[OTA] We Are Gathered Here | The Fox-Kattalakis Wedding

[headfollowheart]

A few things had gone wrong, honestly. There had been some confusion in the morning when they’d arrived to decorate the church - a few bouquets on the altar, some green and blue ribbons twined around a few of the posts - and it’d been locked. She’d managed to leave Spade Castle with her dress, veil, the coin from his mother strung on a thin leather thong, the emerald silk sash and Victor’s ring - but of all things, she’d managed to leave her shoes in their box in the closet, and Chives had had to go back for that. Hadyn looked a little green from his adventure shanghaiing Victor with Ben and Elisha, her cousin Sara had in usual Sara fashion managed to break the heel on her left shoe. Nerves finally hit as Chives was braiding her hair, and by the time the veil was settled over the smooth curls, her nails had left indents in her palms.

In the end, though, it was pretty much perfect. Two of her closest friends preceded her down the aisle in soft blue dresses with forget-me-nots in their braided hair and small posies in their hands. She’d walked towards her fiance on her brother’s arm with her hands full of spring flowers, and after the words were said and Victor lifted the veil, they were married. It only felt a little different than before, Zoe thought as their brief kiss ended. But it was different; she was Zoe Fox.

Zoe Fox knew, of course, that Victor Fox would have preferred them to just slip back to their apartment - no big party, no flowing wine and hors d'oeuvres - but she’d wanted something. And he’d given her carte blanche in the end, really; she’d chosen the small reception room that opened out into the Castle gardens, she’d picked the combination of hyacinths, hydragea, and lily of the valley for the table arrangements, the Greek-flavored menu of spanakopita, wild green and strawberry salad, linguine primavera and herb-encrusted lamb. She’d pored over cake designs until she finally picked a vanilla bean cake with strawberry puree filling, decorated in vanilla buttercream. She’d pruned the list of friends, family and acquaintances who might be expected to be invited to the wedding reception until they numbered barely fifty.

Under the strict supervision of Chives, of course the reception looked perfect, she thought as they arrived, and she smiled as she slipped her hand into Victor’s arm and the full skirt of her dress swirled against both of their legs. Perfect, though perfect didn’t matter quite so much to her right now.

Comments

[sans_coeur]

It's... quaint. And by quaint, she means terribly boring. She'd been hoping that there would be a few more people to mask her showing up, but then again, this was her daughter. Charlotte couldn't really expect the turnout at the reception to be more than pathetic.

The dress is pretty, she supposes, though neither outstanding, nor memorable. She barely notices Reginald coming back, unconsciously takes the plate he thrusts under her nose. "How boring," she murmurs, taking a bite as her sharp eyes cast around the decorations.

Good lord. Even the cake is vanilla.

[gardenplots]

Weddings always garner their share of crashers. Pity, thinks Maggie, when she spots an all too familiar blonde head. Her eyes narrow briefly before she's smiles once more and makes her way to the uninvited guest. Time to deadhead this bud before Zoe notices.

"Charlotte Huntly!" she greets sweetly. "What an extraordinarily youthful dress." Her voice lowers to add, "Dearest, at our age, one really ought not forgo the brassiere."

[sans_coeur]

Her eyes narrow as St. John approaches. The disappointing wedding party wasn't worth having to deal with that woman. "Margaret St. John," she greets, in a cool voice. "Some of us have pride in what we have. Instead of, I don't know... having to take what others have." She sneers, setting her plate down. The next words are in a bitter whisper. "You already took my husband. Was it really necessary to take my chair today as well?"

[gardenplots]

Maggie raises an eyebrow. Charlotte's not flat by any means, but certainly not as well endowed. Gravity had not been kind to her. "Odd. I've never known you to be one to take pride in what she has. You've always shown a woeful tendency to throw away anything of real value. I'm sure it's made you so very happy over the years."

She smiles pleasantly. "How nice for you that I spotted you and Reggie dearest before Mister Fox."

[sans_coeur]

She can mask the expression on her face. She can't mask the tensing of her shoulders. Right. Mister Fox. Let's ignore that part. "I can't say I would call having to speak with you 'nice', Miss St. John."

[gardenplots]

"Yet I'm always so pleased to speak to you, Charlotte dear." If Charlotte Huntly thinks to imply something about the miniscule difference in their ages by addressing her as "Miss," then Maggie has no problem at all calling the other woman by her first name as though she's little more than a spoiled child.

"You might say it makes my day."

[sans_coeur]

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" she can't help snapping, giving her a piercing look. "Like giving my daughter some placating compliments about this excuse for a wedding?"

It could have been so much better. If Zoe had asked, if Zoe hadn't left, she could have helped make it so much better.

[gardenplots]

"Not at all, Charlotte. I am an invited guest. You--" her eyes grow hard. "--are an interloper. You made it quite clear not long ago you wished nothing to do with that lovely young woman--in quite a hideous and ugly way, I'm sorry to add.

"I will not see her day ruined by someone as pathetic as you intent on causing a scene."

Such a bright smile for Charlotte. "Though I'll be happy to let dear, sweet Victor know you're here if you insist."

[sans_coeur]

"As pathetic as me? You were the one who started poisoning her mind against me. I spent my life trying to make her into the person she should've been, and it was all ruined by you." Her voice hasn't risen a bit, though she's obviously more agitated. "Let anyone you want know anything. As if I care."

[gardenplots]

She knew better than to hope Charlotte had shown up hoping to heal the rift she'd made between herself and Zoe, yet part of her had hoped that was the case. She must have become more Heart than even she had realized. All Heart...and all Spade.

"The person you should have been--or thought you should be. It's not unusual for a mother to put all her hopes and dreams on her children, particularly when she's accomplished so little in her own life."

She could escort the Huntly woman out. She knows pressure points and could make her follow along docilely. But there's still the chance Charlotte would cause a scene before the pain struck her silent. A movement so slight she might not have seen it had she not been looking that way tells her the unwanted guest's arrival has not gone unnoticed. "Do be careful what you wish for, dear."

[sans_coeur]

"Oh my god. Please, just- go spout your nonsense somewhere else." She has to wave for someone, somewhere to just get her something to drink. "Have a nice afternoon, St. John."

[cipherspeak]

The cake is likely his fault. Exciting, crowd-pleasing flavors are difficult to find when you also need to keep kosher for the second groomsman. And King of Clubs.

"Is it so terribly tedious, Mrs. Kattalakis?" He said as he wandered up. He'd never spoken to Zoe's mother before.

Somehow, he hadn't expected someone so...short. Mrs. Fox must have gotten her height from her father.

[sans_coeur]

"-your Majesty." Ah. Well. Why is there not champagne in her hand to aid her?

"It's just... not quite as I expected."

[cipherspeak]

All Reginald's fault, most likely. Not forward-thinking enough to realize that Charlotte was going to need alcohol.

"Victor doesn't care for big parties," he said. "And neither does Zoe, I believe. But you'd know better."

[sans_coeur]

"She... she's changed herself for him, and that's all I'll say." She sniffs before asking Reginald very kindly to go find her some refreshments.

[cipherspeak]

"Has Mr. Leighton always been a lapdog, or is that a recent development?" As for Zoe, Victor has changed her. It's undeniable. He remembers the girl from a year and a half ago. But Victor has changed just as much, if not more. His wife settles him.

[sans_coeur]

"--Excuse me?" She raises her eyebrow at him, then says briskly, "he's been my fiance for five years now, your Majesty."

[cipherspeak]

"Five years, indeed," he says. "An amazingly long time. Congratulations." No one must ever wonder why they haven't actually gotten married.

[sans_coeur]

She cuts him a glance at that second sentence. "And we're perfectly happy, so it's really none of your business."

[morallydefunct]

It honestly didn't take Victor long to spot Charlotte when she arrived. And perhaps it was a show of his mood in how slow he was to approach her(it was a happy day, after all, and why ruin it?) However there was just one matter that well and truly needed to be established between the groom and his newly made mother-in-law...

And that was a matter of who was truly the more fearsome, strong-willed person between them.

His money was not on her, in the least. "I believe you are lost," he said as she turned and came about face to the kilt-clad Irishman. "Perhaps you require an escort..."

[sans_coeur]

By now, she's had a bit of champagne. And really, seeing him isn't high on her list of outcomes she really wanted when crashing this reception. What a terrible waste of her time. "And I believe there's no need for that, Mister Fox," she sneers, taking another sip of her drink. "You can go back to your little wife now."

[morallydefunct]

"Charlotte." He said simply, smiling at her as he reached out and caught her elbow in a firm grip that seemed to just be asking for her to make a scene. "I do hope you know just how much I will enjoy making every last moment of life miserable. But alas, though I would much love to see you wallow in your own self-pity and pathetic shortcomings, today is a day friends. And family.

"Neither of which you are." He said, a smile sliding over his lips as he lend into the blond woman. "And you address me as proper, Madam Nine. I am, and always be 'my lord' as far as you are concerned."

[sans_coeur]

She can't speak for a moment, flustered and bothered as her cheeks flush. "It's you-- and that St. John woman-- you've ruined her. Fine. Have a wonderful life with her, and I wish you both the very best, my lord" she spits sarcastically before draining her glass.

[morallydefunct]

"Oh don't give me all the credit. You started her along the path long before she ever met me." He said, before tilting his head at her. "And the only ruined woman I see here is you- bitter, and broken. You should never have come, it'll only remind you of your own wasted experiences."

[sans_coeur]

“Don’t—you know nothing of—“ Her protests just prove him right. Yet she keeps on trying. “What wasted experiences? I’m perfectly- perfectly happy with my life, and it's presumptuous for you to-- assume otherwise."