Chapter Sixteen:
No one but Hazel, Frank, Enyo, Ares, Thant and the elder Hades' knew anything about the Levaeu/ Zhang wedding. Frank asked Percy to be best man and Nico, Harry, Drake and Jason to stand up with him. All five, of course agreed right away.
Hazel in turn asked Annabeth to be matron of honor. Hermione, Susan, Thalia and Luna were asked to be attendants. Hazel could not wait for their wedding. Enyo helped her little sister pick out the clothes for both sides. They took a quiet trip to New Orleans with Persephone. Ever since her mother died, 'Seph has tried to fill in where she could. She wanted to be there as a real mum, where Marie was not.
Hazel likes the wizarding tradition of waiting until the wedding day to reveal the bridal attire, so she goes with it. In fact, she is surprised that she and Frank are able to keep it all under wraps.
The day before, Hazel, Frank, Enyo, Ares and Thant went and lined the way from the ceremony to the reception site. The latter two were roped in by Enyo. Thant complained good naturedly the whole time, he would do anything for his little sister but he couldn't come off looking like a sap. He is Death after all. Of course, they all knew that he was the biggest sap out there. Bunches of purple, gold and green balloons were tied with Mardi Gras beads and feather masks. These were placed along the procession route. On the road itself, plastic coins in the three colors were strewn about.
The ceremony site, a little chapel in a copse of elder trees that Enyo and Hazel found, was decorated with purple and cream flowers and ribbons. Hades hired a theme décor house and caterer out of New Orleans to come over for authenticity's sake.
The reception site is done up like a past King's ball. The tables are done in the three colors with tall skinny vases of dyed ostrich feathers in purple, green and gold. Elegant Venetian masks are set on each plate, as favors. Color coordinating napkins according to the table color are folded with an peacock feather. On each table, is a crystal platter with tri colored flur di lis cookies, beignets, and mini king cakes.
Tri colored banners are swaged across the ceiling. Banquet tables are prepared for the caterers to come in the morning.
Mini candles were placed around the tables highlighting the low vases filled with Mardi Gras beads.
Having done all that they could, the five leave for Pemberly to retire for the evening.
Hazel wakes at five am cursing her cousin for dragging the sun across the sky at such an indecent time of day. She didn't want to be up but decides to go downstairs for some strong chicory coffee that Enyo insisted on having their father send for.
Right now, Hazel is praising her big sister's intuition to the heavens. After scrounging around Enyo's kitchen, Hazel finds some leftover sinfully greasy beignets. Even a day old, they are to die for.
Hades walks into the kitchen and silently watches his baby girl munch on her favorite breakfast. He joins her at the table. "Is that the coffee that your sister insisted I get?" Hazel nods and pours her father a cup she places two pastries on a plate and set it in front of him. Hades smiles his thanks and digs in. A few minutes later, the Lord of the Dead is sucking the powdered sugar off his fingers and moaning about how good that was.
"Imagine them piping hot, right out of the fryer and dusting bag. Mother and I used to have this once a month in the French Quarter. I always looked forward to it because it meant that I didn't have cook. She may have been beautiful and a talented priestess, but Mother was the most selfish woman I have ever encountered. She only kept me to tempt you back at least that is what she told me. When she found out who you were and then what I could do, she used me even more. I wished you would come back just to take me away."
Hades was chastised. "I am sorry that you were left with her. Then, we tried to leave the children with the mortal parent. It didn't work out well for many of you." Hazel pats his hand. "It's okay, Father. 'Seph has been a better mother to me than Mother ever was."
"Break it up, baby brother in the room. No more mushy stuff." Sirius calls out. "I should be jealous, you know." Hazel rolls her eyes at Sirius as he struts into the room. She swears the man never just walks. She spins her hand around absently. When she holds out her hand to him, there is a flawless large ruby in it. "Here puppy, go play with the shiny." She tosses the ruby to him. Sirius has seen her do it before, but not so casually. It also concerns their father.
"Hazel darling, do you feel alright?" Hades asks as his youngest runs from the room. Probably to show the ruby off. "Yes, the curse has been lifted. Even Frank has locked the splinter away." Hades breathes a relieved sigh. "Thank goodness, my dear."
Persephone walks into the kitchen and ushers Hazel away. "It's time to get ready, my dear." The young woman bows to her father and calmly follows her stepmother to her room where her friends are waiting.
The girls were being patient waiting for their gowns. Annabeth is first one to get her gown. It has wide straps with a shirred bodice, wide waist and an A-line skirt. It is a vibrant emerald green, that reminded the others of Harry's eyes, with a black crinoline. The bridesmaids' dresses are strapless and A-line also, in a deep purple with a gold sash tied into a bow on the left hip.
Hazel explains that the guys will have gold changshan with black trousers. Percy's changshan will match Annabeth's dress. Frank's will be the dark purple.
It's Hazel's turn. She has hidden her gowns from everyone. The ceremony gown is a simple but elegant, red silk cheongsam; ankle length, covered with golden peacock feathers.
She walks out to the shocked faces of her friends. It is the most beautiful gown they have seen. It makes her smile to see the tears in their eyes.
Enyo and her nieces enter the room, setting off another round of tears. She is doing the same as Hazel. She had her sister choose another dress for the reception, but chose her own cheongsam. All of Frank's sisters have their own on also. Enyo's is ankle length as well, purple, with a fishtail skirt. Jane's is short, about knee length, again purple, with a multi-colored peacock that starts above her right breast and encompasses the entire front of the skirt. The twins are wearing matching emerald green satin cheongsams with gold piping. Though falling around mid-calf, the dresses have slits on both sides up to mid-thigh. Claire's is gold, hits about mid-thigh with small side slits and an allover tiny flower pattern.
All five women have their hair swept up and held with fancy bone chopsticks. Persephone walks in, ready for her dress. She requested to have a white cheongsam and then a selected gown. Hazel and Enyo found one with red piping and cherry blossoms on it.
Ares, Alec, Remus and Zeus decide to wear black changshans to honor Frank's family. Hera stands out as the only direct family member on the groom's side not bowing to the tradition. She didn't see why she should. She was the Greek goddess of marriage; they should be bowing to her, though the peacock elements make her smile as she remembers her dear friend, Argus.
Even with the Chinese elements, they still had a French Catholic mass. It is a first for many of the magical guests, even with their backgrounds in Latin. Hazel's mother may have been the esteemed voodoo priestess, but voodoo still had elements steeped in Catholicism. She explained this to her friends when they asked why a mass. In fact, she and her mother went to confession every Wednesday. At the time, she thought it was odd seeing as Marie dabbled in so many areas.
After the ceremony, Hazel, Enyo and 'Seph go to change into their other gowns. Hazel's gown fits with the theme. It has a clean strapless bodice and a chiffon overskirt with pickups. She has replaced the pink sash with a satin one with her three colors done in a tartan. Hazel has Enyo put her hair in an intricate French braid, then tucks the ends up underneath and places a mini veiled headpiece with goose and ostrich feathers and pearls.
She touches up her make- up and presents the dresses to her sister and mom. Enyo's is short, tight and has a black strapless bodice, a jeweled accent at the waist and a multi colored feather skirt. 'Seph's dress is more tasteful; it was strapless and has watercolor flowers on a white background. Around the sides, under the bust there are accents.
When they walk out of the room, the rest of the wedding party's mouths drop. "Hermione, Luna could you possibly charm our shoes, we have a little walk ahead of us." Hazel smirks at the faces as she holds up her dress. Annabeth, Thalia, Percy, Nico and Jason smile, knowing where Hazel was from. The two girls do as told and the party walks out of the church. Once, they touch ground the zydeco band starts to play as they walk along the road.
The guests pick up the coins and point out the decorations on the road. It seems as though they haven't noticed that they have walked just over a mile to the reception hall.
In the outer hall is a card table with table numbers for the guest to find their tables. The doors open and they get a look at the hall. Everyone is shocked at the transformation from how the hall looked just two weeks ago at Luna and Orion's wedding. "Hazel, it's gorgeous!" The girls exclaim.
The caterers have a large Cajun spread laid out, under the lids. Once everyone is seated, a team of four waiters make their rounds with hors d' oeuvres. There are two different offerings on their platters.
The first time, they have Crabmeat stuffed mushrooms and mini muffalettas. When everyone has some, they come around with shrimp po-boy mini hoagies and creole meatballs. The last time through the waiters have shrimp wrapped with bacon and green olive tapenade on crostini.
The beverages offered are iced tea with lemon, lemonade and fruit punch. There is also a bar for those that need more.
Even with the appetizers, Hazel can't wait to have some real New Orleans food. The caterers smile when the bride's eyes zero in as they uncover the buffet. The head table goes first and then the parents' table followed with the 1-10 tables and so on.
Aside from the Hades family, no one had ever had this cuisine, so as everything is new they try it all. As a joke, Sirius had placed a bottle of Tums on each table. Hazel actually thought it was a good idea and asked for two bottles for the head table.
The caterer's table has all of Hazel's favorites. There is; Chicken and Andouille sausage jambalaya with onions, peppers, and celery. 'The holy trinity.' She thinks, quoting Emeril Lagasse. Red beans and rice, Nola style roast beef in Cajun au jus, Louisiana gulf shrimp creole with penne, grilled peppers and onions in a spicy Cajun sauce, and shrimp and crab salad on French rolls. And that was just the main dishes.
Frank filled his plate with some jambalaya, roast beef, and a salad roll. When he spies the smothered green beans, he gets some of those too. He didn't want to not have room for that cake.
Their cake is a three tier chocolate cake with salted caramel filling and frosted with banana flavored fluffy frosting. In keeping with the southern tradition, Frank gets presented with his grooms' cake on a cake platform, is an elephant standing with its trunk up, spraying water out, raining it down on a dark skinned girl. Frank laughs at the representation. He hugs Hazel. "Thank you, Haze." He knew that it was either her, Percy or his sister Reyna that would have done it.
"You're welcome; Percy took a picture that day. I had the people who did Luna and Orion's cake attempt it." She smiles at him, glad that he liked the cake. She knows that they will have to field questions about the cake, but it wasn't like it was a secret.
"Are you readddy?" A voice calls out to the room. Tucked in the corner, is the DJ booth. Behind the table stands the one and only Emmett Cullen. "Apparently, Jasper and I did so well that Frank and Hazel asked us to repeat our DJ position." He winks to the other vampire and Jazz starts Guns n' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle". Frank and Harry move their heads along with Axel's lyrics.
An hour later, Emmett calls for the bride and groom to come front and center for their first dance. Jasper cues up "One Boy, One Girl" by Colin Raye. Frank twirls Hazel around the room. Emmett drags Hades up for the Father daughter dance, Jasper plays "Unforgettable" sung by Nat King and Natalie Cole. Frank and Enyo dance to "In My Life" by the Beatles.
Hazel grabs her toss bouquet of purple tulips when she hears the beginning of Gretchen Wilson's "Redneck Woman." She tosses it and it lands in Thalia's hands.
"Oh boy, Nico better be catching that garter you are wearing?" Frank whispers as she sits for him to take it off.
As a lark, Jazz cues up "The Thong Song" making all the younger crowd laugh as Frank takes a bit longer. He doesn't take as long as some of his brothers (cough, cough, Harry) but he takes his time exploring her leg and taking the red garter off.
The guys' eyes pop when he holds it up with a quirked eyebrow. "Hazel Zhang?" He asks, chuckling.
"Oi, I didn't know they came in red!" Fred yells out.
"Neither did I." Hermes answers, making his son shake his head.
Frank turns and chucks the garter over his shoulder. He helps Hazel to her feet as the men fight over the garter. A winner comes out on top. It was a good thing that it was Nico. He was not going to take anyone touching his Thalia very well.
Nico strides up to her with a leer in his eye. He seats her and takes off her shoe, places the garter over her foot and clears the thought of it originally being on his aunt's thigh, and tugs it up with his teeth all the while looking Thalia in the eye.
"Damn, the boy's got some skills. Where on earth did my little brother learn that?" Remus asks as he watches Nico seduce his fiancée.
Nico smirks as he helps Thalia up. "That is my secret, but Dad is a great example. You fogeys left me, Claire and Frank with these two." The room cracks up.
The couple sits and watches their family enjoy the day.
