1865-12-06: A Marriage in Murnord
A Marriage in Murnord
Summary: Michael and Bella get married.
Date: 1865-12-06
Related: http://eternalcrusade.wikidot.com/log:1865-12-06-a-marriage-feast
NPCs: {$npc}
Players:
Michael  Bella  Cesare  Mikel  

OOC Note: This scene takes place on the 6th the same day as the reception scene to be played tomorrow. It's just posted early so people can read it before the banquet scene begins.

The Cathedral in Murnord is full of light and color. Banners hang from the high reaches of the ceilings. Crackling fires fill the hearths, torches burn warmly in sconces along the walls. Candles, hundreds of them, are lit in altars around the edges of the massive main worship room. Music plays, though softly; and the Archbishop of Murnord stands in the front on the dais, waiting for things to begin.

The benches are full, for this wedding is for the heir to Murnord; and every house that calls al'Callenta liege in any form has answered their invitations; heads of houses or heirs to houses, and their retinues, fill the pews. There are contingents from other duchies, and from the al'Ramar as well, including the groom's older sister Louisa, married to the Crown Prince of Aequor.

There are also several people in a group of pews from Kentaire, the home of the bride, including her bastard half-brother.

As is proper, as the receiving family, the groom already awaits the arrival of his intended, standing beside the Archbishop. His twin stands beside him; and, entertainingly, the twin of Lady Bella, Lady Dora, stands on the other side of the Archbishop, a gap left for her sister to arrive. A pair of pairs of true twins at the front of the church.

The superstitious sort may even be speaking of how fortuitous such an event is. How rare it is that a true twin weds another?

It was ridiculous for Michael al'Callenta to be as nervous as he was, but there seemed nothing he could do for it. Even the cup of wine he drank before the ceremony did not seem to help and instead sat like a lead weight in his stomach. It wasn't so much the ceremony or One knows the wedding night that concerned him, but what came after. He had been able to push those concerns down in the days before the wedding but now at the altar, he finds them coming back in full force. Even his first battle wasn't this hard.

Still for all his worry, Michael looks resplendent as he waits, despite fidgeting with his sword hilt. It was not uncommon for knights to come to the altar armed and armoured, but Michael opted only for a sword, a gilded impractical thing more for official occasions than battle, and a breastplate gilded around the edges with a single gold fleur de lis at the center. The rest of his bridegroom's outfit was blue velvet, with bits of thread of gold around the cuffs and the edges of the half cloak he wore over one shoulder.

Michael takes a breath and does his best to calm himself as he spares a glance behind him to see if Bella has arrived.

The door of the cathedral opens, and the Viscarin enter.

Prince Mikel is dressed in a doublet and trousers of pure white, trimmed with gold, buttoned with gold, embroidered with purple. He is astonishingly handsome for his years, but even he holds nothing on the young woman at his side.

Against her sun-bronzed skin, the satiny light purple silk of her dress almost glows. The falls of delicate white lace at her throat, her wrists, her slippered feet only seem to draw the eye to her. Cloth-of-gold underskirting flashes as she steps confidently down the center aisle at her father's side. Bella may be the most beautiful woman in the room this night.

The cloak hanging from her shoulders shows blue inside as it swishes behind her, though the displayed current backing has such intricacies in the golden thread on white and purple cloth.

Even Duke Cesare, standing at the foremost pew, ready to take the hand of his son's bride, lifts a brow and nods in appreciation.

The earlier turning of his head gives Michael a ready view of his bride and her father as the enter the church. His breath escapes him. "Saint Eduard's sword," he murmurs quietly at the sight of Bella in her dress. He stands transfixed as he watches her approach until he remembers there are more than just the two of them in the room and to be so besotted would be embarrassing given that most in the room were kin or his future vassals. Michael straightens his back and attempts to put on a more regal bearing as he waits for his bride, still he cannot help but spare Bella a quick, but warm smile, before he does so.

A few quiet words, too soft to hear, are exchanged between father and daughter before the Prince of Kentaire passes Bella's hand to Cesare's with a solemn nod.

Bella glances up towards where her husband-to-be waits, returning his smile with a bright one, leaning up and murmuring something quiet that only her father and the Duke can hear. They both chuckle warmly.

But then the Duke and the young lady begin to make their steps towards the dais. Dora beams brightly, even if there are a few tears beginning to sparkle at the edge of her eyes— with this, they will be separated for good.

Bella mounts the three short steps and her hand is passed to Michael's. She gives her twin a comforting, excited look, and then her dark eyes settle on Michael.

And she winks.

Then her attention turns to the Archbishop, her expression schooling into something more proper and pious, even if a small hint of playful mischievousness still lurks in her eyes.

There is a slight cough from Gabriel at Michael's remarks and the two brothers share some whispered words of their own before Bella's hand is placed in Michael' own. Whatever those words might be both men smile and chuckle softly. As he turns back to Bella he finds that this wedding is much like battle; all fear and uncertainty while you're waiting for the thing to start, but when you're in it, there's too much going on for fear to matter. He returns Bella's wink with an amused smile and then turns to the Archbishop giving him a nod to urge the proceedings forward.

The Duke of Murnord steps to the side to await his final role in the ceremony. And the Archbishop begins.

"We are gathered here today to unite Lord Sir Michael al'Callenta, a noble knight and heir to house al'Callenta; with Lady Bella Viscarin of Kentaire in union before the One," the Archbishop begins.

"They have both come of their own will to be united as man and wife, and as such, will speak their holy oath to one another." He nods to Michael, allowing the young man to speak his vows first.

This was the critical moment. Michael turns from the Archbishop to Bella, hoping to the One he'd remember all the words. Taking her hand in both of his, Michael meets Bella's eyes while he speaks the words he'd practiced this past week, "I, Michael al'Callenta, do swear before the One and those assembled to take you, Bella Viscarin, as my wife and swear to you my protection and loyalty for all our married days," he pauses then, giving her hand a light squeeze. "I shall heed your counsel and give counsel in turn, and together may we both bring our house glory and prosperity until such time as we are called home to the One's embrace. With hope for love and joy in the days ahead I make this oath."

When it comes time for Bella to speak her vows, her voice is calm and clear as it rings out through the Cathedral:

"I, Bella Viscarin, do swear before the One and those assembled to take you, Michael al'Callenta, as my husband. I swear to you to be faithful, to uphold all bonds made of me with grace and with alacrity, and that from now until our deaths to protect you and cherish you and the family we will be together. I make this oath freely, and hope for a lifetime of happiness and love and faithfulness between us."

She glances towards her sister, who had been mouthing the words along with her. Dora blushes somewhat, but nods. Bella had not missed nor forgotten a single word.

Then she glances up into Michael's face, studying his expression.

The Archbishop, at least, seems to be pleased enough with their vows. He nods to Gabriel first, who hands his twin the ring he had been carrying.

Michael's eyes do not leave Bella when he speaks his oath or when she speaks hers. When she looks up to study his expression, she finds him smiling, pleased with her words, and not even noticing how her sister had been mouthing them behind her, a sign of their practice. The Archbishop's glance to Gabriel turns Michael's attention that way as well, and he turns, parting his hands from around Bella's and reaching out to take the ring that his brother presents to him. The ring is a delicate band of gold, with a single fleur de lis made of moonstone set in a tangle of golden vines. As he takes the ring, Gabriel gives his brother a supporting nod and Michael replies with a nod and a smile before Michael turns, ring in hand, back towards his bride.

Facing Bella, he takes her waiting hand and slides the ring onto her the third finger of her right hand. Or, at least he tries to. The ring slips and tumbles from Michael's grasp, but before it has fallen far his hand snatches it back. There are gasps and a few murmurs from the crowd, but Michael gives them a slightly self-deprecating smile and turns back to Bella. "Sorry," he mouths, before he slips the ring properly on her finger, then bends to kiss the ring as is the custom.

A soft burble of a giggle bubbles up from Bella's lips, a sign of her own nervousness, as Michael nearly drops the ring but recovers it quickly.

After the ring has been sealed with a kiss, she takes the ring from her sister, also gold, though chased with silver fleur-de-lis and tiny well-cut amethysts and sapphires encircling the band at regular intervals; a blend of their houses colors in gems, though not so flashy as to be unmasculine.

She is more graceful than Michael, at least, slipping the ring onto his finger and leaning down to kiss it lightly.

The Archbishop nods, then looks to them both. "Oaths have been spoken, and rings exchanged. Now all that remains for you is to seal your vows."

Bella actually almost perks up at this, looking up at Michael expectantly. And grinning, One, does she look almost fae with that expectant, mischievous grin.

It's difficult for Michael not to laugh when faced with that expectant mischievous grin, though he manages it. However his eyes show that warm laughter plainly, as does his smile. He winks as he puts a hand on her shoulder and leans in close to give her the kiss that will seal their union, which he intends to be warm and teasing, but still proper for where they are with half the duchy watching.

Bella returns the kiss, and unlike her husband, she doesn't seem to care that half the duchy, her twin, and her father are all watching.

She reaches a hand up, twining her first two fingers at the top of his breastplate, tugging him down a bit more firmly, the younger lady giving him a bit of a far firmer kiss than the al'Callenta heir was offering, her eyes closed and a grin tugging at her lips as she does.

Prince Mikel actually laughs at that, amusement clear on his expression. Duke Cesare doesn't laugh, though he does look equally as amused as Bella releases her grip on Michael's breastplate and turns towards her father-in-law, who steps forward, taking the cloak from her shoulders and turning it over.

There are audible gasps from some in the pews. The rich royal blue of house al'Callenta is paired with cloth-of-silver and silver threads in intricate fleur de lis and other embroidery.

The Duke wraps his arms around the girl in a warm embrace, and murmurs loudly enough for those on the dais to overhear, "Welcome to our family, my lady."

There's a moment of surprise when he's grabbed and kissed so thoroughly by his new bride, but Michael soon laughs against her lips and returns the kiss as good as he was getting, wrapping Bella up in his arms until it's time for the cloak to be turned. As it is, Michael steps back with a smile and shares a quick shake of his head with both Dora and Gabriel. When the cloak and the embrace are managed he steps forward taking Bella from his father's arms and offering his arm to her instead, for the march out of the church.

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