Part 61: link


SATURDAY
WEDDING DAY

    “Where is Freya? She should be here bởi now?” Morgana flails about, pacing.
    “Morgana, settle down. It’s only half eight. She’ll be here. The wedding isn’t until four anyway. Did bạn call Elliot?” Gwen says, calmly sipping her tea.
    “Yes, he’s up, but he’s not happy,” she grins.
    “How many times did bạn have to call before he answered?”
    “Just one. I called from your phone.”
    Gwen laughs at this. “When is Cedric due with the dresses?”
    “Ten. He’s very excited about your dress.”
    “I know. He was carrying on like a schoolgirl last I spoke with him.”
    Gwen’s phone beeps. On my way. Three cubs born!
    “She’s on her way. Looks like her ocelot had her babies.”
    “Great,” Morgana says, not really interested.
    “Why don’t we start my nails, since you’re so itchy?” Gwen suggests, plopping her hands down on the table. They’ve set up cửa hàng in a small sitting room on the first floor, so they wouldn’t have to be running up and down the stairs all day.
    “All right. You’re still sure bạn want blue?” she asks.
    “Yes. I don’t have anything blue.”
    “You don’t have anything old, either,” Morgana reminds her. “You’ve got my mother’s earrings on loan for the borrowed, and of course bạn have a ton that’s new,” she ticks off a mental checklist of the four things a bride is supposed to have.
    “Father promised me something. He was being very vague about it, but he says he has something.”
    “Intriguing…” Morgana says, sitting. “Okay, these are all my blues,” she says, producing a half-dozen different shades for Gwen to choose from.
    “Too dark, too green, too purple… ah. This will do nicely,” Gwen holds up a bottle of soft, silvery sky-blue polish.
    “I was hoping you’d go with that one. Let me see how much repair I’m going to have to do now…”
    Halfway through Gwen’s manicure, they hear Freya ring the bell. Uther lets her in and shows her back. She looks a mess.
    “Freya! What on earth happened to you?” Morgana exclaims, horrified. Freya is dirty, her hair in a disarrayed braid, and there is a scratch on her arm.
    “Well, how many ocelots have you birthed?” Freya says, and Gwen laughs.
    “Were there difficulties?” she asks as Freya sits.
    “A bit. We almost Mất tích the mother, actually. She’s doing fine now. Scott is staying with her for the day. He’s another vet at the zoo,” she explains.
    “Wow, you’ve had a morning,” Gwen says.
    “Oh! I’ve got pictures of the cubs!” Freya remembers, pulling out her phone.
    “I don’t want to see anything gross,” Morgana says, and Freya sighs.
    “Of course not. But I must hiển thị you,” Freya says, and holds her phone over so Gwen can see. The first shows the three cubs. “Two males and a female,” she explains before swiping her finger across the screen to the tiếp theo shot.
    “This is Arthur, the larger male.” She swipes to the next. “And Guinevere, the female.”
    “Freya! bạn named the em bé after us?” Gwen asks.
    “Of course. I told them my yêu thích cousin is getting married today and I wanted to name the cubs for her and her future husband. Hope bạn don’t mind.”
    “Why would I mind? I am honored! Wait till Arthur hears!”
    “What did bạn name the third?” Morgana asks.
    Freya swipes her finger across the screen a final time, bringing up the third cub, which has darker markings than the other male. “Merlin,” she admits, blushing.
    “I knew it!” Morgana yells, and all three women laugh.
    Uther, ever curious, is drawn back to the room bởi all the noise. “Ladies, the neighbors are going to complain,” he teases.
    “Oh, come now, P., what neighbors? No one lives around here!” Morgana replies, still laughing.
    “Well, then at least tell me what all the ruckus is about,” he puts his hands on his hips.
    “Freya’s ocelot had three cubs. And she named two of them after Arthur and me,” Gwen tells him. “The third one she named for Merlin, which is why we were laughing. hiển thị him the photos, Freya. They’re so cute.” Freya stands and shows Uther the shots.
    He smiles, nodding his approval. “Freya, that was very thoughtful. Though I’m not so sure about ‘Merlin.’ Are bạn certain the poor cub won’t be traumatized?”
    “Mr. Pendragon!” Freya exclaims, laughing. She knows he is teasing her, remembering that he has known Merlin a very long time.
    “Freya, if you’d like to vòi hoa sen hoặc something…” Morgana says, clearly indicating that she thinks Freya should take a shower.
    “Yes, that was the plan,” Freya stands. “My bag is still in the foyer. I wasn’t planning on attending the wedding smelling of ocelot afterbirth, bạn know,” she says pointedly at Morgana before walking out the door.
    Gwen laughs while Morgana makes a disgusted face and goes back to Gwen’s nails. “You are the oddest bride ever, do bạn know that?”
    “Why do bạn say that?” Gwen asks.
    “Because you’re so… calm. Like this is just an ordinary day.”
    “You’re flipping out enough for both of us. Besides, the details are all handled, why would I worry? And honestly, as long as I end up married to Arthur bởi the end of the day, nothing else really matters, does it?”
    “I suppose not,” Morgana says, angling her head thoughtfully. “You’re still odd, though.”
    Gwen’s phone rings. It’s Arthur. Morgana grabs it.
    “Good morning, dumpling,” she coos into the phone.
    “Hi, Morgana. Can I talk to Guinevere please?”
    “No, bạn may not.”
    “Oh, come on, I know I can’t see her, but I can still talk to her,” he complains.
    “Her hands are occupied at the moment. I’m giving her a manicure.”
    “Well, doesn’t that mean yours are also occupied?”
    “She’s soaking. What do bạn want?”
    “I want to talk to Gwen.”
    “Too bad. May I help you?”
    He sighs. I’m not going to win. “Just tell her that I miss her and I tình yêu her and four o’clock cannot get here soon enough.”
    “I will do that.”
    “I’ll wait.” If she can be a pain in the neck, so can I.
    Now it is Morgana’s turn to sigh, and Arthur hears her tell Gwen what he said.
    “Tell him I tình yêu him too and I wish he were here,” he hears Gwen’s voice.
    “She loves you, too,” Morgana says into the phone.
    “And…?” Arthur prompts.
    “Don’t go getting any ideas, Pendragon, but she says she wishes bạn were here.”
    He smiles. “I heard her, actually. But I was having such fun being a pain.”
    “Yes, I know. Is that all?” she asks. Then, to Gwen, “What? Oh yeah.”
    “Gwen says to tell bạn that Freya’s leopard—”
    “Ocelot.” Gwen’s voice.
    “Whatever. Ocelot had her cubs and she named them Arthur, Guinevere, and Merlin.”
    “Really? Wow, that’s cool. I have an ocelot named after me. Brilliant.” He smiles at the gesture.
    “Honestly, bạn guys, I don’t see the big deal.”
    “You’re just jealous that she didn’t name one after you,” Arthur teases her.
    “Hardly. What? He says I’m jealous.”
    “She couldn’t name something after bạn because she doesn’t specialize in praying mantises, Morg,” Arthur hears Gwen say, and he bursts out laughing.
    “Oh, ha ha, both of you,” Morgana says. “Goodbye, Arthur.”
    “See bạn later.”

    Gwen’s nails are done and Morgana is well into the now-clean Freya’s when Uther reappears with Tom and Robert.
    “Ladies, Gwen has a visitor,” Uther says.
    “As long as it’s not Arthur,” Morgana says, not looking up.
    “No, just us,” Tom says, walking over to Gwen. He has a box in his hands. Robert hugs her and sits in a chair opposite them.
    “Permission granted, then,” Morgana jokes.
    “Guinevere, I promised bạn your something old,” he says, handing her the box.
    “Oh good, I was wondering about this,” she says, taking the box. What could this be? It’s too large to be jewelry hoặc a handkerchief… Opening the box, she lifts out a diamond tiara. It is not large, but it is quite beautiful and understated in its elegance.
    “Daddy…”
    “It was your mother’s. And her mother’s as well,” Tom explains, nodding at Robert. “She wanted bạn to wear it at your wedding.”
    “It’s beautiful. You’ve kept this secret from me all these years?”
    “You’re surprised bởi this?”
    “You’re crap at keeping secrets!”
    “That’s what you think,” he smiles at her, and she hugs him.
    Gwen looks inside the box and sees a piece of paper. She lifts it out, opens it, and gasps.
    My dearest Guinevere, I wore this tiara when I married your father, and my mother wore it when she and Granddad got married. She gave this to me on my wedding day, and since I knew I would not be here for yours, I asked your father to keep it hidden so that he can give it to bạn on yours. I am sure that bạn have grown into a beautiful and wonderful young woman, and the man bạn have chosen to marry is very fortunate to have bạn as his wife. I wish bạn all the happiness in the world. Cherish each other always. Never take one another for granted. Enjoy each other, and tình yêu each other. Be his best friend as well as his greatest love, and he will be yours. Know that I am always looking down on bạn and watching over you. I tình yêu bạn always, my darling daughter. Love, Mum.
    “Oh, Daddy,” she falls into his arms, crying over the letter.
    “What is it, Gwen?” Morgana asks. Tom hands her the letter, having read it over Gwen’s shoulder. She and Freya read it also and soon they are also crying.
    Uther and Robert read it next. Robert wipes his eyes, and Uther looks touched, though his eyes are dry. “That is really beautiful, Gwen,” he says, handing it back to her. Then he reaches for a box of tissues and passes it around the room.
    “If someone came in right now, they would hardly guess that there is a wedding taking place this afternoon,” he says with a warm chuckle, and the mood starts to lift.
    “Yes,” Morgana sniffs, dabbing her eyes delicately. “We don’t want the bridal party to have red, puffy eyes, now.”
    The doorbell rings. “That would be Cedric,” Morgana says.
    “I’ll go let him in,” Uther says, leaving.
    “Darlings!” Cedric sweeps into the room, his assistant behind him with a large quần áo, may mặc bag. “My goodness, what has happened? Why are bạn all sniffling?”
    “Hello, Cedric,” Gwen stands and hugs him, kissing his cheek. “This happened,” she says, hiển thị him the tiara.
    “That is fabulous.” He gasps. “Family heirloom?”
    She nods. “My mother’s. That’s why we’re all a mess now, sorry,” she smiles weakly at him.
    “Oh, honey, it’s not a wedding if there isn’t a room full of people crying at some point,” he says. “Ooo! Let me see your nails.”
    She shows him. “Very chic,” he approves. “Now. Dad, Granddad: Out. We have work to do here,” he says, shooing Tom and Robert out the door, pushing Uther out as well before he shuts the door.

    During lunch, Arthur tries again. Gwen’s phone blips a text message.
    What are bạn doing? She picks up her phone and smiles.
    “Is that Arthur?” Morgana demands.
    “No,” Gwen lies.
    “Liar. I see your face, girl. It’s him.”
    Eating lunch. Your dad got us takeaway from some café nearby.
    “Give me that!” Morgana reaches for the phone, and Gwen evades her.
    “There’s no rule about not texting the groom on the ngày of the wedding!”
    He did?
    Yes. We all got big yummy salads and soup.
    I’m having a cold sandwich, bánh sandwich and water. Alone. In the dark.
    No you’re not. You’re out with Merlin.
    “What does he want?” Morgana asks.
    “We’re having phone sex via text.”
    Freya chokes on her drink.
    “You are not.”
    “He’s just being nosy, that’s all.”
    How do bạn know?
    Freya.
    “Well, keep it short.”
    Gwen sticks her tongue out at Morgana, just as the doorbell rings again.
    The Manor has been a busy place with people coming and going all ngày making deliveries and setting things up. The parlor has been outfitted with dining tables and a platform has been set up tiếp theo to the đàn piano in the corner for a jazz trio to play during dinner. The florist has been, sent away, and returned with the correct flowers. The baker just left, having delivered her wares. Leah and Tess are running around, barking orders like drill sergeants.
    “I’ll get that,” Uther says, “you ladies finish your lunches.”
    Uther opens the door and is faced with a thin, pale young man, dressed in all black, bisected bởi a large thắt lưng, vành đai covered in silver studs and a large thắt lưng, vành đai buckle in the shape of a skull. He looks down his nose at the young man, noting his bright blue Mohawk, tattooed neck, and numerous piercings in his face. He has several large black cases with him and Uther spies a rusty van darkening his driveway, its side door sitting open.
    “Yes?” he says cautiously.
    “Hey, Gov,” he nods.
    “Young… man, we’re having a wedding here today. I don’t have time for your tale of retribution hoặc in anything bạn might be selling. Even if I was interested.”
    “Yeah, mate, I’m here for the wedding. I’m supposed to see Morgana.”
    Uther raises an eyebrow suspiciously. He turns his head slightly, not taking his eyes off the man. “Morgana??” he yells.
    A moment later, she comes jogging out, “Yes, P., what is it, dear?”
    “You know this person?”
    “Kevin! bạn found us, excellent!” Morgana says, taking the pale man bởi the hand and pulling him inside.
    Kevin?
    “P., this is DJ Minstrel. He’s from the Excalibur club. bạn know, the place where the engagement party was? Where Arthur and Gwen met? He’s providing âm nhạc for the reception.”
    “Ah.”
    “He’s trustworthy, I promise. Come on, I’ll hiển thị bạn were to set up.”
    Minstrel picks up one of his cases and follows Morgana inside, nodding politely at Uther as he passes. Uther watches him like a hawk, scowling at his black leather boots stomping across his floor.
    He comes back through for thêm cases, and Morgana pokes Uther on the shoulder. “We were kids together, and he’s not a criminal. Stop being so judgmental and let the man do his job, P.”
    Uther looks at her. He’s not used to people talking to him like this, and his first impulse is to give this presumptuous little girl a piece of his mind. Then something breaks inside, and he sighs. She’s right. I shouldn’t judge him based on how he looks. He smiles a small smile of defeat and walks away, leaving him to set up.

    “The men will be here at two thirty,” Gwen says when Morgana comes back in.
    “Well, we’d better di chuyển our things back upstairs after lunch, then. And when they get here, bạn are not to step foot downstairs for any reason until it’s time for bạn to walk down the aisle.”
    “Yes, Mother,” Gwen rolls her eyes and stands to clear her place.
    “Can’t wait till Morgana has a wedding of her own,” Freya says ruefully. Gwen laughs at this, loudly.
    The three ladies have transferred their things to Morgana’s guest room. Morgana is working on Freya’s hair when something taps on the window. They ignore it, thinking it is a twig hoặc a leaf blowing in the breeze. Then there is another tap. Then another.
    Gwen is about to go to the window, and Morgana stops her.
    “Don’t bạn dare!” She leaves Freya half-done and strides to the window, opening it.
    Arthur is standing in the garden below. When he sees Morgana, he scowls.
    “Go away,” she tells him.
    Gwen looks at the clock. Ten past two. She smiles and shakes her head.
    “Is Gwen in there?”
    “Perhaps. But she’s not coming to the window.”
    “I know that. But a man can hope, right?”
    “You’ll get everything you’re hoping for in a couple of hours. Until then any communication must go through me.”
    “I’m sure she can hear me, Morgana.”
    Gwen indeed can, and she laughs. Arthur’s face brightens. He’s heard her laughter and he knows she’s there.
    “What. Do. You. Want.”
    “Well, I wanted to see Guinevere. But as that’s not going to happen, just tell her that this has been the longest ngày ever.”
    “I heard him,” Gwen smiles.
    “She heard you,” Morgana reluctantly relays.
    He smiles, and turns to go. “Oh, one other thing.”
    “What’s that?”
    “Did she see a set of diamond cufflinks in my room? I thought I had them, but they might still be here.”
    “They’re in a wooden box on the shelf with your fencing trophies,” Gwen says, hopefully loud enough for him to hear.
    He smiles, and starts for the house.
    “Wait!” Morgana calls.
    “What?”
    “I will bring them to you. bạn are not to come upstairs.”
    He sighs. “Very well.”

    Three forty-five. Guests are arriving. Tom goes up to the room to see his daughter.
    “Guinevere, bạn are beautiful,” he says when he gets to the door.
    “You’re looking pretty good there, yourself, Daddy.”
    Tom comes in and hugs her carefully, not wanting to crush hoặc smudge hoặc damage any of the work that has been done to turn his already-beautiful daughter into the absolute vision of loveliness that is standing before him now. His eyes drift up to the tiara on her head. “It looks good,” he assesses.
    “Yes, it was good that bạn beat Cedric here with it. He was able to take apart the nón, cái đầu, headpiece we had chosen and just turn it into this,” she leans her head forward, and Tom looks and sees a simple comb with the veil attached, stuck into her hair right behind the tiara.
    He smiles, holding both her hands in his own, and sighs. “You do look so like your mother.”
    “Do I?”
    “Yes. It’s your eyes. They’re hers.” He reaches up and rubs his thumb gently at the skin at the corner of her eye. “Even the color. Such a light shade of brown.”
    Gwen smiles, and says, “She’ll be watching. She and Arthur’s mum will have front-row seats this afternoon.”
    He chuckles and nods, amazed at her calm. “You okay?”
    “Of course. I’m getting married in ten minutes, what’s not to be okay about?” she laughs, and as she does so, she notices something off. Her hand flies to her right earlobe, and she gasps.
    “What?”
    “Morgana’s earring! Where did it go?”
    “On Morgana?”
    “Dad, I’m serious! I’ve only got one earring. Morgana loaned me her mother’s pearl earrings, and one is gone!”
    “Oh! Not good…” he says, and they both drop to their knees and start feeling around on the rug.
    “Check under the bed,” she says, as she checks the hàng đầu, đầu trang of the bed.
    Bathroom. Gwen scurries out and looks in the bathroom, under the sink, behind the toilet, in the sink, saying, “Don’t be in the drain, don’t be in the drain…”
    “Bugger!” she swears and returns to the room, eyes scanning the hallway rug as she goes.
    “Anything?” she asks.
    “Nothing yet,” he says. “We need to find this before Morgana comes back up.”
    “No kidding.” She turns around, scanning the room quickly. “Ow!” she suddenly exclaims, her hand flying up to her right shoulder.
    “What now?” Tom asks, now getting really worried.
    Gwen reaches into the neckline of her dress with her left hand, near her right shoulder, shifts uncomfortably a bit and digs her hand in near her right underarm.
    “Found it,” she declares, pulling the earring out of her bodice.

Part 63: link