Chapter XXII

The church was not big and there were not many people attending the ceremony. Elise's family was scarce and Aramis's was only made of Musketeers. Constance and her husband had arrived after Aramis and his friends. Her husband avoided looking at d'Artagnan. If he could have avoided being here at all, he would certainly have done so. His wife was the closest friend Elise had though, so she had fought hard to be present. Some of Captain Tréville's friends had come as well.

Aramis swayed on his feet near the altar. The priest gave him a reproving look.

"Shall I ask someone to go fetch you a stick to remain standing?" Athos asked. The other shook his head. He had drunk a massive amount of water in the last hour to clear his mind, but he was still tired and staying idle was not helping.

"I am hot," he complained, tucking on his uniform. The leather jacket was too tight and it seemed to be closing in on his chest. The cape he wore above it was not helping, either. Although it was tied under his right arm, it felt like it was choking him. Athos glanced at his friend to see perspiration on his brow.

"If you faint, Aramis, I will kick you so hard you will pass out."

"I fail to see how it would improve matters."

"You are nervous, that is all. It will soon pass."

Aramis nodded, wiping his forehead. His hands were moist, too. He was certainly a little apprehensive and the lack of rest was against him. It required much concentration to keep his eyes open. He wished there was some fresh air in the church.

Then, the doors opened and in came Elise with her uncle. The sight woke him up at once. Porthos had not lied; it was a great surprise indeed. She looked amazing, almost like a princess would. She was looking straight at him and he smiled. Captain Tréville said nothing to him when he put Elise's hand in the Musketeer's but his eyes spoke for him. There was the same warning as always in them. Aramis knew it too well and nodded.

"You look like a Queen," he whispered as he brought her hand to his mouth to kiss it. She smiled back, perfectly knowing what this compliment meant coming from Aramis. It meant everything.

The mass seemed to last longer than usual and he was glad they could spend most of it either sitting or kneeling. Aramis could feel Elise breathing next to him. She sounded as nervous as he was so it was reassuring. The priest's homily was so long that he quickly lost interest. His mind could not focus enough on the words. Instead, he stole glances at his bride, taking in the blonde curls on her shoulder, the white flowers in her hair. Her skirt was so big that even though they were not seating close, some of it touched his leg. The material shimmered whenever she moved. The sun shone outside and through the stained glass, it projected colours on the white dress.

After forever, the priest stopped talking and they stood up and said their vows. It was over so quickly that it surprised Aramis. He had meant every word he had said, holding Elise's hands in his. Her voice had trembled whereas his had been more confident than he would have imagined. And then they were married and he kissed her cheek, ignoring Porthos and d'Artagnan's sniggers behind him.

Elise's smile was priceless. It sobered him up. He no longer felt in pain. Who would have thought it would be so easy? Now that it was done, he realized that had been nothing to worry about. Everything was going to be fine. Unable to contain her joy, she hugged his neck tightly, earning a disapproving look from the one who had just married them.

"I love you," Aramis whispered in her ear. They stayed close until her uncle coughed politely to remind them that the mass was not over yet.

After the ceremony was over and everybody had the chance to congratulate the newly married couple, they all walked back to the Garrison, which was not far off. Elise was happily hanging on Aramis's arm. As far as he was concerned, he could not wait to sit down to feast. Athos had been right: he needed to eat; he was famished.

The cook had set the much-anticipated meal outside. Elise was surprised to see that most of the Musketeers declined the wine when it was offered to them, even Porthos. Instead, they were all drinking plenty of water. She raised an eyebrow at Constance who shook her head hopelessly. She did not need an explanation to understand how the men had spent the night.

"You see, I told you there was nothing to be nervous about," she said to her young friend.

"Doesn't he look a bit odd to you?" Elise asked, slightly cocking her head to her right, where Aramis was sitting.

"He looks like a voracious man, that's for sure. You should have seen how he was looking at you in the church. There was nothing odd about it. It is quite rare to have him look at a woman like he does with you."

It made Elise smile even more. There was not an ounce of apprehension in her at the moment, as she looked closely at the man who was now her husband. Her husband! She had a husband. She sighed, thanking God again.

"What is it?" Aramis demanded, his mouth full.

"Nothing. I was just thinking about how happy I am. And wondering if you will require that much feeding every day." He laughed, swallowing his mouthful.

" I promise I am usually less greedy. I have hardly eaten anything since yesterday and I..."

"And you are in desperate need to soak all the alcohol, aren't you?" The shock on his face changed into a sheepish look. He rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed.

"So you know?"

"I slept here last night. You were making so much noise I could hear it from my room. I thought it better to stay there. God knows what I would have seen otherwise."

"Nothing to fear, you have my word. We had too much to drink, that is all. Are you angry?"

"Why would I be? You were at the church, albeit not looking your best but still pretty dashing. And you married me. I am perfectly content with everything."

"I did marry you, didn't I?" It was a strange feeling, knowing his life was officially tied to hers.

"There would be no need to wear this dress if you had not."

"There will soon be no need for it indeed," Aramis whispered in her ear before kissing her cheek. A slight blush spread on Elise's face.

"Save it for tonight!" Porthos jested at them from across the table. Elise hid her face against Aramis's shoulder as his body shook with laughter.

Their friends had insisted to escort them to their new home. They made quite a loud crowd, striding in the streets as if they owned them. They had all put on rather clean uniforms and they were quite a sight. Captain Tréville was constantly shaking his head and throwing dark looks at all the jokes he could hear about his niece and her new husband. He still was not used to the idea of Aramis settling down, let alone having him join his family. From what he had seen at the church, though, from the dotted looks to the confident way he had said his vows, the captain felt better. His niece may have made a good choice after all.

Elise was holding her uncle's arm. She could hear the jokes as well, Porthos was not known to be discreet. The apprehension she had not felt since the morning was slowly creeping back. Her hold on her uncle tightened when they rounded a corner and she spotted her front door.

"I will see you tomorrow," her uncle promised, squeezing her hand. Before she could answer, she was swept off her feet by Aramis. It made her giggle and she secured her arms around his neck.

"Shall we go in, Madame?" She nodded. "If you'll excuse us, gentlemen," he added, turning around to stride confidently inside. The Musketeers' voices followed them.

"Good bye, Aramis's wife! Have a good evening, Aramis's wife! Have fun, Aramis's wife!"

Aramis shut the door with his foot, muffling d'Artagnan's endless litany. He then set Elise down, but kept his arms around her waist.

"So, how are you feeling, Aramis's wife?" he asked, grinning at her.

"Lucky. Blessed. How about you?"

"Pretty much the same." They stared at each other in silence. It had been a very long time since they had been completely alone. Now, it could happen whenever they wished for it, in their own home. They felt like strangers in an unknown place for now, finding relief and comfort in one another.

If she was being honest with herself, Elise was looking forward to her wedding night. She had often imagined how it would go, but she knew rather little about the actual proceeding. She was slightly terrified at the same time. So when the Musketeers bent his head to kiss her, she tiptoed to bury her face in his shoulder, not ready to face her fear yet.

Aramis could feel how tense her body was against his. He rubbed her back carefully, easing the tension in her shoulders.

"I will not hurt you, Elise," he whispered in her ear after long minutes. "I love you." He gently grabbed her chin so she would look at him. He kissed her lips until she finally relaxed. She had closed her eyes and when she opened them, she was staring into his darkened eyes. The night might scare her, Aramis certainly did not. She trusted him with all her heart.

Elise gave in to another kiss, sighing against his mouth. It then trailed down to her neck, ever so slowly, and she shuddered when he kissed her shoulder, his beard tickling her skin. There was this incredible and puzzling feeling she was always affected by whenever he kissed her in this spot.

The Musketeer started to walk backwards, taking her with him. She would not let go of his face, kissing him to give herself some more courage. He hit a table.

"Ah, there's a table here. It's a good thing to know. And a chair here, apparently," he added when he shifted his course to trip on another piece of furniture." The young girl laughed, the joke relieving the tension. It was safer to look at what was in front of him while walking. Aramis grabbed her hand, leading her upstairs.

He had not been in the house often, but he remembered where their bedroom was. They had paid a couple of servants to clean it while it was not inhabited and the room smelled very fresh when he opened the door.

Elise was staring at the bed. It was illuminated by the setting sun light coming from the window. Constance had told her some of the things that might happen on her wedding night, but it did not mean that she knew how to act. She did not wish to behave foolishly. Yet, she also did not want to appear like a silly country girl afraid of everything. Kissing Aramis was something she greatly enjoyed. When he joined her after closing the door, she was the one initiating the kiss.

One of his self-imposed restraints broke down and he was a little less careful. He grabbed her face, her mouth welcoming his tongue willingly. He could taste the sugar from the cake they had eaten at the Garrison earlier.

As he lay her down on the bed, her face was flushed and her breathing laboured. His hand was on her hip, pressing her against him, before it moved to her belly. It was growing hotter in the room. It seemed to Elise that they had been kissing for hours when Aramis spoke again.

"There's no need for the dress anymore." His whisper sent a shiver down her spine. His fingers were expertly playing with the edge of her corset. It came off in a matter of seconds and he moved up to slide the sleeves down. Her injured shoulder was no longer covered by the lace. Aramis knew she did not like it and thought it made her ugly. She could not have been more wrong. It showed that she was a tough survivor and that she had fought her way out of her trouble. He kissed it thoroughly, leaving no part untouched.

"Up you go, Madame." He helped her out of the big skirt and the petticoat, discarding the garments to the side until she stood in front of him in a simple white long shirt.

"I feel a little under dressed compared to you," she managed to joke. Aramis was indeed still wearing his full uniform.

"Should I take it off?"

"Please do." He smiled at her forwardness. The Elise he knew was coming back, probably a little more at ease. His cape, his jacket and his shirt went to join her dress on the floor. She took him in, looking at his naked chest. Her fingers ran over the multiple scars he had got from all his years of soldiering. This time, the soldier was the one shuddering when her hand moved lower to feel the muscles on his stomach.

She had no idea what she was doing to him. Aramis pushed her gently back on the bed, lying on top of her. He gathered the bottom of her shirt in his hand, pushing it up on her hips.

"I will be as gentle as I can, I promise. Do you trust me?"

"I love you," Elise answered.

Elise shivered in his arms. It was dark outside and the night could be quite chilly. He watched goosebumps appear on her naked flesh when he stroked her arm. She did not wake up. Instead, she pressed closer to his side, her right leg tangling itself with his own. Careful not to wake her up, he pulled the bed-cover to shield her body from the cold.

Aramis was tired as well. His heart sat satisfied in his chest, full of love and happiness. He had to pinch himself to realize everything that had happened today was real, and that his wife was sleeping soundly in his arms. She would be the last woman he would ever bed, God help him, and he had absolutely no problem with it.

Elise had changed his life for the best. Kissing the top of her head, slumber soon overtook him, his thoughts solely focused on the young woman who had given everything she had to him.