faderift | [Open] I Look At You

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[Open] I Look At You

WHO: Aleron Darton and Bethany Hawke, Malcolm Reed, Nathaniel Howe, The Grey Warden 2LiveCrew (even you Teren), The Seeker Trio, and YOU.
WHAT: A Noble Wedding Between Two Great Houses.
WHEN: Backdated to the first of Bloomingtide
WHERE: Endridge, outside of Kaiten in the Free Marches.
NOTES: Warnings for Exceeding Sappiness and Happiness. What is that? Why is this in this game? That's just weird.EDIT: I've put in headers if you want to tag under those, but please feel free to put in your own top levels!

It's a far distance to Endridge from most anywhere, situated five miles outside Kaiten. But the destination is well worth the journey. The roads are even and in good repair as they stretch out through gently rolling hills of green. Picturesque. Tranquil. This is precisely what Bethany had wanted for her wedding: somewhere outdoors under the Maker's sky.

The pastoral setting truly is breathtaking for anyone moved by nature. Lush pastures stretch out almost to the horizon, dotted with fleecy ewes and their bouncing new lambs. Gentle breezes dance through the trees, the rustling sending gusts of fruit blossom petals scattering to the winds. Within those branches, twittering birds in joyous song cover the backdrop of baaaaaahs arising from the sheep. Behind the birdsong, the burbling of the creek sings out as it trips along its way to the lake. The warming new summer air coaxes perfumes out of the flowers, filling the air with their mingled scent. Behind the bounteous gifts of nature looms a stone edifice, seat of the Darton family, an imposing but not ungainly castle. The house is the work of the first baron, built to be a stronghold against further Nevarran incursions and a sign to legitimize the new title.

Never let it be said that Ravonild does not know how to throw a party. She's graciously offered the house and the grounds for the wedding, but has had her hand in all the preparations. Every inch of the ballroom has been polished and shined. The great hall transformed into a banqueting hall large enough to accommodate the guests, which includes every far-flung Darton relative crawled out of the woodwork. Where she has not worked her magic as a hostess is in the location of the ceremony proper. It is arranged within the formal gardens, which were a gift from Aleron's father to his new bride on her arrival from Orlais. Holding the wedding there, instead of in the wilder walled garden with its riot of variety and colors was a conciliatory gesture to appease Mama for not having the wedding in Orlais. Regardless of the behind-the-scenes bickering beforehand, everything is now the very picture of hospitality and celebration. The music is unending, the wine is free-flowing, and the dancing will last until dawn.

The simplest portion of the wedding is the ceremony itself. The Darton and Hawke coat of arms have been placed on display within the gardens, but that is the extend of excess and showmanship. Nathaniel Howe gives the bride away, Aleron's sisters are the bridal attendants, Malcolm Reed standing guard as a groomsman. In a break from tradition, youngest sister Layla carries a bouquet in one hand and her newborn baby in the other arm. (The tiny one was fussy, you see.) Oh, and yes, the bride's maiden of honor is an elf - but considering it is Merrill of the Champion's Tale? It is given a pass for the excitement of seeing one of Varric Tethras's heroes in the flesh, next to the bride.

Beyond that, it is a traditional ceremony performed by the Revered Mother who blessed all the Darton children as babes. Portions of the Chant are sung. Vows and rings are exchanged. Though behind the flowers Aleron and Bethany are holding hands and making eyes at each other. In fact, it seems miraculous that they're able to respond as required since they appear already lost in each other and not at all attentive to the ritual they are engaged in.

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Aleron is happy. Actually, the man is deliriously happy, though perhaps it might be hard to tell. He's been smiling all day, but it's his subtle version that is just a fraction above lineface. Fortunately, Bethany is adept at reading his small emotional markers. It's more obvious in the way his eyes watch her wheresoever she goes, how they shine, his relaxed posture. Deliriously happy.

But also painfully overwhelmed. Aleron has never been one for parties, and he has nearly hit his capacity for small talk and just people. Large crowds, huge swaths of distant relatives, the dull roar of voices rising as the wine casks are emptied, he endures these as part and parcel of a celebration which for once in his life is actually about him and his wife. My wife. How sweet those words are to him and he looks down at Bethany again with a swell of pride and adoration.

Out of a rare impulse, he takes hold of Bethany's hand and leans over to whisper in her ear, "Come with me, darling?"

It possibly sounds suggestive, and frankly now they are wed, all things are permitted. But that's not quite what he has in mind. At present. He more wants to sneak away to a remote corner of the walled garden for a few precious moments alone with his beautiful bride. And just a teensy break from having to be social.

Bethany is, of course, radiant with happiness so if Aleron only looks mildly above pleased? Bethany is shining bright enough with both of them. Flushed with joy, and a little bit of wine, she turns away from the conversation she is only half listening to at this time towards her husband. My husband, all mine. They've been so overwhelmed with everyone - all the arrangements and all the ridiculous levels of Formality that they barely had a moment alone together since this began.

Except of course when they were up before everyone, but she only counted that in the emotional sense of not seeing anyone but him.

His request makes her tilt her head curiously, but she squeezes her gloved hand around his. "Anywhere."

Dimples appear, and she lets him lead her off - guessing that he just wanted a moment alone.

Before he leads her away, Aleron kisses Bethany's temple. It sets off a group awwwww in their nearby vicinity, but he doesn't mind. That is the extend of the PDA he is comfortable with and it will have to suffice for the voyeuristic romantics in attendance. And if a few of them hold off and then follow behind to be nosy, that's none of his business.

He escorts Bethany to the garden's wooden gate without talking, which isn't so unusual for him. Aleron is marvelously happy to have even that short moment alone with his bride. Her hand is relinquished only long enough to open the gate, and then it's reclaimed quickly. The garden is dark, with only the moon and stars overhead for light. Well no, that's not quite correct. Someone's placed a handful of lanterns on the stone paths. Likely so no one trips and hurts themselves taking a moonlit walk. (Wrong, Ravonild banking on private trysts and helping those along.)

Once truly alone, and ensconced in a private corner near the crystal grace beds, the smile that Aleron's been holding in most of the day breaks free. He loves Bethany so very much, there is no doubt there. But his abilities to actually emote in public are forever stunted. "I wanted some time alone with you." More smile and a confession to go with it. "I am selfish and didn't feel like sharing you for a while."

He might know and even agree that they need to be good and gracious hosts, but that doesn't mean he can't have a selfish moment of wanting his pretty wife all to himself.

Bethany's smile causes more awwws, but she shoos them away with a laugh and a wave of her hand, "Go enjoy the party, you gooses!" It's enough to get them to laughing, turning away to whisper and waggle their eyebrows.

Bethany knows her husband - hers! - too well. No garden trysting for her. If she were to guess, she would say that he just wants a breath of fresh air. It does feel and smell delightful out here - all of Bloomingtide's blossoms all out and thriving. She picks up her gown with one hand, but the other stays in his.

She settles on the marble bench here, folding both of her hands within his, and ah! There was the smile that stole her heart, all that time ago. She squeezes his fingers in hers, before she laughs. "Well, you are allowed to be as selfish as you like. You married me today, after all."

"And I will spend the rest of our lives defending your happiness, my darling." Ah Aleron, so good at taking a sweet and light moment and making it weighty. But he absolutely means every word. And while he has custody of Bethany's lovely hands, he lifts both and kisses the tops (yes even though there are gloves in the way) of both. Then a thought occurs and he corrects himself, "My wife."

My wife. He could repeat those two blessed words over and over. For not the first time, he marvels how he's so lucky to have garnered the affections of such an amazing woman and she consented to marry him.

Aleron scoots closer to Bethany on the bench. Better to be as close as humanly possible for the short stolen moments they are taking for themselves. They will eventually have to go back and be social, and he'd endure that and more for her sake. Though perhaps for once it is not as much a burden as it might have been. Today is about them. What a novelty that is.

"Are you happy, Bethany?"

The look she gives him is tender, and knowing. It might just be more literal than either one of them realizes it. He is a Seeker, she is a Warden and a Mage ... they have taken a huge step forward for both of their proverbial sides today. It just won't always be easy. She has faith in them, though. She always would. She gently corrects him, "Your darling wife."

She squeezed his hands again, and this time she is the one who sneaks a kiss to his cheek, warm and lingering. Then she rests her forehead against his, a slow dimpled smile appearing on her lips.

"I am overjoyed, Aleron. And you?"

"I feel like I could burst, I'm so elated." And then in a shocking turn of events, Aleron impulsively leans in to kiss his lovely bride. Because to him, she is the most marvelous of all the Maker's creation. He is never so impulsive, but this is the miracle Bethany has worked: he is more relaxed and at peace than he has ever been. When he does pull away, it's only enough to breathe and finish his thought, "You've brought me more joy than I thought was possible."

He is long past the lingering fear that she would change her mind about him. Further still from the fog of grief that threatened to suffocate his life forever. But for more days than are possible to recount, he truly believed that the best he could ever hope for was a sense of numbness to dull the pain he's carried alone. Bethany has erased that blur of a half-life and restored to him a sense of meaning and purpose.

Such thoughts are not on his mind, however. Rather, his mind is absorbed with drinking in the pleasure of a private moment with his beautiful bride in a moonlit garden. The evening air is cooling but still thick with floral scents, crickets chirrup from under the grasses, this is magical. And it makes the prospect of their eventual retirement to Orlais not such a burden of a prospect after all. This sort of tranquility can be their every night if they wish it.

Right now, Aleron is drunk on happiness and love. It suits him well, dwelling on hope for their future. "I adore you, Bethany."

She smiled at him, before her breath was quiet taken away by him stealing a kiss. Here, in the garden of all places. In the moonlight, with the scent of roses and other flowers in her nose, and she can hear the sounds of one of the fountains trickling as his lips leave hers. She keeps her eyes closed for a long moment, lips slightly parted, before she opened her brown eyes to see all the love in those beautiful blue eyes. The warmth of his expression, all the joy and the happiness.

She had done this. She had made this saddened soul burst from the seams with joy. And in turn ...

"When I was a little girl, I used to dream when I was little that one day I would grow up like my mother, wear a beautiful gown and have children that laughed and played at my feet. My husband, like my father, would bring home flowers from the field, and tuck them in my hair. It wouldn't matter if we had money, or riches, we'd have each other and ... and I thought that made my parents the richest people in the world."

She looked down at their hands, "Then my magic appeared -- and I thought -- well. That's it. There's no way. Mages aren't meant to marry, meant for happiness -- but there were my parents again. Defying everything to be together, and I thought ... maybe, just maybe."

A soft sigh, a heavy one, "A Blight, a flight to Kirkwall, a year grinding away in Lowtown, and one trip to the Deep Roads and I lost everything. I lost hope, I lost my freedom, I thought I had even lost the sunlight. It took me a ... very long time to turn the corner, to find brightness in the world again. My sister and brother had a lot to do with that. Nathaniel, even more. But I thought to myself - that's it. To live, to serve with honor would have to be enough."

She looked at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears, bright and happy ones. "But then I met you - and ... and I fell in love. And you loved me back, and it was everything. You ... are everything, Aleron. You are all my dreams come true."

She cupped his cheek, whispering, "I love you, to the stars and back again."

Enraptured by her shining eyes, Aleron listens intently, measuring and storing every word of Bethany's childhood measure of happiness in marriage. Because today anything feels possible and he'll do whatever it takes to bring such idyllic dreams to fruition in earnest. He leans in to her touch, basking in the warmth of her hand, matched by the warmth of her blessed sweet and loving heart.

"You are my stars, darling. Sun and moon too. You've brought light back to my life. I know what it means to live again, because of you."

Perhaps that dances the edge of thoughts of sadder days, and best left alone. Their pasts are part of who they both are, and yet those harships led them to each other, and it is that destination that is worth remarking. Being in the present, looking to their future, makes the troubles of the past dim, and heal.

Aleron leans in to steal another kiss, then press another to Bethany's forehead. "I mean to give you that dream, my love. All of it. Even the flowers for your hair."

It seemed a lot to heal from such darkness - to lose both parents, to lose a beloved wife and child. Yet you had to take the steps in the dark to find yourself facing the dawn again. The song never seemed more true, than at this moment. You had to come through the fire to find yourself blessed, and free, on the other side again.

There were no end to the fires before them, but Bethany had faith they could weather them as long as they were together.

She closed her eyes at the kiss, and pressed her forehead to his, smiling. "I know you will, my love, and just know ... whatever dreams you have, I'll make come true, if I can."

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[Open] I Look At You

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