"""" Standing a pace behind her, perhaps trying to glitter a little too much, was another Tiefling. She wore saffron and wore it well against skin so dark a blue it was almost black. She had her hair net bedecked with little gemstone flowers and her eyes... Her eyes were a softly-shining emerald green.
He was dumbstruck and staring as Mrs Aarincourt introduced Radiance Juniper Daffodil Palmire.
"Breathe," suggested Mrs Aarincourt, just as Jubilation was viewing Radiance through a greying tunnel.
He did, and saw more of Miss Palmire's light. Capital suggestion. He should remember that advice for the rest of the night. "Enchanted," he finally said. "Shall we dance?" He wouldn't feel the blisters from dancing with her until the servants peeled his hose out of them.
All four of them would have to be shoved into a church, but that was another story. """"
@internutter/challenge-03000-h077-scheherezade-iii -- Anon Guest
There's whirlwind romances, love at first sight, long and comfortable courtships... and whatever the Merrimine twins were doing. While it was true that both young men had fallen almost instantly for their respective loves, they were taking their sweet time about cementing those bonds.
It was understandable that Loyalty would have cold feet. Well. Hooves. After a literal lifetime of rejection, suspicion, and accusation, it was only natural that he would take his time.
For the record, the Marchess Renette Cadence Symphony Basingforth was more than a little enchanted with the Viceroy Apprehension Marveline "Loyalty" Merrimine. She easily and eagerly accepted every invitation he had to offer.
They, and the young Duke his brother's match, were the talk of the town.
A Human and a Tiefling. Twice over. Almost scandalous. Some whispered, Positively incestuous, but they whispered it well away from the brothers. Besides, the bloodlines of the relevant families hadn't mingled for forty generations.
It may have been a mark of pride for some distant ancestor to have made a deal with a devil in the past. But to have that proof turn up in the flesh was something of an embarrassment. To have two at once in the social papers just had all the vulture-minded gossips waiting for what they assumed was inevitable.
For the first year, they each went walking out with their respective sweethearts. All perfectly above board. Chaperoned, where the whisperers could see everything. Perfect manners.
In brief, nothing to gossip about.
They went walking out for half of the second year as well. So long that the gossips wondered about the twin brothers' health. Or orientation.
Some kind of minor dam broke, and the brothers Merrimine went on other excursions. To a local fair, to theatres, to events. Their sweethearts must be getting blisters from the walking.
For the third year, they were seen at places. At restaurants, invited to other realms as either's plus one.
Always doting on each other. Always smiling at their sweetheart's words. Always so soppy in love that not one person could say a thing against them.
Well. Apart from, "Why are they taking so long?"
It was their baby brother Vindication Merrimine who finally broke the tie. He was a sneaky young lad, and managed to find appropriate rings for each of the ladies. Rings, it must be noted, that fit. Perfectly.
The young Viceroy placed a small box in each older brother's hands. To Jubilation, "You give this to Radiance." To Loyalty, "You give this to Renette." He stood back and gave his best authoritative posture. "Now both of you say, You are the best person in my life, please spend the rest of yours in mine. And then hurry up and get married so I can ring bearer instead of Best Man."
Since he was almost nine, the brothers Merrimine had to admit he had a point.
At least it was a whirlwind wedding.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / nehru]
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