“I know so,” he swore, his gaze dropping to my mouth and making me think he might just steal a kiss, but instead he cleared his throat and drew back. “You don’t have long to get yourself dressed, Gerry. I’d hate to make you late for this after you worked so hard to pull it together.”
“Oh good galaxies, you’re right!” I cried, looking up at the moon and gauging the time from it. “I only have a few moments to prepare myself!”
I spun away from my fabulous flounder and took off post haste, racing back down into The Burrows and sprinting at full speed to my chamber where my ladies were due to meet with me.
The corridors were busy but I dropped my head low, squared my shoulders and bellowed a warning for all to move aside as I charged through the crowd, knocking any lollygaggers to their posteriors as I raced by.
I flung open the door to my room and gasped in delight as I found the two Vega princesses looking every bit the queens they were in the stunning taffeta gowns I’d had made especially for the occasion for them.
Tory’s nose was wrinkled as she looked at the layers upon layers of moss green skirt which ruffled out around her endlessly and I pushed my way through them as I moved to grasp her chin and raise her gaze to meet mine.
“Do not doubt the beauty you exude, my fair queen. I assure you that you wear this stunning gown and it does not wear you - so fear not!”
“Err, that wasn’t what I was-”
“They’re really something, Geraldine, thank you,” Darcy cut in, giving me a wide smile with so many teeth that they glittered like stars. I had selected her the same gown in a vibrant orange colour which really complimented the blue of her hair and I darn near started sobbing again as I looked between them.
“I don’t think we’ll fit through the door though,” Tory added. “Maybe if I just cut a few layers off…”
I burst out laughing at her jest, swimming through the swathes of their skirts as I headed to claim my own blush pink gown in the very same style as theirs.
“I know that I am but a lowly servant to the crown,” I said as I stripped down and stepped into my dress, unable to look at them as I spoke these words. “But I cannot explain the honour I feel in matching you ladies in our attire on this most special of occasions. I never had any siblings, but I know the love I feel for the two of you must equal what I would have felt for sisters of my very own.”
“Aww, shit, don’t go getting all soppy on me or I’ll end up wearing the damn hat too,” Tory teased as she waded through the confines of her dress and managed to wrap her arms around me just as Darcy did the same from the other side.
“We’re so lucky to have you, Geraldine,” she added, making my unworthy heart burst into a million pieces and scatter themselves among the stars to glow on in eternal happiness in the heavens.
“Oh, my ladies,” I gasped. “If Lionel Acrux himself were to show up here and kill me this very night, I would die content and endlessly happy in the company of those kind words and the love I hold in my heart for you.”
“Jesus, Geraldine, you can’t say shit like that,” Tory said, swatting my arm to chastise me. “That’s like tempting fate. You might as well have said something like ‘nothing could possibly go wrong now’ or ‘I had a feeling everything was going to be okay.’”
Darcy laughed. “Yeah, don’t go tempting the stars to turn on us, they already have enough fun screwing with us without needing any encouragement. I swear a couple of the sparkly shits gave me and Lance an evil look when we went for a walk outside last night.”
“I apologise,” I giggled. But I knew not a thing would go wrong tonight. This union was already blessed before it had begun, now we just had to get to the part where they said ‘I do.’
I made it fully into my dress and my queens helped me to apply my makeup as best they could while we all worked around the confines of our dresses until finally, the three of us stood ready before the mirror, admiring ourselves.
The orange, pink and green fabric of our dresses all fought for dominance as we tried to squeeze close to one another to admire ourselves, and I giggled at our three little heads popping out from a tide of taffeta like a colourful Cerberus, and it was so endlessly glorious that I almost cried again.
“We look…wow,” Tory said, her eyes raking over all of us in the reflection as she found herself too gobsmacked to even smile.
“Yeah,” Darcy breathed, equally flat mouthed. “Wow.”