The whole wedding had a slightly curious tint to it, but that was nothing out of the ordinary for RhyDin. Where else might you see a short half-elf marry an equally-as-short human, with a blue elf as the best man? The strangeness had gone beyond the particulars of who was getting married and who attended. Liam had insisted to his mother that Locke be his best man, even though Locke and Katarina still were not on speaking terms with Raina. She had hemmed and hawed and wringed her hands and tried every motherly guilt trip she could to budge Liam from his decision, but Locke's brother held fast, and Raina had finally given in. Still, it meant that Locke and Katarina had sat separately from his parents at every step of the wedding, though it had been small enough that they had decided to just let the guests of the bride and groom intermingle. Locke had tried not to look at his mother throughout the ceremony, keeping his attention focused mostly on Katarina during the slow spots.
Fortunately, the wedding went off without a hitch. Liam and Eavan had opted for an outdoor wedding, and the notoriously cranky Port Leicester weather had given them a reasonably warm spring day, sunshine, and no rain. Vows and rings were exchanged, the groom kissed the bride, and there were tears all around, before the celebration moved to a local reception hall. There, Locke gave a charming yet tender toast to his brother, focusing his attention away from his mother. The maid of honor toasted, then other members of the wedding party: Liam's friends, Eavan's sister, friends, and co-workers. Then came toasts from others. Locke put on his best fake smile as his mother toasted his brother, but he knew it wouldn't fool Katarina.
Having been introduced, photographed, fed, and toasted, it was time for the first dance. The quartet Raina had hired to play the reception struck up a mid-tempo waltz, and Liam took Eavan's hand and led her to the dance floor. For Locke, it was a touching sight, and he began sniffling up again, much like he had earlier at the wedding itself.
"Now now, nah more o' tha'." Katarina reached under the small table to squeeze Locke's hand and offered him a smile. "They look so happy, ya dun wan'ta show 'em tha' yer cryin', do ya?"
He lowered his head and leaned closer to Katarina, whispering. "Tears of joy, melamin. I was worried - we were all worried- we would never see this day. Forgive an emotional bloke an emotional outburst."
She turned her head she kissed his cheek, "Yeah, I know. An' everythin' worked ou' all shiny 'n th' end. Every gets their happily eva afters." She put an arm around his shoulder companionably for a moment as she watched the newly wed couple dance, "It's too bad they dun live closa, yeah?"
"Yeah. But the family business is Liam's, if Liam wants it. Of course, Arnand's still some ways from retirement." Locke chuckled and grinned. He gestured toward a particularly tall gentleman at another table, with the same hair color and similar facial features as Eavan. "Father/daughter dance will be next, yeah?"
"Prolly." On cue, the music slowly transitioned into a new song and Eavan's father joined his daughter on the dance floor for their dance, "Does tha' botha ya any? I mean, I know ya dun live up here an' tha' the business ar' differen', bu'..?" She shrugged slightly as she thought. "I dunno. I could hav' th' farm if I wanted it, bu' I wouldn't touch it wit' a ten-foot-pole. Yer interes' an' the family business ar' a li'l more related an' n th' same field."
"I wasn't the same person then that I am now, but...I worked for Arnand in the family business for two years after...all that other sordid business sorted itself out. Back when they still lived and worked in the city." The fact that they had moved, and rather suddenly, made him frown, as he recalled the old slight. "I really didn't like it."
"Well, tha' sentimen' I kin fully understand." She adjusted the hem of her pale yellow dress. "Migh' be a li'l too constrained fer yer creativity." Her eyes trailed the bride and her father as they continued to dance, and her thought was quick to change the subject, "So, ar' ya relieved er disappointed tha' we didn' hav' somethin' like this?"
"Relieved. I would have cried more than you at the ceremony, and that would have been incredibly unmanly. But...I think we had the sort of ceremony that fit us best. I love Liam, but I suspect he would have preferred something even smaller than this." Locke leaned in closer to whisper his last sentence.
"Hmm. Mus' be 'n th' genes, then." She mused on her siblings, "I dun see my brothers havin' anythin' big. I dun really see 'em settlin' down a' all, really, particularly Drew. Bu'.. Hannah? Ya kin bet yer pretty face tha'll be a production."
"Thank goodness your parents have some time left to prepare." Locke caught movement out of the corner of his eye, and clammed up as his mother stood to dance with his brother. The table cloth looked awfully interesting to the ice elf.
Katarina watched as Raina and Liam smoothly moved into their own dance, and she glanced over at Locke. She tightened her arm over his shoulder to pull him close and whisper in his ear, "Now, ya think Liam ain't gonna feel bad if he happens ta look ova an' see ya bein' all evasive? Ya dun hav' anythin' ta hide er be ashamed of, so... yanno, look confident. When it's time ta work it ou', we will."
Locke forced a wry smile, looking to the side at Katarina. "He should be looking at Eavan." He then allowed himself to sigh. "But you're right," he said, looking up and adjusting his bow tie. "Bring it on."
Fortunately, the wedding went off without a hitch. Liam and Eavan had opted for an outdoor wedding, and the notoriously cranky Port Leicester weather had given them a reasonably warm spring day, sunshine, and no rain. Vows and rings were exchanged, the groom kissed the bride, and there were tears all around, before the celebration moved to a local reception hall. There, Locke gave a charming yet tender toast to his brother, focusing his attention away from his mother. The maid of honor toasted, then other members of the wedding party: Liam's friends, Eavan's sister, friends, and co-workers. Then came toasts from others. Locke put on his best fake smile as his mother toasted his brother, but he knew it wouldn't fool Katarina.
Having been introduced, photographed, fed, and toasted, it was time for the first dance. The quartet Raina had hired to play the reception struck up a mid-tempo waltz, and Liam took Eavan's hand and led her to the dance floor. For Locke, it was a touching sight, and he began sniffling up again, much like he had earlier at the wedding itself.
"Now now, nah more o' tha'." Katarina reached under the small table to squeeze Locke's hand and offered him a smile. "They look so happy, ya dun wan'ta show 'em tha' yer cryin', do ya?"
He lowered his head and leaned closer to Katarina, whispering. "Tears of joy, melamin. I was worried - we were all worried- we would never see this day. Forgive an emotional bloke an emotional outburst."
She turned her head she kissed his cheek, "Yeah, I know. An' everythin' worked ou' all shiny 'n th' end. Every gets their happily eva afters." She put an arm around his shoulder companionably for a moment as she watched the newly wed couple dance, "It's too bad they dun live closa, yeah?"
"Yeah. But the family business is Liam's, if Liam wants it. Of course, Arnand's still some ways from retirement." Locke chuckled and grinned. He gestured toward a particularly tall gentleman at another table, with the same hair color and similar facial features as Eavan. "Father/daughter dance will be next, yeah?"
"Prolly." On cue, the music slowly transitioned into a new song and Eavan's father joined his daughter on the dance floor for their dance, "Does tha' botha ya any? I mean, I know ya dun live up here an' tha' the business ar' differen', bu'..?" She shrugged slightly as she thought. "I dunno. I could hav' th' farm if I wanted it, bu' I wouldn't touch it wit' a ten-foot-pole. Yer interes' an' the family business ar' a li'l more related an' n th' same field."
"I wasn't the same person then that I am now, but...I worked for Arnand in the family business for two years after...all that other sordid business sorted itself out. Back when they still lived and worked in the city." The fact that they had moved, and rather suddenly, made him frown, as he recalled the old slight. "I really didn't like it."
"Well, tha' sentimen' I kin fully understand." She adjusted the hem of her pale yellow dress. "Migh' be a li'l too constrained fer yer creativity." Her eyes trailed the bride and her father as they continued to dance, and her thought was quick to change the subject, "So, ar' ya relieved er disappointed tha' we didn' hav' somethin' like this?"
"Relieved. I would have cried more than you at the ceremony, and that would have been incredibly unmanly. But...I think we had the sort of ceremony that fit us best. I love Liam, but I suspect he would have preferred something even smaller than this." Locke leaned in closer to whisper his last sentence.
"Hmm. Mus' be 'n th' genes, then." She mused on her siblings, "I dun see my brothers havin' anythin' big. I dun really see 'em settlin' down a' all, really, particularly Drew. Bu'.. Hannah? Ya kin bet yer pretty face tha'll be a production."
"Thank goodness your parents have some time left to prepare." Locke caught movement out of the corner of his eye, and clammed up as his mother stood to dance with his brother. The table cloth looked awfully interesting to the ice elf.
Katarina watched as Raina and Liam smoothly moved into their own dance, and she glanced over at Locke. She tightened her arm over his shoulder to pull him close and whisper in his ear, "Now, ya think Liam ain't gonna feel bad if he happens ta look ova an' see ya bein' all evasive? Ya dun hav' anythin' ta hide er be ashamed of, so... yanno, look confident. When it's time ta work it ou', we will."
Locke forced a wry smile, looking to the side at Katarina. "He should be looking at Eavan." He then allowed himself to sigh. "But you're right," he said, looking up and adjusting his bow tie. "Bring it on."