by Helen Scott
“I do want to marry him,” Ellie whispered, her voice catching in her throat as she tried to hold on to the unshed tears that seemed to be knotted there. “I want that more than anything, but it makes me feel so alone.”
“You’re not, though. Your family lies within you. That’s where your well of power comes from. Don’t you see? It’s all the love they gave to you while they were alive combined with all the other love you’ve experienced throughout your life. It’s all there waiting for you. Besides, you’re not alone. Not everyone can have two goddesses walk them down the aisle, now can they?”
The idea of the Morrigan and Brigid walking her down the aisle made her want to laugh, until she looked at the Morrigan’s face and saw how serious she was. “You really want to do that?”
“In a way, I am both your family and your queen, and it would be my honor to escort you.”
“Mine, too, even though I’m neither of those things. At least, not technically.” Brigid grinned.
“Let’s get this show on the road, then,” she said, finally swallowing the tears that had been threatening to overflow. The only tears she was going to shed would be happy ones. They were right—her family was always going to be with her, and as much as she may lament their physical absence, she’d seen them in her heart, talked with them, and knew they were all happy together, just like she was happy with Alec. She resolved to focus on the future, specifically on her future with Alec and all the happiness and joy it would bring.
With that in mind, she took a deep breath and stood. Her eyes locked onto the pristine white bag that hung in the middle of the open space. Suddenly, curiosity clawed at her. Which dress was it? Would it fit? What if it was ugly? Her hand ran up the strange material of the bag, pausing at the top where her fingers clasped the zipper. By the gods, she hoped it wasn’t ugly.
“Open it!” Brigid clapped excitedly on her left.
Ellie closed her eyes and slid the zipper down, careful that it didn’t catch on any of the material inside. When she opened her eyes again, they went wide with what had been hidden within the bag. Her heart stuttered at the sight.
It was the dress, the one she’d fallen in love with at the store before the shit hit the fan. The delicate chiffon material spilled out of the bag, and as they pulled the bag away, the dress just seemed to keep going. She didn’t remember it having such a long train, but then again, she hadn’t been in it all that long before her mind became a war zone of emotions. Once it was out of the bag, it was stunning, the creamy fabric, the applique flowers, the sleeves.
“Is it okay if I go into your bathroom and gather some things to do your hair?” Brigid asked as she ventured out of Ellie’s line of sight.
Ellie nodded, still dumbstruck by the gown in front of her.
The Morrigan was still foraging in the bag that had somehow contained the dress. When she stood back up, she had a number of different items in her hands, one of which was a brown bag with “For Ellie’s Eyes Only” written on it in big black letters. She also held a veil and a pair of shoes. When her watch chimed again, she looked at Ellie and winked. “Be right back.”
She wasn’t sure what was going on, but she was willing to bet that the queen of the fae was running an errand for her fiancé. Now, didn’t that sentence just sound weird. While she was alone, she opened the brown bag and pulled out some super sexy undies, a fancy bra that looked like it would fit perfectly under the dress, and a small box with a card attached. She quickly pushed the brand-new intimates back into the brown bag and opened the note.
Alec’s handwriting stared back at her once again.
Ellie,
If you’ve gotten this far, then I’m hoping you’re on board with my crazy plan. I’m so excited to marry you, to be able to call you my wife, that it makes my heart skip a beat. Since today is going to involve more of my family than yours, I thought I’d bring a little of home to you in any way I could. See you in a few hours, my love.
Yours forever, A
After she put the note to one side, Ellie opened the box and found the most beautiful pair of earrings inside. Silver, with a Celtic-knot-type symbol at the bottom of a loop that surrounded a traditional Scottish thistle that was made up of the same silver, but with a deep-purple gem that could only be amethyst for the flower. Her heart squeezed at the thoughtfulness of the gesture before she set them to the side and got the other items out of the bag.
“Brigid? I’m just going to change into something better for you to work on my hair, so just stay in the bathroom for a moment.”
The goddess giggled and promised she would, so Ellie quickly stripped and put on the fancy new undies and bra before pulling on some sweatpants and a button-up shirt. She wasn’t sure what Brigid’s plan was for her hair, but she wasn’t about to mess it up by pulling a T-shirt over it when the woman was done.
After getting the all-clear, Brigid came back out of the bathroom with a curling iron, a plastic baggy of hairpins, and the biggest can of hairspray Ellie had ever seen, none of which were hers. She knew if she asked where it came from, Brigid would probably be able to tell her, but at the same time, if this was any indication of how the day was going to go, then she might as well just start going with the flow. Where the hair products came from didn’t matter, but the fact that they were there and a goddess was about to go to work on her brown mane did. Ellie smiled up at the other woman. Her red hair seemed to glow in the light coming out of the bathroom. She gestured for Ellie to come sit by the window where the light was the best, and where there was a decent surface for her to set her haul down. As she got up to move, the Morrigan reappeared with someone in tow. Ellie froze slightly at the sight of the unknown woman.
“Ellie, this is Gloria, your photographer. Apparently, since it’s the fashion these days to document everything, Alec found one of the best photographers he could and asked me to bring her along.”
“But she . . .” Ellie trailed off, unsure of how to voice her concerns.
“She isn’t human, if that’s what you’re worried about. Gloria has been fully briefed on all of those who will be in attendance today and has her own set of skills that she’s bringing to the party, don’t you, my dear?”
“Most definitely,” Gloria said, before stepping toward Ellie with her hand outstretched. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Alec seems like an amazing man. Congratulations.”
“Th-thank you,” Ellie stuttered, still overwhelmed by everything that was happening. Alec was giving her as much of a human wedding as he could, and it made her heart melt.
“Come on, I’ve got hair to do!” Brigid called impatiently behind her.
Ellie whirled around and dutifully responded to the order, depositing herself in the chair. Brigid wasted no time and began curling sections of her hair while Gloria got her camera out and started taking photos of everything. Moments later, a familiar voice called out, and she could hear the footfalls on the stairs.
“There you all are!” Cin’s voice called out again behind her as she entered the room. “Oh. My. God. It’s even more beautiful than I remembered,” she said as she saw the dress.
Ellie turned, much to Brigid’s dismay, and found her new sister carrying a large bouquet of flowers and a smaller bouquet that consisted solely of baby’s breath. After setting the big arrangement down, she brought the smaller one over to Brigid and set it on the dresser that the goddess was currently using as her styling station. As she looked around, she noticed that Gloria had disappeared, which made her a little nervous, but she figured the woman was just off photographing something else. She just hoped someone had told her the basement was off limits. All they needed was for her to find the vault and accidentally trigger a magical object of some kind. It would put quite a damper on the day, but she doubted that would happen.
“How are you doing?” Cin asked, looking at Ellie, her eyebrows pinched together in concern. “Are you okay with all this?”
“I’m completely flabbergasted, but aye, I’m more than o
kay with all this.”
Cin broke out into a smile so wide that Ellie was worried about her lips splitting, especially in the cold weather. “Good. I can’t wait to get you into that dress, and for Alec to see you in it. He’s going to faint with how gorgeous you are.”
Ellie laughed and felt Brigid beginning to pin pieces of hair in place. She had no idea what was going on, but she trusted the goddess to do something that was beautiful, just as she had when she’d sent her home to Alec from Tír na nÓg.
“Are you excited?” her purple-haired sister asked as she sat down on the floor in front of her with her back resting against the cool glass of the floor-to-ceiling windows that made up that wall of the room.
“Aye. I don’t know anything about what’s going on, but I trust all of you.”
Something dug into the back of her head, not in a painful way, but in a way that made her curious as to what Brigid was up to. After a few more pokes and prods, the goddess of healing told her to go and look in the mirror to see what she thought. Nerves battered around inside Ellie, making her feel like her chest was too small for her heart and lungs to coexist.
The large mirror that hung over the sink reflected a woman she barely recognized. Brigid had curled her hair and pinned most of it into a loose, elegant bun at the nape of her neck, with the remaining locks of hair artfully curled so they hung beautifully around her face. The poking she’d felt a few minutes ago was a few small sprigs of baby’s breath being woven into the top edge of the bun, with the stunning comb she’d tried on in the store centered above the whole thing. The effect made it look like the style was almost effortless and naturally romantic. Quickly, she put some makeup on. A brush of shimmer on her eyelids, some eyeliner and mascara, a touch of blush on her cheeks, and a deep red lip, and she was done.
“I love it,” she said excitedly as she exited the bathroom.
Brigid grinned at her. “Good. I just have to set everything with some hairspray, so hold your breath.”
She perched on the chair and made sure to cover her face with her hands so that the spray didn’t get in her eyes. Ellie had taken a breath before the goddess started spraying, but when she was still spraying after a few seconds, she had to tap her to get her to relent. There was no way her hair was going anywhere with that much product on it. As Ellie turned to get a clear breath of air, Brigid couldn’t resist a couple more squirts of spray on the bun, leaving Ellie in a cloud of hairspray. She coughed and spluttered as she stepped out of it, trying to fan the chemicals away from herself.
“Ladies, I believe your dresses have arrived downstairs, if you wish to change,” the Morrigan said in a way that seemed to insinuate they didn’t have the choice her words claimed.
Dutifully, Brigid and Cin left the room and went to change themselves while the queen of the fae stood next to her dress.
“Do you want me to assist you with putting this on?”
“I think I can get most of it by myself, but if you wouldn’t mind zipping me up?”
“Of course,” she said, waiting for Ellie to change.
“Uh, would you mind turning around?”
The Morrigan snorted with laughter but did as she asked. As quickly as she could, Ellie was out of the clothing she’d been wearing and was in the dress, all of her intimate areas appropriately covered and the zip done up over her bum.
“Okay, I’m as dressed as I can get.”
When she turned back around, the goddess’s eyes widened as she took Ellie in. “You look amazing, my dear,” she said as she came over and finished zipping the dress.
“Thanks.” She swept the skirt around her, feeling the weight of it as she moved. It really did feel like the kind of dress a princess would wear, which was not something she’d ever expected to wear in her own life. The sleeves of the dress were mostly illusion, similar to the neckline, but they were cut asymmetrically, making it look like the lace appliques that started around her wrists came down onto her hands. The overall effect was magical and made her feel elegant.
Cin and Brigid came back in then, and the Morrigan excused herself to go change while the other two women ooh’d and ahh’d over the dress. Cin attached the veil to the comb that rested over her bun and settled it nicely against the dress while Brigid retrieved the earrings Alec had given her. The light shifted, and she could see her reflection in the window. The woman who stared back was so far away from the woman she’d been first thing that morning that it was almost laughable. The Morrigan returned, and Gloria was with her. Finally, they were all there and dressed, ready to go wherever it was they were going.
“Shall we?” the Morrigan asked as she handed Ellie the bouquet.
Chapter 27
Ellie took a moment and looked down at the flowers. The arrangement was a beautiful combination of roses, both white and dark red with a few that were white with a pale pink center, lamb’s ear, pinecones, white anemones, and foliage from pine trees. It was soft and exquisite, and surprisingly heavy.
As she followed the women out of the room, she realized that they all wore long dresses of varying colors, everything from scarlet to silver. Even the Morrigan wore a deep-navy dress, instead of her usual black or burgundy. Once they left the house, Ellie felt the cold winter air licking at her skin, and though she wanted to protect her dress by picking it up, it was also the only thing that was keeping her legs warm, and she didn’t want to give the cold air any more access to her skin than was necessary.
She’d expected them to head to the big house, but they veered in almost the opposite direction. From what she could tell, they weren’t heading to anyone’s house. Otherwise, they would have turned more firmly in one direction or the other. A crusty layer of snow covered the ground, and she was grateful that the shoes Alec had provided were flat little ankle boots and not heels so that as the snow crunched underfoot, she didn’t have to worry about keeping her balance any more than normal. The pathway soon disappeared, and they were heading past trees and bushes that looked as though they’d been recently trimmed, and across a snowy pathway that should have been deeper considering where it was, but it looked like someone had tried to shovel it at least a little. Soon Ellie could hear music playing and the murmur of voices.
When the line of snow-covered trees broke and the clearing emerged, it was like she’d walked into a fairytale. There were a few rows of chairs, all of which were full, and the aisle was lined with groups of at least five candles of all different sizes in glass vases at the end of each row, all of which leading her eye to the only person she’d been anxious to see since this whole thing started. Alec’s back was to her, and he was standing under a stunning floral arch. Spruce branches made up the majority of it, while giant pinecones and white and red roses were dotted throughout. Her favorite part was the twinkle lights intertwined throughout the arch and wrapped around the trunks of the trees that stood tall and proud behind it. Everything felt magical.
As they walked forward, Cin broke off from their little group, giving her a smile and a thumbs-up as she went to sit next to Thad, while Brigid came forward on one side and the Morrigan paused, having been a few steps ahead of them, and waited until they’d caught up. She had a goddess on each arm as they progressed, and now that they were more firmly in the clearing, the music changed to something slower and yet merry in tone.
The Morrigan squeezed her arm, and they began to escort her down the aisle toward her soulmate. She glanced at the sea of faces in front of her and felt overwhelmed. If this was a small wedding, and she knew it was from the weddings she’d been to, then she was fairly sure that she would have freaked out at a bigger wedding.
Up until that point, Alec had been facing the beautiful foliage-covered archway at the ceremony site, but when the music changed, he turned to face her and his jaw dropped. Her eyes were locked on him as her heart swelled with love and happiness at the sight of him being awestruck by her presence. When he swiped at his face, she was truly surprised. The last thing she’d expected was to make h
im cry. Her heart beat painfully in her chest in response.
By the time they’d made it to the arch, she was dying to touch him, to kiss him and confirm that this was all real and not just the most magnificent dream she’d ever had. The Morrigan released her and moved around to stand in the officiant’s place, which surprised her. Brigid squeezed her arm and held her hand out for what Ellie assumed was the bouquet, which she gratefully handed over so that she could take Alec’s outstretched hand.
He was in a dark charcoal-gray suit, a burgundy tie that was so dark, it was almost black, a matching pocket square, and a beautiful boutonniere of lamb’s ear, a tiny pinecone, a white rose, and a sprig of pine. His eyes sparkled as she stared up at him, taking his hand, a bright warm spot in the cold air. Briefly, Alec turned away and retrieved something that Hal held out for him. Before she could see what it was, the Morrigan lifted her veil and he slid an arm behind her, wrapping her shoulders in a thick wool fabric.
As he brought it around to the front, she saw that it was the MacLeod tartan, and her eyes filled with tears. It was such a thoughtful, unexpected gift. The deep blues and greens with faint hints of yellow and red in the tartan were exactly what she needed to feel like her family truly was there with her, or at least, watching from wherever they were. She couldn’t help the tears that spilled over then. There were only a few, and she regained control of herself quickly, but it was enough to worry Alec and make him think that he had done something wrong.
“Thank you. It means the world to me. It really does.” Her voice was soft, intended only for him.
She felt the Morrigan rearranging her veil behind her, and she clutched the corners of the tartan in her free hand while the other squeezed Alec’s. When she was satisfied with the veil’s placement, the Morrigan came around to the center between and formed the top point of the triangle the three of them now made.
