Author's Notes: Okay just a few things this week. First I am updating a day early because I know that the beloved Charlene Harris is releasing the new book in the SVM series this week and I am sure most of you will be sucked into this new novel. I was unsure if I should even update this week at all because of this. I discussed it with a good friend who reads my fic's and she told me I should either update early or wait for a week. So ya'll can send good vibes out to my girl Shannon for encouraging me to update early.

I have to give a big shout out to those of you that have taken the time to put me up as a recommendation in your blogs. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You have helped to increase the number of readers that I get every week and have helped to encourage me to keep going by increasing my popularity. KISSES.

Lastly a big shout out to my girl, ericizmine (www. Fanfiction . net/u/1982937/) she has been helping me with getting my own blog set up and been extremely patient with me. Ya'll should go and check her out, just remove the spaces in the web address, she writes a few of my favorite stories out there. Saint's and Sinners is one of my favorites as well as her Dead Tired series. So good. When I get my page all perfect I will give all of you the address for it, I am going to be putting some original work up there, but these things take time. Hehe

Lastly a big ol' thank you to all of you who took the time to review my work, I appreciate it more than I have words to describe. I encourage all of you to continue to do so or do it for the first time. It helps me grow as a writer and encourages me to continue with my stories. Tons of love to you all and enjoy the newest chapter.

Much love from the west coast,

Lilli

Chapter 8

Angela, a.k.a. Russell's day gal, and the sales woman shook themselves visibly trying to pull themselves together. I wasn't embarrassed in the slightest because that beautiful ass was all mine. "Wow deary, is that your soon-to-be husband?"

Before I could even answer Betty Joe snapped at her. "No, that was just some random bloke that she pulled off into the bathroom for a good shag before her big day." I had never heard Betty Joe fall back into her original accent before but it was actually quite cute. I had to bite my lip to keep myself from laughing.

The poor sales woman blushed deeply and quickly changed the subject. "So Mr. Edgington has finally selected your dress, and he thinks with just a quick little whip stitch that it will fit you perfectly. Follow me please to the dressing room." I followed her a few steps and she stopped dead in her tracks. "Oh Mr. Edgington, do you have the young lady's shoes and undergarments so that we can make sure that everything is fitted just right when we put it on? Since this is having to be done right this moment we should make sure everything is perfect for her."

"Certainly. Angela fetch the proper bags please," Russell said absently waving his hand in the direction of the piles of bags that were taking up one corner of the shop.

"Yes sir, right away sir." Angela rushed about the various bags, clearly a woman on a mission. After just a few moments she found a shoe box along with a small pink bag. She rushed the bags back to the sales woman and handed them to her quickly.

"Oh Sookie, make sure you put all the accoutrements on including the panty hose and garter belt because after we leave here we will be going straight to get your wedding wreath placed into your hair, and then we have to stop at the blacksmith, and then straight to the wedding. You won't have time to change so you will have to wear your gown to the other locations," Russell said with a huge grin on his face.

"Oh you little sneak! You knew that if you dragged out our time shopping that you would get to drag me around in this gown."

"Well, Eric certainly did help the cause I must say." I blushed deeply and he just laughed. "Besides it's not every day I am going to get to take a princess in her bridal gown around the town," Russell said.

"Princess? You're a princess?" Russell immediately caught the woman's eyes and I could tell that he was putting the wammy on her.

"Of course she's a princess. Every woman is a princess on her wedding day," Russell said in his best snake charmer voice.

"Of course," The woman said sleepily.

Now I typically try to stay out of people's heads, this is why I didn't even know the woman's name; I hate finding out all there is to know about people before they even open their mouth, but I had never actually got a firsthand view into someone's brain while they were being glamoured. I dropped my shields and was sucked into the woman's mind; I could hear a soft classical melody of some kind playing over and over again in her head along with Russell's words vibrating in perfect synchrony with every note. "Fascinating," I whispered softly. "Is it always like that?"

"Is it always like what dear?" Betty Joe said.

"Hmm it's hard to explain, is it always music inlaid with the message ya'll are trying to imprint on the mind? Essentially blocking out whatever memory to be replaced by the repetitive sound and message?"

Betty Joe cocked her head slightly. "I always forget you can't be glamoured, and to answer your question no it isn't always like that. Much like our individual abilities it varies from vampire to vampire, some of us use a painting we loved in our life our just an image or a memory of our own inlaid with our message. I find it fascinating though that you can actually hear what is being done without suffering any ill effects. Have you ever attempted to listen during the process before?"

"No only after, and this time I didn't really catch the full force of it either. I didn't actually 'pop in' until after he had already started. It is kind of on a loop too. I seem to remember that occurring before as well. Does that always occur, the message playing on repeat over and over?"

"Only until the message has played long enough for it to firmly take hold," she jumped up and down a little and clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh Sookie can we try you actually listening in while a glamour is occurring? I would be most intrigued to see how that effects you and your perception of the actual initial glamour."

I was just getting to open my mouth to express my own excitement at the idea when Russell cut me off. "Sookie is not one of your science experiments Betty Joe, and now is neither the time nor the place to discuss such matters. I am going to release the woman, the imprinting should be done."

The sales woman shook herself a little and said, "Of course every woman is a princess on her wedding day. Come on Miss. Stackhouse let's get you in your gown." She led me towards the back of the store past the bathrooms that Eric and I had so thoroughly christened, and through a large room with a platform and a three facet mirror, and into a rather large changing room. From the looks of the room it was common for the bride to have at least two people helping her into her gown. I said a quick prayer hoping the Russell hadn't chosen one of those frilly numbers with all the tulle and pearl work.

"Okay Miss. Stackhouse I will leave you here for a few minutes so that you can put on your under things. Just push that button there," she pointed at a small red button on the wall with a speaker just above it, "when you are ready for me to come and help you into your dress."

"Thank you."

"No problem." She turned on her heel, pulled a rather heavy looking red privacy curtain, and left. I pulled out my under things and set to work at getting all of the bits in all the right places. I had expected to find your typical white satin bra and panty set but instead I found this absolutely beautiful dark champagne color lace bra and matching panties.

The bra was really cool too; it not only lifted and separated the girls perfectly, hey when you have big boobs you have to have a little help getting them to just the right perkiness, but the latching system which was in the front of the bra instead of the back was like nothing I had ever seen before. The cups of the bra where in just the right places so that you could wear it with a v neck top, but the clasp was this thin piece of flesh colored jelly that sat across the breast bone and was undetectable to the eye, giving the effect of the cups of the bra just floating in place. Hopefully it would be undetectable to vampire eyes as well as mine because I know they have better eye sight then I do.

The panties were totally different than what I had expected as well. I had thought for sure Russell would have picked a cute little thong number, but instead he had picked out the cutest pair of low riding boy shorts that I had ever seen. When I slipped them on they did wonderful things to my shapely rump. If I dared to give myself a compliment they made my ass look great, I absolutely loved them. I would definitely have to invest in some more of them.

The garter belt was absolutely beautiful; it matched the bra and panties perfectly. It was that same perfect dark champagne color as the others but it had the prettiest crimson accents along the edges and the actual ribbons that attached the thigh highs to the belt itself were also a blood crimson color. I really hoped they wouldn't show under whatever concoction of a dress Russell had picked. The pantyhose were for the most part just a plain nude color, but I noticed that they had a thin line that ran up the back of the leg. I never really understood the point in that but men seem to like it so I really wasn't going to complain. For a man, even a gay man, Russell sure had good taste in women's lingerie. I didn't even remember him grabbing them while we were in Victoria's Secret.

The shoes where a fairly simple four inch pump that covered just my toes and had a little strap that wrapped around from the back of my heel to the front of my ankle. Of course they matched my underwear perfectly, so I was taking a wild stab in the dark at saying that my dress wasn't going to be ivory. I twirled a little in the room making sure that everything fit comfortably and nothing came popping out of anywhere that it wasn't supposed to pop out. Good lingerie should be like a second skin; if it is too tight so that you can't move it's no good, as well as if it too loose so that your bits and bobs come flying out at inopportune moments you should take it back and get a refund. Russell had of course done an excellent job in his choices.

I pushed the little red button and said, "Okay I am ready for you now." Almost immediately there was a small little nock on the doorframe and in poured Russell, Betty Joe, and the unnamed sales woman, into the room with a large white garment bag. Betty Joe quickly stepped behind me and covered my eyes. "You can't see until it is all on and in place, sorry sweetie."

"Russell is that really necessary?" I whined at him.

"Yes my dear, now humor an old man for a few moments. You will see the glorious outcome soon enough. Close your eyes tight and no peaking so that we can slip the dress on over your head." I closed my eyes tight. I was so tempted to peak but I wanted Russell to have his fun. He was after all being such a dear in helping me with this whole thing anyways. I felt the slide of a soft slip and then the gentle pull of cool satin slithering over my body and being pulled into place. As soon as it was all over my head Betty Joe clamped her hands down over my eyes again. I just sighed deeply.

I could feel Russell and sales lady, as I was now calling her, messing about at my waist and lower ribcage and then without warning I felt the distinctive tug of a cinch being pulled tightly into place. I let a little "Oommphh." noise and then said half winded, "You could have warned me to breathe in before you did that Russell."

"But then where would all the fun be my dear?" he laughed wickedly.

"Seriously though a cinch? Why on God's green earth do I need a cinch?"

"Trust me love," Russell replied. They tugged and pulled and positioned everything into its' perfect places after a few moments everyone just stopped. Russell slid his hands into mine and pulled me gently out of the room. "Okay love I am going to lift you up onto the platform." I could feel Russell's cool hands slipping on either side of my waist and he picked me up and set me down again very quickly. There was some more hustling around me as fabric was adjusted here and then finally I heard everyone in the room gasp all at once. "I told you," Russell said in a rather proud yet droll voice.

"She won't even need any stitches to adjust for size," the sales woman said.

"I don't know why you even bothered arguing with Russell in the first place, he has a keen eye and always knows what will be perfect," Betty Joe said snarkily.

"Umm guys, would it be possible if I can see too?" I said.

"Oh of course." Betty Joe said.

"Wait, Sookie honey close your eyes, and when Betty Joe drops her hands let your eyes readjust to the light. I will tell you when to open them alright?" Russell said softly by my ear, and I just nodded once in acceptance. I closed my eyes tightly and felt Betty Joe's hands fall away from my eyes. There was a bit more rustling of the fabric and I could feel my eyes slowly readjusting back to the light of the room. From further away I could hear Russell say, "Okay Sookie open your eyes."

I slowly opened my eyes and took in the beautiful goddess staring back at me from the mirrors I had seen earlier. There was no way that was me. I looked over my left shoulder and then my right to see if there was some kind of trick but no, that was definitely me. I heard Russell chuckle softly; I am sure he had figured out what I was doing. I stared for a long time taking in the absolutely beautiful gown that Russell had picked up for me.

I was right in assuming that the dress was not white, it was the same dark champagne color as my panties and bra. It had a v neck that hit about the middle of my rib cage, and had no sleeves, almost like a tank top, but for some reason reminded me more of an older Grecian gown you see in all the movies where the straps of the bodice almost cover the shoulders completely. The dress flowed perfectly down my body into a bell shape that poured out behind me in a train that was the absolutely perfect length. Not so long that I would need someone constantly behind me making sure it lay in just the right position, but just long enough that it gave me a regal air.

At my waist the cinch that I had complained about framed me perfectly. It accentuated my waist and hips giving me more of an hourglass figure than I already had. The cinch itself was dark champagne and diamond shaped in the front, the top tip hitting the just below my ribcage and the bottom hitting me in the middle of my abdomen. It was a few shades lighter than the dress itself, I assumed to help draw attention to it, but if that didn't draw the eye one of the other of the two other features of this magnificent accent would.

The sides of the cinch where laced with a crimson satin ribbon that once tied off at the bottom hung all the way down to floor. Looking at the ribbon for a moment I noticed that it looked as if it flowed throughout the entire piece as both the top and bottom of it where piped with the same red satin as a kind of outline.

In the middle on the front of the cinch was a beautiful tree, embroidered in gold. I ran my finger's gently along it feeling the hills and valleys that the embroidery created. Russell whispered quietly in my ear, "That my dear is the tree of life, in Eric's culture the tree was the symbol for all things. From the roots where the dwarves, elves and fairy's lived, to the leaves that stretched into the heavens home of the God's, to the trunk." He touched the trunk of the tree lightly. "Where man and woman and all the rest lived in perfect perpetual harmony. The tree represent's life and death, love and hate, and most importantly the connection in all things, it shows that no matter your status on the tree be it a fairy princess or a vampire king, we are all connected and therefore able to love one another." I felt the hot tears slowly rolling down my face. "Oh Sookie sshhh don't cry darlin'." He gently wiped my tears away. I had expected him to lick them but instead he just pulled out his handkerchief and dried his hands.

"It's perfect Russell, I couldn't have chosen a more beautiful dress and of course the cinch is absolutely the perfect symbolism for the two of us. Plus it will mean so much to Eric that his culture is included into our ceremony."

"Oh honey you haven't seen anything yet." He smiled at me and boy was he not kidding. From the bridal shop, he carried me to the hair dressers, where they quickly put on my makeup, very lightly thank you Gods, and pinned my hair up into a complicated array of twists and knots so that my wedding crown could sit on my head without a lot of effort other than a few bobby pins to help hold it in place. The wedding crown as it turned out was an elaborate weaving of white tulips mixed with myrtle leaves. It was absolutely stunning

From the hairdresser's I was once again carried down the street and into what could only be the blacksmiths shop. When we arrived Russell set me down and turned to Angela and Betty Joe. "Take the bags to the car and bring it around we won't be too long."

"Yes sir," Angela said. Betty Joe gave Russell a quizzical look but just nodded her head and left the shop. I heard the soft clink clink clink of a hammer being hit against metal emanating from the back. "Sookie darling wait here please I will be right back." Russell quickly slipped into the back and left me to peruse at my leisure. I gathered up the train of my skirt so that it wouldn't drag on the ground here and slowly made my way about the shop. There were blades of every shape and size here and they were all quite impressive. Working for the last year with a sword master had given me a new application for swords and blades that I had never before possessed. I knew that some of these fine works of craftsmanship took months to make if not years.

My eye was automatically drawn to a double edged broad sword that was just my size. I really wanted to get permission before wielding the blade but my fingers itched to touch that sword. My Sword master had always said, "Sookie sometimes you do not have a choice, you will see a blade and it will choose you." I never understood him until that moment. I gently lifted the blade from it holder and unsheathed it gently.

She was beautiful. I dropped my train to the ground and twisted and turned the blade in the familiar warm-ups that I had been practicing nonstop for the last year. She moved beautifully with me; it was like she was an extension of my arm, moving perfectly at just the right moments. Whenever I had wielded a blade previously it had always responded to my commands but never had I felt like the movement was so natural.

"Milady," I heard a soft male voice say behind me. I was suddenly embarrassed, I felt like a kid who had gotten caught with her hand in the cookie jar. I stopped my exercise, turned to the voice, and bowed deeply. "Don't be embarrassed child, it seems the Guinevere has finally chosen. I never thought she would find a hand worthy to wield her. I have tried for years to get Guinevere into the hands of a worthy warrior. Apparently she was waiting for a maiden warrior's soft touch instead of the rough clasp of a man."

"I never understood what my weapon's master meant but I saw her and I just couldn't let her sit there. I'm sorry I know you are supposed to ask permission before wielding the blades of a blacksmith but I just had to. I'm sorry."

"No, child don't apologize, Guinevere is one of the first blades I ever forged. That was, oh hmmm, three hundred years ago. In this shop the blade truly does choose the wielder and apparently she has chosen. I am proud to see her finally in the right hands. I dreamt of her you see. I had never even been in a forge before but one night I dreamt of Guinevere calling me to bring her into existence, she told me that she was needed and that I must be the one to forge her. I had all but given up hope that she would ever find her wielder."

I examined the man carefully as I took in his words; he was a fairy. No wonder the blades choose their owners here. I laugh softly. "I came for my wedding blade and end up walking away with another that I had never known would be meant for me to wield." I looked lovingly down at the blade in my hand. "Guinevere, such a lovely name for such a lovely blade."

"May she bring you much happiness and protect you perfectly, may her edge never be dull and her slice always be on the mark," the blacksmith said.

"Thank you," I said again and bowed slightly. I gently slipped Guinevere back into her sheath and set her lovingly onto the counter. The minute I put her down my fingers itched to touch her again.

The blacksmith looked from me to the blade clearly amused, I must have given some kind of indication to what I wanted to do because he laughed aloud, looked at the blade, and said, "Guinevere knock it off you are going home with her. She must look at her wedding blade that is to be presented to her husband this day." Just like that the itching stopped and I breathed a sigh of relief.

The blacksmith came and stood directly in front of me, bowed his head, and knelt before me holding a magnificent sword above him. "Milady I formally present to you Arthur, he is your wedding blade for you and your mate."

Once again I had the itching feeling in my fingers and I reached out and grasped Arthur in my hand. He was a little heaver but I could manage him just as easily as Guinevere. I laughed out loud as I made the connection in the names. The blacksmith rose and looked at me, clearly puzzled. "Think about the names sir. They are Arthur and Guinevere, a truly matched pair."

The blacksmith roared with laughter. "I had not even thought of that. The blades speak to me and whisper me their secret names. I had not even thought about the fact that he had chosen such a name or that you would end up wielding his mate."

"Indeed, a most peculiar coincidence," Russell said from the doorway that lead into the back of the shop.

I unsheathed Arthur with just as much love as I had with Guinevere. I noticed that on the pommel of the blade was the familiar tree of life; the leaves were the very edge of the pommel flowing down into the trunk for the handle and finally the roots splitting off at the edge of the blade to make up the hilt. I smile slightly; I suddenly had a whole new appreciation for this image. Engraved on handle on one side was a large B in a fancy old English looking script and on the other side was a large N in the same script. I looked up at the blacksmith. "The B and the N, how did you know?"

"I didn't. I made that blade five years ago when King Russell called and told me that he needed to acquire a blade for a very special girl, I knew that Arthur was yours. I still don't understand the meaning and Russell did not tell me who you were, but Arthur practically screamed at me that he belonged to you." He paused for a moment clearly debating on whether or not to ask his next question. "I'm sorry milady, and I know this is very rude, but the letters have been a mystery for me and I was just wondering… what do they stand for?"

I brushed my fingers lightly over the N tracing it back and forth. "Well the N is for my soon to be husband Eric Northman."

"Ahhh that explains the Norse imagery, and the B?"

"Well I would assume that it stands for me, although I do not go by that last name, but it stands for Brigant."

The blacksmith's eyes widened and he fell to his knees in front of me. "Princess Sookie, I … I … I did not know it was you that was coming here."

"Oh stop that right now, and stand up please. I am no one's princess, I am just Sookie."

The blacksmith laughed lightly and stood. "I heard that about you, humble and kind. Well this does explain the blessing."

"Blessing?"

"Yes the blessing. You see those there on the blade?" I looked at the blade more closely and noticed for the first time some very faint writing. I simply nodded my head. "Well, the blessing is in Old Norse but it is a ancient fae blessing. Roughly translated it is: May the love that these two share forever be combined in this blade for nary a rarer pair has ever been made, only these two may wield this blade."

I scrunched up my eyebrows. "Does that mean only Eric and I can use the sword?"

"I would assume so, but it is also a blessing on yours and Eric's love for each other. Swords as long as they are well loved will last forever. Do you understand?"

I smiled lightly. "Yes, and I will do my best."

"I know you will milady." I sheathed Arthur and grabbed Guinevere. My hand practically hummed with happiness when she was resting in my palm.

"Before I go, in a few days I would like to bring my husband here. I have a feeling that there is a blade of some sort here just for him. I think I even know which one but I want him to come and look just to be sure."

"Of course you can bring him, but might I ask which blade you are referring to?"

I pointed at a double-headed battle-axe that was positioned on the wall just above where Guinevere had sat. The blacksmith and I said together at the same time "Merlin." He looked at me with shock on his face.

"I knew it," I said smiling. "I cannot wait to bring him here."

The blacksmith just laughed. "Until then milady."

Russell scooped me up once again and we were out the shop and into the car in just a few seconds. He placed me in the back seat and off we went, away from the mall and the hustle and bustle of the last few hours and firmly towards my new life. My soon to be husband waiting for me, he truly was my destiny and I knew that now more than ever, as I looked lovingly down at my swords Arthur and Guinevere