All for Mary's wedding

Nick’s heart pounded in his chest. From his position at the altar he looked out over the sea of unfamiliar faces, and at his step-mother in the front row. She looked uncomfortable about the whole thing, but tried to be encouraging in her own way.

“Shall we begin?” Nick’s eyes slid to Sylvia for a moment. She stood at the altar dressed like a nun, with a twisted grin on her face. Of course she would be the one overseeing things. The thought would have made Nick shiver in fear, but there simply wasn’t time for that.

After all… today was a special day.

The only thing he had to be concerned about was Mary. He was standing with all his friends around him, waiting for this thing to kick off for real. Dani stood at his side as his “best woman” and Dakota was right beside her, waiting in the wings with a glowing smile on her face. Gina and Carly were next in line, with Marley at the end. On the other side, waiting for the bride, stood Holly, followed by Kim, Dawn, Rose, and Morgana. Everyone looked so beautiful it was almost enough for Nick to forget just who he was getting married to.

Almost.

“And now…” Sylvia raised her hands like a conductor before the grand symphony. “…The bride.”

Music echoed through the church, played by invisible hands. But it wasn’t the classic wedding march, it was a different song, one tinged with romance.

The book of love is long and boring, no one can lift the damn thing.

The door to the church creaked open, and there she was.

It’s full of charts, and facts, and figures, and instructions for dancing.

Mary stood at the door in a resplendent white dress, her face covered with a veil.

But I… I love it when you read to me. And you… you can read me anything.

She slowly approached the altar. Hands clasped around a bouquet.

The book of love has music in it. In fact that’s where music comes from.

Faeries floated around her, throwing flower petals into the air. Mary drew closer, her steps sure and certain.

Some of it’s just transcendental. Some of it’s just really dumb.

Nick could barely hear the music anymore over the beat of his heart.

But I… I love it when you sing to me. And you… you can sing me anything.

She was halfway there now. The lull in the music bought Nick back to his senses, and he swallowed.

The book of love is long and boring, and written very long ago.

She was almost to him. With each step, he felt his heart surge.

It’s full of flowers, and heart-shaped boxes, and things we’re all too young to know.

Amelia glanced up at Mary as the woman passed her row of pews. She couldn’t see her face behind the veil, but she could sense the unwavering determination coming off of her.

But I… I love it when you give me things.

It was love. Amelia was sure of it. And Nick was, too.

And you… you ought to give me wedding rings.

She had reached the altar. Nick’s breath stopped.

And I… I love it when you give me things.

Mary stood before Nick for a second, just waiting. He could feel her eyes on him, even if he could just barely make them out.

And you… you ought to give me wedding rings.

Mary took her spot across from the altar, and lifted her veil.

You ought to give me wedding rings.

Nick had never seen her look so beautiful. Her freckled face was perfectly made up, and her white dress complemented her beauty perfectly, hugging her curvy figure in a way that looked almost wholesome in spite of her distorted proportions. Her red hair tumbled down to her shoulders like a curtain of fire, making her glow like the halo of an angel. Her green eyes shone with devotion and love, and her lips parted just slightly in a sigh. She was indescribable, and for a brief moment, the other girls disappeared. Sylvia disappeared. The rest of the chapel, the whole dimension, disappeared.

In that moment, the world was just for the two of them.

“Nick…” She breathed, reassuring him for good that this wasn’t some mirage or hallucination. Mary was standing in front of him, his Mary. The woman he loved.

They were about to get married.

Neither one of them said another word. They lost each other in their eyes, letting their feelings speak for themselves.

Sylvia had to clear her throat to drag them back to reality.

“Dearly beloved,” she boomed, causing the bride and groom to snap out of their trance, “we are gathered here today to celebrate what it’s really all about. Harem Hotel. Where a master can find true love, over and over again. And that’s really why we’re all here, isn’t it?”

The words might have been twisted, but Nick couldn’t argue with them. Love was the whole reason he was here. And while he might not be able to contain himself to just Mary, he didn’t believe that his feelings were any lesser because of it.

“Nick… Mary…” Sylvia addressed each of them in turn. “You two have come here today, to swear in front of all these witnesses, your friends, your family, your tormentors and overlords, that your love won’t lose to anything, even the twisted dimensions of fate. Isn’t that right?”

Their eyes locked on one another, and as bride and groom should be, their hearts were in perfect alignment.

“Yes,” they both firmly agreed.

Sylvia’s lips curled up into a smile. “Magnificent. Now… any great wedding, any real wedding, contains four necessary parts. Exchanging of intentions. Exchanging of vows. Exchanging of rings. And finally, exchanging body fluids.”

“Sylvia!” Nick and Mary blurted out at the same time, their faces flushing.

“Fine, fine.” Sylvia rolled her eyes. “It’s ‘the unification of husband and wife’ whatever. But it’s vital. Now… shall we begin?”

“Of course!” For the third time, bride and groom responded in unison.

“Great… great…” Sylvia was scarcely able to contain her emotions herself. “Now… Nick. Do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, until **** to you part? Hopefully the first of many to come?”

There were a few extra words tacked on at the end there, but the sentiment was clear. Nick gazed into Mary’s hopeful green eyes, and only two words came to mind.

“I do,” he said just above a whisper.

Sylvia smiled and nodded. She turned to Mary, whose face was aglow with joy. “And you, Mary, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, until **** to you part?”

“I do…” Mary breathed, her cheeks flushing with anticipation.

“Magnificent,” Sylvia cooed. “Now, the bride and groom have written their own vows, which they will now exchange for the audience. Nick, if you would please?”

“R-right,” Nick nodded, shaking a little. He opened his mouth, and his prepared words immediately disappeared from his brain.

What could he say? What words could he possibly use to describe how amazing and perfect the woman in front of him was? He’d spent hours coming up with the perfect vows, and now that the time had come, he’d completely lost them.

He felt a nudge in his arm. Dani slipped a card into his hand.

Leave it to his best woman to be prepared. Nick’s eyes landed on the familiar words he’d wrote, and that was all it took. Everything seemed to flow out of him so naturally.

“Mary…” he said, raising his head to look her in the eyes. “When I first met you, I knew that you were a special woman. There was a hole in my heart, and you filled it with your friendship and kindness. When I thought that I’d lost what was most important to me, you were there by my side. And in those days, I was certain that I wanted to be by your side forever. We had our ups and downs, and things got rocky for a long time… and I’m not afraid to say that my faith was shaken. But I shouldn’t have doubted. Because I knew from the day we met, that we would always reach this moment together. Even if I never could have imagined the journey that would lead us here. Pause for laughs.”

Nick froze, realizing he’d just said the parenthesized part. The crowd burst out laughing and a few members in the wedding party almost did as well. Rose was trying really, really hard not to hold her sides, and Kim held her hand over her mouth to keep from grinning like a buffoon.

Sylvia, of course, lacked all of that consideration. She gripped the altar so tightly her fingers turned white, hooting and howling with the rest of her fellow hosts.

But Mary just smiled.

Nick cleared his throat and took another glance at the card, continuing where he left off.

“I know this isn’t how either one of us expected this day to come. I’m sure there are a lot of things we both wish could have gone differently, but honestly, I think it’s for the best that we got here the way we did. Everything you and I have been through… everything we’ve all seen, these last few weeks together, it makes me more certain than anything that this is what I want. That you’re what I want, one of the most precious people to me, who I want to spend the rest of my life with. Whatever that may end up looking like by the end of all this, I know I want you at my side for it. Your kindness, your gentleness, your unwavering support, those are all things that have touched my soul and made me a better man. I wish I’m able be half of the husband to you as you’ll be a wife to me. Because you deserve it. That much, and much more.”

He slid the card into his pocket and took Mary’s hand.

“Mary… I know I can’t promise that my heart will only belong to you. But I can promise you this. No matter what happens, I will always love you more than any man could. And I want to spend the rest of our lives showing you that your faith in me today isn’t misplaced. That I can be a better husband to you than anyone else. And if you’ll trust me on that, I swear, I will make you happier than you’ve ever been. Because that’s the least I can do for all the happiness you bring to me every single day.”

Sylvia actually began to tear up. She wiped her eyes, and tried not to look touched. She was the host here! She was supposed to show off to her colleagues how amazing and professional she was, not bawl like a baby!

“That… that was very moving…” She sniffled. She hadn’t been the only one nearly brought to tears. Holly was practically bawling, and Kim’s eyes were glassy. Dawn tried to remain composed and cool, but even with her poker face she wasn’t fooling anyone. Rose was using all of her acting chops to remain the image of composure, whereas Morgana didn’t cry. Tears streamed down her cheeks without hesitation.

On Nick’s side, Dani bit her lip and smiled, beaming at Nick’s romantic words. She wanted to give him a congratulatory pat on the back, but she knew better. As for Dakota, of all people, she was actually misty, showing a rare trace of humanity in her expression. Gina grinned like a fool and so did Carly, both girls overjoyed, while Marley wiped her eyes and smiled like her sister.

“Now… the bride will read her vows,” Sylvia said, nodding to Mary. She hoped her voice didn’t crack.

“Yes…” Mary didn’t have a card to read from, but she didn’t need one. Her words had been etched in her heart since before her proposal. “Nick… I’ve always believed that the lord had a plan for me. That He would provide me with happiness if I walked His path. And my belief in that hasn’t changed. I’ve always been faithful to Him, and in return for that faith, He brought you into my life. And since that day, my world has been full of so many wonderful things. It’s because of you that I have friends. It’s because of you that I know what it means to truly be in love. All the books I read, all the songs on the radio, they all make sense to me in a way that they never did before you entered my life.”

She held her bouquet up to her chest.

“I never deserved a second chance, but you gave me one anyway. You didn’t judge or scorn me for my mistakes, and you’ve never thought less of me for my beliefs. You’ve been so patient, so accepting, that I find it hard to believe you’re even real sometimes. The thought that a man like you could exist, someone who sees me for who I am and loves me, it makes me question if the world is even real sometimes. To me, you’re more than a friend, or a lover. You’re like my favorite book, something so comforting and familiar that you make me feel like I’m home. Like I’m safe. You’re my forever after, Nick, my completion. I know that I could speak to a thousand men, and not one of them would touch my heart the way you do every time we talk. I know that I’m not perfect, but you make me want to be perfect. You make me want to be the perfect woman, because that’s no less than you deserve. And because you’ve given me this chance, I’m going to spend every day from here on out showing you that I deserve it. From this moment on, your happiness is my happiness. Your sadness is my sadness. And your heart… is my heart. If you’re having a good day, I want to celebrate it with you. If you’re having a bad day, I want to show you that you’re not alone. Whatever comes next for us, we’ll face it together. And because of that, I know there’s no need to be afraid. Because we’ll always have each other.”

If Nick’s words had wound the crowd up, Mary’s knocked them down. Only Dakota was able to keep her composure, everyone else was moved to tears. Sniffles and the sounds of blowing noses in hankies echoed through the crowd, and even Amelia felt misty as she listened to Mary’s words. She’d never met the woman before, but she knew, just from hearing her speak, that this was the girl her step-son had been waiting for.

You made a wonderful choice, Nicholas, she thought, a smile spreading across her lips.

“Uwaaaah…” Sylvia’s face flooded with tears and snot. This was all she wanted. Seeing the two of them so happy together, the beginnings of a loving family, it made her wish she could be a part of that. How wonderful would it be, to feel embraced by their love?

But she had to put her feelings aside. The ceremony must go on.

“I’m so happy for the both of you,” she said, defiling the sleeve of her habit with tears and snot. “It’s clear to all of us here that your love is genuine. Now it’s time that we bind these two together with a symbol of their everlasting love and devotion.”

Her cane appeared in her hands and she tapped it on the ground. Mary swallowed, and nodded, turning to Nick.

“It’s time for exchanging the rings,” Sylvia urged.

“Nick…” Mary began. “There’s an item in my shop. The Rings of Confirmation. If I purchase them, it will bind the two of us together as man and wife for eternity. Even if I should be eliminated from this competition, my position in your harem will be secured. Forever. No matter what.”

She took his hand and squeezed it. “But you need to say yes. That’s all. Just one word.”

Sylvia cleared her throat. “Actually, it’s two words. The same two words you said before, in fact. So, Nick, what’s your answer? Will you-”

“I do,” Nick said automatically. Why was she even bullshitting this?

It was clear what the answer would be.

Sylvia’s eyes twinkled with delight, and Mary’s face lit up. In spite of her vows, in spite of his vows, there had always been that kernel of doubt lodged in her chest, telling her that he might not agree. But he had. And she didn’t need to hesitate any longer.

“I do,” she echoed.

Mary: 10000 BP – 10000 BP = 0 BP

And in an instant, everything changed. Mary’s bouquet crumbled to dust, and in her hand she held a box with two rings nestled into the red satin. Matching gold bands that glittered brightly, with a diamond imbedded in each. The gems shimmered like starlight, filled with promise of love and connection and fidelity.

Nick swallowed, and his eyes met Mary’s. They both nodded, taking a ring each from the box. As their fingers curled around the rings, the box disappeared as well, leaving nothing between the happy couple.

Mary presented her hand to Nick, and he did the same. They each slipped a ring over the other’s finger, and the church shook.

“With the power invested in me by the producers of Harem Hotel, I now pronounce you man and wife!” Sylvia’s voice echoed over the rumbles of the dimensional forces realigning. “You can cut through all the bullshit now and kiss the bride!”

Her words fell on deaf ears. Once again, the only thing that existed in their world was each other. In that moment it didn’t matter that Nick would eventually marry other women. The one in front of him was all he could see.

They fell into each other’s arms, and their lips pressed against each other.

Nick and Mary had only kissed once before. It had been an amazing kiss, a passionate, world-shattering thing that had only reaffirmed for Mary that she didn’t want to kiss anyone else ever again.

This kiss was not that kiss. It was even stronger. The passion remained, but had taken a different form. Rather than a kiss filled with desire for one another, it was filled with promise. A vow that they would always be there for one another, that they were a part of one another now, and they always would be.

Mary brought up her hands to cradle the back of Nick’s head, pulling him deeper into her. At the same time, Nick’s hands cradled her waist and hips, resting on her ass in a way she never would have permitted before now. But now they were husband and wife. She didn’t need to hold herself back anymore. She sank into his embrace, feeling his body press up against hers as they made out, showing their friends, Nick’s step-mother, and the audience of hosts, contestants, and fellow masters the depth of their feelings for one another.

It was the kind of kiss that they never wanted to end.

Married the Master! +10 VP

First! x2 Multiplier