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Staring at the mirror in front of him, Mordred slowly readjusted his crimson tie, carefully pushing it up to his pale blue collar.
Sighing, he pulled it back and tried again.
And again.
And aga-
“You really aren’t good at that, are you?”
Mordred turned round to where Artoria was standing, similarly formally dressed, along with Saber, who was trying not to chuckle, and not succeeding very well. “Yeah, well, these things are hard.” He grumbled to himself. Artoria just chuckled and walked over, taking the tie and readjusting it, tightening it, which made Mordred almost choke.
“Does it have to be so tight?” He grumbled, struggling for breath as he pulled at his collar. Artoria just chuckled again. “If you want it to look good, yes.” Her smile dropped slightly, however, looking at Mordred. “Are you nervous?” He asked.
“Not too much,” Mordred said quietly, not meeting Artoria’s eye. A hum of clear suspicion brought a sigh from Mordred. “Okay, I am. But, like this is just, new, ya know. And big.”
“You were at mine and Iri’s wedding. And Saber’s.”
“Yes, well, yours and mum’s was different, and so was Saber’s! I wasn’t as… involved, back then.”
“Don’t worry,” Artoria put a hand on Mordred's shoulder, giving them a reassuring smile. “You’ll be fine.”
The wonderful family moment was broken up as Arthur rushed into the room, out of breath. “Car’s here!” He yelled.
“Welp.” Saber slapped Mordred on the back, giggling at his reaction. “Here goes nothing, huh?” Mordred sighed, but nodded, giving them both a reassuring smile as they began to walk out. Getting into Morgan’s car, Mordred sighed. Whatever happened, he’d do his best.
That was all that was needed.
~ ~ ~
Mordred slowly tapped the floor with his foot, the sound of the tip of his shoe hitting the hard stone echoing through the grove. Rechecking his watch, he sighed, beginning to pace as the other Pendragons watched with amusement from their seats. All except one honorary member.
“They’ll be on time, don’t worry,” Merlin said from the slight ledge he stood on, rope in one hand and book in the other. “This certainly isn’t something either wants to be late for.”
“I know.” Mordred sighed, finally stopping his pacing to turn to Merlin. “I’m just worr-”
“We’re here!”
A frantic yell cut Mordred off as all turned in to see Gudako, Mash and Cú Chulainn rush in panting. “Took you three long enough, didn’t it?”
“There was… a lot more traffic… than we’d thought.” Chulainn barely got out before sitting down, exhausted, careful to keep Gudako’s sword and scabbard away from the ground. Mordred simply rolled his eyes. It was typical, of course.
As Mash and Gudako went to talk to Merlin, Mordred crouched down next to Chulainn, half watching the three conversing. “You got your lines sorted?” He asked, an eyebrow raised.
“Of course!” Chulainn replied, nudging Mordred with his elbow and nearly making him fall over. “What about you? Ready to rip into AJ?”
“Oh, I’ve been ready for years.” He shot back, grinning. Gradually more people filtered in, friends and family of both betrothed, beside the closest to the other betrothed. With a clap from Gudako, both boys took their places along with Mash, the latter stood right next to her whilst Chulainn and Mordred stood slightly to the side. Out of the corner of his eye, Mordred saw movement and turned his head slightly to Merlin. Merlin simply gave a smile, a wink, and a swish of his hand.
And so, the music began.
It was a familiar tune, but also not - a blend of different songs the two betrothed had picked out, flowing and flying through the grove as they waited, watching the opening of the trees. And slowly, the other entered.
AJ was dressed in a purple dress, flowing yet short enough to easily move, offsetting Gudako’s brown and almost shining in the shadow of the trees. Beside her walked her sisters, Jeanne and Lily, dressed in dark blue and light grey respectively, behind which walked Brynhilder, carrying a sword just as Chulainn did now. As the music rounded out, the second party stood in front of the first, AJ smiling at Gudako, who beamed back. As silence came to the grove again, Merlin stepped forwards, standing between the two parties.
“All of us are here today, to bear witness to something. Something that puts even our great magic to shame. A union. One of body, mind and soul, of spirit and heart, between two people.
And so, according to the traditions of old, of our forests and hills, today we bring them together in their union, so they may go forth not as two bodies, but of one soul.”
All of a sudden, Mash held up a hand, grinning. “I think there's something else first.” She spoke to the crowd gathered. “After all, how do we know this bride is worthy of our groom?”
“We can vouch for her great qualities and deeds with ease!” Lily spoke back, stepping forward to meet Mash. “After all, is it not obvious of all to her magical prowess and skill. Her great feets during the Grail Tournament, or her victory in the Oxford Wizard’s duels? Shouldn’t it be obvious to all her clear skill!?”
“She is kind too!” Brynhildr now spoke up, too, stepping forward with sword and scabbard still in hand. “She is considerate and empathetic, strong against adversity but soft for those in need. She holds love for many and hatred for few. What else can be asked of a wife?”
Jeanne now stepped forward. “And what can you do to ask of us the bride’s qualities, when we still do not know your groom’s?”
“That should be obvious!” Mash spoke back. “Our groom is kind and considerate, empathetic to all. She is also steadfast and strong, facing all adversity like a fortress, gladly by the side of their betrothed!”
Mordred now spoke, meeting the others as he stepped forward. “Our groom’s ability too should be clear! From tournament to tournament, trial to trial, they have met and pushed back at every turn. Even against the bride.” He finished that line with a smug grin, and quickly Chulainn leapt on the chance, as planned.
“To think of it, how can we know what you say about the bride is true.” He spoke, arms behind his back as he began to circle the group. “After all, how strong can she be if she failed to beat the groom?”
“Especially as that strength is hardly visible,” Mordred loudly muttered, making a show of grabbing AJ’s arm and exaggeratingly pinching it, testing the muscle. “Not really much, is there?” He laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “So then, how are you gonna prove to us you're worthy of the groom?”
There was silence for a moment as Mordred's and AJ's eyes met. Then, she broke the staring contest with a smirk and a raised eyebrow, turning to Brynhild. "So you want me to prove myself, hmm?"
Then, in one fell swoop, she drew the sword.
Light bounced off its silver engravings, dancing across the trees in a mimicry of scenes in the two’s past - conversations and arguments, ups and downs, highs and lows, disagreements and compromises. The crowd watched in awe whilst Mordred stepped to the side, having barely avoided losing part of his nose. The others all looked on as well with a similar mixture of shock.
"What do you say, honey? How about we settle that draw once and for all?"
…
"Hmph, sure."
Gudako grinned back as she drew her own sword from Chulainn's grasp, similarly decorated but instead in a rich reddened gold, adding to and enriching the scenes wafting through the trees. As she spun the sword in her grasp, the chairs began to glow.
"I might advise everyone to move to the edge of the glade if they don't want to lose any skin or hair," Merlin remarked giddily, a massive grin alluding all too well that he knew of the two’s plan beforehand. As the audience and various best men, ushers and bridesmaids scrambled to get to the edge of the clearing, the chairs disappeared, giving the two the entire area as an arena. Slowly, a slight glow grew across both.
"Now then," Merlin began, stepping down and between the two. "Rules are, once one of these shields detects a hit that would otherwise mean you are out, you lose. They will protect you from any and all damage, so fight as you like. Anything else, you two?"
"I have one," AJ spoke, loud enough that the whole glade could hear. "If I win, you will take my surname. And vice versa, of course."
"Gladly," Gudako shot back, "I've always thought Fujimaru would suit you."
Merlin coughed, bringing attention back to himself. "Now then! Positions!"
The two took opposing ends, adopting stances all too similar to the Grail tournament just a decade ago. Gudako drew her sword under her left arm, one hand on the puter flat side, whilst AJ held it to the right of the face, two fingers on the guard. As the two stood, staring down one another, Merlin slowly strode back to the altar, facing back at the two and casting one more spell, surrounding the glade just in front of the spectators in a spell-deflecting dome. Then he held his right hand above his hand, and…
"BEGIN!"
There was no delay. The silence that once filled the air was broken apart by a cacophony of yells and spells, opening with a bolt of lightning smashing into jet-black fire. Then, the swords met, and the dance began.
One could only describe it like watching two ballet dancers adorned with fireworks, as blade met blade and spell met spell. Fire, ice, lightning, rock, all fell upon one another as they danced. In and out, then in once more, like waves smashing against the shore only to retreat once more, to prepare to attack or their own defence.
One, two, three, four, the minutes dragged on, and the battle raged to the tempo of great blasts of power. But the two were only human, and humans can only endure for so long. The beat began to fall, the rhythm slowed, and all of a sudden, it dropped entirely.
The two stood panting, once again at opposing ends, neither having gained nor lost ground against the other. As they stood, a spark seemed to ignite in Gudako's eyes, and a silent understanding seemed to pass between the two. Standing straight, she drew her sword to her face, and began to speak.
"Ere ana fermona, anda oreta ema…"
Jeanne and Mordred gasped in sync. Jeanne, however, found her voice first. “Is… is that?”
“Yeah. AJ’s ace.” Mordred responded in awe. The spell that had pulled its namesake from the edge of crushing defeat, it seemed, would now face them in this final battle. The telltale amber red fire grew in a circle around her, before bursting from the sword, wrapping around her in a light coating. She grinned at her beloved, who took up a defensive stance. Sword held up to the left.
And, with a swing, Gudako was off.
All anyone could see was a trail of flames darting across the clearing before suddenly smashing into AJ, only to be pushed back by AJ’s own deflection. It would be only a second before it would snake round and back, however, smashing back again and again and again, only to be deflected once more each time. The audience watched with bated breath, as AJ grew closer and closer to the centre. Then, Gudako made a lap of the arena and, as AJ stared her dow-.
-she charged.
A blast of heat shook the area, air pushing back the trees even as the dome held the flames back. They licked at the sky, rising up, and quickly fell back, to reveal-
-Gudako and AJ, swords locked to either’s face.
…
…
“You know,” AJ remarked, “Fujimaru d’arc doesn’t sound so bad.”
“Yeah,” Gudako nodded, “I agree.”
“WE HAVE A DRAW!” Merlin yelled excitedly, the dome falling back as the two drew away their swords and exchanged them. Gudako giggled. “Your sword is certainly heavier than mine.”
“Well, I’ve always had a heavier hand.” As if to prove her point, she took Gudako’s left hand in her right, and the two walked up to the altar Merlin stood in front of, as the audience began to file back into the centre of the clearing, the best men and bridesmaids once again taking to the front.
“Now then,” Merlin addressed the various best men and bridesmaids, “Does anyone still wish for proof of either’s worth?” As a symphony of resounding “No”s filled the glade, Merlin nodded, and from the altar floated a collection of thin coloured ropes. As the rope snaked along their connected hands, AJ spoke.
“Gudako, when we first met, we didn’t get along. Like, at all.” That gained her many laughs. As she continued, she began to choke on her words, as tears began to form. “But, soon things changed. You helped me drag my sorry self from one of the darkest parts of my life, and for that, I will never be able to thank you enough. Nor can I thank you enough for staying by my side, and taking me for everything that I can. All I can do is give you is this promise - from now until my eternal soul leaves this earth, I will stand by your side and offer you everything that I am, no matter what may come to face us both.”
Gudako nodded and the words, wiping her own tears from her face as she took a shaky breath. “I, I can definitely agree with you. Our start was anything but the best.”
“But, as time went on, I got to see who you were behind your walls. And, well, I fell in love with it. All of it, from your greatest strengths to your most crushing flaws. I couldn’t help it - behind your shadows, you were brighter than the sun. And since then, all I’ve wanted to do is bathe in your warmth. And I promise that I will love you, on your sunny days and on those when I cannot see you through the storm. Because I know that, after your rainy days, you will always come to grant me a rainbow.”
Merlin flicked his fingers, and in his hand manifested two rings, a weave of reddened gold and silver making up both, bands weaving between one another. “Gudako, do you take Anjie, to be your partners in life, through its greatest ups and most crushing downs.” As he said so, one of the rings floated across to her, and she took it in the palm of her free hand. “I do.”
“And Anjie, do you take Gudako to be your partner in life, through its greatest ups and most crushing down.” AJ, too, took the other ring, and nodded. “I do.”
“Now then! With the exchange of these rings,” the two each fixed the ring on the other, “I pronounce the two of you officially wife and wife!”
A grand chorus of cheers rocked the grove as Gudako immediately pulled AJ into a kiss, eliciting a snicker from Mordred, who leaned into Jeanne’s side. “I knew your sister was a bott-” A quick smack on the back of the head finished his sentence. “Hey, I was joking!”
As the two clapped with everyone else, and as both Gudako and AJ walked through the middle of the crowd, laughing and crying tears of joy at once, Jeanne instead nudged Mordred. “You know, you certainly seemed shocked by how powerful those two were. Don't worry,” she leaned in close to his ear, so the whisper he only would hear.
“I’ll go easy on you when it's our turn.”