I was still uncomfortable with all this. It wasn't only that I was wearing a dress with full skirts again, but the breeze was terribly uncomfortable and the limited movement had caused me to trip and fall flat on my face more than once. The fact that the woman who had been madly in love with me only a few weeks before was now suddenly married to my twin brother was still hard to wrap my mind around. The second I had been proven to be a woman by the kind sea captain and regained my possessions, Olivia asked me to be the maid of honor in the public affair of the wedding that had legally already taken place.
I didn't believe it. I didn't trust it… at first. Through the weeks of planning, Olivia had a chance to get to know Sebastian better, and I had a chance to gauge their relationship. I had determined that they were fairly matched, a real cute couple. My brother had always been the perfect gentleman around women and was no less for Olivia. Something else was there though, or always had been. The hollow look I used to see in his eyes when he watched a couple stroll down the boardwalk was gone.
Olivia had been acting differently, too. Less needy and high maintenance. She was smiling again. She was excited about the wedding and promptly told me her plans as soon as she made them… and then changed her mind… several times.
She was seeking my counsel honestly and often now that I was a woman. As I said before, at first I was very wary. How could I be sure her love for me had completely waned? But her intentions proved pure and we became great friends. I still, however, preferred the company of Antonio or the Duke.
Antonio's slate had been completely cleared for his service to all parties. He was free to roam around the grounds of both courts, as well as the town. Unfortunately soon after that announcement, he became the errand boy. He was the best man in his best friend's wedding after all.
We had become close friends. All the gratitude toward my twin's savior eventually turned into normal conversation. I liked his rowdy nature and the way he treated me like a brother even though I was a woman.
I tightened my bodice and looked at myself in the mirror. The lovely green dress Olivia had picked out for me flowed nicely around my body and showed off my feminine features. My hair was growing back and was long enough to pull into a simple up-do for the wedding.
There was a knock on the door. "Viola? Are you ready yet?" I smiled, recognizing my brother's voice. "Yes Sebastian!" I opened the great wood door to the dressing room (a private one, I still wasn't used to undressing around other women.) and saw my brother's smiling face, so similar to my own, leaning on the door frame. He gave me a once over while handing me my bouquet. "You look-"
"Like a girl? I know. It's weird huh?" he laughed. "I was going to say 'like a beautiful young lady' but yes, I suppose you do look like a girl. Is it weird wearing a dress again?" I rolled my eyes at him. "You have no idea."
He led me out into the hall to wait for the wedding to begin. Olivia was still getting ready but Antonio, the Duke, Maria, and Sir Toby were all waiting in front of the chapel. Sir Andrew had, in shame (poor thing), left the country after finally losing all his money to Toby and was apparently traveling the countryside looking for work that didn't involve sword fighting. (He wasn't quite as masterful as he was made out to me. I often wonder why no one told me that earlier.)
Feste walked up behind after Sebastian left me to talk to the Duke (they still weren't great friends but Sebastian was trying to make amends all the time.) "It's strange, how everything turned out in the end, isn't it." I silently agreed. "Everything got so mixed up. Cupid is a lousy shot if you ask me." I laughed. "I disagree. He's given me a fair beating more than once." Feste turned to me fully and took my hand in his. "How are you this fine afternoon, miss?" he asked with a smile. I glanced toward the Duke, who claimed to be mine. "Better than I've been in months." he nodded and left to get his instrument.
Sir Toby already looked drunk, although less drunk than usual. Maria looked miserable, too. I had heard clips of their predicament in shouted conversations through thin walls. After their marriage, the couple moved out of Olivia's house and into a new mansion thanks to the large fund 'provided' by a certain Sir Andrew. The property had been rented cheaper than usual because it had been bought from the previous owner and had a landlord who was new to real estate. Maria and Sir Toby had moved in immediately and soon they found problems popping up everywhere around their new home. The price had been raised instantaneously after they moved in. The chamber pots dumped into the mote suddenly overflowed onto the grounds. There were holes in their roof that hadn't been there the day before.
They contacted the landlord after a few weeks of constantly having these problems. It was only then revealed to them that the owner of the home was Malvolio. His sale of the bright yellow, masterfully cross-gartered socks made a killing. Since it wasn't feasible for the Belch's to move out at the time, they were forced to stay in the home. Malvolio had gotten his revenge.
The whole situation sounded awful and I sent them a sympathetic look. They bit their thumbs at me.
Duke Orsino caught my look and smiled at me. I smiled back. I walked over and took his hand. "You look handsome I said." He curled a loose hair behind my ear. "And you look ravishing."
When he first promised himself to me, I wouldn't have any of it. I had heard his whining for the past three months about his precious Olivia. I had actually walked away after he asked for my hand. He caught up to me later, after I looked like a woman again. "Why did you run from me, love?" I gave him a look "Don't 'love' me! You obviously have no idea what love is. It can't happen that quickly." He gave me a look. I sighed "I know you, my love for you has grown since the day I met you." He smiled. "So you do love me!" I gave him a more piercing look. "Of course, but I know the inner workings of unrequited love, and this is a textbook example."
"I owe you so much, I want love so bad. Give me a chance to love you. I know what an amazing person you are, it shouldn't be hard at all." he begged passionately. My eyes widened. I thought about it for several minutes. "It's like explaining a foreign language to a child. Reasoning with you." His eyes were pleading. I took a step forward. "But love works outside of reason doesn't it." I took his hand and here we are today.
The clown began to sing and the party lined up in front of the doors to the chapel. Toby and Maria were in front. Antonio and a lady-in-waiting who was a close friend to Olivia were behind them. I was looking at the back of Antonio's head, the Duke's hand in mine. Sebastian was behind us and would enter right before Olivia. She would come in with the clown. I turned to look at my brother. "Good luck" I said. He smiled at me. I spotted Olivia come out of her room, see Sebastian, and turn back around. Bad luck to see the bride before the wedding I suppose.
We all took our turns slowly processing through the chapel to the front. I let go of Orsino's hand and took my place by the alter. I looked around the room. The Captain, who I had invited, was sitting up front with Fabian. they both shot me a thumbs up and a smile. I smiled in return and turned my attention to the back of the long aisle.
Sebastian took his spot. Feste took Olivia's hand at the back and began singing a capella as he walked the bride, my sister-in-law, down the aisle.
"O Mistress mine, where are you roaming?
O, stay and hear! Your true love's coming,
That can sing both high and low.
Trip no further, pretty sweeting.
Journeys end in lovers meeting,
Every wise man's son doth know.
What is love? 'Tis not hereafter.
Present mirth hath present laughter.
What's to come is still unsure.
In delay there lies no plenty,
Then come kiss me, sweet and twenty.
Youth's a stuff will not endure."