songerein | Out of your whole life, give me but a moment!

Who: Clive and Jill, Joshua, and all of you lovely folks
Which: Open log
Where: A venue at the flower festival
What: We cordially invite you to the wedding of Marquess Clive Rosfield and Princess Jill Warrick
Warnings: Rated R for Romance

I. Feasts and festivals - Reception
[ Of all the seasonal celebrations upon which the date of a wedding might coincide, none could feel more serendipitous or meaningful to the couple in question than a flower festival. Clive hadn’t planned for this when he’d proposed to Jill—hadn’t planned on anything, really, save that he wanted to marry the girl he’d loved since he was a teenager, who had stood by him with unflinching devotion through thick and thin.

As guests begin to arrive, they will be greeted by Torgal, who has been dressed for the occasion with a red scarf tied around his neck. He barks, tail wagging, as he leads them into the venue. The customs of Rosaria dictate that it is not the wedding ceremony itself that comes as the first order of business, but instead a welcoming feast. For what is in fact a royal wedding, the atmosphere is surprisingly casual; the venue, a blossoming meadow, has been ringed with garlands and fairy lights, while a long buffet table is laden with a variety of foods that might be found in the dining halls of Valisthea—a fine selection of roasted meats and vegetables, loaves of warm bread and pastries both sweet and savory, little cakes and bread pudding, fruit and cheese. Pitchers of water, spiced wine, juice, and tea are all available for guests to drink.

Each place setting is topped with a favor from the bride and groom: a daisy and a dandelion handmade by the happy couple from ribbons and wire, a charm that can be worn as pin or pendant. Each one is imbued with the warmth and love of the hands that crafted them. At the head table sit the lord and lady in crimson and blue, crowned with flowers and smiling with unreserved love at one another.

Once their guests have all taken their seats, Clive rises to address the those who have assembled for the occasion. There’s a softness to his voice, and yet it still projects over the crowd; he is accustomed to commanding an audience, after all, but it has never pleased him more to do so than it does now. ]

Friends and honored guests, it is with utmost gladness that I bid you welcome to our wedding feast. This is a day that my beloved and I have long hoped for, through many years of war and hardship—a day we feared may never come to pass; a day for which we are that much more grateful. We entreat you all to partake of this feast and of these gifts which we have prepared for you, to share in our joy on the eve of our nuptial celebration. May the Phoenix bless those upon whom his light shines.

[ Clive sits and Jill stands. Warmth abounds in how she carries herself; comfort, too. Both serve as an adequate cover for the excited nervousness that she feels above all else. It wasn't long ago that she struggled with guilt over wanting some bread and pies. That she's having a wedding now feels so surreal that she can't stop beaming as she speaks. ]

Even if this is but a dream, it's one we've held since we were children. Seeing it realised is everything to us. We may not have been here for very long – or had the opportunity to get to know you as well as we'd have liked – but that makes us all the more grateful that you've joined us tonight. Time makes no promises, so thank you for helping us dream with our whole hearts while it's still ours to claim, and may we one day be able to return the blessing.

[ It’s a relatively short speech, but there will be more to say later in the evening. For now, everyone is invited to eat and be merry. A delightful band of adorable NPC musicians led by Venti the Bard on his lute plays delightful music for the assembled guests, and everyone is invited to dance in the clearing. As the sun sets and the moons rise, flickering flames of Phoenix fire appear over each table, casting their ruddy light so that the guests might continue to enjoy themselves while the night grows long. ]

II. Two hearts beat as one - Wedding
[ At some point in the evening, the bride and groom slip away for a wardrobe change, and shortly before the clock strikes midnight, all the guests are ushered from their tables to a separate seating area. There is no central isle here, but Joshua stands behind a carved wooden altar in vestments of crimson and black. He smiles beatifically at the assembled people before him, lifting his hands to call for silence once it's time for the ceremony to begin. ]

Dearest friends, family, and guests, we bid you our most heartfelt welcome. Today we bear witness to the union of two souls, bound by love and guided by destiny. As we embark on this sacred journey, let us invoke the wisdom of the Founder and the resilience of the Phoenix. The Founder built our home so that we may thrive. We pray for their comfort. The Phoenix’s flames protect us, fierce and bright. We pray for their strength. The Founder paved roads so that we may grow in community. We pray for their bond. The Phoenix’s wings bear life and rebirth. We pray for their health.

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[Joshua glances down at his attire. Heavy as it may be, there's a comfort to the way the fabric hugs him in some areas while hanging loose in others. Robes that he'd only seen with the faraway promise of his own now dress his person. Granted, it's in another world while his own balances precariously on the precipice of shambles, but the occasion, joyous and wonderful, makes up for it. Rosaria's tradition. Culture. They live on in him in this moment, and he'll readily embrace that undercurrent of pride in conjunction with the happiest day of his siblings' lives.]

Thank you.

However, I am under no pretense as to who is the more sensational between the two of us.

[There's the slightest hint of a good-natured chuckle. Just a gentle huff from his nose accompanied by a smile, really.]

To what do I owe the honor of a visit from the bride?

You could have just accepted the compliment, you know.

[This time, she does look away for a moment, and the pink to her cheeks is no longer the product of rouge alone. They haven't had many opportunities to just enjoy each other's company since reuniting in Twinside, and she'd almost forgotten how this side of being a big sister felt.

It's nice, though she's going to add more fuel to Joshua's fire by acknowledging that.]

And you owe the honour to this zipper.

[Here, she turns, pulling her hair to her front to reveal the stubborn foe who's brought her to defeat.]

I can't get it any higher. Can you?

[Could he have accepted the compliment? Probably. However, Joshua knows better than to accept any instance of outshining a bride on her wedding day. That, and it’s all too fun to play the role of little brother, and he’s a professional, even if his skills have grown rusty with lack of use.]

[He won’t take any opportunity to practice for granted. Not when he knows all too well how it feels to be so completely isolated from his family.]

[With an affirmative hum, Joshua examines the battlefield and their now shared enemy. This will be a delicate operation, one with dire consequences should he fail in his task, but he won’t back down. Confidence is key.]

I should be able to, yes. Just a moment.

[He gently tugs at the ends of the fabric. Then, he slowly pulls the zipper up so that the strider can catch the wayward teeth.]

[A moment where all is quiet. A quick jiggle.]

[And success! He manages to fasten the top without any difficulty or catching of Jill’s skin.]

 There we are! Now there is nothing to stand in your way.

[Which leads to a question.]

 Do you feel ready?

[With the zipper finally in its proper place, Jill lets out a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding in. Of their own volition, her hands move to make a few more adjustments to her dress before she turns to face Joshua again.

There's no hesitation to her answer at all.]

I don't know that I've ever not been ready.

[It's a bit of an exaggeration, of course; the very nature of their mission made thinking of a future defined by love instead of bloodshed an entirely too painful prospect, sometimes. But then again, her and Clive had fallen into step like lovers, even if it had taken them five years to make that literal. How else should she see things?]

Five years ago, when we met again, I knew that I'd never love anyone the way I loved him, because the way I loved him made everything seem possible. Even slaying god himself.

[A pause. An inward scoff. She means it, fully, but it still feels strange to say. somehow. Like it's coming from her younger self. Too innocent. Too effusive. Yet even so...]

I know how that sounds but I'm not sure how else to put it.

[Throughout his interactions on the topic--and there have been more than usual in the past few months--Joshua has noticed one specific thing about people in love speaking about love: assuredness. Not mere confidence that only requires the self, but that undeterred belief in one's other half.]

[Now, given the man who Jill has chosen to spend the rest of her life with, Joshua could share in that assuredness wholly and with his own resolution. Clive has, since the earliest days of his life that he can recall, proven himself a man truly capable of anything he set his mind to with a heart of gold that, when dusted off, reflects the strength of character he harbors. However, despite what Clive innately represents, Jill clearly has uncovered something more. Something abstract. Something that, as Clive's brother, he sees through his love, but could never see as someone in love with him. It's an amorphous quail so beautiful, special, and precious, and there is no one better than Jill to have made such a remarkable discovery.]

[So when she says she knows how it sounds, he can agree, but only as an outsider. An outsider who cannot help the tender smile that lifts the faint creases just barely beginning to form under his eyes as they alight with warmth.]

You needn't say more.

[He places his hands on Jill's shoulders.]

You deserve today, but you've earned the rest of your lives together.

[There's still a part of Jill that grapples with what she does and doesn't deserve. Even in a dream world, fully knowing that she continues to exist in Valisthea, there's a twinge of guilt to her happiness. A sense of questioning whether it's all right for her to enjoy living in what no doubt counts as luxury compared to what she'd be facing back home in the absence of magic.

Those aren't thoughts to be having on her wedding day, though, so she accepts Joshua's assertion with a shier smile than before, moving to fix a piece of his hair, if only for the moment's distraction it provides.]

Thank you, Joshua, truly. [A shift in her smile to something just slightly more teasing.] Biased though you might be, it still means the world coming from you.

[It means everything that he can speak it at all. That he can witness this moment. That they can share in this new way of becoming a family, together.]

What of you? Are you ready? I heard you practising, though I promise I didn't listen in.

[Joshua accepts that sisterly gesture without a fuss. Why would he, when the gentle brush of Jill's fingers against his hair brings him a comfort long thought buried in their childhood?]

[The distraction works for him as well as it does, hopefully, for her. As his focus returns to the present after its split-second disappearance, his expression transitions from a congenial smile to a thoughtful glance.]

[Is he ready? Joshua has been so focused on assisting the couple where he can that he's barely paid any mind to his own state. Which is, of course, the norm. That thought clues him in on the emotions he's yet to examine.]

I've always thrived under pressure, and I can think of no better incentive to do well than serving my most treasured family.

[It's an honest response, Jill knows, but it's also befitting of a man of his station. She reads between the lines as a matter of instinct more so than any real desire to needle out what else – if anything – he might mean.

It may be her wedding. There may be rules and traditions regarding what one says or does in the bride's or the groom's presence. Jill doesn't care. If the general code of conduct dictates that the couple must be honoured at all stops throughout the day, then surely her wishes matter more than whatever her predecessors have decided best suits them.

So she zeroes in on one word, and asks about it simply.]

Pressure?

[Joshua answers the question just as simply: first with a nod.]

Aye.

[But, sure enough, further explanation follows. Even if he wasn’t a young man already drawn towards the loquacious, Jill deserves to know more. By virtue of being his sister, the bride, and someone who he made a promise to. Something as common as nerves before speaking in front of a crowd surely falls under the umbrella of sharing his burdens, loathe as he is to do so on her wedding day.]

[So, he treats his reasoning with the level-headedness it asks for.]

I want to do well. For you and Clive, that is.

I don’t doubt my speaking ability, let alone amongst friends and family, but ’tis different for something as grand as your wedding.

Out of your whole life, give me but a moment!

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