Robin continued to seat the arriving guests. Kid Flash and Jinx were the last couple left on the list and they arrived just one minute before the ceremony was about to begin. As he led them to their seats they began to bicker.
"We're the last ones to arrive." Jinx complained.
"Hey, we're on time." Wally shot back.
"Just barely. Why did you have to stop for a pizza? You know there's going to be a reception after the ceremony. Couldn't you wait for an hour to stuff your face?"
"Hey, I was hungry."
Robin stopped and turned around; giving them the kind of glare he would save for Slade.
"Would you two be quiet and give it a rest? This is a wedding, in case you forgot."
"Sorry." They both replied contritely and fell silent.
Robin shook his head dismissively and continued to lead them to their assigned seats. Jinx and Wally had been married for almost a year and bickered from day one. The other Titans had set up a pool to predict how long they would last. Robin had put down $20 on one year and two months.
With the all the guests seated he made his way back to the entrance, where he found that Beast Boy and Cyborg were already waiting. Gar was nervously rocking on his feet. With his arms folded behind his back. Robin smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"It's going to be fine, Gar. Relax."
As he continued to pat the changeling on the shoulder the ladies arrived. Star was carrying some sort of ceremonial vestment, which she slipped over her head. It was white, covered in the same runes as the tablecloth on the makeshift Azarathian altar. She adjusted the vestment, which was knee length, to make sure it was on straight and adjusted her hair.
"Are we, as Cyborg might say, all systems are the go?"
The other four nodded.
"Then let us begin."
Starfire marched out to the altar by herself in silence. She reached it and turned around. She bowed to the congregation.
Beast Boy and Cyborg were next. They too marched in silence. They stopped in front of Starfire, standing to her left. Victor stood behind his green buddy, his right hand on his shoulder. They bowed to each other.
Robin and Raven were next. Again, the march was silent. Even though there had been to request to rise, everyone stood up.
"No bridal march? What kind of wedding is this?" Terra mumbled.
"It's an Azarathian ceremony."Aqualad quietly replied.
Robin and Raven stopped and stood to Starfire's right. Again, bows were princess cleared her throat before turning on a wireless microphone and raising it to her mouth.
"Dear friends and guests, we will be conducting two ceremonies today. The main ceremony is an Azarathian ceremony. Because the Azarathian ceremony does not have the verbal consent to marriage, but rather is exchanged in the form of a kiss, we had two choices. We could modify the Azarathian ceremony so that it would be legal here in Jump City or we could have a second, civil ceremony. The bride and the groom have agreed to perform the two ceremonies and to leave the religious ceremony unchanged and in its timeless form. We shall begin with the civil ceremony, which is brief."
She cleared her throat again and pulled an index card out of her pocket, from which she read.
"Raven Roth, will you take Garfield Mark Logan as your lawfully wedded husband, to love and honor, forsaking all others, until death do you part?"
Starfire then shoved the microphone into Raven's face.
"I will." Raven replied, with a discernible tremble in her voice.
"Garfield Mark Logan, will you take Raven Roth as your lawfully wedded wife, to love and honor, forsaking all others, until death do you part?"
"I will".
"Will the bride and groom now exchange the wedding bands?"
Cyborg stepped forward and opened a box with the rings. Gar went first, placing a band on Raven's ring finger, after which they kissed. Raven then did the same with the other ring. They kissed again, this time very passionately. Once they were done they turned to face the assembly.
"By the authority vested in me by the state I joyfully and gloriously proclaim you to be husband and wife!"
The assembly applauded. As they continued to clap Starfire led the wedding party to where the marriage certificate was waiting for their signatures. Raven signed it first, followed by Gar and Cyborg. Robin then picked up the pen. Starfire stopped him.
"You cannot sign as 'Robin', as that is an alias and not your legal name."
Robin sighed unhappily. "Star, you know I can't sign it that way."
"Robin, we discussed this already."
"I asked Batman and he said that I couldn't sign my real name, not while I'm being Robin."
Starfire grumbled and after glaring at him she turned the microphone back on.
"Friends, we are short of a witness to sign the certificate …"
Several hands shot up.
"You will need to sign with your real name, not your hero name."
Most of the hero hands dropped.
"And you must personally know the bride and groom."
All of the civilian hands dropped. Only Aqualad's hand remained up.
"You will need a legal identification, Garth."
"You mean like a passport or a driver's license?"
"Correct."
"Does my Titans ID count?"
Star shook her head. "I am afraid that it is not a legal form of identification issued by the government. I need to record it on the certificate. Without the valid ID the certificate will be null and void and so will their marriage."
Aqualad shrugged and lowered his hand.
"Is there no one here who can perform this task?" Starfire asked in a worried tone.
Terra stood up.
"Fine, I'll do it! I have a real name, I have a legal ID and I know them!" She shouted as charged up to the altar. There were hushed whispers and she heard, more than once: "Is that really her?", "I thought she was dead.", "What is she doing here?", "She has a lot of nerve showing her face after what she did." and other even less charitable expressions of unwelcome.
Starfire, Raven, Gar and Cyborg stared in disbelief.
"No. Freaking. Way." Gar muttered.
"I thought she was gone." Cyborg gurgled.
"She sure has changed." Raven remarked with jaundiced eye as the now curvaceous blond walked up to them.
Terra handed her passport, which identified her as Tara Markov, Princess of Markovia, to Starfire. The blond proceeded to sign the certificate.
"If someone had told me five years ago that I would be doing this …"
Terra finished signing the document and Starfire handed the Passport back to her. Gar's jaw almost hit the floor.
"Terra? Is that really .. you?" He asked.
Terra nodded and smiled shyly.
"It is. And … you're welcome. Now can we get onto the weird ceremony where you don't talk? This I gotta see." She grinned as she turned to Raven. "And before anyone says anything, you two belong together. Congratulations."
Terra walked back to her seat, as the crowd continued to murmur. She ignored them.
Raven slowly shook her head and a muffled laugh escaped her lips. "So my husband's crazy ex-girlfriend, who once tried to drown me and kill all of us, is an official witness to our marriage. Could today get any weirder?"
Starfire spoke into the microphone again.
"The civil ceremony is completed. We now may begin the glorious Azarathian ceremony."
Terra crossed her arms as she sat back down.
"That was really nice of you." Aqualad whispered.
Terra closed her eyes and the past flashed before her.
She remembered the look on his face when she said that things change. She knew that moment, when she broke his heart, had become legendary in the extended Titans family, and had made her an even bigger pariah than she already was. She had dashed into her classroom, disappearing from his view, and watched, dejectedly as he ran out of the school.
"What have I done?" She murmured to herself as she sat to take the test she had not studied for. It didn't matter, she didn't care. All she wanted to do was run after him and tell him he was sorry, that she didn't mean it.
But she couldn't. She had just been summoned home by her brother Brion, who told her she would be returning to Markovia, even if he had to drag her home. He had allowed her to join the Titans, hoping they would be a good influence on her, but then she became Sade's apprentice. The deal was off.
The temptation to flee was there, but Brion's powers exceeded her own, and he would eventually find her, plus, her own powers were weakened and she was running out of options. She gave up and agreed to comply with his order. Beast Boy didn't know that she would be gone a few days later the last time he saw her. Upon returning to Markovia she was cloistered in a convent, wearing the habit of a novice, to atone for her many transgressions. The convent was a refuge from her past, shielding her from public view and from judgment. After a while she considered taking vows, becoming a nun and spending the rest of her life in the cloister. Why not, what else would she do with the rest of her life?
Of course any contact with Garfield had been strictly forbidden by her brother, who was now the King. Terra spent three long years in the cloister until the Mother Superior told the King that his sister was now ready to return to the palace, and that while being a novice had done her good, she wasn't cut out to become a nun.
Terra quietly assumed her role as princess, and asked Brion if she could stay out of the limelight, to which he agreed. She made no public appearances and there were whispers among the king's subjects of the prodigal princess who had returned from the Americas.
Then, one day, an Atlantean delegation paid a state visit to Markovia. Terra attended the reception and met Aqualad for the first time. She was now a young woman, the stick figured girl was no more and Aqualad, though he retained the title, was no longer a lad. By the end of the reception they were smitten with each other. While Brion would have preferred to marry her off to Vlatavan or other European royalty, the Atlantean was handsome and dashing, from a noble family and was the Atlantean King's protégé. He was far more acceptable than the green freak in Jump City and if Aqualad could help Princess Tara stop pining for the changeling, he could live with it. He allowed to courtship to proceed.
Terra opened her eyes and looked at her boyfriend, who appeared to be a little worried.
"Yes, I did love him, and he will always have a small place in my heart. But I walked away from him. It wasn't easy, but, somehow, I knew we weren't meant for each other."
Garth smiled at her.
"Plus I saw the video where she punched you in the face. I don't want that to happen to me."
Aqualad took her hand. "Raven packs a mean punch."
"She also kicks like a mule." Terra replied.
"That's right, she kicked you in face. That must have hurt."
Before Terra could answer, Starfire began to shout.
"I proclaim joyful tidings! Today Raven of the House of Roth and Garfield Mark of the House of Logan have presented themselves at the altar of Azarath to be joined in the union of body and soul!"
Starfire waved her arms at them in a fluid gesture as she spun around. They bowed to her.
"OK, this already looks weird and they just got started. Why is Starfire spinning?" Tara whispered to Garth.
"Wait until we get invited to an Atlantean wedding. They you'll see weird." He replied
Starfire continue whirling like a dervish, until she finally stopped, and returned their bow.
"Under the rule of Azar a couple is bound for life, there can be no objections after their union is proclaimed. Does anyone present have a claim on the bride or the groom!? Speak up now, or your claim will become null and void forever!"
"Now's your chance, Terra." Garth snickered.
"Very funny, Garth. Why don't you make a claim on Raven. Maybe she'll break your nose again."
"No thanks, I'll let her break BB's nose instead." He replied.
Starfire raised her arms. "Let it be written that no one has made a claim. We shall now proceed to bind these two together!"
Starfire poured wine into the chalice and handed it to Garfield.
"May your life together be as sweet as this wine. May you always feel warmth for each other!"
Garfield held the chalice while Raven took a drink from it. He handed it to her and she held it as Beast Boy had a drink. She handed the empty chalice back to Starfire. Starfire lifted the lid on the covered dish, which exposed a small loaf of bread, about the size of a large dinner roll. With the strange looking dagger she sliced it in half. She picked up the plate and presented it to them. They each took a half of the loaf.
"Marriage is about supporting each other, about providing for each other and for any children you may be blessed with. Sometimes this will mean putting your spouse's needs above your own. May this bread symbolize the bounty you will share!"
They fed each other the bread they were holding. Once they were done, the Tamaranian picked up what looked like a large salt shaker and began to sprinkle it over them.
"OK, now tell me that isn't weird. Why is she sprinkling salt on them?" Terra whispered. Garth shrugged.
"It is said that salt both preserves food and gives it flavor. May your union be enduring and satisfying!"
She then instructed them to face each other. Once they did she wrapped what looked like a golden chain around them. They were face to face, almost rubbing noses.
"Will the families please approach and lay hands on the bride and groom?"
Steve, Rita, Cliff and Larry approached the altar and each placed one hand on Raven and one on Garfield. Robin, Starfire and Cyborg did the same.
"Garfield and Raven, do you agree to be married to each other?" Starfire asked.
The Bride and Groom both smiled and exchanged a tender kiss. Starfire then unwrapped the chain, rolling it into a ball.
"It is done. You are now husband and wife!"
Everyone present stood up and applauded. Even Terra did.
"Tell me you didn't like their wedding." Garth asked her.
"It was interesting. The symbolism made sense … but I don't want to get married like that."
"We won't." He replied very nonchalantly.
Terra did a double take. Garth winked at her.
-(-)-
The reception was a traditional one. There was food, dancing and of course the cutting of the giant multitier cake. Starfire doused mustard on her slice.
The first dance of course was the Bride and Groom. Neither knew how to dance and they had to take classes. They settled on the old and reliable box step, which was easy to learn. They did try a few fancy steps, including Raven spinning a few times. Once they were done Raven danced with Robin, who happily fulfilled the surrogate father role for her and Gar danced with Rita. After that Raven danced with Mento and Beast Boy danced with Starfire who fulfilled the role as Raven's mother. Next to the cake there were two portraits: one of Mark and Marie Logan and the other of Arella Roth. After that the floor was open to anyone who wished to dance.
As the dancing and partying proceeded, Raven and Gar did the rounds and stopped by every table to greet their guests. When they stopped at the table where Jill and her date were seated, Raven was the first to welcome them.
"Jill, thank you for coming to our wedding."
Jill smiled. "I'm glad to be here." She turned toward the changeling. "Remember what I told you the last time we saw each other?"
Gar sweat dropped. "Uh … I'm not sure."
Jill laughed "You were heading off to Jump City and I could tell you were worried about going solo. I said: You think you're alone, Gar, but you're not. I knew you would find someone awesome, and I was right."
Raven smirked. "So, you cheered me up with a recycled pep talk?"
"Uh …"
Raven hugged him. "To be honest, I couldn't have thought of a better thing to say. And thank you, Jill. When Gar told me that, that was when I began to fall in love with him."
They thanked Jill a second time for coming and moved onto the next table, where Garth and Terra were seated. Terra looked ecstatic.
"Why didn't you ever tell us you were a princess?" Gar asked.
Terra shrugged. "Well, you never did ask."
"Thanks for stepping in and being an official witness. Had it not been for you we would need to redo the civil ceremony." Raven added. "And, forgive me for asking, but why do you look so happy? You look happier than I do and I just got married."
Terra glanced at Aqualad, who smiled.
"I just asked her to marry me."
"DUDE! When did that happen?"
"Just after the ceremony ended. We haven't told anyone, we didn't want to steal your thunder, plus Brion will want to know before we publicly announce it."
"That's wonderful news. I know you'll be happy together." Raven continued. "Now if you'll excuse us, we have more guests to greet."
As they walked away Terra said: "Raven, I'm sorry I tried to drown you."
Raven stopped, smiled and replied. "And I'm sorry I kicked you in the face."
-(-)-
Much later that night …
Raven and Gar had adjourned to her old room, which Cyborg would combine with Gar's old room while they were gone on their two month long honeymoon, which would take them to the four corners of the Earth. Cyborg would knock down walls and had new furniture for them. In addition to their bedroom they would have a small den with desks and book cases. They had already packed their belongings into boxes, which they would unpack upon their return to their new master suite.
Raven was sitting on the bed, wearing a long T-shirt, some shorts and socks on her feet. Gar emerged from the bathroom and was wearing a tank top and some boxers. He hopped onto the bed and smiled.
"So, it's just you and me, mama."
She nodded as she pulled her hair behind her left ear in a clumsy attempt to look seductive.
"So, what do we do next?"
"I think that's pretty obvious." She replied.
"Yeah." He nodded and then rubbed the back of his neck as he chuckled unconvincingly . "So, I'm nervous as heck. You?"
"I am too. We are, well, new at this ... as in clueless. Sure we both understand the fundamental concepts behind the act, but we're both worried that we're going to botch it. I made the mistake of mentioning my concerns to Starfire, so when she came the collect me today, she left some books in this bag … she said they would be … helpful, though I can't imagine how they could be." Raven raised a canvas bag with the logo of the Tattered Cover Bookstore printed on it.
"Books? What kind of books?" He asked in a wary tone."You mean like porn?"
"I certainly hope not."
Raven pulled out the first book from the bag. Its title was "The illustrated Kama Sutra". Gar sat down next to her as she opened it. He gasped when he saw the contents. It was a couple in intimate embrace
"Dude! They're actually doing it in those pictures! What the heck? I though you said this wasn't porn?"
Raven's brow furrowed. "Yes, they are actually engaged in …" she paused. "what in the world was Starfire thinking? Did she even look at its contents?" She turned the pages. She stopped at one and snorted. "Is that position even pleasant? It looks like they're performing a circus contortionist act. It looks uncomfortable ... maybe even painful."
Gar shook his head. "Do people really make love like that?"
"Apparently, these two exhibitionists do." She said as she closed the book before casting it aside. She pulled the next book out of the bag: The Visual Guide To Lovemaking. This one also had pictures of a real couple engaged in coitus and other acts that some might deem 'unnatural'. Raven opened it on a random page, which had some very graphic and for her, disturbing pictures in it. She immediately closed it and cast it aside. She pulled the last book out.
"If this one is also objectionable, I think we're on our own." She deadpanned.
The book's title was "Sex for Dummies".
"That's us." Raven said in her gravelly voice. "Certified virgins and dummies."
"Help us Obi Wan Kenobi, you're our only hope." He blurted. She elbowed him before opening the book, which only had drawings. She furrowed her brow as she flipped through some pages.
"This might work." She said as they sat hip to hip on the bed, working their way through the book. Sometimes Gar pointed at a page and sometime Raven did as they discussed what they read. About 30 minutes later they reached the last page. She closed the book and placed it on her nightstand.
"Well, I think we're as ready as we'll ever be." She murmured. "That book was actually informative without teaching sodomy."
Gar nodded. "So we start with 'foreplay', I guess. I mean, that's what the book said in chapter 1." He replied. She nodded her agreement. They embraced and began to kiss and soon exchanged some furtive fondling and groping.
"The book suggests … that as part of foreplay … that we undress each other." She breathlessly remarked between kisses. "Shall we?"
"OK" he replied as he pulled her socks off and tossed them aside. She stopped kissing him and gave him a mildly cross look.
"You're gonna have to do better than that, green bean."
"I know, I'm just ... shy." He replied. "C'mon, Rave, we've never done this before. I'm … I don't know what to do."
"So am I." She noticed that all the lights were on in the room. "It is bright in here. The book suggested dimming the light, to use candle light, to help us relax." She flicked her wrist and the lights went off and two candles, one on each nightstand, lit up.
"OK, I like this better. It feels … you know … cozy and romantic." He said as a small , shy smile formed on his face.
"It does … so … are you ready?" She said as she raised her arms, inviting him to take the next step.
He reached over and gently removed her T-shirt, pulling it over her head. He paused for a moment to admire a facet of her beauty he had never seen before. His smile turned into a grin..
"Rave, I love you." He replied.
-(-)-
You know what happens next. Let your imagination run wild.
So, shall we end it here, or do we want to go with the Logan's on their honeymoon? I'm tempted to stop here.
Also, in the news, the great George Perez, who with Marv Wolfman introduced the New Teen Titans and created Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, Terra and Deathstroke (Slade) passed away recently, from pancreatic cancer. He was 67. I had the fortune to see him at my local comic con some years ago.