houseofcards_rp | [OTA] We Are Gathered Here

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.

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"Aye, I've got to come up with something in short order." Of course he hadn't actually prepared anything. Like as not, he'd focus on the day when he met the bride instead of the day when he met the groom. A mischievous lass dressed as a black swan was more palatable than a pair of Celts on a police boat.

Or make up something about he and Victor meeting in the Deck. Either way, it wasn't worth worrying over.

"They look happy, don't they?"

"They do. You wouldn't think they'd be suited if you never saw them together. She...makes him happy. Nothing I can put my finger on, but it's there. He makes her happy, of course, but it's more than that. They get each other." She smiles a little sheepishly. Babbling, but Ben's used to it.

"I had to explain to Sitara that the men were not wearing skirts, by the way. You've trained me well. She wanted to know if you had to sit all ladylike with your knees together."

"They're alike in more ways than you'd think." He mostly knew Zoe through Victor, of course, but she somehow managed to be a quiet sort while also being an outgoing sort. The quiet's what Victor would like, and the practicality.

He laughs out loud, then, and shakes his head. "Aye, well, it's wise to do so, lest we give people a show," he says. "But best not tell any Scotsman he's sitting like a lady."

She reddens, but attempts her best librarian glare. "I'll tell him anything I want should he decide to start flashing. Oh, gosh!" She laughs in earnest. "I may have said something along the lines of Scotsmen not wanting to show their panties any more than she should."

She could hardly explain the truth, could she?

He gives her a very sober nod. "Well, that's only right and proper, lass," he says, not even noticing the slip of that old nickname. "I couldn't have the lot of you seeing me in pink silk underwear, you know. Someone might become jealous, and then where would we be?"

Nowhere good, that's for certain.

Thanks for that, Ben Mackinnon. Red goes so well with the soft blue. "I'm disappointed. Here I thought they'd be plaid lace." Because she can't seem to stop the horribly ridiculous and embarrassing topic.

She wonders if there is someone now to be jealous. Edie maybe? Ben loved to flirt with the best of them, but he'd never struck her as someone who'd never settle down. She hopes he does some day and has all those kids he'd always wanted.

So she swats his shoulder lightly. "Stop talking about your manly panties." She bites her lower lip. "We're good, right? Finally?"

There is someone to become jealous, but the truth of it is that it's not on his side of things. Eden's a friend. Nichole's a friend. No one really sticks, really. It's odd. He wouldn't have thought he'd be attending Ciarán Mac a'tSionnaigh's wedding before his own occurred. Of course, back when he'd been engaged, there'd been no thought of attending Ciarán's wedding at all.

Strange turns life took.

"Yeah," he says instead, smiling down at her. "We're good, finally."

Sophie breaks into a happy smile, the sort she'd kept a tight leash on when they'd first met. "I'm glad."

"Well," she adds in an attempt to lighten the mood, "I'm always sweet and never prone to mischief. I'm not certain the same can be said of you, but I won't tell if you don't."

"I canna be sure that's entirely the case," Ben murmurs as they take another turn about the dance floor. "You never being prone to mischief. I most certainly am, though. Do you think anyone knows?"

"With your always serious demeanor? Certainly not! You should loosen up some, Ben. Enjoy life. Get out, have some fun."

"But all the paperwork, Sophie." That gasp was probably not a legitimate gasp of horror. "Who will turn it into a paper airplane fleet without me?"

"Don't be silly. It's far more fun to be a fighter ace than the air marshal. Hands on and all that. Besides, I bet Avery would help since you're Airman First Class seems to have moved on to other things."

"My Airman...oh, aye. Yeah, the young ones are the busiest, aren't they?" Of course, Sophie counted as one of those, likely, and god knew she seemed to be run off her feet. "I bet Mr. Thomas wouldn't frown at her for it."

He totally would, of course.

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

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