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Essek was nervous.
Essek was never nervous. But here he was, fidgeting with his suit. No tie, of course. His shoulder decor was more than enough for that. He wondered if Bren was wearing a tie. He hadn't been allowed to see his fiancé since the day before. "No seeing the groom before the wedding! It's bad luck!" Jester had chided. And so Bren had been whisked away to be fussed over by the girls. Essek smiled at the memory. All day, he'd been surrounded by his friends and family. Verin was, of course, his best man. Fjord, Kingsley, and Caduceus were happy to be groomsmen. Essek was surprised he'd even gotten ahold of Kingsley for the occasion. The tiefling pirate was notoriously hard to find nowadays. He and Fjord were currently deep in conversation about boat mechanics and the new canons that were attached to some newer ships.
Essek smiled. He loved his friends very dearly. He was surprised by how far they'd all come since he'd first met them. They were stronger, more capable, and they'd all grown so much as people.
Fjord and Jester were married now, planning a baby the last he'd heard.
Cad had revived his family's farm and started a side business that he ran from there.
Kingsley had his own ship and was now a captain.
Beau and Yasha were opening their first orphanage, and were planning their wedding for the next year.
Veth had had her baby girl three months ago, and was thriving with her family.
And Bren...
Essek couldn't be happier with how things had gone there. He never imagined he could feel a love like this. When the Nein had walked into the Bright Queen's palace that day, he had even been a bit offput by them. He giggled a bit to himself at how they'd looked then. How they'd called Bren "dirt wizard", and joked with each other even with how exhausted they'd looked.
He was so lucky.
These people were his family, they'd taken him in and shaped him into the man he was now. Tears sprung to his eyes when he thought about it. He had never been happier than he was today.
Kingsley walked over to him, his scruffy hair cut far shorter than Molly's had been. And was he taller now? "Hey man, you're on in five. Fjord, Cad, and me are heading out there. Verin's already out." He said. Then he put a hand on Essek's shoulder. "You got this. You're gonna do great." He told him sincerely. Then he followed the others out.
Essek was alone for the first time all day. He tried to steady his breathing before going anywhere. He would be married in less than an hour. That was terrifying, no matter how much he loved Bren. He was scared he would screw something up. What if his vows weren't good enough?
What if...
What if he wasn't good enough?
He shook his head. No. He wasn't going to spiral on his wedding day. He deserved this day. He followed his groomsmen and stood to one side of the altar. He anxiously watched the aisle, waiting for the music to start.
Dorian winked from where he was positioned with his harp. Cad had been the one to help hire the bard from wherever he was living. The Bells Hells were very popular now, and about as hard to get ahold of as Kingsley. Except for Fearne, of course, who'd probably only come to see Marion. Essek snickered to himself as he remembered the disaster at Jester's wedding because of those two.
The music began, and everyone turned towards the door at the back.
Bren was utterly breathtaking. He wore a white suit with red accents, and a gold belt around his waist. His shoes were black and polished, probably by Jester. He held a gorgeous bouquet of flowers that Essek knew were gathered by Yasha. His piercing blue eyes were accented by smudged dark eyeliner likely done by Beau. However, the thing that made Bren the most beautiful was the smile on his face.
Essek felt tears come to his eyes. When Bren finally stood across from him, he had to stop himself from crying right then and there.
"We are gathered here today..."
As the priest spoke, Essek went over his vows in his head one more time, hoping he'd get them right. Then came time to actually say them.
Bren went first.
"Essek. You found me at a very dark time, and while we didn't get along well at first, I very quickly grew on you like vines on a stone wall." That drew a laugh from the crowd. Bren chuckled before continuing. "You taught me dunamancy, you sat with me through late nights, held me through the storms, and encouraged me through everything. You have made your mistakes, yes, but you have made me one of the happiest men in all Exandria. You..." Here, he choked a bit, tears forming. He took a breath before continuing. "You made me want to live again, and made sure it stayed that way. Ich liebe dich, Essek Thelyss. Für immer und ewig." Once done, Bren folded up the paper he'd written on. Essek felt a tear roll down his cheek. He smiled. "Oh, my dear... that was the sweetest thing you could have said. But now it is my turn." He said.
He didn't have it written down. He didn't have to.
"Bren, you saved me. There are no other ways of saying it. I had lost everything dear to me, every last thing. And then you came in. Covered in dirt and blood, you came into the Bright Queen's castle with the beacon. You and your friends would not be ignored. And in just the same way, you wouldn't let me keep my distance. You all took me in and befriended me before I'd even noticed it. You wanted a teacher, so I taught. You needed a shoulder to cry on, I lent mine. You needed a hand to hold, I took yours before you even asked." He was fully crying now. "You wanted love, you had my heart before you realized. You brought me back to life with your stories and your friendship and your love. You are my best friend, and I've never been happier than I am today, marrying you. Thank you for saying yes." Essek finished, tears streaming down both their faces.
"By the power vested in me, I declare you husband and husband! You may now kiss the groom!"
Essek grabbed Bren, dipping him low as their lips met. Not a single soul didn't cheer that day. When they finally released each other, everyone began to head for the reception hall. Bren held out his hand. "Shall we, Mr. Thelyss?" Essek laughed, taking it. "So we shall, Mr. Thelyss."