Cielizzy Week: Day 2 Wedding
Sorry Iâm a day late on this. Will try to write out Day three for the next part asap. This is a short story for @cielizzydefencesquad
Cielizzy week: Day 2: Wedding
Nervous. Why was she so nervous? This wasnât the time for that. Lady Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Midford sat, hands folded properly on her lap, in her familyâs carriage as they rode through the streets of London. Dressed in a white gown with light purple flowers carefully embroidered onto the dress she nervously peeked out and looked at the bright sunny street. People were busy bustling about, not noticing the carriage heading for the church. Edward, who sat beside her, dressed in a dark blue suit with tie nudged her slightly.
âStop fretting Lizzy. Youâll do fine.â
She looked away from the street scene and over to her brother, a smile slipped onto her lips. âDo you really think so?â
âI donât think, I know,â he said simply and looked away for a moment from his cute younger sister. She was adorable dressed in the white bridesmaid dress that their cousin had purchased for her. âNow, stop worrying. Youâll be just fine.â
Elizabeth smiled brightly and seemed to ease up some. Her eyes moved over to her mother who seemed preoccupied with something, although she glanced over and smiled softly at her daughter. Alexis on the other hand was wiping his eyes as he seemed to blubber some next to his wife. âYouâre growing up so fast Elizabeth,â he told her and sniffed when she asked what was wrong. âYou look so lovely. Not that long ago you were small enough that I could carry you in my arms, and now youâre a beautiful brideâŚâ
âSheâs not getting married yet,â quipped Frances, and shook her head. âSheâs only a bridesmaid today dear. Calm yourself, your god daughter is going to see you. Are you ready to give her away?â
âAh, yes, of course!â Alexis took the kerchief out of his breast pocket and wiped his eyes. He too was dressed up for the occasion in a black morning coat, dark vest with a lavender buttoner and a lighter gray waist coat with a sharp looking lavender bow tie as requested by the bride. Both Frances and Edward were in their Sunday best with a hint of the lavender color to their attire out of respect for the Brideâs wishes.
Frances handed her husband a new handkerchief then looked at Lizzy directly. âYou remember what you learned at the practice?â
âStraight back, walk slowly, head up, and do not look more elegant then the bride. Be humble but also smile slightly, and stay in a straight line as you walk and hold onto the groomsmanâs arm, donât look left or right and try to keep pace to the music.â Lizzy recited and her mother nodded, pleased by her daughterâs attention.
âI think thatâs all of it,â Frances said as the coach reached the church. Outside there were people walking in readying to get seats. The other bridesmaids and their families were there as well, each dressed in the same white gown with lavender flowers lightly stitched onto them. As Lizzieâs father helped her and then her mother out of the carriage, she caught sight of a dark cape blowing slightly in the warm wind. A familiar face came into view and Lizzy stared with surprise. Ciel stood out like a black storm cloud amidst the billowing white of the brideâs party. As usual he was dressed in his dark colors, only this time it was violet in nature, and he had a more elaborate suit on. Sebastian, standing beside him, gave a nod to aknowledge that heâd seen the family.
Lizzy made to move towards him, wanting to say hello, but her mother quickly caught her by the arm and fixed her veil.
âYouâre needed in the church, my love. No time for greetings. Iâll say hello to Ciel for you inside.â
âWhatâs he doing here?â Lizzy asked as her mother made sure the flower crown and veil sat and stayed pinned to her daughters golden updo. For a change Lizzy had her hair swept up at the sides, and layers of ringlets cascaded down from the back.
Frances shrugged, âHeâs the Earl, itâs custom to invite noble houses to weddings. Some come, some donât. He chose to come to this one.â
âHe doesnât know Miss Gwendoline though, does he?â
âNo, I believe he does not,â Frances admitted as she ushered Lizzy up the stairs of the church. âBut thatâs neither here norâŚâ she and Lizzy paused upon seeing the scene in the bridal area of the church⌠âThere.â
Both women blinked hard at what they saw. Alexis was trying to comfort the bride who was sobbing, and the groomsmen were looking unsure of what to do. The bridesmaids were aghast and the groom was furiously yelling at the best man, who was trying to calm the groom down as he furiously waved his finger, pointing at a man that was slouched in a chair snoring.
Frances took one look at the scene and cleared her throat gaining everyoneâs attention. Lizzy hid a smile behind her hands. Her mother was, after all, the Aunt of the Queens watchdog, if anything she knew how to get attention in a room.
âWhat in the world is going on here?â she asked upfront, and then looked at the Best man, a noble Lizzy only knew as Sir Hardy. âYou there, John, what is the matter with that man?â
âHeâs gone and gotten himself drunk, cousin Frances,â John said shaking his head as the groom went over and shook the man hard by the coat. John grabbed him and pulled him back. âConfound it Westly. You canât just shake him like that. Heâll vomit on you. You donât want this day ruined.â
âBut we donât have the right number of groomsmen,â Westly insisted and looked over at the bride. He let out a long sigh. âGwen, must we have the ten?â
She nodded, âIt was a request of my mother, for luck, sheâll be upset if I donât have the same number as her wedding to my father.â
The groom let out a long sigh again. Lizzy had heard the story before. Gwendoline had lost her father several years before during a boating accident on the Atlantic where heâd gone fishing with friends. Her mother was a supersticious woman who believed that luck came by numbers, and that in order for Gwen to have a happy wedding she need ten bridesmaids and grooms, or else the wedding wouldnât go through.
âWhat do we do Cousin Alexis?â Gwen sobbed onto the Marquess chest as he tried to calm her down.
âThere, there, Gwen, youâll get married today I promise.â He tried to sooth her and looked to his wife and daughter for some guidance. Lizzy glanced at her mother.
âWho can we get at such a short time?â
âWe could probably use an usher, but then that would be short and Hilda would have another fit on that,â Frances muttered to herself, when Lizzy was struck with an idea. She grabbed a boquet and hurried out the door from the back room her mother telling her to wait, she didnât.
Walking quickly, almost at a slight run, she burst through one of the back doors away from the main aisle. Guests were already taking their places and she scanned the pews for a familiar face. The tall black hair of Sebastian lingered near the back corner, hiding out away from most of the crowd. Lizzy knew that where Sebastian lurked Ciel was never far behind.
She quickly and quietly made her way over, ignoring the glances of the guests who found her sudden appearance rather odd, and sat down next to him. Ciel had taken a seat near the back of the church, alone. Heâd done so, she assumed, so he could leave right away once the ceremony was over.
At first he made no motion to indicate heâd noticed her until Sebastian cleared his throat, âYou look lovely, Lady Elizabeth. Donât you think so, young master?â
Ciel didnât quiet look at her, for a moment, then turned to face her and turned away again just as fast, covering a red tinge that had moved up his cheeks. âYou look well Lizzy. What are you doing here? Isnât this breaking protocol.â
âCiel, I need your help.â She whispered and he cocked his head, then turned to face her looking worried.
âWhatâs the matter?â there was that serious look to his eye again, the one that he always got when he was thinking of things. She grabbed his arm and pulled him up. âLizzy! What on earth are you doing?!â
âWe have to get to the back of the church. Mother will fill you in on the directions that the bride wants,â Lizzy explained as she yanked him to his feet, much to the shock of the other guests. She ignored this, at the moment and Sebastian stepped lightly between her and Ciel.
âI must ask, my lady, that you kindly explain whatâs going on. The young master has nothing to do with this wedding and is merely a guest here, and it seems rather rude of you to just pull him along like this.â He bowed to her slightly and Lizzy flushed some, embaressed as the guests gaped and whispered at her. She smoothed out her dress and tried to look as dignified as possible, keeping her voice low.
âWe need another groomsman,â she explained to both of them and Sebastian looked amused as Ciel looked on confused.
âWhat for, Lizzy?â
Elizabeth crinkled her gloves on her hands as she looked around, noticing that people were starting to talk more and kept her eyes down, âOne of the grooms men looksâŚwhat was that word that Cousin Matilda said her sister gets when she gets too much drink in her?â
âSloshed,â suggested Sebastian and she nodded. He chuckled, âI see, so one of the groomsmen is too drunk to go on, and you need the young master to replace him. HowâŚcharming.â
Ciel huffed, âNo it is not. I donât even know the bride or groom.â
âThen why did you come?â Lizzy asked incredulously. âI know that sometimes noble families are invited to the weddings of some retainers to the royal family but...I didnât think you were one toâŚâ
âWell the Young master felt that it was a nice day to travel, and he heard that you were going to be in the wedding party and wanted to see what the fuss was all aboutâŚâ Sebastian stated and Ciel looked mortified, flashing daggers at his demon butler.
âSebastian!â
Lizzy felt heat creep up her face, âIâŚI umâŚwell, thaâŚThank you Ciel that makes me very happy to hear that.â She said and he gave a slight nod of welcome, although clearly he wasnât too thrilled with Sebastian opening his mouth up. Lizzy though forced herself to ignore the heart beats that were quickening in her chest. âButâŚthereâs no time for that. Please, Iâm asking you, could you please stand in?â
âDo I really have a choice in this,â he asked and she gave him a pleading look. Ciel gritted his teeth, huffed, âFine,â and then walked quickly before her as Lizzy gave him a grateful smile. All the while the dark butler trailed, whispering comments to him.
âHow sweet of the young master to be so willing to step in and help. Iâm sure the daily papers will be pleased to report on this in the society pages.â
âKnock it off Sebastian.â
âShe does look quite stunning though,â he teased him about Lizzy as they hurried along to the back of the church, Ciel trying to ignore the facts. Heâd noticed Lizzy right away, out of all the girls there she was like a perfect rose among a bunch of peonies. He couldnât help but stare, if not for her being there he would have skipped the invite, but Frances had mentioned that it was Alexisâs goddaughter and then told him that Lizzy was going to be in the bridal party. Sebastian had suggested they go, as a show of good faith, and to his surprise Ciel had not expected Lizzy to look so grown up.
They wandered into the back of the church were Frances was waiting. Before Ciel could protest he was whisked away from Sebastian, who held his cloak, by a group of four older young women who at once cooed about how cute he was.
âSebastian!â he called out as they dragged him away.
âFear not, my lord, Iâm sure that this will be quiet interesting a lesson for you on the decorum for your own future wedding,â Sebastian called out as the door was shut, and chuckled seeing the poor boy being mauled by the bridesmaids as they fixed his suit for use in the wedding.
âAunt Frances what exactlyâŚdonât touch me!...Whatâs going on?!â he begged her as he pulled back from the women who seemed to pout. Frances glared at them sending them scurrying back to the brideâs side. She bent over and fixed his jacket.
âAs you can see,â she motioned to drunken groomsman, âwe have a bit of a problem. Youâll walk down with Lizzy. If you please Ciel, it would be a favor to me and to her.â
He sighed, âAlright Aunt Frances. Iâll do what I can.â She nodded and then escorted him over to the bride, and the groom, who were talking quietly in the corner.
âGwendoline, Westly, I would like to introduce you to your new groomsman, Earl Ciel Phantomhive. Earl, this is Westly Sonderhim, and Alexisâs goddaughter Lady Gwendoline Harrington.â
âA pleasure to meet you both,â Ciel gave courtesy to the two adults. He looked between them and then focused on the bride. âIs there anything that I need to know before this starts?â
Gwen looked happy to see the young boy and patted his cheek, something Ciel did not find endearing.
âWell, simply put, you just need to walk slowly down the aisle with Elizabeth, then stand with her off to the side during the ceremony. Once thatâs finished, escort her back out of the church, and thatâs it.â
Ciel raised a brow, âThatâs all you need me to do, are you sure?â
She nodded, âYes, thatâs it. Itâs quiet simple. Donât go too fast, or slow, and look forward. Oh and one arm should be linked with hers and the otherâŚâ
âAt my side, Iâm sure,â he said slightly bored by it all. She nodded again.
âYouâre very clever for your age.â
Ciel gave a weak smile, but took the compliment, even though it felt more like an insult to him and Frances hurried him over by Lizzy. âIs she always that condescending.â
âOnly to you it seems,â Frances said bluntly. âAnd it was meant as a compliment Ciel, do try to take it as such.â
âIâm almost fifteen now, Aunt Frances,â he pointed out as they walked over to Lizzy, âIâm not a child âŚâ
âAnd neither is she,â Frances motioned to her daughter who was trying to seem polite to the young men in the grooms party as they flirted with her. Ciel clenched his fist. What were they doing with his fiancĂŠe? He could see that she was wearing heels this time, and the dress curved to her figure more than her normal outfits did. If her face wasnât the normally cheerful one that she always had, he wouldnât have recognized her at that moment.
Feeling what he couldnât describe, jealousy, annoyance, Ciel didnât know, he walked over and cleared his throat loudly. One of the men looked down at him, âWhat is it boy.â
âI believe Lady Elizabeth is to be my partner in this, and I would like you to step away from my FiancĂŠe.â He said in the coldest tone that Lizzy had ever heard him use. His eyes narrowed as the groomsmen moved back and Lizzy smiled at him, grateful, that heâd come beside her.
âI wasnât sure how much longer I could take their comments.â She said taking his arm as he offered it.
âYou donât have to, you know. Youâre engaged to me,â he pointed out and again looked away. Lizzy giggled some and he relaxed until she joked.
âYou know itâs almost like weâre getting married.â
âLizzy!â he felt his face flush and tried to recover. âThereâs a time and place for such things. And here and now is not that time or that place.â
âSorry,â she said softly and smiled, âCiel, thank you.â
âFor what?â He stared at her and tried to ignore the beating of his own heart seeing her like this. Lizzy grinned happily.
âFor being willing to stand up to this wedding with me. For dealing with all this. I know this isnât something that you like to do, or deal with, but thank you again.â
Ciel shrugged, âItâs nothing to big, besides, if you didnât ask Iâm sure Aunt Frances would have.â
He felt her squeeze his hand, âIâm glad Iâm walking down with you though. I wonât feel as nervous.â
Ciel nodded, âMe too. Or embarrassed.â
âCiel, do you think, one day weâll be able to walk down like this?â she asked quietly. He gave her hand a pat as the ushers came over to line them up.
âItâs time to go Lizzy.â
With that the duo got in line and together walked arm and arm down the aisle.
















