Chapter 19: Marry or die trying
The sound of a gong echoed through the compound and brought T'Les and Trip out of their conversation. T'Les was still unsure of the course her daughter and this man would chose. Each path seemed fraught with difficulties. Even T'Les struggled to see what the most logical path was.
She looked once more at the human and admired him in her dead husband's robes. She couldn't help but think he would make a good son-in-law, if it came to that. If it didn't, there was nothing preventing her from visiting Earth to see her daughter. All was not lost. The path was set. The only logical thing left to do was walk it.
"It is time" she told Trip. He nodded and followed her to the door.
Trip followed T'Les into the sitting room that looked out to central the court yard. He looked out the windows and saw Koss standing in front of a gong, next to an ancient priest who looked like he been taken out of an Egyptology display at a museum to preside over the wedding.
T'Pol was standing at the far end of the room, pressed up against the wall, looking like she was going to her execution. He walked over to her, it was time to put aside his own worries for her.
"You look beautiful" he told her, then winced. He'd had to say something to stop himself from raging out into the courtyard and shoving the gong down the face of that arrogant living statue out there.
"The priest is Solas." she said, like it was supposed to mean something to him.
"Um, okay. It was nice of him to get out of his coffin to preside over your wedding." She looked at him blankly. She lacked the capacity to deal with his sarcasm today. He sighed, he needed to cut her some slack.
"Is there something significant about Solas, apart from the fact that he's probably the oldest living being I've ever seen." Trip found he was unable to reign himself in completely.
"Solas is renown for his ability to perceive bonds. He is highly sought after to perform wedding ceremonies because of this ability. The bonds he forms between spouses are strong."
Trip felt like something had slammed into his chest. He got what she was saying and wished again that he wasn't human. That he was at least telepathic, so he could have formed a bond with her. Then this Solas would have had nothing to work with trying to bond her to Koss.
The gong rang out a second time. Trip tried to clamp down on his homicidal rage. He wanted to storm out there and beat Koss to a pulp with that damn gong. He realised rather wryly that he was probably going to get the chance to do just that. He want to call a timeout get the full story on this bond situation find out if it was a threat to them. He couldn't do either of those things, at this point anyway. He would have to trust T'Pol to decide what the risks were.
"This is your culture, you understand better than me what's at risk. Whatever you decide, I'll go along with it." He shut his eyes and took a steadying breath. "I love you, I'll kill for you if I have to."
Her jaw tensed, she blinked rapidly at him a few times and she nodded. It was in her hands.
"Trip," She said softly, a glistening in her eyes. "I will be sixty six on my next birthday.
He nodded in complete understanding. The game was over.
The gong rang out the third time.
"It's time." The voice of T'Les broke through their silent communication
Trip stepped to the side to let T'Pol pass. As she walked by she grabbed his hand
She looked at him, desperate, begging him to put a stop to this. There was supposed to be a miracle, he had asked her to believe. He put his hand up to her face.
"It'll be alright. We'll be alright." He murmured.
Her grip did not ease.
"T'Pol..." her mother said urging her forward.
T'Pol did not break her gaze, pleading him with her eyes. She squeezed tighter on his hand, he could feel the bones and sinew grinding together. The pain in his hand was nothing compared to the pain in her eyes. He looked at her and nodded. He knew what she was communicating. He sighed, resigned to his fate.
Today he would either get married, or he would die trying.