Summoner 19, page 27
part #19 of Summoner Series
“You’re right,” Braden sighed. “She is pretty damn tough. I’m so lucky, Gryff.”
“I’m happy that you’re happy, man,” I insisted. “You deserve the very best.”
We moved on to other subjects, but I could tell something was on my friend’s mind. I didn’t want to push it, but I knew there was something he wanted to discuss but didn’t know how to bring up.
I waited until we’d put our trays away to ease the truth out of him.
“Is everything okay, Braden?” I wondered as we walked out of the dining hall and into the corridor. “You’ve had this look on your face since we started talking, and it has me a little concerned. Are you keeping secrets from me? Do I have asparagus in my teeth?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” he assured me, and then he let out a rich laugh. “And no, your teeth are surprisingly asparagus-free. I have something I want to talk to you about, I’ve just been trying to find the right words, which in itself sounds super ominous, but it isn’t, I swear.”
“You sound like a sphynx,” I laughed. “No more riddles and vague statements, Braden. Give up the goods.”
“Okay, you’ve caught me,” Braden chuckled. “Alright, so I don’t know how to say it, so I guess I’ll just… blurt it out. Okay, so Mati and I had a long discussion this weekend, and we’ve made a pretty big decision.”
“And that decision is?” I asked, and for a brief moment, I wondered if Braden’s banisher fiancée was pregnant.
“We’re going to get married,” Braden announced.
“I know, man, I mean, you guys are already engaged.” I frowned.
“I mean soon,” Braden clarified. “I don’t want to wait any longer to make Mati my wife, so we’ve decided we’re getting married… this upcoming weekend.”
Chapter Thirteen
“This weekend?” I stressed. “You guys want to get married this weekend?”
My former roommate’s cheeks flushed scarlet as he tried to find the right words to say. “I-I know it’s really sudden--”
“Braden, this is fantastic!” I exclaimed, and my lips curled upward into a smile as I studied my former roommate’s excited expression. “Wow, I’m so happy for you two. It’s about time you made it official.”
“Thanks, Gryff.” Braden grinned, and then he let out a sigh of relief. “I appreciate your support, cause I feel like a bit of a madman for even suggesting it.”
“Of course, you have my support,” I replied, and I placed a hand on the summoner’s wide shoulder. “You mean the world to me, and Mati’s a great girl. You two deserve each other, and I’m here to help you in any way I can. That being said, what can I do to make your wedding excellent?”
“Well, that actually brings me to the second thing I wanted to bring up,” Braden admitted, and he rubbed the back of his neck. “I know I asked you a while ago to be my best man, but with how quickly we want to pull this together, I’m not so sure that having a wedding party is going to happen. We’d rather just have the pair of us there and skip the frills, you know? Our parents probably won’t be too thrilled about the idea, but it’s our decision, not theirs, so they’ll just have to accept it.”
“I totally understand.” I assured him as I removed my hand from his shoulder and placed it into my pocket. “This day is about you and Mati. If you don’t want a huge elaborate deal with a ton of people involved, don’t do it. I’m more than happy to hang back and watch.”
“I actually had a different idea in mind,” my former roommate said.
“Oh?” I asked.
Braden cleared his throat before he continued. “I know this is a sudden thing to ask, but Gryff… would you officiate our ceremony?
“You want me to officiate?” I repeated back with raised eyebrows. “Wow, that’s… that’s a big deal, Braden. Are you sure I’m the right man for the job?”
“I know it’s a big thing to ask of you, especially with how little time there is to throw this all together, but I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have up there with me,” Braden replied. “I mean, aside from Mati, of course.”
“I’ve never officiated a wedding before, but I’ll do my best to not stumble through my words,” I swore to him, and then I placed my hand on his large shoulder again. “Thank you, Braden, for asking me. It means the world to me, and I promise that you and Mati will have the perfect ceremony you both deserve.”
“You’re the best, Gryff,” Braden thanked me, and then the summoner swept me up into a brotherly embrace and patted me on the back. “I’m lucky to have a friend like you.”
“Likewise, my brother,” I replied.
When we pulled apart, I nodded my head up and down as I thought about everything that would have to be accomplished in order to pull this wedding off. I had no doubt that once I involved my wives and girlfriends, we’d be able to give Braden and Mati the wedding they deserved, but even with the help of my family, it wasn’t going to be a simple task.
The bell rang, and we parted ways so Braden could go back to class. Since I was done with my tutoring for the day, I decided it would be best for me to walk back home to process Braden’s plan and spend some time with my children. My women were on a rotating schedule when it came to childcare, and I wasn’t entirely sure who was home and who was gone, but I owed it to them to help whenever I had a free moment. I wasn’t going to be the type of father who made his wives do all of the work while he sat around and did nothing. I wanted to be an active figure in my children’s lives, so I did my best to balance both parenthood and my academic life.
As the ground beneath my feet crunched, I couldn’t help but laugh. No matter how simple I tried to keep my life, there was always something on the horizon, ready to re-complicate it. Of course, this time was way different than the others, and I’d choose to help plan a wedding over fighting off a herd of mega-sized monsters any day.
“Oh, yay, Gryffie, you’re home!” Layla announced as soon as I stepped through the front door a short time later. Little Daphne was wrapped up in a sling around the petite mage’s torso, and the infant shared her mother’s look of excitement as they greeted me.
“Well, well, well… if it isn’t two of my favorite ladies?” I smiled as I crossed over to the auburn-haired mage and my tiny daughter. I kissed Layla and then I leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Daphne’s peach-soft forehead.
The baby giggled at me and bounced in her sling.
“How’s it going, baby girl?” I cooed.
“She’s been so excited for you to get back,” Layla remarked as she stared down at our baby with love in her eyes. “Well, at least I think she is. She’s not exactly a talker yet, but mother’s intuition, ya know?”
“I’ll take your word for it,” I laughed, and then I stood up straight again. “She does seem pretty happy, though. That little smile is infectious.”
“Oh, you have no idea,” Layla insisted as she bounced Daphne in place. “That smile has torn me away from so many important tasks. It’s a weapon that she certainly knows how to use for her own personal gain.”
“And she’ll continue to use it for the rest of our lives,” I laughed.
Layla joined in, and Daphne let out a squeal of her own.
“So, how was your day?” my girlfriend inquired as she bounced in place. “Anything fun and exciting happens? I’ve mostly been here with Daphne, so our day has been pretty boring. Babies aren’t exactly great conversationalists.”
“My day was fine,” I said, and a smirk broke out on my lips as I prepared myself to share the day’s events. “Studied for my test, got lunch. Also, Braden had, uh, quite the news.”
“Well, that sounds positively vague,” Layla snorted. “What’s the news?”
“Him and Mati are getting married,” I answered.
Layla’s eyebrows creased together in confusion. “But they’re already--”
“This weekend,” I finished, and her round hazel eyes grew enormous.
“This weekend?” she repeated back to me. “As in five days from today this weekend? Are you serious?”
The petite mage’s tone was so amped up that Daphne began to kick in place and squeal, but Layla immediately regained her composure and leaned down to comfort the riled-up baby.
“Yep, this weekend,” I confirmed. “He said he doesn’t want to wait any longer, so they want to do something intimate.”
“Maker.” Layla shook her head back and forth. “Why would they put themselves through something so stressful? I mean, don’t get me wrong, this sounds romantic as fuck, but a wedding in five days? That’s a little insane, don’t you think?.”
“It is a little bit of a challenge,” I agreed. “I’m not even going to try to deny that. But, hey, it’s what they want to do, and I’m all for it. Life has been so insane lately that they don’t want to put it off any longer, and I understand that. Besides, it’s been over a year since they got engaged. I don’t blame them for wanting to finally make it happen.”
“Absolutely. ” Layla nodded, and she tapped a finger against her lips. “Well, it sounds like Mati is going to need some help. That’s a tall order to fill on her own, so I might go ahead, round up the others, and see if they want to go over, or maybe we could have her come over here since there’ll be more space? Either way, she’s going to need some helpers so she doesn’t drown in it all.”
“I was kind of hoping you would say that,” I admitted. “Braden didn’t mention it exactly, but the look on his face kind of suggested he didn’t know what he was doing.”
“Boys never do.” Layla smirked. “I especially don’t see Braden being the wedding planner type. But have no fear, Gryffie. Mati is our friend, and we’re no strangers to rushed weddings. Yours and Nia’s flew by pretty quickly, and it was probably a million times more extravagant than what they’re wanting, so I don’t see any reason why we can’t pull this off.”
“I suppose that’s true enough,” I allowed, and I nodded my head as I considered everything. “Besides, I don’t think there’s anything in the world that can stop you guys when a challenge presents itself.”
“Fuck, no!” Layla declared, and Daphne let out a small shriek as if to repeat her mother.
This time, I couldn’t help but laugh. The baby had no idea what she was saying, but I had no doubt in my mind that our daughter would grow up to be just as fiery and foul-mouthed as her beautiful mother.
“I love you, Bethel.” I grinned at my girlfriend. “So fucking much.”
“Awww, and I love you, Gryffie.” Layla winked at me, and then she peered down at Daphne. “So, while I go get some details planned out, do you wanna love up on Daph? I don’t mind bringing her with me, but I also don’t wanna zoom up to the Academy with her strapped to my chest like a baby bomb--”
“I can take her for you,” I interjected. “We don’t need a puke explosion on the staircase, and I could use some quality time with her.”
“No kidding,” Layla snickered. “Explosions sound much cooler than they actually are. Trust me, I learned that one the hard way”
For a brief instance, I considered asking her to elaborate on that story, but in the end I decided it was one I didn’t care to hear. The petite summoner carefully unwound the sling and carefully passed Daphne over to me, and when I took my daughter into my arms, I was once again surprised by just how much she resembled Layla. It was as if my girlfriend had cloned herself and then de-aged the clone down to infancy.
Daphne blinked her enormous hazel eyes at me, and my heart almost melted.
“She’s lucky to have you,” I said as I snuggled my daughter close to me. “I mean, both Daph and Mati. I really appreciate you offering to help them out, Layla, it means a lot to me.”
“You sure are laying it on thick today, but I’m not going to complain about it,” the petite mage giggled. “I just need you to promise me one thing, okay?”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“When it comes time for our wedding, I am not throwing it together in five days, alright?” Layla sighed and tucked a strand of auburn hair behind her ear. “I’m going to need no less than seven days to make a miracle happen.”
“I swear I’ll give you a little more notice,” I promised her. “No five-day wedding plans for you.”
“Oh, good,” Layla replied with a small giggle. “Besides, I would like to enjoy our engagement for a little while first. Not that there’s anything wrong with doing it right away or anything, but I read somewhere that couples with longer engagements tend to have better marriages.”
“Is that so?” I questioned, and a realization struck me. “Wait, since when do you read things about weddings, Bethel?”
“I might swear like a pirate, but I’m still a girl, Gryffie,” Layla teased me with narrowed eyes. “We love this shit, no matter how much we act like we don’t. And on that note, there’s no time to waste. I need to find Nia and the others, and then go drag Mati out of her room, so I’ll be back shortly.”
Layla swept over to me like a tiny tornado, kissed me on the lips, and then gave Daphne a soft kiss on the forehead.
“Say hi to Mati for me,” I said as I stifled a laugh at Layla’s newfound energy.
“You’ll see her soon enough,” Layla replied with an uptilted chin. “But I’ll say hi anyways. Now, don’t go having too much fun without me, okay? Bye!”
With that, Layla tore up the spiral staircase, presumably to get dressed before her departure, and left Daphne and I alone in the foyer.
I looked down at the baby girl, and my daughter up stared at me with an expression that said, “Well, now what do we do, Dad?”
“That’s a good question,” I murmured as I peered down at her. “Maybe we could spend some quality time with my pal Dio, or we could read a book…”
I leaned down to kiss her forehead when suddenly, I got a good whiff of the newborn, and my face soured. It wasn’t the worst smell a parent could face, but Daphne could definitely use a change and a rinse.
“On second thought, I think it’s bath time,” I decided, and Daphne let out an amused giggle. “Yeah, yeah, it’s all fun and games now, but just wait. One day you and your brothers and sisters are going to have to take care of me and your mothers, and then you’ll be rethinking things a bit.”
Daphne continued to giggle, and soon, I joined in. I couldn’t fault the baby no matter the circumstances. She was just too damn cute.
The next few days flew by so fast it was like I’d blinked and time traveled. Even though the wedding was smaller than most, there was still so much to accomplish, from establishing the venue to securing attire and the proper certification to allow me to officiate in the first place.
My women stepped up and offered their services to Mati just as I’d hoped they would, and the dark-haired banisher gratefully accepted their help.
“I have no idea what I’m doing,” Mati admitted with a laugh one night when she came over to the mansion. The women had conglomerated in the living room, and they all sat around with mugs of tea, blankets, and a cozy fire going in the fireplace as they discussed wedding details while I sat in the corner with Nessa and Nicolis. “I mean, I guess no one really knows what to do when it comes to their own wedding since they’ve never done it before, but I’m feeling especially overwhelmed. There are just so many decisions, and while I’ve cut down on so many of them, there are still so many others…”
The banisher was known for being incredibly talkative, and apparently, stress only enhanced the quality.
“Don’t worry, girl, we have you covered,” I heard Nia insist. “We’ll help you find the perfect dress and get everything set up.”
“I really appreciate that, Nia,” Mati replied as she tightened her hands around her mug. “When Braden had this idea, I thought he was a bit crazy, but it was such a romantic idea that I couldn’t turn him down. We’d been waiting for the right time to get married, and I don’t see any other time being more perfect than this.”
“We’ll make sure everything flows smoothly,” Cyra assured the black-haired banisher. “Trust us, you’re in good hands.”
“Totally,” Ashla nodded. “We’re here for you.”
“I’m technically just your officiant, but I’m also here for you, Mati,” I chimed in, and Braden’s fiancée flashed me a huge grin.
“Thank you, Gryff,” she replied. “Though, I think Braden is definitely going to need you. I’ve given him some things to accomplish, and he probably needs a bit of guidance.”
“I can definitely do that,” I laughed.
For the rest of the week, while the women held their meetings with Mati, I made myself scarce and offered my help to Braden. The ox-like summoner didn’t have a huge array of demands, but he did ask me to help put together the guest list and coordinate everything with our friends. The lack of groomsmen simplified things, but there was still the matter of making sure everyone had clear schedules. Luckily for us, not much was happening this weekend, so everyone who’d accompanied us on our mission to the Shadowscape was able to attend.
Everything else seemed efficient, aside from writing the ceremony.
When I’d agreed to take on the role of officiant, I hadn’t stopped to think about the fact that I had to write out the entire script, and do so in a way that was both eloquent and appropriate for the couple. A few of the books on marriage and marriage rites in Arwyn’s extensive personal library helped give me some direction, but there were a lot of factors to consider.
My words couldn’t be too long, but at the same time they couldn’t be so short that the ceremony would fly by in five minutes. They needed to mention a bit about the Maker, but I wasn’t a religious figure, so it wasn’t like I could deliver a sermon. Braden and Mati needed a ceremony that was both simple and tasteful, something hand-tailored to them that spoke highly of their love and their bond.
So, I took it upon myself to stitch together the best parts of Arwyn’s books and then add in my own lines as I saw fit. It would be a mixture of tradition and poetic waxing, and once it was finished, I handed it off to Arwyn to proofread.
