Chapter Text
The birds sang along with the flowing, stately organ music, their voices mingling with the talk that petered off as the song rose to her cue. The wood of the doors under her hands was sun warmed, the chill, still wet stems of the bouquet of wildflowers pressed to her palm. The well oiled hinges swung inward at her push to allow her to step past them, satin heeled shoes tapping the tiled floor in time with the chords. He was dressed even more formally than was typical in a well pressed black suit and formal shoes, flowers echoing the ones in her hands pinned to his lapel.
He watched as she swept through the doors. Her veil was a pair of sheer angel wings stretching behind her, her braided blonde hair just beginning to fall out of place, lips painted a delicate red, bright hazel eyes soft and loving and framed by darkened lashes. The fingers that would stroke his face so lovingly were wrapped gently around the flowers he’d helped to pick and her dress could not have dreamed to have been worn by anyone as beautiful.
And there her eyes met his. Gaster’s expression faded from shock to soft warmth that melted her insides to sunshine and drew her towards him. Her outstretched hand found his, fingers twining together around the beribboned bouquet in her hand.
Father Anthony spoke as they took each other in. “Friends, family, we are gathered here today to bear witness as these two renew the vows that they took almost two years ago. They met then as near strangers brought together for political gain and we see them now as two people who have fallen deeply in love. Gaster, would you like to begin?”
“I would. Mary, before you came into my life I thought I already had everything I could ever wish for. I was a respected scientist with the highest available position in the city with family and a few friends I cared deeply for. And then there you were. Scared, quiet, a distraction to my work. I was not a friend to you, and yet you were patient and kind. I do not know when I first began to care for you. Suddenly you were the most beautiful person in any room, your laughter a welcome distraction, your brilliant mind running circles around mine. I watched you shed the expectations forced upon you to become the determined, proud woman you are today, and I consider myself blessed to have been allowed to be a part of that. You are truly everything I ever wished for. I love you, Mary, and I cannot express how glad I am that you feel the same.”
He finished with a small, warm smile, eyes only for her, tears just beginning to peek from the corners of his sockets.
“I was taught, from an early age, what I was to do and to be. Do not speak out of turn, do not be loud, do not draw attention, obey your parents and do not ever aspire to be more than a perfect wife and mother. I never expected to marry for love. It was with shock and fear that I learned I was to marry a monster, and yet it was you, Gaster, who taught me that I could have what I had been so long denied. I am now a scientist as worthy as any other in our labs and one of the top students at Delta’s Royal University… And yet I find that the change that gives me the most joy is the change in our relationship. As I grew into a woman I could be proud of so too did I grow to value your input, enjoy your company, and, before long, to love you with my entire self. Every day since I have come here has been one of self discovery. I thank the Lord that I have been allowed to find myself by your side and for the chance to grow to love you, and I thank you for the love you have given to me in return.”
If her voice broke under the emotion she conveyed, no one could blame her. The smile on her lips and the joy in her eyes was for Gaster alone.
Reverend Anthony nodded. “Marriage. It is an emotional and physical joining that is promised for a lifetime. Partners must be each other's best friend, confidant, lover, and teacher. Your marriage must grow with you, as yours so obviously has. It is with great joy that I declare your vows renewed and encourage you to kiss the bride.”
Gaster’s hands fell to hold her tight against him as Mary’s arms wrapped around his neck. Their kiss held all of the joy that they felt in the happiness and change that they had found in each other. Cheers erupted from the friends surrounding them, a few voices rising over the rest.
Later, after Mary had coaxed him out onto the dance floor with promises of an easy, slow dance, she rested her head on his chest as they gently swayed in time to the music.
“See? It is not that bad,” she said.
“Yes, well, I am not sure we can truly call this dancing.”
“We are on a dancefloor and moving. It is close enough.”
“I suppose I should just be grateful I haven’t stepped on your feet yet.”
She laughed. “I am grateful for that as well.”
“So, does this make up for our first wedding?”
“There was no need to make up for it. That was not our decision. This was, and it has been wonderful.”
“I quite agree. Thank you for agreeing to marry me, Mary.”
“I was glad to.”
“So, do we really need to take the other cake and preserve it in alcohol for next year? Or was Grey Hands trying to trick me?”
“Everyone does it but I guarantee you no one eats it.”
“Thank goodness.”
“Agreed.”
A voice boomed out from the stage, carry gravity and dignity. “Mary Gaster.”
“Did you hear?”
“A human with a PhD, who would’ve believed it?”
“....a damn shame’s what it is.”
“She works at the Royal Labs already!”
“I heard she’s only been studying here for five years.”
“Your wife’s quite the popular gossip topic,” Averia said, watching her sister stride through the crowd, head raised high in pride.
“Of course she is. People enjoy talking about those who are destined for greatness,” Gaster said with pride. “She will be happy when she realizes that you were able to attend.”
“Wouldn’t miss this for anything. I’ve gotta say though, these graduation gowns are hideous.”
“Really? I think Mary looks exceptionally beautiful.”
“Yeah, because you’re a sap. And Mary’s always pretty,” Averia amended.
“Indeed she is.”
They clapped politely as Mary accepted her diploma with a short handshake. One teacher in particular, the one who had counseled her through the final stages of the process, gave her a long hug before allowing her to leave the stage.
“Averia.”
“Yeah?”
“I believe I have found my solution.”
“For what?”
“The problem that we discussed before.”
“Dings, we’ve both got more problems than anybody can count. You’re gonna have to be more specific.”
“I am the Royal Scientist and I would not give up that position any more than Mary would ask or allow me to do so. Unless she chooses to leave this city I will always, in one form or another, oversee her work. However. There is one position that would allow her to oversee mine as well.”
Averia laughed, quiet and deep in her chest. “You’re going to be stepping on a lotta toes.”
“If they are against it in the first place then I care little for their opinion.”
“Good. Give them the middle finger… and be sure to tell her I’ve got full confidence in her.”
The room was, of course, filled to the brim with people of all walks of life. No small portion were reporters who would leave the meeting at a full sprint to take their information back to their newspapers. The rest were either directly affected or curious people with time on their hands.
Mary looked out over them and swallowed hard, discretely wiping her sweaty palms on her dress.
“Are you sure you wish to do this?”
She looked up at her concerned husband and managed a thin smile. “I am.”
King Magore’s speech finally came to a close and he moved aside to gesture for Gaster to take the stage, leaving Mary standing tall on her own.
“I suppose this would be best done in some form of grand speech, but as our king and queen have already spoken about this at length I shall keep this short. I have never declared an official assistant. There are a variety of reasons for this but in the interest of keeping this brief I shall not state them.
“Those who work under me will be familiar with the work of my wife, Mary Gaster. She has been an invaluable asset to our research and at this point understands more than many in my employ. Just last month she completed her PhD studies in Medical Applications for Soul Sciences at Delta’s Royal University. It was her efforts that lead to a preventative medication for the mercifully rare genetic disorder Carmine-Page which results in gradual soul decay leading to madness and death. That is only the beginning of what I believe she will one day achieve.
“She is the most promising scientist I have met since my predecessor, ex-Royal Scientist Korei. As such she will also from today onward be my assistant and Head Researcher at the Labs. Should I become unable to fulfil my duties to my king and his people, she shall take my place as Royal Scientist.”
The crowd began speaking as one, quiet murmurs to each other and voices raised to demand answers or in protest overriding each other in a cacophony of sound. Gaster waited for silence to reign once more before finishing. “I now hand the stage over to Mary, who wishes to speak on her new position.”
Mary took the stage with her head held high, looking down at the shell shocked faces of the crowd gathered below her. “Hello. Many of you already know me, but for those of you who do not I am Mary Gaster, now employed at the Royal Labs for these last seven years. I have already taken my oath to Queen Asae and King Magore. Now I make public my oath to the people of Delta. I hereby swear to dedicate my life to the betterment of our society, to develop the technologies that will make our city greater than it already is, to use everything I have learnt from all of my great mentors to the best of my ability. And I make a promise now, to you. I am human. I know that for many of you this fact is enough to instill worry. Only seven years ago I feared monsterkind. In the years since I have experienced the kindness and genius of monsterkind, seen for myself the greatness that you have achieved. I ask not that you trust me immediately. I ask only that you give me the same chance that I once gave the monsters I am now proud to call my family and friends. Allow me the opportunity to prove to you that I love our city and our people as much as anyone else by giving back to you one thousand fold what I have been given.
“I look forward to serving my king and queen, my mentor, and my people.”
Mary had barely finished speaking, had just begun to take her first step back from the podium, when the crowd burst into cheers. The very first to roar out their approval were Grey Hands, Impact, and Averia, followed closely by the Royal Guards and her coworkers. Then monsters she barely recognized from shopping trips or brief conversations with neighbors. One corner of the room, filled with many faces she recognized from church and headed by Father Anthony were quieter than the rest but standing to applaud, pride and joy in their faces. A hand slipped into hers and she looked up into her husband’s proud smile.
She took a moment to appreciate the way that the corner of his eyes crinkled when he smiled like that before saying, “We are not going to get away with this lightly.”
“Perhaps not,” her husband agreed. “Are you regretting it already?”
“Not in the slightest,” she said, squeezing his hand.
That night, a fine celebratory dinner settling in her stomach, she sat on the bed she shared with her husband and watched as he finished organizing his papers for work tomorrow. He was softly humming the song that the restaurant’s musicians had been playing. Tomorrow they would walk into the Royal Labs and work together on their ridiculous magic cannon skulls - they were floating now and neither of them could figure out why nor how to get them back onto the ground - alongside their coworkers. Ophelia would probably have to sort that out for them, grumbling half-serious complaints the entire time. Grey Hands would pretend to be surprised when Impact arrived to share lunch with her. Mary and Gaster would walk hand in hand to Averia’s house for lunch, talking about anything from workplace gossip to city politics. After work they might go out to dinner, or Mary might finally find the energy to make a crusty bread to pair with the soup recipe she’d gotten from Kindle a week ago. Gaster would try to help and she would have to make sure he didn’t set yet another sweater sleeve on fire. He’d eventually settled for doing the dishes while she read. And at night they would sleep together in their bed in their home in the city that they loved, and every day that followed would be as blissful as the last.
“Mary? Is something wrong? Are you in some sort of pain?” Gaster asked, leaning across the bed and peering at her in concern.
Mary smiled and shook her head, laughing quietly. “No, not at all.”
“Why are you crying then? Is there anything I can do?” He was so genuinely concerned, worry tugging his mouth into a frown.
Mary leaned forward, taking his hand and pressing it between hers. “Dearest, you’ve already done it.”
“I am afraid I do not understand.”
“You have given me everything I have ever desired but been too afraid to ask for. I have been allowed to learn about magic and technology, to understand what marvels we may one day be capable of. I am respected, looked to for advice in ways I thought only men were allowed to be. And when I come home I return to our home. Our bedroom, our reference library.
“And you, my love. You were the first to treat me as more than my abilities in housework and potential to bear children. You could have made me do whatever you wished. Instead you granted me the gift of choice, the gift of finally being allowed to decide what I wanted instead of what I thought others wanted of me.”
“It should not have been a gift to be given.”
“But it was, and you gave it freely. You treated me with kindness I thought existed only in stories. As an equal. I do not know that I can express to you how much that means to me.”
He took a seat on the bed, pressing a kiss to her fingers still wrapped up in his. “I wish that you could see that you deserve that and more. You have changed me, my dear. I did not know I was capable of being a husband, or of the kind of patience I have learned from you. I am still not incredibly gifted with understanding of people, but I am much better at it than I was. You have no idea how bizarre it is to receive friendly greetings at work.”
“I cannot have done that much. You were friends with Averia long before I arrived.”
“Averia is different from most. She is as brutally honest as they come when it suits her, and we understand each other enough to know when the other is being sarcastic, but that kind of friendship is not for everyone. It is especially unsuited to a workplace. You taught me that. It makes my life much easier.”
“You were always a kind man.”
“Not always. I am impatient, I too often demand perfection, I do not stop often enough to think of others. I am a deeply flawed individual, Mary. Before, I did not see this. If I had I would not have cared.” Gaster reached up and cupped her cheek, staring into her eyes. “You make me want to become a better man. One more worthy of your love.”
“You are already a great man. I feel as though I am the one who is struggling to catch up to you, not the other way around.”
“In terms of sheer knowledge perhaps, but if intellect is in question you are more than caught up my dear.”
Mary laughed, then leaned up to kiss him. They fell together back onto their pillows, bouncing gently as they landed. She pulled away to look down at him. Doctor Wingdings Gaster, head scientist at the Royal Labs, brother of the esteemed Captain of the Royal Guard, trusted advisor to the king of monsters, held in high regard by all who knew him. Gaster, quiet and shy, prickly at times, most often found in his most comfortable clothes with a book in hand. Her husband, soft spoken words of kindness and pet names that melted her heart, cuddling long into the night while discussing theories and philosophy.
“I love you,” she said softly.
“And I you,” he responded, tucking a strand of hair back behind her ear.