by Helen Scott
“Alec and Ellie had a strange meeting and even stranger courtship, but the love that they felt for each other from the moment they first met is legendary. While their path certainly hasn’t been smooth, it has brought them both here today, and today we look forward to the future they will share together and all the moments that have yet to come.
“I’m here, and I’m sure you are all here, too, because we want you both to have that bright future and indulge in those precious moments. We are here to hope with you, and to remind you that love is a story that is in the process of being written. It is not one moment or one day, but the string of moments and days and years that all combine to form a life that you will lead together. Each small moment bonds with the big moments, and it all becomes one big experience. You can try and explain it as I have done, but that’s not the essence of love.
“Love is meant to be felt, not described, and yet describing love is something everyone all over your world and the other realms tries to do. Stories, poems, songs, movies, they all try and define it, to show a specific side of it, and yet the experience is as different from person to person as your DNA. We all know love when we see it, and I think it’s safe to say that we all see it when we look at the two of you.
“I won’t say you fell in love by chance, because you are true soulmates, and that means that the fates were up to something when they had you meet, but being here today is a choice you have both willingly made. You have chosen each other. Each of you has unique qualities that you bring to this relationship, beyond your enhanced abilities. You make each other think, smile, laugh, and bring a brightness to every day that you share together. The promises made here today are ones that you both intend to keep, beyond promising to take care of each other, to stand up for one another, and find happiness within your partner. All of this requires that you be there, you show up for the other person. From this day forward, you are formally acknowledging that you are a team, a family.
“Will you, Alec, keep Ellie as your favorite person? To laugh with her, go on adventures with her, support her through life’s hardships, be proud of her, and find new reasons to love her every day?”
Alec cleared his throat, and, with a tight voice, said, “I will.”
“Will you, Ellie, keep Alec as your favorite person? To laugh with him, go on adventures with him, support him through life’s hardships, be proud of him, and find new reasons to love him every day?”
Ellie had to swallow multiple times before she was able to get her mouth working. “I will,” she croaked.
“Will you be each other’s partners from this day forward? Will you bring out the best in one another, share your happiest moments together, and love each other absolutely for the rest of this long life you have in front of you and whatever may come after?”
“We will,” they both said with scratchy voices.
“Now, this is where a surprise wedding gets tricky. Ellie, Alec has promised to allow you to pick out a ring for him later, but has found an adequate stand-in for now, if that works for you?”
Ellie nodded as a few chuckles ran through the audience, who she’d actually forgotten was there until that moment.
“Good. As a reminder of the promises you have made to each other, today you will exchange rings. The earth in all her loving wisdom gave up these precious metals and stones, allowing something beautiful to come from the raw elements. Love is the same. Imperfect, lumpy, and humble beginnings that turn into something beautiful from the work that each party puts into the relationship. Now, both of you please repeat after me.” She paused and handed Ellie a thick black ring to put on Alec’s finger, and she handed Alec a delicate band of what could only be diamonds for Ellie. “With this ring, I seal my love and promises to you.”
As they each slid the rings on, they repeated the words, and Ellie’s voice became progressively quieter as she struggled to hold in her emotions.
“Let this ring remind you that I have and will always choose you to be my partner in life.”
They both repeated the words, but this time tears spilled out of Ellie’s eyes and ran down her cheeks, leaving cold tracks in their wake. Alec brought a hand up and wiped them away with a soft smile on his face.
“With this ring, I thee wed.”
She could barely say the words as the tears came fast and furiously now, and as she watched, she saw the same emotions in Alec’s eyes, and when a few tears spilled forth, it took everything she had not to just latch on to him until they both stopped crying.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss, if that is what you desire.”
Alec stepped forward and wrapped a strong hand around Ellie’s waist, pulling her tightly against him. His hot lips came down on hers in a scorching kiss that was surely one for the history books. The passion that flowed through him was as clear as a bell, and the love that flowed behind it was as pure as freshly fallen snow. Her hands came up and wrapped around his neck, pulling him even closer.
When they broke apart, she realized their friends and family were cheering, and they turned to face the crowd.
“It’s my pleasure to present to you the newlyweds, Alec and Ellie!” The Morrigan clapped as she finished speaking, and they set off down the aisle, with Brigid quickly handing Ellie her bouquet.
Everything was overwhelming, and she wasn’t sure how to act or what to do, so she just clung to Alec, who walked her off to one side, where there was another smaller clearing that just had a bench and two blankets sitting on top. They could hear their family and friends moving out of the ceremony site, and from what she could tell, they were heading toward the big house, which must be where dinner was being held. At the thought, her stomach gave a loud growl, which had them both collapsing in a fit of laughter.
“I was going to ask how you were doing, but I guess I know the answer.” He grinned.
“Other than being hungry, I’m amazing. I cannae believe ye did all this without me knowin’. How long did it take ye to organize everythin’?”
“Umm . . . I started while you were in Purgatory, so a few days?”
“Ye did all this in a few days? While tracking lost fae and fighting the Order? How?”
“I didn’t do it so much as I organized and begged and pleaded other people to do it. You’re lucky so many people love you, and I also paid a few people a lot of money to do their part. Every second of worry and stress that you would hate it or that it wouldn’t come together was worth it, though, because now, you’re my wife.” He smiled and dipped his head toward her in a chaste but love-infused kiss.
“I’m sure the people who helped love you just as much as they love me,” she said when he pulled away.
“I don’t know about that . . .” He trailed off when the photographer wandered into the clearing.
“Hi, guys. I thought I could capture a few photos of just the two of you, if that’s okay?”
Alec looked at Ellie, who nodded.
Gloria proceeded to instruct them on how to pose, and true to her word, a few minutes later, she disappeared toward the big house.
“We should probably follow.”
“The cold is startin’ to get a little much,” Ellie said, even though she was wrapped in all the blankets plus her tartan.
“Come on.” Alec pulled her up, helping her detangle from the blankets. “I can’t wait to see what you think of the rest of the night.” He grinned mischievously.
“Oh?”
Smiling, he tugged her hand, and they walked through the snow to the main house. As soon as it came into view, she could tell that they’d done something different with the lighting. The house glowed with a soft amber light instead of shining like a beacon as it normally did. The front door was closed, keeping the cold winter air out, and before he opened the big, espresso-colored door, he turned and kissed her hand, like a prince in one of those old movies.
“If you want to get out of here at any point, just let me know, okay?”
She smiled and nodded,
appreciating the offer but doubting she’d use it since she wanted to remember as much of that day as possible.
He grabbed the handle and hauled the door open, revealing another fairytale-esque setting. Just inside the door, branches were woven into an archway and strung with twinkle lights, and the effect was repeated on every doorway throughout the house. They walked through the formal living room area and headed into the casual living area, which was also merged with the kitchen to create one giant open space.
All the furniture had been moved out of the room and replaced with two long picnic-bench-style tables that were littered with candles and squat half-orbs of flowers every now and then. The fireplace at the back of the room crackled merrily. A small two-person table sat between the two longer tables, turning the whole thing into a U shape. It had a banner proclaiming “Mr. & Mrs.” hanging from corner to corner, along with more flowers and candles.
The room broke into an uproar as they entered, with everyone clapping and cheering. Ellie was going to make a beeline for the seats that were obviously reserved for them, but Alec tugged her in the opposite direction toward a beautifully simple wedding cake. The frosting was white, and she could tell from just looking at it that it was buttercream and not fondant. The base layer had delicate piping covering it that was styled to look like a cable-knit sweater, while the top layer was plain except for the champagne-colored ribbon that went around the base. The top of the cake, as well as the ridge between the layers and the base, were bright red and purple berries, pinecones, a few bits of spruce, and a rose or two. She couldn’t imagine cutting into it and destroying the exquisite structure.
When Alec picked up a pearl-handled knife, she knew that was exactly what he intended for them to do. She sighed happily and resolved to press the image of the cake into her mind, before she placed her hand on top of his on the knife and they cut into the cake together. They pulled out a small sliver of what smelled like ginger cake, and when he took a piece between his fingers and fed it to her, her suspicions were confirmed. The cake and frosting almost melted on her tongue, the sweet, spicy ginger and molasses only igniting her hunger even more. When it was her turn to feed Alec, she picked up the soft, sticky piece of cake and diverted quickly from putting it straight into his mouth to dabbing some of the frosting onto his nose, and then feeding it to him. Laugher rose up within her like a balloon in the sky, and she couldn’t contain it anymore as Alec wiped the frosting from his nose and pulled her into a tight embrace.
He led her back to their seats, and she finally got to glimpse everyone there. It was the brothers and their soulmates, the fae they had rescued, along with Brigid, the Morrigan, and a woman she didn’t recognize but was clearly fae. Cin’s brother and her adoptive mother were there, along with Aster’s birth parents. Nimue sat close to Robin and Hal, and Ellie was surprised to see that Robin’s little sister, Caitlyn, was there, as well. There was a section on the other table with only a few faces she recognized, two of which were Nivetta and her daughter, Vivienne, as well as Tony, the tattoo artist, and finally Imogen. Everyone sitting next to her was completely unfamiliar to her, but that was okay. There were probably close to thirty people in the room, and it glowed with warmth and family.
Alec looked at her, his startling blue eyes brimming with emotion just as she was sure hers were, and she’d never felt safer or more at home. It was a small thing, but as he took her hand under the table, all she was overwhelmed with was happiness and love as she sat down to eat with her husband for the first time.
Epilogue
A few days later
They had spent most of Christmas morning in bed, relaxing and enjoying the peace and quiet that had settled over their home after the excitement of the wedding. The day after the wedding, she’d persuaded Cin to go get the sweater she’d been knitting for Alec from the store, and when they’d exchanged gifts around lunch, she’d been relieved when it fit him and that he liked it. The rest of the day had been cooking and just enjoying each other’s company. There was nothing out of the ordinary or alarming, so when Alec said he’d be right back, she wavered between feeling nervous at his sudden disappearance and as though things were finally starting to get back to normal.
The knock at the door a few moments later was unexpected, but she went to answer it, even though she knew no one on the island would bother knocking. The metal doorknob was chilled from its counterpart that sat outside, and she knew that when she opened it, the frigid winter air would blast inside, no matter how big or small the opening was. Cracking the door, she didn’t see anyone there at first, so she opened it wider, bracing against the cold that tried to steal her breath.
At first, she couldn’t see anything, but then two dogs came barreling toward her. They tangled around her legs. One was a blur of black and white fluff, and the other was almost a caramel color with a white stripe on its head. She had no clue where they’d come from, and it was only when she looked up again that she saw Alec striding out from the trees by the front door.
“What’s goin’ on? Where’d they come from?” she cried as she fell to the floor to pet the adorable puppies.
“Valentina runs a shelter, if you remember, and when I dropped Imogen off, these two ran and jumped on me, and I don’t know . . .” He trailed off for a moment and rubbed the back of his neck while both dogs tried to lick Ellie’s face. “I just couldn’t leave them there, and you’d said about how you missed having a pet, so I thought, why not? It’s not as though we don’t have the space or the resources. Plus, I just couldn’t think about them being homeless like that. It broke my heart.”
“Come ’ere, ye big softy,” she said, waving him down to the floor so he could be on the same level as her and the dogs.
“Only if you move inside.”
“Not a problem.” She laughed and rose up on her hands and knees and moved into the hallway, the dogs following and licking her face all the way.
Once the door was shut behind him, Alec knelt down and said, “Ellie, love, I’d like you to meet Knuckles.” He ruffled the fur of the black and white dog first, and then the tan and white dog. “And Porkchop.”
“Porkchop? Were ye hungry when ye named them?”
He held his hands up defensively. “I didn’t pick that out. Those are the names they’d had all their lives.”
“Wait. They’re fully grown?”
“Yep. Knuckles is a five-year-old Spaniel and Shih Tzu mix, and Porkchop is a Chihuahua and Jack Russel mix who’s also about five. They were a bonded pair that the shelter didn’t want to separate, but their owners couldn’t keep them anymore. They’re both housebroken and know basic commands, and best of all, they’re both ours.”
“I cannae believe ye did this without askin’ me,” she said, feeling a little overwhelmed.
“I thought it’d be a nice surprise. Did I fuck up?”
“No, they’re adorable and I love them already. I’m just surprised is all. What about all the supplies and everythin’? We’ve got nothin’ to take care of a dog, let alone two.”
He sighed and rolled his eyes at her in an overly dramatic way that let her know she hadn’t really offended him, before he said, “Do you really think I’d bring home two puppers without having anything for them? It’s all down in my studio.”
Of course it was. That and the vault were the only places in the house she didn’t go very often. She smiled widely then. Not only had he given her the most amazing wedding, they were now the proud owners of two adorable dogs that she couldn’t wait to get to know. “You’re an amazing man, d’ye know that?”
“I try.” He grinned and kissed her.
The dogs yipped at them, quietly causing them to break the kiss just in time for Ellie to see two fuzzy butts running off to explore the house. She kissed him then, pulling him as close to her as possible.
“I dinna ken what I did to deserve ye, but I’m beyond grateful to have ye.”
“Come on, let’s go see what they are up to,” Alec said before stand
ing and pulling Ellie to her feet.
“You didn’t think a horse and ravens were enough, hum?”
“Please, Tapa’s barely ever around, and the ravens aren’t domesticated. Just because they bring you little gifts doesn’t mean they want to snuggle. Dogs are companions. They’ll snuggle and play and snore so loudly, we’ll think the walls are caving in, and we’ll love every second of it.”
As though summoned, two fuzzy heads peered around the corner at them, and as Ellie and Alec walked into the kitchen, he smacked her butt playfully. “Careful. If I remember correctly, it was something like that that got us into this in the first place,” Ellie said.
“I wouldn’t change anything about our lives for the world. Everything that has happened has brought us closer together. We are exactly where we’re meant to be—well, except for right now.”
She turned to him and frowned. “What’s wrong?”
He grinned at her salaciously. “I think, right now, we are probably meant to be in bed together.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes, really,” he said as he pinned her up against the wall in the kitchen and kissed her senseless. Her body reacted like a match being struck, and suddenly, she was on fire for him. As though he could sense the shift, he jumped them both to the bedroom where they made love, until they were interrupted by the dogs barking, which had them both collapsing in a fit of giggles. Ellie’s heart was full and happy, and as she looked at Alec, she could see the same thing reflected in him. Sighing contentedly, she relaxed on the bed for a moment before jumping up to help her husband. She smiled like a schoolgirl as she wondered when calling him her husband was going to get old. It would take a while, she was sure, and she would enjoy every second of it and their lives together.
