Neko Shorts - 13. Prompt #248: The Wedding

Prompt #248--List of words: roses, rainstorm, deer, cake, chapel

The Wedding

Kayden was doing his best to stay out of the way. Damien was busy keeping Harrison calm before they rode in the carriage over to the large church. Damien said that Penelope and her family were already, as she was going to dress in the small side chapel rather than wear her dress over to the church.

Harrison had paced the ballroom at the manor several times, each time harassing the poor servants and slaves over some tiny thing that he construed was wrong and needed to be fixed--those roses were not the right color, that garland was not quite hanging the right way, the table cloth was off. The one thing he didn't comment on was the wedding cake--it was perfect. Garin had made sure of it, even after Damien's comment about things not needing to be perfect.

Finally, Damien had intervened and swept the anxious groom from the reception room, dragging him upstairs to finish his dressing. As the duke was adjusting his younger brother's dark blue cravat, Harrison stared into the fireplace. His eyes were as wide and as unseeing as the deer that Nickolaus had killed for the wedding feast.

Damien took his brother firmly by the shoulders. "Harrison." When the young groom didn't respond, Damien shook his brother gently. "Harry, come on. Snap out of it."

Kayden watched as the young marquis' eyes refocused. His breathing suddenly increased and the man's face paled.

"I can't do this," he gasped.

Damien kept a firm hold on his brother. "Yes, you can."

"No, no, I can't be responsible for her," he breathed. "She's so... so..."

"Wonderful?" Kayden supplied quietly, causing both men gape at him. Kayden stepped up closer, looking up at the two lords. "She loves you," he said softly.

"And I love her," Harrison whined, "but what if I disappoint her? What if I'm not enough for her? What if--"

"What if you live happily ever after?" Damien supplied with a smile. Then he looked down at Kayden, his hand smoothing over the silky black hair of his lover. "If there's one thing I've learned, Harrison, is that you can't live your life worried about what might come."

Kayden glanced up to meet his master's glistening blue eyes.

"On my twenty-fifth birthday, you gave me the best gift of all," Damien said, tightening his grip on the young neko. "I found love and happiness, and I'm not going to let you lose yours because you are a little nervous. Penelope loves you very much. Whatever life throws your way, you will deal with it. Together."

Harrison took a long, deep breath, eying the two lovers as if they were his anchor in his rainstorm of emotions. He finally nodded. "You're right. I can do this. We can do this."

Damien smiled, clapping his brother on the shoulder. "Good. Now, let's get going before you find something else to worry about."

***

Damien kept up a constant barage of chatter to keep his brother from focusing on the impending wedding. Kayden knew that if left to his own thoughts Harrison would slide back into his anxiety. As he watched the brothers interact, Kayden could tell that Damien knew just how to handle his nervous little brother.

Kayden fiddled with the buttons on the deep green dress coat that he wore. The suit was more fitted than Kayden would normally like, but Damien's eyes had darkened noticeably this morning when he'd emerged in it. He had fussed with the odd tie at his neck for a bit before his master had stepped over to fix it for him. The dark, lustful look in Damien's eyes had startled him at first, but then he'd smiled and reached up to kiss the man. Damien had finally broken from the kiss breathless, and Kayden knew if he didn't step away and give his master space, they'd both be late getting Harrison ready today. His breath had caught in his throat when Damien had growled "Later" in his ear.

So now, he was trying to make sure that he didn't get in the way. There was little that he could do to help, since he didn't know much about wedding rituals. All he knew was that he was to sit in one of the pews up front, while Damien stood at Harrison's side.

Once the carriage pulled up in front, the three of them climbed out. Harrison and Damien were supposed to meet with the vicar, Reverend Marshall, in his office as the guests arrived. So once they stepped through the wide oak doors, the brothers started to turn towards the side hallway.

Kayden glanced around at the guests gathering in the foyer and his body tensed in the sudden onslaught of facing so many people. He noted that Ellis and Nickolaus were acting as ushers, taking in a few guests at a time to sit in the wooden pews, half of which were already full. Geoff Brenner and Joseph Nash stood near the doors, eying each guest carefully. Not that they expected trouble, but one never knew.

He floundered for a minute in his own panic before he felt a firm hand grip his shoulder. He looked up to find his master smiling down at him.

"Breathe, kitten," Damien whispered in his pointy black ear. And, as always, Kayden felt his anxiety slide away at the sound of his master's gentle command. "You look so good today. I should buy more suits like this for you."

That got a scowl from Kayden. Damien knew he didn't like the confining clothes of the fitted trousers and coat. He preferred his loose flowing pants and shirts. And no shoes. He tried to wriggle his toes in the stiff leather shoes and huffed when he couldn't do much.

Damien laughed and lifted his chin to offer him a placating kiss. "Don't worry. I won't do that. I love you for who you are, not what you wear."

"I love you too," Kayden whispered, inching up on his toes to steal another kiss.

Damien cupped the back of his head suddenly, staring down into his green eyes. The look Damien was giving him was intense and longing. Kayden was confused by the abrupt serious look his master was giving him.

"Kitten," Damien started, his voice rough and gravelly, "I--I just want you to know..." He broke off, apparently overcome with emotion. "This wedding has made me even more aware of how much I love you. I know I haven't been around for you much this last week, but I've been thinking about you all the time."

Kayden lifted his hand to Damien's chiseled jaw. "I know. I have too. Harrison needed you."

"But you need me too--"

Kayden laughed. "I'll always be here. But right now your brother needs you more."

Damien dropped his forehead to Kayden's. "Thank you for being so understanding. I'll see you right after the wedding." Damien turned to Ellis who had just returned from ushering one of Penelope's friends to their pew. "Ellis, take Kayden to his seat for me."

The older neko nodded with a smile, and Kayden felt a sense of relief that he wouldn't have to stand in the crowd in the foyer alone.

"Don't worry," Ellis whispered. "John will be sitting with you after he finishes helping the lords with last minute details."

Kayden nodded as Ellis led him to the first pew on the right. He looked across the church, noting that the first pew on the other side was still empty. Penelope's parents would be sitting there soon. The church was filling up and Kayden decided to focus on the organ player, the soft chords of music soothing his nerves. He didn't understand why he felt so anxious. It wasn't like he had to do anything. But he supposed that he'd watched the brothers fussing for so long to reach this one moment, that he was now as worried as they were that it would all go as planned.

He straightened from his daze as John sat down next to him with a smile, and the vicar, Harrison and Damien stepped out from a side door and stood at the altar. Damien smiled at him and gave him a small wink before he turned his attention back to Harrison. The young marquis was smoothing over his jacket as the music changed slightly and Kayden noticed that Penelope's mother was being lead down the aisle. A moment later, Penelope's best friend stepped down the aisle with a bunch of roses in her hand and she stood opposite of Damien on the other side of the altar.

Kayden jumped slightly when the organ player suddenly hit a strong chord three times and the entire crowd behind him rose to their feet. John nudged his elbow, and he stood up as well. He tried to peer around the taller crowd behind him to see what they were all looking at. He edged to the end of the pew and managed to see Penelope and her father slowly walking down the aisle in time with the beats of the music.

Kayden's jaw dropped open. Miss Penelope was so beautiful. Her auburn hair was swept up on top of her head with a couple ringlets framing the edge of her face. Her pale blue dress was laced in white ribbons. The bodice was edge in small pearls and was laced in the front and sides with white ribbon. She wore the pearl necklace that Damien had gifted to her as well as the pearl earrings from her fiancé.

What probably shocked him the most was what was hanging from the lace of the bodice at her waist--a peacock feather fan. The fan that Kayden had made for her from Azule's feathers that he had gathered. The fan hung gracefully from the edge of her corseted bodice and laid elegantly against the fall of her soft blue dress. The blues and greens of the feathers were accented in the bundle of flowers she held in her hand.

Kayden gripped the edge of the pew in surprise as she stepped down the aisle, smiling at the guests briefly. When she smiled at him, Kayden felt an odd spasm in his heart that he had truly been accepted as part of her family.

When her gaze lifted to the altar, Kayden turned to see Harrison's eyes wet with tears. Even Damien looked a little misty-eyed. Her father kissed her cheek as he offered her hand to her new husband.

The ceremony proceeded more quickly than Kayden had anticipated. It seemed after a few words from the vicar and an "I do" from the bride and groom that the ceremony was suddenly over. He vaguely remembered seeing Damien hand over the ring for Harrison to give to Penelope and some candle lighting and then suddenly they were kissing and the vicar announced them husband and wife.

Kayden was stunned that it seemed to be all over so fast. Was that it? It felt like it should have been much longer for all the fussing and worrying everyone had been doing. He watched as Harrison led Penelope out of the church. Damien held his arm out to the beautiful bridesmaid and Kayden felt a surge of jealousy as she looped her hand over his arm, and he led her down the aisle.

Kayden fought back the ripple of hate for the blond who was attached to his master's arm. He glared at her as she looked up at the duke adoringly, even though Damien's focus was on his brother and his new wife. Penelope's father led his wife out next, and Kayden felt John nudging him to follow them.

As he stepped out of the church, his eyes instinctively searched for his master. Damien's tall form was near the wedding carriage, and he was congratulating his brother and his new sister-in-law. The blond bridesmaid was still hovering close to the duke, pressing against his muscular form. Kayden's eyes narrowed at her as John took his elbow, making sure he didn't get lost in the crowd surging out of the church to see the bridal couple off. All of them would be gathering back at the manor for the reception shortly.

As Damien turned, that little blond stepped in front of him, smiling shyly, and Damien offered her his arm as he led her to the next carriage. By then, John had led him over toward their lord and Kayden could hear her simpering voice.

"Oh, my lord," she said, "that was such a beautiful ceremony, don't you think?"

"Yes, quite," Damien's deep voice resonated as he opened the door to the carriage.

"I look forward to dancing with you at the reception," she blushed, glancing down as the duke took her hand to help her into the carriage.

"And I with you," Damien said courteously.

After she was seated, Damien turned to help Penelope's mother and father into the carriage. When he closed the door, the blond stuck her head out, looking rather confused.

"My lord? Are you not riding with us?"

"No, actually," Damien said, and he turned, his eyes darting over the crowd. Kayden felt his heart jolt when his master's blue eyes met his and the man's face lit with a wide smile. Damien jerked his head to indicated for Kayden to come on over. When he was close enough, the duke wrapped the little neko up in a hug, kissing the top of his head.

Damien smiled back at the bridesmaid, who was looking rather dejected. Kayden wondered if she actually thought she might have a chance at winning the duke's heart. Maybe she hadn't picked up on Damien's affection for him at the nuptial dinner a couple nights ago. Maybe she just hadn't been aware of the extent of their relationship. If she wasn't, she was rather blind, or just hopeful maybe, because Damien made no secret of his love for Kayden.

Damien wrapped Kayden up in his arms, obviously feeling more relaxed now that the wedding ceremony was over. "We'll be in the next carriage. We'll see you at the manor."

Kayden could help the small smirk he shot back over his shoulder at the stunned blond. He hoped she was imagining what might be happening in the carriage ride back to the manor.

"Do you want to take the long way home?" Damien whispered in his ear.

Kayden leaned into his master, purring. "I do."