Scene 57 - Matrimony
Brianna sat by the window sill and looked through the glass panes which had a gorgeous view of the sea. It was near evening now and she hoped the picture of the setting Sun would be captured nicely in the photographs. Her thoughts wandered to a memory from about six months back…
The brunette stood in between both men to prevent her father from suddenly lashing out at Kaldur. Even though she had told him beforehand that the Atlantean was coming, Malcolm agreed to her request uneasily but no one knew what he would do if he finally met Aqualad in person.
There was a tense standoff and the blonde Atlantean extended a handshake, "It's good to see you, Mr Dian."
Malcolm shook his hand curtly, "I can't say the same about you, Kaldur'ahm."
Brianna was on the verge of rolling her eyes but she directed all of them to the couch in the living room. Instead of sitting down though, Aqualad kneeled on the floor in front of her father.
"Kaldur!" Brianna exclaimed and her fiancé shook his head before addressing Malcolm, "I came here to seek your forgiveness, Mr Dian. I did not adhere to my promise to you about taking care of Brianna. I am willing to receive whatever punishment you have for me."
The man raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the Atlantean's courage, "I am a little impressed that you have the guts to face me. Sit down on the sofa and we'll talk." Frankly, he was a little embarrassed by Kaldur's kneeling. No one should be subjected to that.
Aqualad sat beside Ember and Malcolm spoke, "It is true that you caused my dear daughter much pain. Breaking up and electrocuting her, taunting her and giving her more scars, and you still dare to ask for her hand in marriage? I gave you my trust that you will take care of her but you just tossed it aside a few years ago. Why should I give you a second chance?"
Kaldur exhaled and his fiancée grasped his hand to give him strength, "Because Brianna did. I am not expecting you to trust and forgive me right away, sir. That takes time. I know what I did wrong in the past. I realize that Brianna is more than capable in taking care of herself and I will not keep her from the truth again even if I want to keep her safe. For a relationship to work, not only do I have to trust myself, I also need to have faith in my partner as well."
Malcolm crossed his legs and exhaled, "You are a very smooth talker, Kaldur'ahm. I know that your time as leader has taught you to say your words carefully…"
Brianna shook her head, "Dad, Kaldur has been raised to speak like this from the Atlantean Army. This is part of his personality. Please, believe him…"
Her daughter just had to plead with him and like most fathers; they always had a soft spot for their little girls. Needless to say, Malcolm dropped his hostility just a little bit, "I hope you didn't bewitch my daughter with your magic."
Kaldur frowned and stood up protectively, "Sir, I will never do that to Brianna. Holding someone I love against her will is not how I work."
Mr Dian could see the passion and fire in his eyes and he was finally convinced. He broke into a smile, "I like your body language, Kaldur. Well done." The brunette and the blonde sighed with relief.
"I give you two my blessings. However young man, break her heart again and I will make sure you will never see the light of day," Malcolm threatened him a little jokingly and stood up. Brianna stood up as well and was immediately pulled into a group hug by the head of the Dian household.
A knock on the wooden door brought Brianna back to present and her bridesmaids who were clad in purple shuffled into the room excitedly. Megan was the first one to reach her, "Let me put up your veil for you, Bri." With gentle hands, she telekinetically lifted the sheer piece of fabric over her friend's head, which was held in place by the Adrinz royal crown, and lowered it across her face. The ceremony was beginning very soon and the brunette said shakily, "I'm so nervous…"
Raquel placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "You will be fine, trust me." The dark skinned woman spoke truly as she thought of her own wedding a couple of years ago.
"Besides, it is your special day, everything will be perfect. You chose a splendid location as well!" Zatanna exclaimed as she gestured to the lighthouse they were currently in at the moment.
Artemis could not help but share her friend's joy as well, "C'mon, we shouldn't keep Kaldur waiting."
Brianna nodded and stood up as the blonde archer held her train of her cream colored, A-line, strapless wedding dress. Pearl earrings hung down from her ear lobes and the precious pearl necklace Kaldur gave her for their first Christmas together was laid snugly on her neck. Carefully walking down the stairs of the tower, she finally made it outside where the guests were seated on little peach colored folding chairs inside a white tent. Streamers hung about from the ceiling and magical lights floated in the air. Her father looked really dapper in his suit and he gave her a smile, "Are you ready, Brianna?" The brunette nodded and as soon as she stepped into the tent, music begun to play and all the Leaguers and Team members turned their attention to her.
It was quite an experience to see the normally uniform clad superheroes all wearing suits and dresses. Thankfully, they left their masks at home since it was a fairly private event and the only outsiders that were invited were the couple's immediate family and a few close friends who were magically sworn to secrecy about the Leaguer's identities. The four groomsmen consisting of Roy, Dick, Conner, and La'gaan all shot Brianna a smile and Dick cheekily whispered into Kaldur's ear as the Atlantean patiently waited for his soon-to-be-wife to stand beside him.
The walk down the aisle was over and Malcolm gently placed her hand into Kaldur's before joining his family who were seated in the front row. The blonde looked remarkably handsome in his black suit which had a few Atlantean touches and he glanced at Brianna lovingly. She was absolutely beautiful and radiant.
They were lost in each other's eyes as they barely paid attention to the pastor who was presiding over the wedding. The kindly old man spoke about the usual phrases of loving one another and to continue to support the other half through thick and thin. The couple nodded at each sentence in agreement and when it came to the exchanging of vows, they each kneeled on a big seashell that symbolized the base of their marriage in Atlantean tradition.
"Do you, Kaldur'ahm, take this woman to be your wedded wife?" The pastor asked and the Atlantean beamed at Brianna, "I do."
Continuing the vows, the priest inquired, "Will you love and comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her as long as you both shall live?"
Kaldur nodded once more and said his words confidently, "I will."
Turning over to Brianna, the pastor repeated the same question, "Do you, Brianna Dian, take this man to be your wedded husband?"
Almost immediately, the brunette responded, "I do."
Again, he asked, "Will you love and comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto him, as long as you both shall live?"
She blinked and looked into Kaldur's eyes, "I will."
The priest turned towards the groomsmen, "May we have the rings please?"
Roy presented the pair of rose gold jewellery on a purple cushion in between the couple. Both of them took each other's rings and waited for the vicar to instruct them. "Kaldur, you may place the ring on the bride's finger and say 'With this ring, I, Kaldur'ahm, give you, Brianna, this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you.'"
The Atlantean slid the ring onto Brianna's finger and recited, "With this ring, I, Kaldur'ahm, give you, Brianna, this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you."
The brunette's hand almost trembled. They were halfway to being legally wed! The pastor looked towards her, "Likewise, Brianna."
The bride took the ring and slipped it onto the groom's finger, "With this ring, I, Brianna, give you, Kaldur'ahm, this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you."
La'gaan then presented the couple with two glasses of underwater nectar that was brewed by Queen Mera. Atlantean tradition dictated that the couple was to drink the nectar as a symbol of everlasting sweetness and luck in their marriage. The couple coiled their arms around each other and sipped the saccharine liquid which tasted absolutely heavenly. Their bodies' glowed gold briefly as a magical side effect which signified that they were bonded for life. Draining the glasses and returning them to La'gaan, the pastor finally said, "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you Husband and Wife. You may kiss your bride."
Cheers and applause erupted as Kaldur lifted Brianna's veil and looked into her brown eyes that were shining with happiness. Leaning in, he pressed a loving kiss against her lips and he could feel the brunette smiling against his mouth. They pulled away and stood up before everyone adjourned to the reception. Both of them were showered with congratulations and hugs and it was absolutely wonderful.
"I'm so glad to have you as my daughter-in-law, Brianna," Sha'lain'a said excitedly and hugged the brunette. "When will you give me grandchildren?" The blonde woman added after that and Kaldur laughed, "Mother… we'll get to that when the time comes."
She gave him a small pout before replying, "Well, I waited seven years for this marriage to happen. I suppose I can wait a little while longer." Calvin then pulled his wife away from them and showed her the buffet table which she thoroughly enjoyed.
Even though Kaldur wasn't his biological son, Calvin still loved Aqualad as his own as he was the one that raised the Atlantean and not the cruel Black Manta who might have made the boy's life a living hell. Sha'lain'a might have made a drunken mistake but he forgave her just like how she forgave him for creating chaos on Shayeris all those years ago. Their love blossomed over the years and was very real. Both of them hoped that their son and new daughter would learn to understand that and continue to support one another no matter the odds.
Malcolm, Jean, and Alexander congratulated the couple once more and the latter was excited at having a brother. "Remember to always love one another, even during fights." Jean imparted some wisdom and Brianna nodded, "We will, mom. And we will keep visiting you every month." Mal patted his son-in-law's back and exchanged a look with him as Kaldur nodded, understanding the hidden meaning behind the glare and gave the older Mr Dian a silent promise that he would keep to his word. Malcolm smiled and politely asked his family to give the couple some space so they could mingle with the other guests.
King Orin and Queen Mera made their way to the newlyweds and Aquaman shook Kaldur's hand, "Congratulations, Kaldur'ahm. You're finally married! I am so proud."
The groom smiled, "Thank you, my king."
Mera waved her hand, "You can do away with formalities, Kaldur'ahm. It's your special day after all. Besides, you've married a princess and we're of the same royal status now."
The redhead turned to Ember, "Do take care of him, my dear Brianna. He can be quite focused on the task at hand that he may forget to rest and take care of his body."
The bride blushed and nodded, "I will, thank you."
A seven-year-old blonde boy ran up to the royal Atlantean couple and exclaimed in fluent English, "Mother, Father, look! This food is cold, sweet, and soft at the same time! I've never seen anything like this in Atlantis."
Aquaman looked down affectionately at his child, Artur, who had a cup of vanilla ice cream in his hand. "Ah, you've discovered ice cream, my son. It's a surface world dessert."
Artur's eyes lit up, "Ice cream? This is the best dessert ever!"
Mera chuckled and patted the little prince's blonde hair, "You should thank Aqualad and Ember for the food, my dear."
The boy looked up at the bride and groom and beamed him a toothy smile, "Thank you!"
Kaldur returned the grin, "You're welcome, Prince Artur."
Orin decided now was the time to end the conversation, "I'm sure Artur here would like to sample more surface world food so we'll leave you two for now. There must be many more people who wish to congratulate you both." With that, the royal Atlanteans turned away and helped themselves to the buffet line.
"Well, it seems Water Boy and Fire Girl got hitched. You have my congratulations." A sarcastic voice rang out from behind them and Brianna turned to see Cheshire with little toddler Lian in her arms who was currently preoccupied with playing with a leaf.
"The name's Kaldur and Brianna, Jade," The blonde Atlantean said curtly in return and Roy joined his wife at the right moment. "C'mon Chesh, lighten up. It is their happy day after all."
The ex-assassin rolled her eyes and glared at her husband who responded, "Don't forget you've invited them too for our customary wedding next year."
Jade then sighed before pushing Lian's hand down to prevent her from putting the leaf into her mouth, "I'll let you give Aqualad our congratulations. I'm going to get Lian some food."
Mrs. Nyguen-Harper then left her husband to join her sister while her daughter said, "Bye bye, dada!"
The red-headed archer looked at his family fondly and rubbed the back of his head. "Trust me, she's happy to be at this wedding. Jade has been worried about Artemis for a while and this is one rare occasion that her sister is genuinely smiling after Wally's… passing."
Brianna nodded while Roy added on, "Well, congratulations, by the way. Remember that your spouse will always support you no matter what." He then extended a hand towards his best friend.
Kaldur accepted the handshake and replied, "I know. Thank you for being here today, Roy. You should join your family, I think Jade will need help keeping Lian still while she feeds her."
Red Arrow smiled and bid his friends a farewell, "Thanks. I'll see you two around."
The sun began to set and after a few rounds of picture taking and eating, the newlyweds slow danced with each other with the moves taught to them by Leon who was present at the wedding along with Ada. It appeared that the red-headed prince got over his feelings for Brianna and both he and the green-eyed Ada realized they had something special together. The brunette smiled at the sight of their royal friends finding love with one another and she predicted a marriage would be imminent in the coming year.
Kaldur and Brianna traded more caring looks and danced to their hearts content. Everyone at the reception was having fun and soon, it got a little rowdy so the couple decided to call it a night. All of them were ferried into guest houses while the newlyweds were ushered into a sprawling villa.
Hugging her from the back, he kissed the top of her head as they gently swayed around the dwelling. "I love you," The Atlantean whispered into her ear and she slowly spun around in his arms to face him before replying, "I love you too." Their declaration of eternal commitment to each other was sealed with another kiss.
Needless to say, it was the hottest night in the villa and both Kaldur and Brianna Durham looked forward to spending the rest of their lives together. All the hardship and struggles they have endured over the years were worth it and they looked forward to walking the path of marriage together. They finally got their happily ever after.
Author's Note: The wedding takes place around Sep-Oct 2018. It's not the first time they're having sex. I have alluded to it twice. :P
Just in case you forgot, Malcom, Jean, and Alexander were introduced in Chapter 21. Whew, Kaldur got the A-okay from Malcolm to marry his daughter. It would have been a bad idea to do so without blessings from him. Kal better not screw up like he did last time (he won't) ;)
The lighthouse location for the wedding was inspired by the game "To the Moon" which gave me the idea of 'meeting on the constellation' that was mentioned in Chapter 20 and Chapter 44. Plus, it's a perfect blend of the surface and sea. I chose not to have a beach wedding 'cos it is kind of cliche. Hope the lighthouse was a nice twist.
I wrote a short and sweet ceremony 'cos I'm sure everyone is mostly interested in reading the "I do" so I glanced over some stuff while incorporating a few Atlantean touches that I made up.
The Roy who was one of Kaldur's groomsmen is the clone. Rest assured that Arsenal was invited as well along with the entire Team and League. After learning about the name of Aquaman and Mera's son from the Young Justice: Legacy game, I couldn't help but include the little boy in the chapter. According to the game, he was born on Feb 1st 2011. D'aww. I also wanted to include Lian Harper too since the more kids, the merrier. =P Greg has mentioned that Lian was born in Sep 2015 so she's three years old in this chapter.
For "customary weddings", it is common in Asian culture to hold two 'separate' weddings. One is the civil ceremony where you are married by an official solemnizier, be it a priest or someone whose is qualified to do so. The other is a 'customary' wedding where they perform the wedding according to the Asian custom which can be a lengthy process. In a modern day setting, the customary and civil wedding can also be combined on the same day. There are still couples who hold a simple civil wedding first followed by a grand customary wedding. I assume Jade and Roy had a very basic civil wedding and Paula would want a customary wedding for tradition's sake. ;)
Prince Leon & Princess Ada got together just as I planned. :P Yes yes, the old cliche of childhood friends becoming lovers. It was fitting.
As for Sha'lain'a, Black Manta, and Calvin. I honestly had no idea what to do with them since we never see them interact on screen. My story for them is that shortly before they were married, Sha'lain'a and Calvin had a little tiff so Sha'lain'a went out to drown her sorrows... Black Manta was there and one thing lead to the next, it was a drunken one night stand. Calvin wasn't aware that the procedure for a human to change into an Atlantean resulted in sterility so he assumed Kaldur was his own flesh and blood till Sha'lain'a told him tearfully when Kal was a few years old. Their love for each other was strong enough for forgiveness.
One more chapter after this!
To murdercrowther: Aww, don't cry. Like I said, this story will always be around and will never be deleted. :)
To Anime hotty lover.18: No, I don't have the game. I saw the cutscenes on YouTube and it was sad. :(
To Eszra: Thank you for the praise. :D
To Molly Grace 16: They shared the good news the next morning, much to everyone's delight. ;)
To piggythelaw: Thanks for the internet gifts! Writing about the food in this story always makes me hungry. :P