial sword hung precisely against his belt as he looked up at the cat and hedgehog proudly, welcoming them both.

Blaze removed her hand from Silver's arm and turned so she was facing him, but her gaze never left the ground as the Captain of the Guard began to officiate the ceremony with the required vows.

She could hear him talking, knowing from her own research what he was saying, but hearing none of it. Her mind was too focused on the fact that this was happening. She was marrying Silver.

From the corner of her eye she could see Marine standing off to the side, looking for all the world as if some invisible hands were forcibly keeping her mouth shut to keep her thoughts from bursting out into the open.

It was a comical sight to say the least and she wondered if Silver could see how hard she was trying for them. With a burst of confidence she'd almost forgotten she had, Blaze risked a glance at her groom. Silver's gaze was also locked on his feet, and without thinking, she gently stuck her leg out enough to tap against his shoe.

He looked up at her instantly, a smile breaking over his face as he caught the look she gave him. One open and vulnerable enough to let him know that she felt the same and that they were both in this together. He returned it willingly and Blaze lost herself to the future those eyes spoke of. Happiness. Contentment. Peace.

"And now for the rings and vows," Gardon said, and from the amused set of his lips, Blaze got the feeling that this wasn't the first time he had said that line. He held the two rings out on a small cushion, matching silver bands engraved with words no one but she and Silver knew the meaning behind.

Blaze took hers first, smiling tenderly as she slipped it onto Silvers hand. "Silver the Hedgehog, I take you as you are. I promise myself to you and place my trust in you with my entire being, to love me and care for me as I will forever do for you."

She blinked back tears, taking a steadying breath as Silver reached for his ring. He lifted her hand into his with a gentle grace as he slipped the band onto her finger, fitting it perfectly alongside her engagement ring.

"Blaze the Cat, I take you as you are. I promise myself to you and place my trust in you with my entire being, to love me and care for me as I will forever do for you." The hedgehog swiped impatiently at his cheeks and Blaze knew she had never loved him more than she did in this moment.

"With that, I declare you both … husband and wife."

"Oh finally!"

Both Silver and Blaze broke out of their reverie, turning to see Marine taking a deep breath of relief.

"Will ya two lovebirds just smooch already or what?"

It's still silvaze week in my heart!

For the record, I know zilch about western weddings outside of the *many* romcoms I indulge myself in. I could write the pants off a south-asian wedding but this, not so much, so if it's super crappy and inconsistent, I apologise. I did take a couple of liberties with some stuff but eh.

Thanks for reading folks, let me know your thoughts if you have the time. Until next time, chao :)