The very next Sunday Minnie found herself fidgeting behind a screen in a normally unused classroom.
"You know, this is harder to do if you don't keep still."
"Sorry," she mumbled, glancing at the mirror. She could see Alice brandishing the curling rod—the magical replacement for the normal curling iron—as if to punctuate as she spoke.
The Treasurer was in an off-the-shoulder, white lace wedding gown with a cascade of dark red curls pouring down her back. Small white flowers—roses and myrtle—were woven into a crown that Alice wore. Minnie wore the same dress Alice had worn last year, modified by Potsdam to fit her now. She wondered how many times Potsdam had used this dress, or how often students had 'secret' marriages. For all she knew, Potsdam had to alter the dress every month.
She and Jacob had decided not to advertise that they were married…only their families would know…and just behave as if they were merely dating. It took some of the pressure off, she felt, but still….
"I'm going to burn you if you don't hold still," Alice warned, taking up another length of hair.
"Sorry…I guess I'm just…" she tried to continue.
"Nervous?" Alice guessed, and then smiled at her. "Look at it like a wedding rehearsal. In a year, you get to decide if you want to take the real plunge or not."
"It's not fair," Minnie said. "You are marrying Professor Grabiner, I'm marrying my boyfriend, and I'm the one that's a nervous wreck."
"Well, this was kind of sprung on you," Alice admitted. "I've had time to decide that this is what I want to do. So, how do you like it?"
Alice put the curling rod down to cool, and Minnie examined her work. "It's nice, thank you." She could hear people on the other side of the screen, going down into the dungeon where Potsdam had set up for the ceremony. "How long is the contract you and Professor Grabiner are making today?"
"Until one of us dies," a refined, male voice said. Mr. Grabiner stepped around the screen. "Which means if she wants to get out of our marriage, Alice here will have to kill me."
"Hieronymous!" Alice exclaimed turning around to face her groom. "If you keep sneaking up on me like that, I might consider it. I might have hit someone with the curling rod and burned them."
Mr. Grabiner just grinned at her. "Petunia assured me that you two were decent. She did not say that I was apparently robbing heaven of an angel."
Or at least, that was what Minnie heard him say. Apparently, he also said something mentally to Alice, because her face went from upset, to flattered, to beet red in a matter of seconds. "I'll have to remember that for later," she murmured before Mr. Grabiner kissed her. Minnie's eyes went down to where her hands were folded in her lap. She was both a little embarrassed to have witnessed such a moment, and quite unused to her conservative professor being so…demonstrative.
When she looked back up after a few moments, Mr. Grabiner was gone and Alice was checking herself in the mirror presumably to see if her lipstick had been messed up. Apparently that kiss had addled her brains enough that she had forgotten that it was illusion lipstick she was wearing so it was impossible for it to 'kiss off.'
Not really wanting to acknowledge what had just happened, Minnie looked to change the subject. "That's a nice locket you're wearing." And it was. Minnie did like the look of the ruby and diamond encrusted piece.
Alice smiled. "Grandfather sent it to me."
"Is there anything inside?" Minnie asked.
Alice popped the locket open to reveal a picture of a young woman that looked very much like her. "She's my grandmother. Grandfather said that she would have wanted to be with me today, but under the circumstances, this is the only way she can."
"She died young?" Minnie asked. Otherwise, the picture probably would have shown an older woman. "I'm sorry about that."
Alice shrugged. "I wish I could have known her but…. My mother said 'no' when they gave her the Choice, at least partially because she had just died. If she had lived, Mom would have had magic, and probably would never have met Dad and had me or my siblings. But there's no way to really know what the present would be like if the past had been different. You can only make the best choices you can with what you know, and then move forward."
"That's a very practical way of looking at things," Minnie said. And was marrying Jacob the best choice she could make right now? She sighed, thinking. If she did not…Jacob would marry someone else. He would have to; if he didn't he would lose his magic and she would never see him again. It was marry him herself, or watch someone else do it and she was not sure that she could do that.
Minnie was finally sure about what she had to do. Fortunately, she was already in a wedding dress and just about to get on with it.
"It's time buddlings!" Potsdam exclaimed, coming around the screen to lead them downstairs.
"What order are we doing things in?" Alice asked as they walked down a passageway.
"First your House severance with the presentation of your dowry, and then the weddings," Potsdam said, and handed Alice a small bouquet of ash-leaved trumpet flowers—the flowers marking separation.
Minnie's brow furrowed as she looked at the flowers. She knew enough about the old traditions to identify the meanings of most flowers. Seeing a flower in Alice's room announcing that Mr. Grabiner was 'consumed by love' had been both strange and quite possibly the best thing that could have happened to him under the circumstances.
She had done some research on the school and its teachers before coming, since her family lived on the border between territories two schools drew from and she had had to choose. That Mr. Grabiner was here teaching instead of holding some diplomatic post, as most heirs to Council seats did, he was thought to be avoiding his responsibilities. By remaining unmarried, as he had been, he had been seen as avoiding the obligation to even sire an heir who could take the responsibilities that he did not want himself. As Alice was the granddaughter of another Councilman, and Minnie still did not know which one, Mr. Grabiner would now be seen as tending to that concern at least. While marrying heirs to brilliant or powerful Wildseeds to maintain genetic diversity went in and out of vogue, taking a spouse from another House was always seen as fashionable.
Since she knew the circumstances of the original wedding, Minnie knew that fashion was the last thing on Hieronymous Grabiner's mind. No matter the reason behind the marriage, the professor would be seen as finally fulfilling his duty as an heir to a Council-seat. In wizard culture, duty was as important as tradition.
When they got down to the dungeon, there were torches that lit the walls at intervals just like last year, but the ceiling had been transformed into the night sky giving the illusion that the ceremony was taking place in some ancient ruin under the stars. An archway of white roses had not been there last year, nor had there been a small crowd of people. Mr. Grabiner appeared to be in conversation with Clark Hayes, Alice's roommates Ellen and Virginia stood with Virginia's brother Donald. Jacob was near them, talking in a low voice with an adult wizard that she had never seen before that stood by three large chests.
"Shall we begin?" Potsdam said, clapping her hands. Conversation ceased, Clark and Mr. Grabiner went to stand where Potsdam had stopped near the chests with Alice, and Minnie went to go stand by Jacob. He smiled somewhat nervously at her, and took hold of her hand before turning to watch the proceedings.
"In the presence of these witnesses, a bond of birth is broken to form a bond of marriage. Lady Alice Carleton, you being the First heir of House Carleton have come before us with the intention of marriage to Lord Hieronymous Grabiner, the only heir of House Grabiner," Potsdam started.
House Carleton? As in the Carleton bank! Minnie thought her eyes might come right out of her skull. She glanced over at Jacob, who had apparently not known about it either judging from his open mouth. But weren't those two houses normally opponents, or at best very reluctant allies? But as it was known that Professor Grabiner did not get along well with his father, she could see where Lord Carleton might have decided not to object to the match.
"Who stands as representative for House Carleton at this time?" Potsdam asked.
"With the permission of Lord Edward Carleton, Head of our House, I stand as representative," Clark declared.
"And with the heir of Carleton abdicating, who stands as the new heir?" Potsdam asked.
"As the Second heir, I shall become First," Clark answered.
Alice walked forward to hand her brother the bouquet. "I thank House Carleton for its succor, and voluntary separate myself from the House of my birth to join another by marriage."
Clark accepted the bouquet. "You shall not leave us empty-handed, sister. I present to you your dowry."
With that, the wizard that she did not know opened the three chests. The first held both American and English currency, the second Otherworld currency, and the third held a mix of jewelry and other objects to one side with papers she suspected were deeds on the other side of a divider. Any way you put it, it was a fortune and not a small one either. With Alice entering another House, and one House not able to receive inheritance from another, a dowry was a form of pre-mortem inheritance. This was why dowries were only given with a bride of a Great House. She guessed that the wizard was an employee of Alice's family, now steward to her dowry. It would remain in her possession, rather than her husband's, to presumably be willed to their children.
"I thank House Carleton for the gift of a bride," Professor Grabiner said. The lids to the chests closed and, that over, everyone took their places for the actual wedding.
Minnie and Jacob collected their baskets while Alice and Mr. Grabiner did the same, and then both couples went to stand in the archway in front of Potsdam. Minnie did not think that she had ever seen Potsdam quite this happy before. The woman was grinning so broadly Minnie thought her face had to hurt.
Potsdam's speech was the same as last year's had been. They were there of their own free will. At least it was truer this year than it had been last year. She spoke of the values of honor and loyalty. When her cue was finally given, she stretched her hand with the basket to Jacob. "I give you my kindness and courage," Minnie heard herself say, echoing Alice as she did the same to the professor.
"I give you my wisdom and protection," Jacob said echoing Mr. Grabiner as he extended the basket toward her. In truth, Minnie felt almost as if her marriage was merely an echo of what had taken place last year…the same experience but lessened in intensity. Well, if Alice could do it, she could take this toned-down happening herself.
With all four of their hands crossed, Clark helped Potsdam drape the ribbons over his sister and Mr. Grabiner's hands and then Virginia helped Potsdam drape ribbons over her and Jacob's hands.
"As two streams join to form a river, so your two lives join to create something greater than they were. One family and one future for one year and one day are ye bound Jacob Blaising and Minnie Cochran," Potsdam declared. "One family and one future until one of you parts in death are ye bound, Hieronymous Grabiner and Alice Grabiner. You may now kiss your bride!"
Jacob smiled and kissed her. When he was done, it was almost embarrassing to notice that Alice and Mr. Grabiner were still at it. Potsdam looked beside herself with joy.
"Not what you were planning on at this time last year?" she could barely hear Alice ask when they finally stopped.
"Your idea was better. Speaking of which, here is something I owe you from last year," Mr. Grabiner admitted before kissing her again.