Swing Me On Your Trapeze

[pinprick]

WHO: Friends of Nathaniel Howe and Anders.
WHAT: An informal Wintersend wedding
WHEN: Wintersend Day
WHERE: Camp Shady
NOTES: Open invitation to all Wardens and anyone who considers themselves a close enough friend of one of the grooms. We're not policing the invite list.

There's scarcely an announcement, though the men have had their minds made up for a while. It's assuredly not formal, invitation spread only by word of mouth. It is, due to the people involved, tactfully swept into Wintersend where it will be camouflaged by a number of other Wintersend celebrations.

No it's not a surprise. No it doesn't really make sense. But Anders and Nathaniel are getting married anyway.

Decorations are simple, mainly winter flowers and evergreen, whatever is colorful at this altitude. Those same winter flowers are made into crowns for the grooms, which is a tradition from the Anderfels. Nathaniel wears his dress uniform, a tradition everywhere. Anders wears a striking set of blue robes to match, though mages have no marriage traditions. Miraculously, a priest has agreed to perform the ceremony. She is content not to make this more or less than what it is: a celebration of the love of two people.

Vows are spoken, the ceremony kept short, and soon enough the grooms take hands and jump over a broom together--a tradition from Amaranthine which puzzles people to this day. And so they are now married, and the party can begin.

The party has simple but abundant fare--mostly meat and bread and plenty to drink, none of it nonalcoholic. There are fires and torches and lanterns casting their warm glow. A couple of Wardens provide the music for dancing on drum and fiddle. Anyone who pleases (Kaisa) is welcome to stand (if they still can) (Kaisa) and propose a toast to the husbands, to the Maker, to the Grey Wardens, to their right buttcheek that's gone numb from sitting (Kaisa), anything they wish. The drunker people get, the funnier everything is. No fighting is allowed, however (Kaisa).

Tonight, the moon is high and the stars are bright and the music is merry. It's easy to forget, for a short time, that the world is in such peril. It's easy to believe all will be well when you're celebrating a wedding.

Comments

Kain, Open

[in_death_sacrifice]

Weddings. They're so not Kain's thing for a number of reasons, so he had to be talked into this one just as much as the other that he'd recently been to. It seems that it's apparently a theme for him this year so far, though, so maybe he'd better get used to it. His expression is wistful throughout, as he again finds himself wondering what it really takes to find this sort of connection with anyone.

Still, he's here and doing what's right for the sake of Grey Wardens. So he raises his glass for every toast, drinking down a few glasses by the time they're done. He'll stay well back from the dancing, but he watches the festivities, always with a beverage in hand.

[justice_is_blond]

He joins Kain with a beverage in his own hand. Water this time, though. He's had a couple of drinks already, and while he's got a better tolerance now than he used to have, Anders wants to remember every moment of tonight. This doesn't stop him from patting Kain on the shoulder as he joins him, though.

"I've no idea how to read the expression on your face."

[in_death_sacrifice]

Kain takes another sip, glancing over at Anders. "Believe it or not, I've heard that one a few times..." Then he does at least make the attempt to lighten his expression figuring he doesn't want to bring down a celebratory day. Speaking of that... "Congratulations, by the way. It's always a fortunate thing to see anyone among us Wardens finding someone."

They don't always get the chance, really. And to have them both be Wardens, well... that makes it all the better in a way. They know what they're both in for.

[justice_is_blond]

"Thank you." He raises his glass to Kain before taking a sip. It is fortunate to find someone, even more so when it's him finding someone.

"So what's with the long face?" This might not be the best time for a serious talk. Anders doesn't know that he wants to bring the mood down, but he can at least see if it's something that can be attended to, or... something. He doesn't know.

[in_death_sacrifice]

He gulps down a bunch of his drink. They also seem so happy together too, which is more than he can say for the arranged marriages he was used to seeing most of the time back home. To find a soulmate... it's an incredible idea, one which he envies.

"Ah, I... My apologies, I didn't mean that. I don't mean to do such a thing. I guess it's just a wistful feeling, wondering whether or not I'll find the same, one day. It's nothing, though, please... don't let my contemplations ruin a celebratory day." More to drink sounds good about now to him, so he goes for just that.

[justice_is_blond]

"It's not ruining it. Nothing will ruin today." He's decided it to be so, and he's determined to stay focused enough for that.

Anders shrugs as Kain gets a drink. Another day he'd talk about the other Warden's worries, but he's also not going to dwell today. This is for him.

"Maybe you will, maybe you won't. There's no telling what the future holds, but if a mage has found it..." Another shrug. "Enjoy the other drink, and relax. Don't think too hard this evening. Return to obsessing tomorrow, or that's my plan."

[in_death_sacrifice]

"Good, I'm glad to hear that. You should enjoy every moment of it." To be so happy, so fulfilled... Kain envies it, but he won't let that get in the way right now, Anders is very much right about that.

"There's no shortage of things to obsess about, that's all too true. Maybe... the timing of this was well placed. You deserve a break from the usual concerns, we all do." For now, at least, they can set all of that aside. It does get wearying to be constantly in a defensive state, with so many enemies out there. His expression turns thoughtful as he considers some of those words for a moment. "And that's... something to keep in mind... no telling what the future holds... perhaps that's all too true..."