Work Text:
It was over. Finally over. So much had seemed a blur after that final confrontation. A chaotic maelstrom of sound and emotion, fading into velvety blackness and the relief of silence. A respite from fighting…from pain and strife. She had languished there, in the in-between. Too injured to find her own way home, and without a means to call for aid. And despite the fact that she felt content knowing the star was saved…there was still sorrow. Still regret for the loved ones who would mourn her loss.
For the new husband she would leave behind.
His had been the second voice she'd heard in that dim, eternal shade. Not surprising that Alisaie had been the more demanding of them all. The one who seemed practically offended that she could have the gall and the audacity to die on them. But his was the one that truly pulled her back. The warmth of his fingers wrapped tightly around hers, the cooler metal of his wedding ring pressing into her skin and grounding her to reality as she clawed her way from the fog.
Safe and whole and back in Sharlayan to recover, it had taken less than a day for Tataru - ever the sharpest of them all when it came to information - to realize what they had gone and done on the eve of that last all important mission. And, predictably as W'ynter had said, her ire at having not been included was only placated by the hasty explanation that there hadn't been time for the sort of grand celebration that they'd hoped she would throw for them.
Which….was only partly untrue. W'ynter herself couldn't have given a dingo's arse about fancy ceremonies or any of those trappings. All that mattered to her was that she married her soulmate. But she knew that G'raha would care. Oh, he would deny it and claim that whatever made her happy was enough for him but she knew him well enough to know that the fanfare would make their union even more special to him.
Not to mention that she wasn't too proud to admit how terrified the prospect of an enraged Tataru made her. So she had given complete control over to her diminutive friend with a laugh and a half joked plea to not go too overboard.
She should have known better.
And yet, she couldn't bring herself to be angry as she sat in a small back room awash in gossamer silk and lace while Krile - clad in a much less grand dress of red and white to match - carefully adjusted the crown of deep red roses twined into her dark hair. The dress was almost certainly the finest thing she had ever worn in her life, the Thavnairian silk the finest weave and the lace like shimmering delicate cobwebs. She had little doubt that whatever materials had gone into it had been enthusiastically donated by some merchant or another out of gratitude for what the Scions had accomplished.
Which felt a little awkward but she couldn't deny a little girlish pleasure at the swishing weight of the full skirt and the beauty of the long train currently puddled around her. The gown was perfectly tailored, likely due to Tataru and her flawless measuring, and the intricate embroidery in the snowy lace was picked out in glittering metallic ruby thread to accent the flowers in her hair and her bouquet.
"You look rather more comfortable in finery than I did at my own ceremony."
The wry comment came from the tall dragoon leaning against the doorframe. Looking only a little stiff and uncomfortable in the artfully tailored black and crimson waistcoat and jacket he'd been threatened into by Tataru. Long silver white hair caught up in a loose braid and bound with black leather, he looked quite well himself and she told him so with a smirk.
Estinien snorted in amusement as he rolled his shoulders with a sigh and a hint of amusement in crimson eyes. "My comment still stands. You seem rather less inclined towards murder than I was when sitting there and being fussed over. And you not even having the luxury of wearing trousers."
Krile shushed him with a laugh and a roll of her eyes. "Oh hush, she looks stunning. Poor Raha won't be able to take his eyes off of her. Now come here and put this on."
Heaving a rather convincing- if not for the half smile on his face - martyred sigh, the tall dragoon did as she bid him, carefully kneeling down so that the petite woman could pin a spray of tiny white rosebuds to the breast of his coat. Once she was satisfied with her work, he stood up and offered his hand to W'ynter.
"It's time. Are you ready?"
Despite the anxious flutter in her chest, that was a question with only one answer and she stood to take Estinien's outstretched hand with a smile. Making a soft teasing remark about how Aymeric was teaching him well as he carefully curled her hand through his elbow as though he'd been raised with the same noble manners as his husband.
Her 'Best Dragoon' snorted his amusement that any noble mannerisms he possessed were solely intended to shock his husband as he led her through the hallways and around to the large double doors that opened into the vaulted central hall of the High Church of the Holy See. Soft music began to echo through the air and the crush of muffled voices fell silent as they entered. Every seat was packed full, extra pews and chairs having been crammed into the space until it was a wonder that guests weren't seated on each other's laps. Not to mention the gathered throng of people crowded outside who hadn't been able to get a place within and W'ynter only spared a moment to wonder if Tataru had managed to invite the entirety of Eorzea. She had even glimpsed the hulking figures of more than a few dragons perched carefully on towering rooftops.
Considering it was the Eternal Bonding ceremony of the Warriour of Light…she honestly wouldn't have been surprised.
Watching Yasha skip her way up the long stretch of gold and crimson velvet, scattering red and white rose petals as she went, she almost missed her cue when the music changed. There was a momentary flash of panic and nerves as the sea of faces turned towards her as one before Estinien gave her hand a light squeeze and nudged the back of her heel with one booted foot as a signal to start walking. But all of those nerves faded into the background as her mismatched eyes locked on the sight of her groom at the end of the long aisle. Standing to the side of the altar, his ruby eyes locked onto hers and shining with so much love it raised a lump in her throat.
Where Estinien was in black, G'raha was in pristine white from head to toe. The snowy colour was broken up by the deep crimson of his silk waistcoat and the rubies glinting from his cuffs and collar. Aymeric had gifted him with a sash of the same blood red silk and it draped across his torso, pinned at the shoulder with a cluster of white rosebuds. But the most radiant thing was his smile as she watched him swallow back an obvious lump of emotion as Krile patted his hand from beside him.
It took effort to suppress the urge to fling the bouquet of trailing red and white flowers aside and simply run the rest of that impossibly long aisle to him. To throw herself into his arms right now, and W'ynter wasn't ashamed of the way her vision blurred as tears of joy pricked at the corners of her eyes. Mounting the stairs beside Estinien, she spared only a moment of silent gratitude to her dear friend as he kissed her cheek before handing her off to G'raha and stepping back to take his place to the side of the couple.
Feeling his warm fingers close around hers, she didn't bother to try and hide a goofy smile as she blinked back emotion with a whisper.
"Hi again…"
Her simple statement echoed in spite of her hushed tone and a ripple of soft chuckles passed through the crowd as her Exarch mirrored the same to her. Dashing away the signs of his own emotion with the back of one gloved hand before he took her other one in his and nodded to the priest.
The words blurred together as much as they had done the first time she wed him. Choking out her replies to the vows amidst the emotion that was almost overwhelming, watching him falter only a little to compose himself as he once again slid the blue-studded gold band back into place on her finger. Here she was…yet again pledging her life and her heart to this man who meant everything to her. This time in front of their friends…their loved ones. The entire world they had helped to save.
The clapping began almost the moment his shaking fingers raised her veil, increasing in volume to a thunderous applause as she grinned before grabbing the front of his jacket and yanking him in for a deep kiss. Fireworks popped and streamers and confetti showered them from above as they retreated back down the aisle hand in hand…to exit the double doors to a deafening roar as hundreds of voices cheered and the dragons added their songs to the joyous occasion.
It was, in a word….perfect.