The Fox’s Tale

“Dude, you’re gonna wear a hole in the carpet. Relax.” Quinn sounded amused.

“I can’t relax,” I griped. “I’m too nervous.”

“Why man? You and Ellery have been together for over three years now.”

I exhaled a deep breath and turned to face him. “It’s my wedding day, that’s why!” My stomach rolled and I grimaced. “Oh gods. Why can’t we just start?”

“Well, yeah, it’s your wedding day, but it’s the second one. I’d have thought you’d have been more nervous about the first ceremony. At least you don’t have to bite her this time.”

Quinn was sitting in one of the leather chairs in Trey’s office, dressed in his groomsmen outfit. We both had on white linen suits, only his tie was grass green while mine was white.

“I can’t explain it, okay?” I fidgeted with the wedding band in my pocket and started pacing again.

“I imagine it is because Ellery is not only with child, but also because you knew so few of the guests at the Unseelie ceremony personally.”

Lucas was looking over the selection of books on the shelves. He was also in a white linen suit. “Scott and Darcie are running a tad behind schedule. Once they arrive then the ceremony can begin.”

This was true. Despite the fact that the first ceremony had to be held in the courtyard of the new palace to accommodate the numbers in attendance I was only on a first name basis with roughly fifty of the guests, and most of them were members of Lucas’s family.

In the end I had marked Ellery on her neck so she never had to wear a choker again. Ellery marked me on my left pec, just as she had mentioned during our time in the Sinclair Suite.

The marking ceremony wasn’t anything like what I was expecting. To begin with Ellery had insisted on choosing her gown instead of wearing the traditional style favored by the Unseelie. As Esmeralda was in the process of modifying Court Dress in general she had acquiesced without much fuss.

I was kept from seeing any of the details so I was as stunned and awestruck as any of the guests. Probably more since the gorgeous bride was mine.

She’d chosen a sleeveless, silver gown with a low back, and the skirt was embroidered with black, white, and red silk thread in order to create a Rowan tree in winter on it. Her hair had once again been styled in one of those complicated updos that the Unseelie favored and she wore the Thorn family bridal crown.

It recreated the phases of the moon in silver and diamonds with a few diamond stars interspersed as filler. Aside from that, the only jewelry she wore was the ring I had made for her. I had felt horribly under dressed standing there in my black pants and boots, with only my platinum ear cuff as adornment.

The new High Cleric began the ceremony by lighting braziers and we’d drunk wine from red glass goblets that were supported by stems of silver snakes. Then it was time for me to bite her. I sniffed the length of her right arm from wrist to shoulder, both sides of her neck and her cleavage, which made the crowd gasp, before tipping her head back and biting the front of her throat.

The crowd went wild the instant my teeth sank into her flesh, and when Ellery had cried out with a sound that was a mixture of pain and ecstasy there was a near riot. As I licked the wound closed she placed her hand on my chest and marked me.

It stung at first and then turned to a tingling sensation that went straight to my dick. Once she was finished I grabbed her into a kiss that was reminiscent of the way Lucas had kissed Lady Oleander so long ago.

I didn’t even hear the cheering that went on around us (Quinn told me about it later), and when we pulled apart Ellery looked dazed. Then I picked her up and carried her into the palace. We let the guests amuse themselves for a few hours while we made the life that was probably kicking her in her ribs at this very moment.

“Is it hot in here? It feels hot in here.” I plucked at my shirt and tried to get air to my chest.

“Sit down, Alexander, before you pass out.”

I sat and then glowered at Lucas. “You know; if I had known that when you used your High King of the Incorruptibles voice that I’d be forced to obey you I wouldn’t have bitten you.”

Lucas turned around, amused. “But then you’d be dead. Surely this is preferable?”

A fresh wave of panic hit me and I put my head between my knees instead of arguing. “Why am I so nervous?”

“How long have you and Ellery been apart?”

“Five hours and twenty minutes.” My stomach pitched again and I grimaced. “Could someone please get me something to drink?”

“On it.” Quinn pushed out of the chair and disappeared out of the door, but I could hear him hollering. “Oi! We need something to settle the groom’s tummy!”

Someone must have said something in response because then I heard, “No, I don’t know why the house isn’t giving him something, maybe it’s because he doesn’t know what he needs! Where’s Fitz?”

Despite my nerves I had to laugh. “Only Quinn.” I looked back at Lucas. “It’s weird seeing you dressed in something other than black.”

Lucas waved his hand in dismissal. “You have seen me wear colors before.”

“Lacrosse uniforms and the red vests at Court aren’t the same as that,” I replied with a nod to his suit.

Lucas smoothed his vest. “Yes, well, the things we do for love.”

Quinn came back carrying a carafe of a chartreuse beverage and three glasses. “Fitz said we should all have some of this.”

“Fitzgerald sent absinthe?” asked Lucas, a degree of disapproval in his voice.

“That’s what I thought at first too, and I was all ‘whoa man, we don’t need him to get wasted’ and then Fitz called me a dope and said it wasn’t alcohol. Anyway.” While Quinn had been rambling he’d filled all three glasses.

He set the carafe down, which began to refill on its own, and picked up a glass. “Bottom’s up!” he chortled before knocking his back. Lucas put out a hand to stop me from following Quinn’s lead.

“Wow!” Quinn gasped as he smacked his lips. “I wonder if the Sinclairs will allow me to take a bottle or two of this home with me at the end of today’s festivities. I’ve never felt so calm.”

I looked at my glass and then back at Quinn. He’d sat back down, stretched his legs out in front of him, and crossed them at the ankles.

Lucas sniffed his glass and took a sip. He grinned. “It’s fine, but don’t drink the whole glass. Only a sip or two, just until you feel yourself settle.” He grinned again and took one more sip before setting his glass down.

I took a tentative sip and a gentle warmth spread through me, easing some of my tension. It tasted like honey mead. I took a larger sip and grinned at Lucas, who removed the glass from my hand.

“Hey! I was enjoying that.”

“You have neither Quinn’s level of nervous energy, nor his metabolism. If you drink much more you’ll be so relaxed you’ll be unable to stand for the ceremony.”

Scott burst through the door, fastening his boutonniere in place. “Fuck, Xander, I’m sorry,” he gasped as he sat down and pulled off his shoes.

“I hope Ellery isn’t too upset. Getting out of the Bizarre Bazaar was insane today because it’s Midsummer. Everyone was either headed in this direction or to the huge Litha celebration. They’re expecting you and Ellery to show up to that, by the way, after this is over.”

The Bizarre Bazaar was Ellery’s pet project, inspired by Edge’s comment about misfits not having a place to feel at home. With help from numerous members of the supernatural communities we’d managed to turn all of the areas previously known as No Man’s Land into a haven for full and partial magical beings of all kinds.

It had started out just as a public market and trading post, hence the name, but had quickly evolved into a miniature city with apartments, townhomes, restaurants, shops, parks, and most recently a bank. We were scheduled to break ground on the elementary school this fall.

Lucas brought Scott my glass of delicious green stuff and pressed it into his hand. “Oh thanks, Lucas.” He took a gulp and whistled. “Damn. How’d they get this to taste like Darcie’s sweet cream ice cream?”

Darcie and Scott ran the most popular establishment in Bizarre Bazaar: Darcie’s Creamery. He went to take another swallow but Lucas plucked it away.

“Hey!” Scott protested.

“It tasted like sweet cream ice cream to you?” I asked. “It tastes like honey mead to me.”

“What are you two talking about? It tastes like honeysuckle wine,” argued Quinn. As one the three of us turned to look at Lucas in anticipation of what he’d say the drink had tasted like.

He smiled. “Esmeralda.”

Again, as one, we recoiled. “Gross!”

“Man, I did not need to know that.” Quinn shook his head.

The door opened again and this time it was Trey. “If you all are ready we can get started.” We followed him out of the door and through the gardens to reach the Golden Arbor. The sea of guests spread out astonished me.

“Oh, holy shit. I should have drunk more of the green stuff.”

“You are fine, Alexander. Perfectly calm and at ease.”

Even as I relaxed I rolled my eyes at Lucas, but then grinned. “Thank you. Just don’t leave me in this state for untold hours while you fuck your wife, m’kay?”

Quinn and Scott snorted with laughter, while Lucas heaved an exasperated sigh. “I have apologized for that on numerous occasions.”

Trey cleared his throat. “Gentlemen, a little decorum please.”

We managed to settle down as Trey led us to our positions and then took his seat next to Liz. I fought the urge to rub my palms against my suit. Then Ellery’s two little sisters and our two oldest nieces made their way down the aisle.

Esther proceeded down scattering her petals like she’d been told, but Eloise, Elena, and Elisabeta did not scatter them in front of their progress. Instead the two five year olds tossed them in the air before pelting down the aisle in a fit of giggles, while little Elisabeta flung hers dramatically towards the guests until she reached her parents.

“Pick me up Tati!” she ordered at Emerson who obliged.

The music changed and soon Ellery’s bridesmaids appeared in floaty green dresses the same shade as the ties Lucas, Quinn, and Scott were wearing. Rose was first, followed by Lark who was pregnant.

Rose and Devon had been married on the Spring Equinox two years ago and had a set of twins at home, and Lark had married Grant on the first day of May last year.

Then Darcie appeared and I heard Scott’s intake of breath. Ellery had asked Rhiannon if she wanted to be in the wedding, but Rhiannon had demurred. She had been to the Unseelie ceremony and wasn’t comfortable with the amount of attention that would be directed towards her.

In point of fact, Lucas, Darcie, Esmeralda, and Quinn were the only residents from the Unseelie realm who had chosen to attend this ceremony.

The music changed again and I swallowed hard against the lump in my throat, determined not to cry like a little bitch. Then Ellery emerged on Jones’s arm and everything else faded into the background. Her gown was made out of a soft, pale pink material and had been embroidered with pale green leaves and pink blossoms.

The gown for this ceremony had also been kept a secret from me and I shook my head as she came closer, unable to believe my luck. My eyes widened with shock when she got close enough for me to see that the bodice consisted only of the embroidered flowers artfully placed.

The ceremony went by in a blur and as our guests showered us with flowers and I pulled her in for a kiss all I could think was that I was the luckiest man in existence. Ellery Sinclair was my spouse, my mate, my world. And I was hers.

The End