A Ceremony
"I despise him," Blossom spat while standing on a pedestal to be fitted for her impromptu wedding dress. "He is the most barbaric creature I have ever encountered."
Buttercup's eyes slid from her mirror to Blossom's. "Shall I kill him for you?"
"I should like to do it myself," she grumbled, then sighed. "I would be found out and put to death."
"Then I shall snuff out his life on your behalf," Buttercup declared. "No one will discover that it was I."
"What would you use?" Blossom asked.
"Depends. Do you want him to suffer?"
"Immensely."
"An aconite blade, then."
"I… don't think aconite grows in Hael," Bubbles put in, mildly disturbed by their casual discussion of murdering Blossom's fiancé.
"Pity." Blossom sighed at her reflection; at least the dress was pretty. Shame it had to be wasted on her once-in-a-lifetime marriage to someone who wouldn't appreciate it. She wore white chiffon as was customary for Pixies. Bubbles was being fitted in pink batiste, and Buttercup stood out in a striking red cotton voile ensemble. "Why red?" Blossom inquired of her.
"Red is the color of blood. A marriage is the bonding of blood," she answered. "If one partner is not faithful to the other, they must pay with their life. Elves do not forgive such betrayal."
"So you will kill your prince if he wanders into the bed of another?" Blossom liked that. She wondered if Demons did the same. That way she could have someone seduce Brick and kill him without any repercussions. His own people would encourage her to do it.
Buttercup nodded. "I do not think my prince will stray, however."
"He's smitten with you," Bubbles giggled. "It was all over his face. You're the most exquisite woman he's ever seen." Green eyes widened as if she didn't know what to make of that fact. "And, honestly, you're the prettiest Elf I've ever seen."
She blushed faintly. "You must not leave your kingdom often."
"I do!" Bubbles refuted. "I've been to all the kingdoms many times on walkabout. Well, except Hael. Mother forbade me to go there. She said I'd get abducted."
"Yes, they would make you into a sex slave."
"Buttercup!" Blossom gaped at her for speaking so brusquely, even though she was right.
"A sex slave?" Bubbles echoed. "Because of these?" She pushed out her chest, straining the fabric.
"You have a very… fertile figure." It was the most diplomatic compliment Blossom could offer.
"Naturally." She tossed her blonde curls. "I'm the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter. The seventh deity in our pantheon is Dairine, the earth and fertility goddess. All Fauns are descended from her."
"Is that so?"
"It's what we believe," Bubbles explained. "Our mythology says that every unique species in Erd comes from a god or goddess. Angels from Celandine, the sky goddess. Elves from Eirwen, the winter goddess. Pixies from Enfys, god of light."
"And what of Demons?" Buttercup asked.
"They're the children of Ciardha, the Lost God of the Void. He was number thirteen in the pantheon before the others locked him away for unspeakable crimes."
Each race had different names for the same gods, and some had fewer or additional roles depending on belief, but every culture told the same story of an immoral god who turned on his brethren and committed atrocities that forced the others to banish him from the world they created. The Demons were his spawn, unsightly creatures that crawled up from the bowels of Erd, from the Void, and refined their appearance over centuries to become accepted in the modern age. No one said anything out of politeness, but there had never been a Demon born without horns despite their muddled blood. Ciardha was a horned god.
The seamstresses worked swiftly, finishing Bubbles' strapless high-low dress first because she was diminutive and didn't require much fabric. Blossom was next, standing in a gown with draped sleeves and no back so as not to impede her wings, yet the skirt had a train to accentuate them. Even though Buttercup's outfit was the simplest and most revealing by design, consisting of nothing more than a wrapped halter top and skirt with high slits on both sides, her look took the longest to complete due to the meticulous placement of silver filigree armor. "Ooh, how pretty," Bubbles breathed when she saw the set. Buttercup remained still while her father fitted each piece to her arms and legs. "I wish I had something like that."
"It was worn by her mother," King Galanthus said, a somber note in his deep voice, "and her mother before, and so on back to the first ruler of house Nivalis, Menodora, who served Dijana."
Bubbles squinted to recall correctly. "The night goddess?"
"Yes. Dijana is the lady of the moon, shadows, hunting, silence, and protection." Buttercup lifted her chin so her father could tighten the gorget. "Melainos is the Elvish name for Ciardha. Our myth says that Dijana was the one who threw him into the Void, but he grabbed hold and tried to bring her with him. Menodora pulled her back while Melainos fell. Dijana gave this armor to Menodora so that no one could touch her without permission, and it has been worn by Elven queens ever since."
"A noble tale," Queen Cotta commented. She kept making tiny adjustments to her daughter's outfit. She didn't need them, but it allowed her a few more moments of contact. "Unfortunately I have nothing so profound to bestow upon you, my little Baby Blue." Bubbles tittered at the pet name her mother hadn't used in years, then lowered her head to receive a flower crown. "All I can give you to wear on this joyous occasion are these gifts from Erd."
Blossom boggled at the vivid flowers. "I have never seen blooms like that! What are they?"
"Simple lilies, darling," Cotta answered. "You would not have seen them since your realm is not humid enough for them to grow."
"They must have meaning," she pressed.
"They do. Orange to herald wealth, white to maintain a sweet disposition, calla to preserve beauty, and yellow to enhance euphoria."
"I do feel… quite light right now." Bubbles fanned her face. "Oh my, I can't even look at my own reflection. What will my groom think?"
"That you are going to be the best wife he could ever hope for." Cotta smiled and hugged her. "Treat him well. Be kind and gentle as I know you to be, but do not let him take advantage of you. Enjoy your fairytale life with your prince." She pulled back to don a serious look. "But if he makes you unhappy for any reason, or if he hurts you, come home right away and I will deal with that boy."
"I would say the same to you, Blossom." King Dan was quiet while he slid pearl pins into her ornate braid. "If you are harmed, or threatened, or merely find yourself uncomfortable, return to Floria. We will recruit and train more soldiers so that we can fight off any Demons who try to reclaim you for that monster."
Blossom's lips quirked. She had a feeling her father would exclusively refer to Brick as "that monster" forevermore. "I believe I will be all right."
"Still…" Dan placed a tiara on her head and regarded her sadly, pained that he had to watch her walk down the aisle into the arms of such a vile creature. "Everyone would be willing to fight for you."
"No one need die for me," she countered. "I refuse to allow that. I stand by my choice, Father."
"Very well." The other rulers and their daughters were waiting patiently to head outside. Nobody spoke as the six nobles traversed the empty hall leading to a courtyard that had been appropriately festooned for three simultaneous weddings. At the exit, a curtain blurred out the crowd of civilians and palace staff eagerly awaiting the princesses. Beyond them, on the podium where Florian warriors were knighted, stood the grooms in embroidered black velvet tunics and trousers color-matched to their brides.
"I think I'm going to faint," Bubbles said breathlessly. Blossom, in the middle, took hold of her left hand without a word and then grabbed Buttercup's right. They walked through the curtain together.
"Oh my god. Oh my fucking god." Butch's heart skipped several beats when he saw the Elven princess. With each stride that brought her closer to him, marching toward him like the warrior goddess she had transformed into, his legs wobbled and threatened to stop supporting him. He made a fist, unclenched it, rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants. Time slowed down so he could take in each and every detail of her divine ensemble. He forgot how to blink. He forgot how to breathe. He forgot how he'd been existing without Buttercup in his life until that moment.
"Hey." Brick shouldered him. "Stand up straight, you clod."
"I am…" he said, distant.
"No, you're leaning toward me." Butch didn't straighten up so Brick pinched his wrist.
"Oww, fucker." But his anger faded in an instant; their brides were ascending the stairs. Guests continued to throw fresh-cut flowers in front of them, and Butch watched Buttercup's filigree-adorned foot crush a stem. He made an undignified noise akin to "hngh" as he envisioned her stepping on him with those same heels.
"Are you having an aneurysm?" Boomer hissed. "If not, shut up and stop ruining our wedding." Although, he did have to admit that Buttercup was currently leagues above the entire population of Erd in the fashion department. "What's she wearing?"
Butch's eyes sparkled while he recited from memory. "It's called Moonshadow, or Dijana's Embrace, or simply the Guard of Menodora Nivalis. An enchanted set of armor made of the purest silver from the Caldwell Mountains that can only be worn by Menodora's female descendent and grants invulnerability. Encyclopedia of Divine Relics volume five, section two– Elven Regalia."
"Wow," Boomer deadpanned, "you are a fucking nerd."
"Agreed," Brick said, "and stop licking your lips like a creep." Making a hypocrite of himself, he did the exact same thing once Blossom stood face to face with him. Her gown was translucent and made her glow from within. Tiny jewels rested on her eyelashes like dewdrops glittering beneath the string lights and lanterns illuminating the courtyard. They held hands while the priest went on and on with some speech about love and respect and other things their relationship clearly lacked. Brick told himself he was only wetting his lips in preparation for the kiss that sealed their union, not because the thought of peeling that gown off and gazing upon her body in all its nude glory made him salivate. Blossom read him as easily as an elementary textbook and wrinkled her nose the tiniest bit so no one could tell how disgusted she was to be in Brick's vicinity.
Boomer nearly bit through his lip, he held it so hard between his teeth. Bubbles looked positively radiant, her cheeks dewy and eyes aglow, like a nature goddess emerging from the petal-pleats of her dusty rose dress on the first day of spring. Flower chains encircled her wrists and ankles, and her crown was gorgeous. "You're so beautiful," he spoke softly so as not to disrupt the priest.
"Thanks," she whispered. "You're very handsome."
"Really? In these Pixie clothes?" He shifted his weight.
"The pink complements your skin tone," Bubbles assured. Her eyes widened and she clamped her mouth shut when the priest turned to them.
"Princess Bubbles Bebhionn of Fawna and Prince Boomer Dawnstar of Hael… Will you promise to cherish and remain devoted to one another until the end of your days?"
"We will!" they exclaimed together, saying it with such giddiness that the audience whooped and hollered.
"Princess Blossom Iridesca of Floria and Prince Brick Dawnstar of Hael… Will you promise to cherish and remain devoted to one another until the end of your days?"
"I will," Blossom answered first.
Brick took a moment to glare at the priest for looking directly into his eyes when he emphasized "you". "I promise." He gave her hand a squeeze. She was nearly his.
"Princess Buttercup Nivalis of Fairweather and Prince Butch Dawnstar of Hael… Will you two promise to cherish and remain devoted to one another until the end of your days?"
"Absolutely," Butch stated. "Are you seeing this woman right now? She's a goddess. What kind of imbecile thinks he can do better than this? I'm no imbecile, good sir. I will remain devoted to this noble lady until the end of my days and into the afterlife!"
"Butch." He felt murder in his brothers' gazes, but he didn't spare them a glance or apologize for being dramatic. Butch looked at Buttercup when he caught the amused puff of air that escaped her nose, and she wore the essence of a smile, more than she'd given him yesterday.
"I vow to never stray from the side of this man," she said.
The priest threw his arms wide. "The ceremony is complete! You may now share a kiss to seal the union!" Boomer grabbed Bubbles' waist and kissed her so passionately that she swooned. The crowd went crazy, adoring the heck out of them. Buttercup leaned forward to peck Butch's lips, so quick it was chaste. Brick tugged on the upper part of Blossom's high braid and took advantage of her gasp to smother her mouth with his own, shoving his tongue inside for good measure. Now he owned her.
When they separated, Blossom turned the demure action of hiding behind her hand into a chance to dab at her lips. "That was awful."
"I don't care," Brick shot back. Flower petals rained from above, obfuscating the whole courtyard while cheering rang out from every angle. If the Florians knew what he planned on doing to their precious princess after returning to Hael, they would be mourning her instead. The notion put a smile on his face.
Blossom made sure he heard her over the fanfare. "I only get one kiss like this in my life and I want it to be proper." Brick faced her to tell her off, he didn't give a flying fuck what she wanted, but before the words formed she put a hand on his neck and slanted her lips over his. She pressed her body against him, fitting her delicate curves against the harder angles of his physique, and something happened to Brick that had never happened before.
There was not a single thought remaining in his head. Blossom had kissed him senseless.
