Chapter Text
Unfortunately, between Dirk’s new found status as a bonafide hero, and Talia’s status as a Queen’s Own, not to mention Elspeth’s role in the ceremony, the wedding was going to be the social event of the year. There was nothing Dirk or Talia could do to stop this, so they leaned into it by planning it for Midwinter. The original plan had been for one night of Midwinter, but unfortunately others had gotten more elaborate ideas and Selenay—bless her heart— had decreed that the Court needed a true celebration, so the wedding extravaganza was to last all fourteen days and nights of Midwinter.
If Talia and Dirk were less than thrilled at being the subject of so much attention, there was one even less thrilled than they were. For not quite the entire Court and Collegia had been invited. There was one to be left out.
“I can’t believe that bitch’s gall!” Lady Naril cried for the hundredth time that evening.
“Well what did you expect?” Asked Lady Eliza, who was starting to get tired of Naril’s complaints.
“When I asked if my invitation had gone missing—-“
“She told you ‘no,’” said Lady Francesca. “We’ve heard.”
“Honestly what did you expect? The whole Court knows how you treated Herald Dirk. Did you really expect him to invite you to his wedding after that?”
“I didn’t expect him to ever get married, much less have a wedding that’s going to be the social event that’s talked about for years! And now I’m missing the Midwinter events too because they’re all tied up in the wedding! ARG!” She screamed and stormed out of the small parlor in Francesca’s rooms.
Lady Francesca and Lady Eliza just looked at each other and rolled their eyes, before Lady Eliza spoke. “Do you think I can convince Hurron to pay for fourteen new dresses?”
“Do you think we could get away with eloping?” Talia asked Dirk one night about two weeks before Midwinter. “We could sneak down to one of the Temples in the city—you can pick—we could even bring your mother. Keeping your whole family secret might be hard—maybe if they snuck down in twos or threes? Or we could say we were showing them Haven?”
“Selenay has barely forgiven you for disobeying orders when two lives depended on it. There is no way she would forgive you eloping and ruining all her careful plans,” Dirk said. “That being said, if you’re willing to brave her wrath I’ll stand beside you. Whatever makes you happy,” he kissed her forehead after that pronouncement.
Talia sighed. “Do you think she’s punishing us with this two weeks of wedding nonsense?”
Dirk considered this thoughtfully before he replied. “It’s possible. But remember, you are Queen’s Own, and you did ask the Heir to be your bridesmaid.”
Talia sighed, “Alright, so it’s our own fault.”
“Hey I don’t see what I did—“ Dirk said laughing.
“You asked the Queen’s Own to marry you,” Talia said giving him a kiss.
The plan was for Talia and Dirk to be honored over the first seven days of midwinter feasts and married on the day after long night, the first day of the new year. Then it would be feasts and celebrations honoring the newly married couple as a married couple. Which Talia was assured was quite different. There were two upsides to this arrangement in Talia’s mind. One was that there were certain to be Herald’s parties before the actual wedding, meaning she and Dirk would actually make them, and two, they were not actually expected to attend the latter half of the celebrations but rather to hole up somewhere together and disappear. Talia knew Dirk had rented a small house in Haven for two weeks, so they wouldn’t have to travel too far in case of bad weather.
The feasts were fairly boring. Talia and Elspeth taught Dirk the game Selenay and Elspeth had originally taught Talia, of assigning items in a category like flowers or animals to courtiers. There was a large amount of dancing, but Dirk couldn’t dance (though he was getting around alright with his cane) and Talia didn’t want to dance with anyone else if she couldn’t dance with her soon to be husband.
Jolene and Theresa seemed to enjoy the feasts though, which Talia was glad for. Elspeth had put together quite respectable wardrobes for Dirk’s family, which both he and Talia had been very grateful for.
Afterwards each night the attended Heralds gathered for their own, private celebrations. Talia and Dirk decided to attend the ones before the actual ceremony, despite teasing they received from quite a few people about “Don’t you have anything better to be doing?”
Finally the day of the actual ceremony came. Talia was getting ready with Jeri and Elspeth’s help in Keren and Sherrill’s rooms, where she had spent the night, as tradition demanded she not see Dirk before the wedding. (“Of course traditionally you wouldn’t have been living with him for the last—what’s it been 8 months?—so I’m not sure I see the point,” Keren had commented, to which Theresa had replied “It’s bad luck,” and that was the end of the conversation.) Kris was helping Dirk get ready in the suite he and Talia normally shared, and Skif was running messages back and forth between the two.
Jeri was putting make up on Talia when there was a knock at the door. “Who is it?” Keren asked.
“It’s Kris,” came the voice from the other side. “I brought your garland.” Oh right, Kris has said he’d see to the flowers.
Keren opened the door to Kris looking absolutely magnificent in formal White and holding a large bouquet of the northern flowers known as maiden’s hope. “Kris! How did you possibly get northern summer flowers, in the dead of winter, here?” Talia asked. “Don’t tell me you really did nurture them in a hothouse all winter?”
He grinned, “They’re silk, although finding a silk flower maker familiar with maiden’s hope was its own challenge. I ended up using pictures from a botany text book to show the artisan.”
“Well, thank you,” she said taking the bouquet from him. “I really appreciate it.”
“Anything for you and Dirk,” he said. “And now, I’d better get back, Skif will be along for you shortly.”
In no time at all Skif arrived for Talia. “Are you ladies ready?”
“Almost,” said Jeri.
“I’m told we’re on a schedule, but I suspect they’ll wait for you, little sister.”
“And done,” Jeri said putting down her brush.
“Ready to go find your betrothed?” Skif asked Talia.
She took his offered arm. “I am.”