Fic: The White Dove - Part 7
2022-Jun-01, Wednesday 07:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
summeryewberryHeader in Part 1
Back to Part 6
Chapter 7: One Year Later
Laurent had always thought that winter in Ios would be warm and it was certainly mild by Veretian standards but he hadn't counted on the sea wind bringing the cold with it off the ocean.
His hair was pulled across his face as clouds chased each other across the sky in the high winds, and Laurent was thankful for the heavy white cloak that covered his back and shoulders.
The people of Akielos craned their necks to see him as he waited on the steps, the only place most of them would get to see either of their Kings until after the ceremony. Guards in Akielon royal red and Veretian royal blue held back the crowds, while Laurent stood alone. The crown on his head was heavy and the tight laces on his clothing held him stiff in his white outfit, made especially for today from the finest fabrics Charls the Cloth Merchant could find.
Laurent was just cursing his decision to wear his hair loose when the sound of hooves came around the corner.
Two while stallions appeared - one with a rider, the other without - and both of them draped in purple and white, the colours of the day. Both horses were tall and graceful, their coats brushed and gleaming, and their proud heads held high as they walked. They were clearly horses fit for a royal event.
Laurent broke into a smile when he recognised the lone rider. "You made it!"
Auguste grinned back at him from the saddle. "To watch my baby brother get married? I wouldn't have missed it for the world."
Laurent swung himself into the saddle of the second horse as cheers went up around him. "Thank you."
"Ready?"
Laurent nodded and raised a hand to the people as he passed. Emotions fluttered in his chest and he couldn't keep the smile off his face.
The cheering followed their horses as they made their way around to the entrance of the Kingsmeet. All down the hill, people filled the steps waiting for a glimpse of their Kings. He even spotted some distinctly Veretian faces in the crowd where his own people had come south to see their King get married.
Laurent decided this was better than any council-observed wedding could have been in Vere. The common people deserved to see this far more than his council.
As he had expected, Lord Auguste's lands thrived under their new patron, and he had shown Laurent nothing but support over the past year. However it had happened, he was as good and as true as Laurent remembered. Things would never be the same between them, not completely, too much time and distance lay between them now, but Auguste was trying. They both were.
And no one ever did find the missing statue.
A flock of gulls swooped in the wind and Laurent smiled at the sight. He hadn't dreamt of white wings in a long time now.
The entrance to the Kingsmeet opened ahead, the crowd's cheering reaching a fever pitch, and Laurent's heart beat sped up. His future lay beyond those doors.
When they dismounted, two guards took their reins to lead the horses aside until after the ceremony, and Auguste stepped closer.
"Excited?" Auguste asked, trying to fix Laurent's windblown hair without dislodging his crown. He was surprisingly adept at it.
"No."
Auguste laughed. "Yes, you are. Nervous?"
"No." That much was true, at least. There were few things Laurent had ever looked forward to more than today: his birthdays as a child, his ascension, and today.
Auguste moved on to flatten Laurent's cloak, smoothing it out across his shoulders as though the wind had never touched it. "You two are going to be amazing together. I don't know what force brought me back, but I am glad that I got the chance to see you on your big day."
Laurent cracked a smile. "Me too. Wish me luck?"
"You won't need it, little brother. After everything I've seen of you as King, there's nothing you can't handle. But before you walk in there I want to wish you all the happiness in the world. You and Damen are going to be remembered as legends worthy of any of your history books." He gave Laurent's shoulders a squeeze and Laurent took a breath.
With one last smile, Auguste slipped away, leaving Laurent standing in the archway. A steward gave him a nod as somewhere above a lone bell struck the signal, and the man pulled open the door in front of him.
Between the statues, benches had been placed to fill the hall. Kyroi and Lords from both countries sat there, and Laurent caught sight of Auguste ducking in from the side. Three flags hung in the centre of the hall now: Damen's lion, the starburst, and between them the newest purple flag that featured a lion head in the centre of a star. The symbolism was obvious.
From the audience, Laurent saw his brother on one side, and little Prince Apollonios on the other in the arms of a nursemaid. The chubby little boy wore a white dress, his dark curls bouncing as he craned his neck like an owl, trying to see everything from floor to ceiling, and Laurent couldn't blame him.
The whole place was draped in white and purple, and vases along the walls held gilded branches that looked suspiciously like olive branches. Olive branches with a single olive on each. Laurent decided he was going to have to ask about that later.
From the opposite side of the hall Damen walked as tall and proud as any king. His chiton was luminous white, and his cloak was the same purple as their flag. Gold leaves shone among his dark curls, and his smile was more brilliant than the sun.
Laurent couldn't look anywhere else. For all the decorations and grandeur, they might as well have been alone in the Kingsmeet with nothing but the wind and the birds to see them.
They came together under the purple flag, two kings and equals.
"My King," Laurent murmured just to see Damen's smile widen.
"My love," Damen whispered back.
Their hands met in front of all their guests, before they turned to face the officiant.
There would still be a week of celebration to come, before a joint tour of their countries, during which the two of them would carry a copy of their marriage vows and wedding certificate all the way north to Arles. The ceremonial journey was mainly for the benefit of the Veretian council to officiate their documents, but the pageantry of it all could only help to seal their union.
But right now Laurent stood here with Damen, his brother, and Damen's heir behind him. Past, present, and future.
The only reason it couldn't be a fairy tale ending was because it wasn't an ending at all.
Back to Part 6
Chapter 7: One Year Later
Laurent had always thought that winter in Ios would be warm and it was certainly mild by Veretian standards but he hadn't counted on the sea wind bringing the cold with it off the ocean.
His hair was pulled across his face as clouds chased each other across the sky in the high winds, and Laurent was thankful for the heavy white cloak that covered his back and shoulders.
The people of Akielos craned their necks to see him as he waited on the steps, the only place most of them would get to see either of their Kings until after the ceremony. Guards in Akielon royal red and Veretian royal blue held back the crowds, while Laurent stood alone. The crown on his head was heavy and the tight laces on his clothing held him stiff in his white outfit, made especially for today from the finest fabrics Charls the Cloth Merchant could find.
Laurent was just cursing his decision to wear his hair loose when the sound of hooves came around the corner.
Two while stallions appeared - one with a rider, the other without - and both of them draped in purple and white, the colours of the day. Both horses were tall and graceful, their coats brushed and gleaming, and their proud heads held high as they walked. They were clearly horses fit for a royal event.
Laurent broke into a smile when he recognised the lone rider. "You made it!"
Auguste grinned back at him from the saddle. "To watch my baby brother get married? I wouldn't have missed it for the world."
Laurent swung himself into the saddle of the second horse as cheers went up around him. "Thank you."
"Ready?"
Laurent nodded and raised a hand to the people as he passed. Emotions fluttered in his chest and he couldn't keep the smile off his face.
The cheering followed their horses as they made their way around to the entrance of the Kingsmeet. All down the hill, people filled the steps waiting for a glimpse of their Kings. He even spotted some distinctly Veretian faces in the crowd where his own people had come south to see their King get married.
Laurent decided this was better than any council-observed wedding could have been in Vere. The common people deserved to see this far more than his council.
As he had expected, Lord Auguste's lands thrived under their new patron, and he had shown Laurent nothing but support over the past year. However it had happened, he was as good and as true as Laurent remembered. Things would never be the same between them, not completely, too much time and distance lay between them now, but Auguste was trying. They both were.
And no one ever did find the missing statue.
A flock of gulls swooped in the wind and Laurent smiled at the sight. He hadn't dreamt of white wings in a long time now.
The entrance to the Kingsmeet opened ahead, the crowd's cheering reaching a fever pitch, and Laurent's heart beat sped up. His future lay beyond those doors.
When they dismounted, two guards took their reins to lead the horses aside until after the ceremony, and Auguste stepped closer.
"Excited?" Auguste asked, trying to fix Laurent's windblown hair without dislodging his crown. He was surprisingly adept at it.
"No."
Auguste laughed. "Yes, you are. Nervous?"
"No." That much was true, at least. There were few things Laurent had ever looked forward to more than today: his birthdays as a child, his ascension, and today.
Auguste moved on to flatten Laurent's cloak, smoothing it out across his shoulders as though the wind had never touched it. "You two are going to be amazing together. I don't know what force brought me back, but I am glad that I got the chance to see you on your big day."
Laurent cracked a smile. "Me too. Wish me luck?"
"You won't need it, little brother. After everything I've seen of you as King, there's nothing you can't handle. But before you walk in there I want to wish you all the happiness in the world. You and Damen are going to be remembered as legends worthy of any of your history books." He gave Laurent's shoulders a squeeze and Laurent took a breath.
With one last smile, Auguste slipped away, leaving Laurent standing in the archway. A steward gave him a nod as somewhere above a lone bell struck the signal, and the man pulled open the door in front of him.
Between the statues, benches had been placed to fill the hall. Kyroi and Lords from both countries sat there, and Laurent caught sight of Auguste ducking in from the side. Three flags hung in the centre of the hall now: Damen's lion, the starburst, and between them the newest purple flag that featured a lion head in the centre of a star. The symbolism was obvious.
From the audience, Laurent saw his brother on one side, and little Prince Apollonios on the other in the arms of a nursemaid. The chubby little boy wore a white dress, his dark curls bouncing as he craned his neck like an owl, trying to see everything from floor to ceiling, and Laurent couldn't blame him.
The whole place was draped in white and purple, and vases along the walls held gilded branches that looked suspiciously like olive branches. Olive branches with a single olive on each. Laurent decided he was going to have to ask about that later.
From the opposite side of the hall Damen walked as tall and proud as any king. His chiton was luminous white, and his cloak was the same purple as their flag. Gold leaves shone among his dark curls, and his smile was more brilliant than the sun.
Laurent couldn't look anywhere else. For all the decorations and grandeur, they might as well have been alone in the Kingsmeet with nothing but the wind and the birds to see them.
They came together under the purple flag, two kings and equals.
"My King," Laurent murmured just to see Damen's smile widen.
"My love," Damen whispered back.
Their hands met in front of all their guests, before they turned to face the officiant.
There would still be a week of celebration to come, before a joint tour of their countries, during which the two of them would carry a copy of their marriage vows and wedding certificate all the way north to Arles. The ceremonial journey was mainly for the benefit of the Veretian council to officiate their documents, but the pageantry of it all could only help to seal their union.
But right now Laurent stood here with Damen, his brother, and Damen's heir behind him. Past, present, and future.
The only reason it couldn't be a fairy tale ending was because it wasn't an ending at all.
