Love Adagio
Marriage. It was strange how one simple word could throw a group of people into such an uproar. Really, it was nothing to be afraid of – no, of course it was nothing to be afraid of – so why, then, could Satine not stop her hands from shaking as she attempted to button her dress? Frustrated, she attempted to loop the same button a half dozen times unsuccessfully, until finally Verona took pity on her and stepped up to help finish fastening the dress.
"This is ridiculous of me," Satine stated, biting her lip. "Christian and I have been engaged for nearly a year – we have a child – and here I am trembling with nerves!"
Verona laughed softly as she completed her work. "It's nothing to be ashamed of – I was the same way before marrying Joseph, and we were together for ages before getting married, too. It's not exactly an easy thing to find a priest while out wandering in the middle of the Sahara, after all."
Satine smiled at the reassurance – still nervously, however – and began to arrange her hair. That, at least, seemed to be something she could do successfully on her own, and while she was preoccupied with the task, her friend stepped back to examine her.
"All right – let's go over the checklist. Something old?"
"Christian's mother's ring," Satine answered, casting her gaze to where the little heirloom ring was reflected in the mirror. "That counts, doesn't it?"
"Yes. Now – something new. I have that for you," Verona said, reaching for her handbag and digging something out.
Satine put a few finishing touches on her hair, then turned around. "Oh, you shouldn't have –"
"Don't be silly," Verona chided in return, handing the object to her. "Just think of it as an early wedding gift from me to you."
Satine accepted the proffered gift and turned it over in her palm, the sun glinting across it. It was a small brooch cast in silver, depicting an Egyptian woman with horns that were crowned by a moon. "It's lovely."
Verona smiled, pleased, and explained, "It's Hathor, the Egyptian goddess of love and fertility."
Satine pinned the brooch on, then smoothed her hands down the front of the white dress. It wasn't exactly the traditional style of wedding gowns; not made in the western fashion, it was instead styled to a more Egyptian flare, which was exotic and appropriate for the setting.
"Now what?" she asked, looking back to her matron of honor, who wore a dress of similar styling, though hers was a deep indigo shade, like the Egyptian sky at twilight.
"Something borrowed," Verona replied, ticking it off on a finger.
"Borrowed – I have the slippers," Satine noted, glancing down to where her feet peeked out from under the hem of the dress. Of course, it was only proper she had shoes to match the gown, and so the dainty sandal-like slippers had been loaned to her.
"All right, that just leaves . . . something blue."
Satine extended her right hand, showing a delicate silver bracelet with little blue stones that Christian had brought her back from the market one day. It was to mark Olivier's birth, he had told her, as his birthstone was sapphire.
"Then," Verona said, "I think you've got everything covered."
Marriage. Really, Christian had been waiting his entire life to fall in love, and to him that led to getting married and starting a family, so in all logic, this was his idyll. But that didn't mean he wasn't allowed to be bloody nervous.
Because if it wasn't allowed, then he was shamelessly breaking the rules at the moment.
"Calm down, take a deep breath," Joseph said, clapping him on the shoulder. "It's just a little case of cold feet –"
"Oh, no," Christian corrected, "I'm not, you know, worried about marrying Satine . . . it's just . . . the actual – well, marrying."
"Well, don't worry. I'm sure you'll come through it stunningly."
"Maybe." He glanced sidelong at the Egyptologist for a moment, then turned his attention back to the mirror. The two had been banished back to Joseph and Verona's apartment while Satine was getting ready, and now stood in the Parises' bedroom.
"I'm just – nervous," Christian went on, fumbling at his tie. After succeeding only in getting it fashioned into a rather sizeable knot, he released it and tossed his hands up in the air in frustration.
"Really? I never would have guessed." Joseph chuckled lightly and unknotted the tie, then retied it until it looked the way it was supposed to – Verona would have been proud, since before she'd left, she had tied his own for him – and stepped back, offering the writer an appraising glance.
"Well," he went on, "I think it's time to get you married."
It was a small wedding, set in a banquet hall on the ground floor of the hotel. Dr. Morrow had been asked the honor of giving Satine away, while his wife and two daughters were in attendance, Joseph and Verona acting as best man and matron of honor, respectively. Alexander Castleton was present with a rather attractive young woman, in a show of good faith, and, of course, Olivier was there as guest of honor, settled upon Mrs. Morrow's lap.
Presiding over the ceremony was a chaplain from the British Army, who went through the standard speech – when asked if any saw reason why the couple should not be wed, all was silent, and suitably so – before lowering the small prayer book in his hands and looking to Christian and Satine. "I understand you have your own vows for each other."
Christian inclined his head in a slight nod, reaching to take Satine's hands in his own. "Satine, no words or poetry could express the love I have for you – all my life, I dreamed of meeting that one person I was meant to spend the rest of my life with, and I have found that person in you. You are the most beautiful, talented, loving woman I have ever known . . ."
He paused, then began to sing.
"Never knew I could feel like this,
Like I've never seen the sky before.
Want to vanish inside your kiss,
Every day I love you more and more."
Christian reached out to take her hands in his, before he continued,
"Listen to my heart, can you hear it sing?
Telling me to give you everything!
Seasons may change, winter to spring . . .
But I love you, until the end of time.
Come what may,
Come what may,
I will love you
Until my dying day . . ."
As Christian trailed off, Satine drew in a breath. "Christian, you are . . . everything I never even dreamed I could have. Never did I imagine that I could find someone as kind and caring, as open and loving . . . and giving, and selfless as you are . . ."
She paused, laughing softly at her overuse of description, then went on, "You are all I didn't even know I wanted. You have taught me what love is. You have made me believe in love."
She smiled, and started to sing in return.
"Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place,
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace.
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste,
It all revolves around you . . .
And there's no mountain too high, no river too wide,
Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side!
Storm clouds may gather, stars may collide,
But I love you, until the end of time . . ."
Their voices merged together, and they continued to sing,
"Come what may,
Come what may,
I will love you,
Until my dying day . . ."
The chaplain paused, glancing between the two rather disconcertedly as the words faded away, and he waited a beat to make absolutely certain they were finished, before asking, "May I have the rings?"
Joseph and Verona each handed him a golden band, and he went on, "The ring is a circle with no beginning and no end; it is a symbol of eternity, and your love for each other. In exchanging these rings with one another, you seal your bond of marriage."
In turn, Christian and Satine placed the rings on each other's fingers, then the chaplain reached to join their hands together. "Those whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder."
Pausing, the man turned to address everyone. "For as much as Christian and Satine have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and pledged their troth, each to the other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving a ring, and by joining hands; I pronounce that they are man and wife.
"You may kiss the bride," he concluded with a flourish.
Christian smiled, and drew Satine into his arms, offering not the chaste peck that was typically seen after a wedding ceremony, but a long, passionate kiss, while their guests began to applaud.
At the reception following, the guests offered their congratulations and their gifts; from the Morrows, it was a rather cursory gift of a china tea set that was quite obviously chosen by Mrs. Morrow, while Joseph and Verona gave them a set of three silver cartouche pendants upon matching sterling chains, explaining that it was one each with the names of Christian, Satine, and Olivier.
Alexander Castleton, however, waited until everyone else had wandered away and the newlyweds stood alone, before approaching with a small, wrapped package in his hand. He offered them both a light smile. "Congratulations, Christian, Satine."
"Thank you, Alexander," Christian replied amiably, while Satine nodded her own thanks.
"I just wanted to give you this," Castleton went on, holding the package out to them.
"Oh, you didn't have to," Christian said with a slight shake of his head.
"No, I insist, really. Just open it," the American man responded, a cryptic smile appearing on his features.
Satine watched as Christian unwrapped the gift – which turned out to be a book. And not just any book, but –
"Oh," she whispered, gazing down at the cover, which bore the title, A Story About Love, by Christian James.
Christian laughed a bit in disbelief, opening the cover and flipping through the pages. Within the volume, surely enough, were the printed words he'd so carefully typed at his Underwood.
"Our story!" he exclaimed, and leaned over to kiss Satine, before he turned back to the publisher with a grin. "When did it get published?"
"That's just the first copy," Alexander noted. "The first one off the press, actually. It should make it into circulation by May, though. Congratulations, Christian – your first novel."
"Yes, darling," Satine agreed. "Congratulations."
"I couldn't have done it without you." Christian laughed softly, and turned the book around to show her the dedication page.
For Satine, until the end of time.
Author's Note: Lyrics are "Come What May," written by David Baerwald, and obviously we know who sings it. ;) Chapter title inspired by Bond's song "Big Love Adagio" from the album Shine, which provided me with wonderful music to write to. The wedding ceremony was basically recalled from my memory at certain points, with the end proclamation found on the web somewhere. Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out, but I suffered a bit of writer's block.