Part 23: link


    The doors leading to the jetway open, and Arthur stands, waiting patiently outside gate 3B at Mitchell Field, awaiting the arrival of his father. He told Gaius he’d stop down at the airport in the morning before he went back home.
    Uther is the một giây person to appear, striding casually into the airport, a quần áo, may mặc bag slung over his shoulder. Of course he was seated in first class.
    “Hey, Pop,” Arthur says, hugging his father. He grunts as Uther squeezes him surprisingly tightly.
    “Son,” Uther says, releasing him. Then he hands him his quần áo, may mặc bag.
    “Do bạn have any other luggage, hoặc is this it?”
    “That’s it. I decided to stay overnight,” he says as they start walking. “Not that I’ll probably see bạn tomorrow,” he chuckles.
    Arthur grins and looks down. “How was your flight?” he asks, deciding to change the subject.
    “Uneventful. The stewardess had nice legs.”
    Arthur snorts.
    “How are things at the office?”
    “Your little escapade seems to have set off a domino effect,” Uther says. “Leon has a girlfriend now, and most surprisingly, Vivian seems to have set her mũ lưỡi trai, cap for Percy Andersen.”
    “Yeah, Merlin and I may have had a hand in that,” Arthur says.
    “What?”
    “We played matchmaker, like a couple of girls, yes. But bạn have to admit…”
    Uther laughs. “Yes, he really brings her back down to earth. It’s like he doesn’t even understand her when she’s being all… like she gets.”
    “Oh – let me guess. He just gives her that earnest South Dakota Boy stare and she caves, right?” He opens the thân cây of his car and places his father’s quần áo, may mặc bag inside.
    Uther laughs again. “It’s something to see. But she thinks he walks on water and he thinks she is the only woman on earth. Nice car, bởi the way.”
    “Thanks. And wow, Merlin hadn’t đã đưa ý kiến any o’ that. ’Course he didn’t really get an opportunity,” Arthur says, starting his car. “’Specially with Morgana’s tongue down his throat,” he adds quietly.
    “What?”
    “Nothing. Who is Leon seeing?”
    “Mithian Rodor.”
    “Judge Rodor’s daughter? You’re pullin’ my leg!”
    Uther shakes his head. “Not in the slightest. He ran into her at the courthouse. She had just had lunch with her father, and… what was it? Her cái ví, ví tiền strap broke hoặc something, and it spilled everywhere. And bạn know Leon,” he says, shrugging.
    “Captain Chivalry? I’m sure he took time he didn’t really have to help collect every tissue and penny and tube of lipstick she had in there.”
    “It’s like bạn were there,” Uther says dramatically, and Arthur laughs.
    “It’s good to see you, Pop,” Arthur says.
    “You, too. I’ve missed you.”
    “Me, too.”
    “Guinevere doing well?”
    “The best. I hate that I can’t see her today,” he pouts.
    Uther laughs at him. “Soon enough.” He pauses, and clears his throat. “Um, Arthur, we don’t need to talk about…”
    “I’m good,” Arthur cuts him off, holding up his hand. “You don’t need to draw me a diagram. Especially not while I’m driving.”
    “I’m just going to say two things: don’t push her if she’s nervous, and, um, a gentleman always makes sure she gets, uh…”
    “Got it. Now shut up.”
    Arthur turns onto Gaius’ street, seeing Morgana’s Thunderbird is conspicuously absent. She đã đưa ý kiến something about a salon. I bet they’ve gone.
    “You’d better let me go in first to make sure she’s not there. I don’t know Guinevere as well as bạn do, but I’d wager my life savings that she’s superstitious,” Uther says.
    “You got that right,” Arthur says, chuckling, remembering the fuss she made over him not seeing her dress. “I do need to go back to my place and collect Merlin and Elyan,” he says. “And we need to di chuyển Guinevere’s car. Maybe bạn could drive her car and follow me? That way bạn can see our place.”
    “Sure. Except you drive that thing, and I’ll drive the Caddy,” Uther says, opening the door. “Be right back,” he says, leaving a chuckling Arthur in the car.

xXx

    “Morgana, you’re not taking me to your salon, are you? My hair ain’t like yours, bạn know,” Gwen says as they drive.
    “I know, dear, and I told you, don’t worry. I have connections. bạn remember Isaac Helios? His sister owns a small salon. I’m taking bạn there. And I’ve arranged for my stylist to be there as well, to do my hair. And we’re both having our nails done.”
    “Mr. Helios’ sister?” Gwen asks. “Is that a good idea?”
    “Still skittish since he tried to make time with you, huh?”
    “Maybe.”
    “He’s over it, I promise.”
    “Why, did bạn threaten him?”
    “Maybe a little,” Morgana grins. “But mostly he’s decided he likes and, thêm surprisingly, respects your darling future husband.”
    Gwen giggles a little. “What’s her name?”
    “Naomi. She’s lovely. And we’re here.”

xXx

    The ngày passes in a whirlwind. Arthur is barred from his Uncle’s house, so he stays with Merlin and Elyan. He drives them around, hiển thị them various points of interest. It’s a cold, gray day, so there’s not much sightseeing that can be done. They see the lake, which is choppy and gray. He drives them through downtown, which is a bunch of buildings. Points out a couple museums. Tells them there’s a zoo he plans to take Guinevere to when it’s warm again.
    “When will that be? July?” Elyan asks. He’s been nothing but cold since they’ve arrived. Arthur has loaned him a sweater and a coat.
    Arthur shrugs. “Maybe April. Maybe May. From what I understand, it varies. I’m getting used to the cold, though. I may be singin’ a different tune come January, but we’ll see.”
    “What’s in January?”
    “That’s when it gets really cold, according to my uncle,” Arthur says.
    “This isn’t really cold?” Elyan asks, flabbergasted.
    “Nah, mate, this is just… chilly,” Merlin says. “We had a few winters back trang chủ where you’d go outside and breathe in, and all the snot in your nose would freeze.”
    “Yuck,” Elyan says. “I’m definitely stayin’ in the south,” he declares.
    After they finish at the salon, Gwen and Morgana return trang chủ and have lunch with Alice and Gaius. Gwen picks at her lunch and fidgets with her veil, now pinned into her hair for the duration. Naomi did a beautiful job, pulling half of Gwen’s hair up and away from her face and leaving the back long, curled into loose ringlets that Morgana constantly fusses over to make sure they don’t get crushed. Her nails are painted lavender, her yêu thích color.
    Morgana’s hair is up in a French twist with a few hoa tucked in. Her nails are deep red, a stark contrast to her pale skin.
    After lunch, Alice comes out with a small box. She places it on the bàn in front of Gwen.
    “What’s this?” Gwen asks.
    “Something borrowed,” Alice says. “You have your old: your dress. You’ve got plenty of new: your shoes, your headpiece, your shawl. bạn need borrowed and bạn need blue.”
    Gwen opens the box to reveal a string of cream-colored pearls that match the cream satin of her dress perfectly. “Oh, Aunt Alice, they’re perfect, thank you,” Gwen says. She stands and hugs Alice tightly.
    “Watch the hair, Mom,” Morgana scolds.
    “Oh, hush, you.”
    “You’ve been so wonderful to me since we’ve been here. Thank bạn so much, both of you,” Gwen says, wiping a few tears from her eyes as she looks from Alice to Gaius. “And you, too, Morgana. I feel like I have a sister.”
    Morgana beams and squeezes Gwen’s hand. “Me, too. Now come. We have to find bạn something blue.”
    “I have some blue earrings, but I don’t think they’ll work,” Gwen says as they head down the hall.
    Morgana stops and gets a devilish glint in her eye.
    “What? I know that look. What are bạn thinkin’?”
    “Let’s look at your underwear,” she says, pulling Gwen into her room and immediately digging through Gwen’s suitcase and a laundry basket. “I may need to run to Gimbel’s…” she mutters.
    “Morgana, we don’t have much time,” Gwen says, but she’s looking through her things as well now.
    “All the thêm reason to…” she trails off. “Idea. Mom!” she yells, summoning Alice to save the day.
    “Goodness, Morgana, what’s with the yelling? And why are bạn unpacking all of Gwen’s things.”
    “Can bạn run to the store for us?” Morgana asks. “I’m having a fiendish idea about Gwen’s something blue.”
    Alice stares a moment. Realization dawns; she knows her daughter. “It’ll have to be light blue, then,” she says, nodding. She grins, and for a moment she looks like a mischievous young girl. “If it’s all right with you, Gwen.”
    Gwen is blushing dark pink, but she nods. “I think I trust bạn to choose something thêm than I would her,” she says, indicating Morgana with her head.
    “Hey!” Morgana protests, and Alice laughs.
    “Let me give bạn some money,” Gwen says, standing.
    “Don’t give it a thought,” Alice says. “It’s not every ngày I get dispatched to buy bridal lingerie, bạn know. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
    “What if Arthur asks where my something blue is?” Gwen asks, her eyes widening.
    “I doubt very much he will, but you’ll just have to tell him that you’ll hiển thị him later,” Morgana smirks.

xXx

    The wedding is at 4:00. At 3:45, Gwen is fidgeting in a room off of the sanctuary, the same room where she sang for Alan her first time at the church.
    “You look lovely, Gwen,” Alice says, slipping into the room.
    “Thank you, Aunt Alice,” Gwen says.
    “You also look sad. Thinking about your parents?”
    Gwen nods. “My daddy would have been so proud to give me away. Even if it is to a white man,” she chuckles. “Mama would tình yêu that I’m wearin’ her dress.”
    “They’re looking down on bạn today. They’re here in this place with you,” Alice says.
    “I know. How do the boys look?” she asks, blinking away tears that were starting to form. Morgana would kill me if I ruined my makeup.
    “Arthur looks very handsome. That boy can wear anything, though,” Alice chuckles.
    “I know, it’s almost disgusting,” Gwen giggles.
    “Your brother looks quite dashing as well. And Merlin, well, his suit is kind of wearing him, but he’s so charming and adorable that he can get away with it,” Alice laughs.
    “He’s too skinny to wear a suit decently,” Gwen laughs. “If he could have come sooner, we would have sent him to a tailor. Then he might have stood a chance.”
    There is a knock at the door, and Alice goes to answer.
    “Hey, big sister,” Elyan says, stepping in. Alice decides to leave the siblings to have a moment alone.
    “Hey,” Gwen says. “You clean up pretty good.”
    “Gee, thanks,” he chuckles. “I had Mr. Gaius take a picture of me so I could hiển thị Toya. He’s gon’ mail it to me.”
    “She’ll like that,” Gwen says, smiling. She walks over and straightens his already-straight tie and brushes some imaginary lint from his shoulders.
    “You look beautiful, Gwen. bạn look just like how I remember Mama lookin’ before she got sick.”
    “Daddy always đã đưa ý kiến I look like her,” Gwen says quietly.
    “But with his eyes,” Elyan smiles. “We both got those.”
    “And everything else is completely different,” Gwen says, laughing. “How is Arthur?”
    “Last I saw him he was pacin’ and sayin, ‘No, no, no, I can’t do this,’ and then he went to go throw up,” Elyan says. He almost gets through it with a straight face.
    Gwen smacks his arm. “He was not!” she laughs.
    “He’s hoppin’ around like an excited jackrabbit,” Elyan says, laughing with her. “You’d think it was Christmas.”
    Morgana comes in now, a flurry of green satin. “If bạn need to pee, this is your last chance,” she declares.
    “She’s somethin’ else,” Elyan mutters, shaking his head slightly.
    “Comin’ from you, that’s sayin’ somethin’,” Gwen laughs. She reaches over and hugs her brother. “I tình yêu you, Baby Brother.”
    “Love you, too, Gwennie.”
    Alice pokes her head in the door again. “Gwen, we’re ready whenever bạn are, dear.”
    “Thank you,” she says. She looks at Morgana. “Ready?”
    “Are you?” she shoots back, a teasing glint in her eye.

xXx

    I’m glad there’s not a lot of people here, Gwen decides, waiting outside the back of the church. She can hear the âm nhạc and Morgana has just made her grand entrance.
    Probably the only time where she won’t upstage me, Gwen thinks, chuckling.
    “What’re bạn gigglin’ at?” Elyan asks.
    “Nothin’,” she says. “Let’s go.”
    They head into the sanctuary, and the few people in attendance stand. Uther, Gaius, and Alice on the groom’s side; Alan’s wife Kathy, and surprisingly, Isaac Helios on Gwen’s side.
    “Who’s the bald brother?” Elyan whispers.
    “Isaac Helios. He’s a colleague of Arthur’s,” Gwen các câu trả lời automatically. Her eyes are on Arthur, who is standing in front tiếp theo to Merlin, watching her approach.
    They may as well be the only two people there. Gwen thinks Elyan is asking her something else, but she doesn’t answer.
    He looks so handsome. So happy.
    Arthur watches her approach on her brother’s arm, walking gracefully in a cream-colored dress, simple but elegant. I think she đã đưa ý kiến it was her mother’s. It’s perfect. She’s perfect.
    Gwen and Elyan reach the front of the church, where Elyan hands his sister off to Arthur before joining Kathy and Isaac on the bride’s side of the church.
    Gwen smiles shyly at him, handing her bouquet of simple daisies and carnations to Morgana.
    “Hi,” Arthur says quietly, taking both her hands in his, rubbing her knuckles lightly with his thumbs.
    Pastor Gary starts to speak, but the words wash over her like a fog. She squeezes Arthur’s hands and smiles up at him.
    My tim, trái tim is pounding. Is his tim, trái tim pounding? I can’t believe I’m actually here.
    She is so beautiful. I didn’t think she could look thêm beautiful than she normally looks. I can’t believe she’s going to be my wife.
    Gradually, Pastor Gary’s words start to drift into their consciousness.
    “…our similarities bring us together, but our differences are what make us beautiful. Without the heat of the day, we could not appreciate the sweet coolness of the night. Without the night's darkness, we could not appreciate the bright warmth of the sun.”
    Pastor Gary is a smart guy, Arthur thinks.
    “Arthur?”
    Oh, right. Vows.
    They go through the rest of the ceremony, repeating their words, sliding rings on one another’s fingers. Arthur tries to put Gwen’s ring on the wrong hand, which makes her giggle.
    Occasionally they hear Alice’s sniffles.
    Finally Pastor Gary says the five words that Arthur has been waiting for.
    “You may Kiss the bride.”
    Arthur leans down, slipping his arm around Gwen’s waist while she rests her hands on his lapels. He kisses her softly, leisurely but longingly. And probably just a little longer than he should have.
    Gwen pulls away gently, blushing, and his lips follow her for just a moment before he regains his senses.
    Right. We’re in a church. People are lookin’.
    He clears his throat quietly and Gwen giggles at him again.
    “It is my honor to introduce for the first time Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Pendragon,” Pastor Gary says. He nods at Alan, who starts playing again, and they walk back up the aisle to the back of the church.
    Won’t be much of a receiving line, Gwen thinks. Merlin and Morgana tham gia them, hugging them both in turn.
    Uther is next, hugging Arthur and then Gwen. Then he kisses Gwen on the cheek, surprising everyone.
    “Take good care of her, Son,” Uther says to Arthur, a strange, wistful expression on his face.
    He misses his wife, Gwen realizes. She doesn’t have any time to dwell on this, though, because a damp-eyed Alice is squeezing her in a tight hug.
    “I’m going to miss bạn around the house,” she says, laughing a little.
    “I’ll be around,” Gwen says, smiling at her.
    Gaius, then Kathy; then Isaac presents himself.
    “Helios, thanks for stopping in,” Arthur says, shaking his hand.
    “Pendragon,” he nods. “Call it curiosity. And I figured I’d even out the bride’s side,” he grins.
    “Thank bạn for coming, Mr. Helios,” Gwen says, shaking his hand.
    “What do I have to do to get bạn to call me Isaac?” he asks, smirking at her.
    “Next time, maybe,” she says with a shrug. She rubs her bare arms with her hands, a little chilled.
    “Cold?” Arthur asks. “You can have my jacket.”
    “I have a khăn choàng cổ, khăn choàng, shawl somewhere…” she says, looking around. “Morgana, where did it go?”
    “I’ll get it, dear,” Alice says. Elyan is shaking hands with Arthur, reminding him of the promise he made to keep Gwen happy.
    “Elyan…” Gwen sighs.
    “What? He may be your husband now, but I’m still your brother,” he says, defending himself.
    “Just shut up and give me a hug,” she says, pulling him over.
    “Here bạn are, dear,” Alice returns with the cashmere khăn choàng cổ, khăn choàng, shawl that Morgana bought for her the trước đó week as a pre-wedding present.
    “Thank you,” Gwen says.
    “I could have kept bạn plenty warm,” Arthur whispers in her ear, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
    “Arthur!” she exclaims, biting back her laughter.
    “Ooo, this is soft, I like this,” he says, rubbing her shoulder, feeling the soft cashmere under his hand. “Come here.” He pulls her to him, wrapping his arms around her. “Did I tell bạn how beautiful bạn look?” he asks softly, his hands still running over the shawl.
    “No, Mr. Pendragon, bạn did not,” she says, raising her eyebrows at him.
    “Well, Mrs. Pendragon, bạn are simply the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Just when I think bạn couldn’t get thêm beautiful, bạn do. Inside and out.”
    “You look pretty good yourself,” she says, leaning up and kissing him. Mrs. Pendragon, she thinks, smiling.
    “Pretty good?” he asks, feigning insult.
    “Oh, all right, bạn are dashingly handsome. Distractingly so, in fact,” she says.
    “That’s better,” he nods, kissing her in return.
    “Um, kids, we have bữa tối, bữa ăn tối reservations, remember?” Gaius interrupts them. Arthur and Gwen discover that they’re alone in the back of the church. Everyone else has gone out to their cars already.
    “Oh yeah. Right; let’s go see what damage Morgana and Merlin have done to my car,” Arthur says, taking Gwen’s hand and leading her out.

xXx

    “Hello, may I help… oh…” the young man behind the bàn stammers at the unusual group in front of them.
    Gaius steps forward. “We have a private dining room reserved,” he says curtly.
    “Oh. Um, name?”
    “Pendragon.”
    “Oh… oh! Right. Sorry, sir. This way…”
    “What’s his problem?” Morgana asks.
    “Gwen and me, prob’ly,” Elyan answers. “Stupid snooty white folks…”
    “No kidding,” Morgana agrees. Elyan stares at her. “What? Yeah, I’m white, but I think you’ll agree that I’m neither stupid nor snooty.”
    Elyan laughs now. “No, definitely not. You’re all right, Morgana.”
    “Thanks, I’m so glad I have your approval,” she says, smirking at him now. “I’ll finally be able to sleep at night.”
    “Elyan just met his match, I think,” Gwen whispers to Arthur, who laughs.
    They file into the smaller dining room. It has a bàn set for eight, with candles and flowers.
    “Uncle Gaius, it’s beautiful,” Gwen says. Arthur pulls out a chair for Gwen and she sits, keeping her khăn choàng cổ, khăn choàng, shawl around her.
    “I can take no credit, Gwen. I just told them to make it pretty,” Gaius chuckles, taking a ghế, chỗ ngồi as well.
    A few phút later, Merlin joins them, late. He passes a set of keys to Arthur.
    “Arthur?” Gwen asks.
    “We’re stayin’ here tonight,” he tells her quietly. “Uncle sprung for a room for us. Merlin was taking your suitcase up for you.”
    “How did my suitcase get… oh, never mind,” Gwen says, shaking her head. “We’re stayin’ here?” she asks, the important bit sinking in now.
    “Well, this restaurant is in a hotel, bạn know,” Arthur says. “And I know we have our apartment, but your brother and my best friend are currently occupying it.”
    “Oh. I guess I just thought they’d go to Gaius and Alice’s house…” She turns and looks at Gaius. “Thank you, Uncle Gaius, that was very sweet of you.”
    “Not a problem at all,” Gaius waves his hand dismissively. They start looking at menus now. “Order anything you’d like, it’s on me,” he adds.
    “No, bạn don’t, old man,” Uther interrupts. “I’m getting dinner.”
    “So that means rau xà lách, salad for everyone!” Morgana exclaims, and everyone laughs, even Uther.
    Gwen is a bit surprised. Arthur leans over, “Pop completely dotes on Morgana. She teases him about anything she can think of as often as possible, and he still thinks she hung the moon.” Then he declares loudly, “I’ll be having prime rib. Hmm… hoặc surf and turf…”
    “Well, then, tôm, tôm hùm for me,” Gwen bravely adds, a bit nervous at teasing her new father-in-law.
    Luckily, he laughs.
    Dinner is enjoyable and lively. There is a đàn piano in the corner and Merlin plays after they’re done eating, just so Arthur and Gwen can have a wedding dance. Morgana sits beside Merlin on the đàn piano bench, leaning her head on his shoulder.
    “What’s goin’ on there?” Gwen asks, swaying in Arthur’s arms.
    “I have no idea. Caught them makin’ out in the hallway Friday night, though,” Arthur says.
    “What? Morgana didn’t tell me that!”
    “She didn’t? That’s surprising. She kissed him. too. At least that’s what Merlin says.”
    “I’m inclined to believe him, based on what I know ’bout Merlin and what I know ’bout Morgana,” Gwen chuckles. “Who knows, maybe he’ll wind up family?”
    Arthur ponders this a moment. “I don’t know about that. I think she’d grow bored of him eventually, even if one of them was willing to move, and I don’t think either one is.”
    “You may be right. Besides, she’s sweet on Alvarr.”
    “She is?”
    “You don’t see it? How could bạn not see it?” Gwen asks.
    “Hmm. I’ll have to open my eyes…”
    “Clearly. First bạn don’t see that Vivian was makin’ eyes at you, now this,” she teases.
    “Maybe it’s because my attention is usually focused in your direction,” he tries.
    “Doubtful, but thank bạn for trying,” she says.
    Arthur holds her a little closer, wrapping her in his arms so that they are doing little thêm than hugging and swaying. “I tình yêu you, Guinevere. Just realized I hadn’t told bạn yet today.”
    “I tình yêu you, too, Arthur,” Gwen says. They dance quietly for a few moments, and then Gwen asks, “So, would it be rude to tell everyone to go home?”
    “Guinevere!” Arthur exclaims, laughing in surprise.

Part 25: link