Everyone Watched the Wedding (Arguments, Chapter 14)
(Yo hey everyone I live lol, if anyone’s actually reading this it’s here! Poetry by JRR Tolkien. @kaminoanbat @naberiie Enjoy!!!)
When Spring unfolds the beechen leaf, and sap is in the bough; When light is on the wild-wood stream, and wind is on the brow; When stride is long, and breath is deep, and keen the mountain-air, Come back to me! Come back to me, and say my land is fair!
Time flew on Asfaloth. Maybe a little too fast. It seemed like yesterday, and yet it had been a full six standard months since Rowan had asked Doriana to marry him. The dark blue engagement ring glittering on her finger made Rowan's heart stop every time she held his hand. For the past several weeks the house hadn’t been quiet - the very air buzzed with the excitement of planning such an event. Sending the invitations, ordering the food, everything that went with it. It was wonderful, the anticipation of it all. Although it was rather a pain to keep Doriana from throwing a fit every time something went wrong. "Doriana, love. Please," Rowan said softly, trying to catch her hand as they stood in the kitchen, surrounded by open recipe books. "It’s just a little thing, let’s just calm down -” "I will not calm down! This needs to be perfect, it needs to go right, damn it Rowan! It's our wedding, it needs-" Doriana threw her hands up and Rowan grabbed her waist, pulling her into his chest. Partly because he'd learned that calmed her down, and partly because it was just very nice to hold her. "Mesh’la.” He kissed her forehead, his voice soft.”Getting married to you is perfect." He kissed the small dip between in her montrals, loving how she shivered at the touch of his lips. "The wedding is just a ceremony. It's just a formality." Doriana pouted. "But it's an important formality. The dress, the vows- the kiss." "And we will have all of those. But you need to breathe." "I am breathing!" She said indignantly. Rowan laughed and shook his head. "Of course you are, love. Let's go for a walk, alright? Let the others handle it. It'll be just fine.”
……….
It was not fine. Not even close. Damn Rowan and his pretty words, seducing Dreu’s sister into getting married!
She threw a large glass bottle at the wall. Charm narrowly avoided getting hit with flying glass, swearing as he ducked. Ligara squeaked. "Dreu!" "Doriana is going to kill us." Dreu muttered, pulling on her lekku. "She's going to skin us and hang us by our entrails and-" She fell silent when Ligara covered her eyes and mouth with her long delicate hands. "Relax, Dreu." Rogue chuckled. "Doriana is not going to hang or skin anyone, because it's going to go right." He smiled. "Take a break, yeah? We got this for a while."
She glanced at Ligara, who still looked nervous, and her face softened. I love her so much. She crossed the room in a few strides and took Ligara’s hands, then pulled her down to kiss her. “I’m going to go pick up some supplies. You want anything?”
“You,” Ligara said with a soft smile, and then laughed. “I do need some new lab equipment - here, I made a list.”
Dreu kissed her cheek again and turned on her heel to leave. “Ey, lucky boy,” she said as she passed Charm. “Come with?”
He leaned away from the wall and followed her, matching strides. “Don’t ever call me that again and we’re golden,” he said languidly.
“Where are you going?” Rogue called after them.
“To the moon!” she tossed back over her shoulder. Just before she shut the door she heard Rogue say “which one?”
She marched straight for the Ebinor, Charm following behind her.
“Are you actually lucky?” she asked him as they boarded and she ran through the taking-off procedure. “Cause I could really use some luck for this.”
“What, picking up supplies?” Charm raised his notched eyebrow. “I thought you were a good pilot.”
“Insult me like that again and I’ll shove you into the hyperdrive, lucky or not.” As they ascended into atmosphere, she glanced back at the clone. “We’re not picking up supplies. I’m gonna buy a ring. Tameira never left me one, you know? Or, well, if she did it was buried with her.” She steered the ship toward Domina, the only settled moon of the three.
Charm stared at her, breaking into a wide smile. “You’re gonna propose?” he asked, sitting in the chair beside her. “Yeah, I can help. Though if you want artistic help Switch would be better.”
She rolled her eyes, a rare blush spreading over her cheeks and lekku. “Yeah, well. Don’t get all mushy on me. I just need you to pick up the actual supplies so she doesn’t suspect anything.”
“Sure,” he said easily, hooking his thumbs in his pockets.
Dreu took a deep breath as she landed the ship in the docking yard of Fornost, Domina’s capital city. She was really gonna do this.
………
When Spring is come to garth and field, and corn is in the blade;
When blossom like a shining snow is on the orchard laid;
When shower and Sun upon the Earth with fragrance fill the air,
I'll linger here, and will not come, because my land is fair.
Someone was singing.
Doriana felt soft grass under her cheek, smelled the soil and sea, and felt the sunlight warming her. But as she sat up slowly, what called her was a sweet, hypnotic female voice, eerily familiar in a deep, ancient part of her mind.
A cool hand rubbed her shoulder comfortingly as she sat up, and she turned with a gasp. “Ada?” she whispered, tears in her eyes at seeing Farenn alive again. The singing stopped as Elessa smiled and came closer to wrap her in a hug.
“Ama?” For a second she just closed her eyes and let her parents embrace her, tears spilling from her eyes.
Elessa hummed and wiped a tear from her cheek. “We’re so proud of you, nightingale,” she whispered, kissing her lekku. “Tell our new son we love him.”
She gasped and looked between them. “You - you know about Rowan?”
“Of course we do, sweet girl.” Farenn’s voice was rough, but nothing like the ruined wreck it had been in his last days. “You know we’re always watching over you.”
She caught her breath. “This...isn’t a dream,” she whispered, awed. “Is it?”
“A vision.” Farenn wrapped his arm around her waist. “Did you know you got that from me? Could’ve been a Jedi if I wanted to.”
She laughed and leaned into his touch, still crying. “I miss you, Ada. And Ama….I had a nightmare about you!”
Elessa pursed her lips. “That was not me,” she said gravely. “Be on guard, nightingale. Something is coming.” She kissed Doriana’s forehead.
“How long can you stay?” she whispered, looking between them with a lump in her throat. Her parents’ hands entwined as they glanced at each other, looking wistful.
“Not long, love,” her father said softly. “Tameira’s waiting. Tell Draake we miss him.”
Elessa leaned forward to hug her one more time, and Doriana memorized what it felt like, what it smelled like. “You’re going to be a beautiful bride,” she whispered. “Be brave. Be kind. And if you can ever forgive me for leaving…..learn to sing again.”
Her parents, and the whole scene around them, began to fade and lose its color.
“No!” she begged, reaching for their hands, but she passed through them like air. “Please don’t go, it’s too soon -”
She jerked awake in bed, gasping, and burst into tears. Rowan groaned softly and sat up. He was still mostly asleep, but he still held her as she cried.
…….
“Oomph!” Charm grunted when someone bumped into him from behind, causing him to drop the supplies he was carrying. Great. Now he’d get to listen to Dreu bitching about it all the way back to the planet. He turned around, annoyed and scowling.
“Oh-oh jeez, I’m so sorry, I’m such a klutz- here, let me help.” A young man- he couldn’t be older than twenty, younger than Charm’d be if he aged normally- knelt down to help Charm pick up the dropped supplies. His hands were a pale blue-green, like mint candy, and his long black hair hid his face like a silk curtain. He pushed his hair out of his face.
“Again I’m really sorry, I’m a total klutz and bad luck.” He smiled, his eyes solid brown- like caf with creamer. His smile was crooked, with dimples on just one side. Charm’s mouth went dry for a second. Oh, no. He was cute.
“Uh, no...no problem man,” he grunted as he dragged the box up, grabbing the last of the supplies. Hopefully nothing was too damaged. Dreu would skin him if he ruined her sister’s wedding.
“Can I make it up to you? Caf maybe?” the man said, smiling hopefully at him. Charm paused and looked back, head tilted.
“Caf does sound pretty great,” he admitted. “I gotta drop these off at the ship, but I got time before my pilot is finished her shopping.”
The alien’s face lit up; he pulled Charm along behind him by his arm. “Follow me! My parents make the best sweets and drinks on the entire moon, trust me!”
“Whoa! Careful!” Charm tripped, and just barely caught a heavy package in one hand. “Easy there. Gotta bring this lot back first.”
He blinked and flushed darker green. “Oh -! Oh, right. Of course.” He took one of the packages from him. “Which way?”
Charm nodded down the street. “You local?” he asked as they walked. “I’m Charm, by the way.”
“Jrazi’aderi’amowei.”
Charm stared at him, slightly panicked. There was no way he’d get that right without practice. And he didn’t want to insult him by getting his name wrong.
He burst into laughter, covering his mouth. “It’s okay! You can just call me Razi, most people do.”
Charm smiled and sighed, relieved. “Alright then, Razi. The Ebinor is this way.”
He felt Razi’s eyes on him as they walked - shy and furtive, yes, but appraising him all the same. His cheeks warmed as he pretended not to notice.
“So, uh - you from this moon?” he asked, flustered.
“Yep. All my life,” Razi said cheerfully. “Mama says it’s a good place for families with hybrid kids, since most people don’t give a womp rat’s ass who you marry.”
Charm looked back at him and laughed. With Razi’s colors and the peculiar formation of his eyes….
“Mirialan and Chiss?” he guessed.
Razi almost dropped the package in surprise. “Yeah! How’d you know?”
“Just lucky, I guess.” He grinned and kept walking. Razi was a little shorter than him and much smaller, so he had to go twice as fast to keep up with Charm.
“You’re a clone soldier, aren’t you?”
Charm stopped so fast Razi ran into his back.
“What makes you think that?” he said guardedly, his eyes wary.
“I - I’ve m-met them before,” Razi stammered, blushing furiously as he stepped back. “I know you’re not wearing any armor, which means you’re probably not supposed to be here -”
Charm’s face went cold, and he turned away. Fuck. Just when he’d actually made a real connection with someone, just when he wasn’t everyone’s second choice, this guy was going to turn him in!
“Wait!” Razi said, voice rising higher as he reached out to grab Charm’s arm. “I don’t care. I’m not gonna tell anyone, I promise. I was just curious.”
Charm hesitated, about to turn away again - but Razi looked like he was about to cry, like a kicked puppy. He relaxed and ducked his head.
“Sorry, mate,” he said, grimacing. “Not just me I gotta look out for, you know? I got brothers to think of.”
Razi nodded rapidly as they reached the ship, and Charm set the supplies down by the loading ramp.
“Of course! Of course, I’m not gonna tell on you. Any of you. I just wanted to ask.”
Gods-dammit, why did this walking disaster have to be so adorable? Charm smiled reluctantly and threw an arm around his shoulders. “Well, come on then. I think you owe me a cup of caf.”
…….
Crow climbed down from the rafters of the pavilion they’d recently finished. Maybe taking a break wasn’t the best idea, sure, but if he had to wind one more twist of gold tinsel around one more beam of wood….
Besides, Switch was down there with food.
He walked up behind his brother and sat down, sneaking a fry from his plate. “Hi.”
“Son of a bantha-fucking -” Switch nearly dropped the plate and turned to glare at him. “You smug little shit. You enjoy that, don’t you?”
“Every minute,” he deadpanned, totally straight-faced. “What’s the word up at the big house?”
Switch rolled his eyes and propped his feet up on the bench they were sitting on, leaning his back against Crow.
“Well, our lovely new sister-in-law is apparently a homicidal menace, Charm may or may not be coming back from Domina with a date, and Vadii - I mean, Aurren’s crew is coming for the wedding.”
“They’re what now?” Crow said, eyes widening. “I thought this was just going to be a family thing!”
“Apparently they are family,” Switch grumbled, his mouth full of breaded fried fish. “And if they’re all coming back that means -”
“Avis,” he muttered, looking down. Much as he hated to admit it - and he wouldn’t, not out loud - he’d thought about her every day since the Ash’aram left. Thought about how cool and smooth her pale skin looked, the vivid green fire of her eyes, the flash and jingle of the jewels on her dress. And how she’d come this close to slapping him straight off the roof.
Switch froze and sat up to face him, his perfectly shaped eyebrow raised. “What was that, vod?” he said softly, a devilish glitter in his eyes.
“Nothing! Shut up,” Crow hissed, crossing his arms and turning away. “I just don’t wanna get slapped again, is that so bad?”
“Mm-hm. Sure. We’ll go with that story.” Switch rested his chin in his hand, red-and-gold eyeshadow glittering in the green sunlight.
Crow pressed his lips together and looked down furiously. “Oh yeah?” he said. “Who’s Vadii, then?”
Switch’s triumphant, teasing look froze on his face - he flushed and looked away. “Nobody. He’s nobody.”
“Right.” Crow rolled his eyes. “Come on. I haven’t seen you this nervous about a guy - or a girl, for that matter - since Kamino. What’s up with this guy?”
Switch was still looking down, but he smiled softly, absently drawing on his leg with a paint-pen. “One of the pirates. He’s blind. I dunno what it is, I just can’t stop thinking about him.”
Crow smiled then too - a rare enough sight in itself, he supposed - and wrapped an arm around Switch’s shoulders. “I’ll talk to Avis if you talk to Vadii. Deal?”
“What’s in it for me?” Switch said, narrowing his eyes.
Crow blinked at him. “Getting laid, for once. And also whoever talks first gets deserts for the month.”
“Deal!”
………
Razi’s parents’ cafe was exactly Charm’s kind of place - quiet and unpretentious, comfortable in a very lived-in kind of way. He sat across from the hybrid in a stuffed armchair, a scratched table between them.
Charm glanced at Razi and broke into a smile - he was watching him, expectant and a little anxious as he waited for Charm to try the caf.
He raised the cup to his lips and drank - black, with a bit of sweetener and chocolate powder the way he liked it.
He set the cup down, meeting Razi’s brown eyes. “It’s kriffing fantastic,” he grinned. “Way better than the instant stuff I’m used to, anyway.”
Razi’s cheeks flushed dark green, and he buried his face in his hands, long silky hair falling forward.
Oh. Oh dear. If every compliment got Charm a reaction that adorable, then he was gonna need Rowan to help him come up with some good ones, because it had been a very long time since Charm’d felt that very peculiar thrill in his stomach about another being.
Razi was shorter than him, so he’d be the perfect size to wrap his arms around. For a second his mind was caught up in flashing images - running his hands through Razi’s hair, kissing his cheek so he’d hear him laugh, holding him at night -
“Charm?” Razi said uncertainly, waving a green-blue hand in front of his face. “Are - are you okay? You were….staring…?”
Charm’s face went red right to the tips of his ears. Shit. Fuck, he was staring like an ass. “Fine!” he burst out, giving his head a shake. “Yeah, I’m - I’m good. Totally fine. You wanna come to a wedding?”
The words were out of his mouth before his brain even halfway registered them. He blinked at Razi owlishly, and Razi stared back.
“A...a wedding?” he said hesitantly. “Whose wedding? And you mean - with you?”
If the floor opened up and swallowed Charm like a sarlaac right then, he would not complain. He scrubbed a hand down his face. Gods, he was terrible at this.
“My brother,” he said, leaning closer and lowering his voice. “One of my squad brothers, he’s marrying a woman from Asfaloth. Doriana Erithuda -”
Razi’s eyes went wide. “You know the Erithudas?” He said in an awed, hushed voice.
“Yeah, they rescued us. Why?”
“They’re like, the closest thing Asfaloth has to royalty that people actually respect. Nobody messes with them, not for at least three systems around.” Razi pulled his hair over one shoulder and carded his fingers through it. “I would love to go with you, as long as, you know, nobody’s gonna get shot or anything.”
Charm grinned wryly, thinking of the Asha’ram crew and the Erithudas together. “It’s a date, then.”
……...
When Summer lies upon the world, and in a noon of gold
Beneath the roof of sleeping leaves the dreams of trees unfold;
When woodland halls are green and cool, and wind is in the West,
Come back to me! Come back to me, and say my land is best!
They married in the green-golden light of sunset, with the three moons aligned in the sky behind them. The sound of waves was their music, and flowers festooned the pavilion like they would for visiting royalty.
Draake was their officiant, and two pirate crews and several townspeople were in attendance, but neither bride nor groom saw anyone but each other. Rowan dressed simply - polished armor, hair braided into intricate spirals with flowers and gems, a ring on his finger. A strand of silver and another of gold, twined together - later he’d wear it under his shirt to protect it, but for now it was on his hand as hers was.
……..
Someone had “accidentally” messed up the seating arrangements, and with assigned seats Avis couldn’t just get up and move. So she was stuck walking down the aisle with Crow and standing beside him in the lineup. So far she’d stepped on his foot three times, looking perfectly innocent while she did. Although, credit where credit was due - she looked amazing in the pale green dress she wore, flared out at the hem with a halter neck. Thin gold chains adorned her lekku. And she had to admit (silently to herself, that is) that he looked pretty great too. Smug bastard. Did he have to do that? With the stubble and the hair and the eyes? It was ridiculous. She tried not to look at him, but she could feel his glare on her all through the wedding. Why did he hate her so much?
As soon as the reception started she made her escape - she’d come congratulate Doriana later, after she’d calmed down and fed Turtle (who was very insulted that he’d been evicted from the wedding for trying to sing along during Rowan’s vows.)
As she rounded the corner of the house, a hand caught her arm. Crow. She rolled her eyes and pulled her hand away. “What do you want, Crow? I’m busy.”
“I need to talk to you.” His face was intense, shadowed, inscrutable. As usual with him he looked furious.
She huffed. “So talk. Quickly.”
He swallowed and stepped back, hands in his pockets, and looked away from her. “I’m sorry, okay?” he muttered. “Look, I don’t wanna fight with you on my brother’s wedding. So, I - here. This is for you. Peace offering.”
He pulled out something from his pocket and pressed it into her hands, still not looking at her. And then he turned and walked away without another word.
“What the hell…?” she whispered, glaring after him. Was he playing some kind of game? She looked down at the object in her hand and gasped out loud.
It was a bird, carved from solid black wood with its head back and wings flared wide open. He’d painted tiny gold and green accents on it. She swallowed and tried to restart her breathing, looking up where he’d gone.
What the fuck?
………
Vadii couldn’t see the wedding, of course. But he knew who he was sitting beside. And even if running his hands all over someone didn’t actually help him “see” them better - well, he wasn’t exactly gonna tell Switch that, now was he?
All jokes aside though, his stomach was twisting with worry. He knew he came on kind of strong sometimes, and what if he’d freaked Switch out and the clone was just being nice?
Or even worse - what if he pitied him?
Gods, that was the last thing he needed.
Beside him in his chair, Switch was tapping his foot on the ground in a frantic rhythm. Vadii elbowed him.
“Cut that out,” he whispered, leaning closer. Nobody said he couldn’t enjoy this, right? “I’m trying to hear the wedding.”
“Sorry,” Switch hissed back. “I’m kinda keyed up. Don’t know why, it’s not my wedding. Can I -” He reached out and grabbed Vadii’s hand. “Hey! Watch it!”
“Sorry,” Switch said again, but as he started drawing - at least it felt like that - on Vadii’s hand - he sounded calmer now. “You don’t mind, do you? I need to focus.”
“Not at all,” Vadii murmured. It sounded like a purr, almost, not because Vadii was flirting but because of the delicious feeling that Switch’s drawings suddenly gave him. He felt like a purring tooka, and wanted to stretch out on his back and bask in this feeling. “Keep doing that,” he said drowsily. “It feels good.”
Switch paused for a second, and then kept drawing. The marker was cool on his skin. And Switch leaned in closer and kissed Vadii’s cheek.
“How’s that feel?” he whispered in his ear.
Vadii’s cheeks flared with heat, and he shifted on his chair. “Pretty damn amazing,” he managed to whisper. “But cut that out. This is a wedding, there are children here.”
“So?” he said. “They’re gonna see Row and Dori making out like teenagers in a minute.”
“Fair point,” Vadii said. “But let me tell you, if you keep that up, things will get a lot less G-rated very fast.”
“....Oh.”
Vadii smirked. “Let’s talk at the reception, pretty boy. I’ll be waiting.”
……..
When Summer lies upon the world, and in a noon of gold Beneath the roof of sleeping leaves the dreams of trees unfold; When woodland halls are green and cool, and wind is in the West, Come back to me! Come back to me, and say my land is best!
In all his life, Rowan could say with total certainty he’d never, ever seen anything so beautiful as this woman standing in front of him. Just the sight of her made his heart sing. He wanted to be hers, totally and forever. And now he would be.
“Beloved one,” he started, eyes locked on hers. “My light, my life, my sun and stars. I came into this universe an orphan, just like all my brothers. And for most of my life that made no sense - how could I be here and feel all this beauty and pain, if I was only born to die? But I can see it now. My reason to be here, my love, is you.”
Rowan paused and squeezed her hands. “You are a creature of strength and mercy, a shining light. I pledge myself - mind, body and soul - to you, for the rest of eternity. In every universe where we exist I want to be yours.” He blinked back tears. “If I’m a fool for loving you, then so be it. I love you. For ever, for always.”
He could see she was crying too - gods, she looked like a star incarnate! Silver and gold plates adorned her montrals and lekku, while bands of crystals circled her arms. And her dress….it looked like a cloud spun into fabric and woven with moonlight.
“Rowan,” she said, smiling at him through her tears. “I never knew taking Rogue’s side in an argument would lead to so much - to all of this, to us.” She looked just at him, ignoring the crowd completely.
“I don’t have the way with words you do, my love, but know that everything I am, everything I have been and will be is yours. In this life and all that follow after, I will find you.” She reached out to cup his face in one hand. “My heart and body are yours. My mind is yours. My name we share now, Rowan Erithuda.” His heartbeat jumped at hearing those words.
Draake stood between them, clean for once, and with a wistful smile on his face. “By the laws of this world, I pronounce you husband and wife.” He nudged Rowan playfully. “Now kiss her, you walnut.”
He did. With none of the hesitation he’d had the first time, and nothing held back. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, and finally, finally Finally, he was home.
Something that had felt out of place his whole life had just been made right, and the light that filled them both was singing with joy.
When Summer warms the hanging fruit and burns the berry brown;
When Straw is gold, and ear is white, and harvest comes to town;
When honey spills, and apple swells, though wind be in the West,
I'll linger here beneath the Sun, because my land is best!