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Today was the day, at last. The day that they have both been looking forward to for the longest time.
The day that will mark the beginning of the rest of their lives.
“You nervous, babe?” Beau asks her partner as they stand in front of the building.
Yasha lets out a deep sigh before turning in her direction. “Always. But this? It’s something entirely new. I mean, we both talked about this and I know we’re fine with it but…”
“But now it’s finally happening. I get ya.”
Yasha nods sheepishly. “We’ve gone through hell and back and fought things the world would barely believe existed. This… This should be easy…?”
Beau can’t help but chuckle as she shakes her head. “Yeah. Come on, let’s get this over with.”
“Yeah.”
The two women hold hands as they step forward. Oh yeah. This was going to be a big day.
Looking back, there had been plenty of “big days” for the Lionett-Nydoorin family, all of which had been leading to this moment.
That one fateful day on the 16th of Sydenstar, 835 PD, when a lavender tiefling and a monochromatic beauty that stood out against the vast colors of the world had invited a bunch of strangers to a carnival.
Yasha had said that that was the day that changed everything.
The moment that Beauregard tried to bullshit her way into keeping her staff, not wanting to be without a weapon for self-defense, in the days before she herself became a weapon. And when that had failed, she compromised to give it up only if Yasha carried her into the tent.
And boy, did she deliver on her promise, hoisting her over her shoulder as Beau flipped off everyone who doubted that she could do it.
Oh yeah, that was definitely a big day. The first of many that would forever change them.
The 25th of Fessuran, 835 PD, in Shadycreek Run.
A week prior, the Iron Shepherds had descended upon the group, taking Fjord, Jester, and Yasha in the dead of night.
And thus one of the longest weeks in both of their lives.
The loss of Mollymauk along the Glory Run Road had been scarring to them both. Beau had felt a crack in her heart’s armor that would never be sealed closed again, but in hindsight, it was perhaps necessary for her to have that crack open up, if only to allow her to come out of her shell.
Yasha had only heard the conflict happening, albeit while half-conscious.
And while the aasimar had endured the brunt of the Shepherd’s torture, refusing to allow Fjord and Jester to be broken first, a part of her did still break in that time.
She had felt trapped, hopeless… content with being kept in chains. It was a feeling she hadn’t understood at the time. But eventually she would once a certain individual from her past reappeared in her life.
As for Beauregard, she helped lead the charge into the Sour Nest, taking out the Shepherds one by one until finally eliminating Lorenzo for good.
But not before he left his mark on her, a mark that still stings across her face every time she stares in the mirror at the scar over her left eye. A lesser woman would have been blinded, but she refused to keep her eyes shut. She refused to give up.
And finally the smoke cleared. The Iron Shepherds were all dead, and their employers were none the wiser, having no clue as to who utterly destroyed them literally overnight.
But something also broke in Beau that day, upon seeing Yasha bloodied and brutalized in that cell.
The scream that erupted from the depths of her soul… She still remembers it every night. She had no idea that it was a sign of her deeper feelings for Yasha…
And then just a few days later, Yasha woke up, saw Molly’s grave… and walked away, with only a half-hearted promise to meet up with everyone again.
Beau hadn’t been certain if Yasha would return. Not until they met up again in Nicodranas.
The 25th of Horisal, 836 PD.
A lot had occurred in the days leading up to this one, ranging from discovering Nott’s true identity as Veth Brenatto to the long, underground journey to Xhorhas, from becoming acclimated with the Dynasty by returning the Luxon Beacon as a means of avoiding prison and earning the Bright Queen’s favor to making the acquaintance of Shadowhand Essek Thelyss and saving Yeza Brenatto from the Dungeon of Penance.
But nothing compared to the aftermath of their talks of clearing out the Deepriver mine of a stone giant takeover, which had led to an even more insidious discovery: an abyssal anchor planted within the giants’ home. Even more, through the use of Jester’s scrying, they discovered the involvement of a man who would later be identified as Vence Nuthaleus, annex to Martinet Ludinus Da’leth of the Cerberus Assembly. It was the first step to discovering the existence of the Angel of Irons cult.
But even more so, this was the day that Beau had learned about someone important to Yasha. Namely, her deceased wife Zuala.
She had learned from the aasimar that they were wed, going against her tribe’s ways, and as punishment Zuala was executed. And Yasha had fled into the night, forever branding herself a coward.
Beau wouldn’t hear any of that talk; she’d given herself such deprecation already.
“No, you’re a survivor.”
Those were the words she’d said to Yasha that day, but the angelkin seemed to not fully believe her.
The 13th of Misuthar, 836 PD.
A day that neither Beau nor Yasha would ever dare forget. It was one of the absolute worst days of their lives.
What made it even worse is what happened three days prior.
Beau didn’t think it was fair that only Yasha had opened up about her first love being taken away from her. So she opened up about Tori in an attempt at solidarity and understanding.
Yasha was appreciative that Beau allowed herself to open up, and Beau could swear that the aasimar was beginning to return her affections, if only a little bit at a time.
All of that came to a crashing halt within the King’s Cage.
Obann, the Master of Wills. A fiend from Yasha’s past.
He played the Mighty Nein like a damn fiddle, using them to lead him to the tomb of the Laughing Hand, whom he eventually released into the world.
And then… he pulled the chain taut around Yasha, as once more, she had become the “Orphanmaker” that Obann remembered.
And the Nein were forced to flee.
On that day, Beau had to reinforce her emotional walls, she didn’t want to hope that Yasha could be saved. It was far easier to pretend that she was beyond help.
She… She wanted to hate Yasha so much, she wanted to think of her as having betrayed them all.
But she couldn’t fully commit. Deep down, she missed her so much. She wanted to save her so bad, but as a whole, the Mighty Nein felt utterly powerless.
And up until they finally saved her… Beau did not hear lightning in the sky, even when it rained.
Almost as if the Stormlord had abandoned Yasha altogether.
A foolish thing to assume, but it was all Beau could do to not fall apart. She had to make those assumptions, lest she ended up getting her hopes up.
As for Yasha, she had been trapped in her own mind for two whole fucking months. The “Orphanmaker” had taken full control of the body, bolstered by Obann’s presence. It was as if she were a totally different person…
The 13th of Thunsheer, 836 PD.
One of the longest, most extreme, and utterly draining days of Beauregard’s and Yasha’s collective lives.
The Chantry of the Dawn in Rexxentrum. A cathedral of the Dawnfather that kept one of the fanes that confined the Chained Oblivion. Obann had been working towards removing them, not realizing that the Oblivion was the true Angel of Irons.
A long, bloody battle ensued, one that began in the cathedral walls proper and ended in its depths.
It was during that battle that Beau and the Orphanmaker were forced to clash once more.
It was a one-sided clash, one that resulted in the Orphanmaker driving Skingorger through the monk’s chest, almost killing her outright. It was only by Yasha’s weakening will that the Orphanmaker failed to finish her off. But it was not long after that Obann’s hold on her was finally undone, banishing the Orphanmaker’s will and restoring Yasha’s own.
But by then, the damage had been done, as evidenced by that horrendous, grotesque scar left behind. Another reminder that would forever haunt them both, despite their eventually being able to cope with it little by little.
But Obann would have had the last laugh had the Mighty Nein not ultimately slain him, not once but twice with the aid of the Caedogeist who was also freed from his control.
Beau didn’t know it at the time as she had been viciously struck down and knocked unconscious, but Yasha had saved her from death by shielding her from Obann the Punished. Perhaps it was an act of penance for earlier, perhaps it was just out of necessity, but either way she had saved Beau’s life.
Regardless of what transpired, Obann was finally killed. Yasha had been saved.
The Mighty Nein were whole once more.
Yet it would not be long before circumstances nearly tore them apart once more.
The 23rd of Thunsheer, 836 PD.
A lone hut nestled within Mount Mentiri, home to a hag known as Isharnai the Prism Sage.
Just the other day, Beau had decided to set aside her own misgivings to save a friend.
She decided to return home to Kamordah.
The Mighty Nein had borne witness to her childhood stomping grounds, at how perpetually miserable it was to live there.
And then… the encounter with Thoreau Lionett, the bastard that forever ruined Beau’s life, and it would’ve happened to her mother and brother had the fates not intervened much later on.
She tried to be strong, to just get the info and leave.
But the moment her father kept trying to justify his actions, and the more she listened, her resolve weakened.
She was that meek little girl from her childhood once more, unable to defy her father’s wishes. She felt so small and pathetic. She was a grown woman now, gods dammit. Yet she couldn’t overcome him.
All of that, plus Veth’s resignation to the fact that the Nein’s time together as a whole would soon come to an end, had left Beau scared for her future. She had convinced herself that this was it, that this was as far as she could go in regards to finding happiness.
The Mighty Nein would be rid of her.
So she rationalized that what would be best for everyone would be if she left on her own terms. Thus why she tried to make a deal with the hag. She’d give it all up and walk away — her status as an expositor, her family new and old, everything that gave her purpose — so that Veth could return to her family.
Fortunately, however, she didn’t count on three things.
One, the Mighty Nein cared for her, not because she was useful, but because they genuinely loved her. They didn’t seem to care about her shortcomings, just her as their companion. It took a lot for her to slowly come to her senses, to fully comprehend that prior to this moment, she hadn’t been moving on at all. She’d been lying to herself, convincing herself that everything was fated to end the way she thought. But she had failed to see that her offer would have just left the Nein feeling miserable, as if they were to blame for Beau leaving. That, and she would’ve not been able to truly change the world in her own way had she given up right there.
Two, the ingenuity of Jester Lavorre. With just a spell and a cupcake, she turned things around and not only saved Veth from her curse, but also saved Beau from her own self-destruction.
And three, the realization that Yasha had fallen in love with Beau in Kamordah.
Yasha had seen all she needed to see. She saw Beau’s home with her own eyes, saw how much of a monster her father truly was, even threatened him with the possibility that killing the hag would bring ruin to him.
She became angry at him… for Beau’s sake. And that anger stoked a long-dormant flame in her heart.
It was not a flame that fueled her rage.
It was a flame that had once burned for Zuala.
It was a flame that became something new.
From that day on, Yasha’s feelings only became stronger.
And Beau’s road to recovery had truly begun. A road that only really came to fruition by the time of Rumblecusp.
The 20th of Unndilar, 836 PD.
The day that Vo was liberated from the grasp of Vokodo.
But it was also a very big day for Beau and Yasha.
It began in Yasha’s dreams.
The day that she said goodbye to her fear, and made peace with losing Zuala.
The day that she cast aside the shackle around her heart, and became reborn as the protector she once was.
And then… the moments after the battle.
Beau had been a little reckless and had gotten propelled far above the lagoon where the Nein had exited the caverns.
And then she became a little more bold as she dared to jump from such a great height.
She had shouted for Yasha to catch her. She was confident that she would.
And she did.
But when she opened her eyes to see her, she was taken aback.
The dead, blackened bones had been transformed into a golden radiant pair of feathered angelic wings.
Something had happened to Yasha to signify such a momentous change, which Beau would only learn later on.
And then, the maiden flight. The best minute in such a long time.
And even after that passed, they were falling.
Beau had done a lot of “falling” in her time, whether it was falling in with the wrong crowd, on hard times, out of favor, or just into a spiral of misery.
But this fall was the best one ever.
Because how can you beat the sensation of falling in love?
The aftermath left them both dazed and breathless, and more than a little awkward around each other.
But still totally worth it, in the long run.
Although… that day also marked the omen of things to come, preceded by nine crimson eyes within the Astral Sea…
The 14th of Brussendar, 836 PD.
A day that truly mattered, even in the frozen fields of Foren in Eiselcross.
Even in the chaos of pursuing the man that would later be confirmed to be Lucien, and after covering up the death of Vess Derogna by his own hand, and even after dealing with that stupid death emerald trap, there was at least a moment of respite.
And that moment came when they stepped into Caleb’s tower for the night.
Beau had retreated into her own chambers following dinner, and true to her word, she chose to read the poem that Yasha had given her just the other day.
But when the moment finally arrived, what Beau had read that night was no mere poem. In fact, it wasn’t a poem at all, though it had contained the scratched-out remnants of one.
It was a letter, penned by Yasha’s own hand. Her own feelings committed to parchment, an open window into Yasha’s soul. It told Beau what she’d been afraid to discover but ultimately would be grateful to realize.
Yasha had seen her, both at her best and at her worst.
She felt safe in Beau’s company, despite the reverse being true as well.
It told Beau all she needed to know, to make her come to one of the biggest decisions of her life.
A decision that only came to pass nine days later within the A2 excavation site, prior to reaching a threshold crest that the Tombtakers needed.
She had stood firm in the courts of kings and queens, helped negotiate two warring nations into pursuing peace. She had done so much for the world, rarely ever faltering.
But the decision she made that day, approaching Yasha with a proposition of her own?
It was the bravest thing Beauregard Lionett had ever done up to that point.
The 29th of Brussendar, 836 PD.
Just the previous night, Beauregard had been hammered with a truth that she hadn’t known.
Namely, that everything she had believed about the Cobalt Soul, about the system that seemed to view cruelty as the norm, was a lie.
She learned that her father and Zeenoth had orchestrated her illegal induction into the Soul, and that it was only through her own accusation against Zeenoth almost a whole year ago that Dairon had been given the impetus to investigate.
This revelation had shaken Beau to the core… yet it also strengthened her resolve. It gave her the courage to fully commit herself to the Cobalt Soul, to double down on her convictions to seek out and root out corruption.
And the first step in honoring that renewed conviction was to see her current path through to the end, to learn the truth about Cognouza and the Somnovem, and stop Lucien from bringing the ancient ward back to Exandria.
And then… that nightmare that branded her once more with one of their eyes.
Not to be deterred, though, she wished to make good on what she had proposed to Yasha back in Eiselcross.
And through the support of her found family, that proposition became a reality.
They had the entirety of Caleb’s tower to themselves, for a first date that would be one for the history books.
It was very much exactly what they needed, the both of them. A reprieve in the chaotic storm of their current predicament.
It gave them a safe space to talk, to properly “start over” with their relationship.
It was a testament to Beau’s own feelings for Yasha as they walked down memory lane.
It was therapy, pure and simple, as they opened their hearts to each other like never before. They had laid everything on the table. Their regrets and hopes. Their pain and all the emotions that came with it. But also, the true feelings that they had both tried to deny but ultimately could not.
It was the night that they shared their first kiss.
It was the night that they both professed their love for each other.
It was THE biggest day of their lives.
Except it wasn’t.
No, the true biggest day of their lives would only occur exactly one year later.
The 29th of Brussendar, 837 PD.
So much had transpired between their first date and now.
From ending the tyrannical ambitions of the Nonagon and Trent Ikithon on two separate occasions, to saying their goodbyes to Zuala and returning to the Empire to start living their life together.
From the trial that saw justice be done against Zeenoth and Thoreau to the day that they built a home for each other.
From their engagement on Rumblecusp and subsequent travel to Emon to participate in the Godsbrawl… to the day that Clara and TJ were brought into their home, where they became a proper family.
From there, the four of them found a way to make it work, to reconnect and grow together. And their house grew bigger over time, to make room for at least two other children to call their own. A half-orc girl and a tiefling boy, both from the orphanage that Fjord once dwelled in.
Those two little ones quickly settled into their new home, given new names.
It had seemed as if things couldn’t get any better.
And then today finally came.
And so Beau finds herself walking down an aisle surrounded by all manner of people she’d come to know over the years.
The Mighty Nein were there, of course, along with other friends and acquaintances.
Keg and Reani, Nila and Twiggy, Shakaste and Calianna… all people that the Nein helped and who helped them in turn.
Lady Kima and Allura Vysoren, Dairon and Yudala Fon, Yeza and Luc Brenatto, and the entirety of the Clay family.
Marion Lavorre was also here, braving being outside of the Chateau once more. But she had support to make it possible in the form of a familiar water genasi that stayed by her side, arm in arm.
Cleff and Rissa Tinkertop from Hupperdook. And Kiri and the Schusters.
They had even managed to track down the remnants of the carnival in order to invite them here, for this momentous occasion.
Somewhere in the crowd, Beau could also see Vilya whom she hadn’t seen since the day before Traveler Con. And she was accompanied by a woman that could only be her daughter. Red hair, mantle of leaves, circlet of antlers not unlike the ones Veth wore for the trip up north.
So many people, here for her and Yasha’s big day.
And sure enough, as she approaches the end of the aisle, she can see her mother and brother, along with their children standing at the side ready to greet her.
As she steps up to the altar, Jester gives her a hug.
“I’m so happy for you, Beau. For both of you.”
Beau gives her a heartfelt nod, and a chaste kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, Jess. I’ve been looking forward to this.”
The sapphire tiefling nods as she gets back into her assigned place. Caleb is at Beau’s side, acting as best man. Clara is acting as Yasha’s maid of honor, and TJ is holding the pillow that contains the rings.
And then… she hears the telltale pipes of Orly Skiffback as he plays a familiar march song.
The doors to the cathedral open.
It was quite ironic, really. They had decided to have the ceremony here, of all places. Despite the horrible memories of that day, by transforming it into something more beautiful, it banished them away if only for this moment.
Stepping into the hall and walking down the aisle proper, Beau can see her in all her radiance, dressed in a beautiful gown of pearly white, veil obscuring her face. And in her hands are a variety of flowers.
In the back of her mind, Beau hopes that Zuala is watching over them today.
Because this is the ceremony that she and Yasha deserved.
So it is that this ceremony will be done in her memory as well.
Yasha steps up to the altar with the most tranquil and serene expression that Beau’s ever seen from her.
It’s finally happening. It almost feels like a dream. Beau is resisting the urge to pinch herself.
They’re finally getting married.
This is their wedding day.
At long last, the day that they finally could be together in holy matrimony.
Eager to get the show on the road, the two sentinels face Jester, who had been so insistent on officiating the ceremony in the first place.
Contrary to her usual antics and behavior, the young trickster is a lot more mature about today. She takes it seriously, knowing how important this is.
A few moments happen where there are tangents that lead to utter hilarity, but otherwise, it all goes smoothly… for once in their hectic lives.
And then the moment of truth finally arrives. The moment they give their vows to each other.
Yasha’s are relatively straightforward, a mirror of the letter that ultimately brought them together now.
But when it comes to Beau’s turn… she decides to repay the favor as she pulls out her own piece of parchment.
But it’s not a letter. Instead, it’s a poem.
Beau reads it aloud.
To the woman that I wish to wed
Not a letter, but a poem instead
To repay the kindness you shared
Let my heart now to you be bared
When we met, you changed my whole life
For before, it was filled with much strife
You stood out like a sore thumb in the world
Yet in your presence, with you I felt furled
Though the fates tried to keep us apart
I could never cast you from my heart
Even when you were forced to hurt
We refused to let our feelings be curt
You’re the wings that keep me aloft
And would make me feel as if I grew soft
But in turn I became your pillar
And in time I became your tiller
We forged a place to call home
And we are soon to write a new tome
Our lives are bound to be hectic
But all the more reason to make them eclectic
After today, we will make our way around it
By leaving our home better than what we found it.
As she finishes reading the poem, Beau looks up to meet Yasha’s eyes.
They are overflowing with tears.
She then looks out to those in attendance.
Not a dry eye can be found among those present, especially for the Gentleman who may be a little wetter than usual.
“T-That was beautiful, Beau,” Jester says.
“It was from the heart… and it took me days to write because you know I’m shit with expressing feelings with words alone.”
This earns her a hearty laugh from those at the altar.
“Anyway,” Beau says as she clears her throat, “shall we get this over with?”
The sapphire nods as the final rites are performed.
Yasha promised to love Beau forever, to have and to hold in sickness and in health, blah blah blah. And Beau did the same, she was starting to get really impatient, she wanted to kiss her bride already, dammit!
Finally, after what seems like forever, TJ presents the rings and the two sentinels take their turns placing the rings on each other’s fingers.
“By the power vested in me and my bestest friend Artie who is just the coolest ever…”
Of course, Jester couldn’t maintain that mature air forever. But Beau wouldn’t have it any other way, even when the archfey appeared from beneath Jester’s robes to give a wink to the ladies.
Beau can be happy that even Artagan is happy for them. He’s still a piece of shit in her eyes, but only because of his nature as a trickster. She’s long since thought of him as being “okay” nowadays.
“Anyway! I now pronounce you to be hitched. So get it over with and KISS, DAMMIT!”
With Jester Lavorre’s overeager yet earnest blessing, Beau practically rips the veil away that covers Yasha’s face and gives her the deepest kiss she’s ever given her angel.
Out of all the kisses they’ve shared, this is easily the best one ever.
“Guys, gals, and all our pals, I now present to you… Beauregard and Yasha Nydoorin-Lionett!”
The entire cathedral explodes in cheers and confetti, especially as Yasha pivots back and tosses her bouquet.
It’s not made clear as to who managed to catch it, but at this point, who really cares?
This was the best day ever.
What a difference that over a year makes. From strangers to traveling companions to friends to brief enemies to friends again to lovers to soulmates… and now to becoming wed.
A perfect sapphic storm that could only have been birthed by their tempestuous love.
Of course, things just wouldn’t end there. There was still the rest of their lives ahead of them.
But that can wait until tomorrow.