#daady

They had rented the Treviso Opera House for their wedding. Each newlywed had their own suite to get ready in with plenty of space for the other members of the wedding party. Allegra was in the bridal suite getting ready with Alecto and Elysia. Her nerves were already at an all-time high. “Allie, you know he is crazy about you. Why are you so nervous?” “Do you ever get this feeling in your stomach that something terrible is going to happen? I’ve been having nightmares about there being a disaster at the wedding for weeks now, but today, Alecto, I just can’t shake this feeling. I’ve had it before, and well,” she sighed deeply, hanging her head. “I haven’t been wrong before,” she continued quietly. Alecto took one of Allegra’s hands in hers and massaged it gently as she tried to reassure her friend. “Allie, you’re fretting too much. Everything is going to be okay. Between you, Lorenzo, Jin, Alecto, and me here; nobody is going to disturb this ceremony, and Maker help them if they do,” Elysia told her sister, doing her best to reassure Allegra and ease her nervousness. This wedding would go well, or heads would roll, literally, and Alecto would make sure of it.

Allegra gave the other two women a small, nervous smile as she did her best to push her worries from her mind. It did bring her some comfort knowing that her sister and best friend were there for her in case anything did go sideways, especially since Alecto was wearing the enchanted bandage that allowed her to see. This ensured she would miss nothing and could serve as an additional assassin close to the couple, able to jump into the fray if needed. Not to mention the fact that her sister’s fiancé was a Warden whom everyone around the lighthouse knew not to mess with. Furthermore, the place was crawling with Antivan Crows because of Lorenzo’s friends and associates. If anything were to go down, she was sure the guests in attendance were more than capable of handling it. Everything was going to be okay. The wedding was in good hands. Allegra just needed to remind herself to breathe and focus on her vows. That’s what mattered right now. Anything else that came up would be taken care of.

~~~~~

After months of waiting, planning, and stressing, it was finally time for the wedding. Allegra sighed deeply as she prepared to walk down the aisle to meet her fiancé and soon-to-be husband, Lorenzo. She took a deep breath and shook out her hands, doing her best to soothe her anxious nerves as she waited for the song she had chosen to walk down the aisle to. They had hired a local Trevisan string quartet that had been playing an assortment of Antivan songs until they were given the cue that Allegra was about to come down the aisle. The music swelled, and she began to walk towards the altar as Pachelbel’s Canon in D played. She had dreamed of this moment for so long, the song she had always imagined walking down the aisle to filled her ears as her heart beat to the rhythm. Her eyes fixated on her soon-to-be husband, the rest of the world fading to the periphery as she began to see their future together unfold before her: a home in the countryside, several children running around and playing, growing old together. She had dreamed of not only her future, but their future for so long. She was excited for it to finally begin.

Allegra smiled warmly, her heart fluttering with overwhelming love for him. She barely refrained from sprinting down the aisle and jumping into his arms. All of the time she had spent agonizing over the song choices didn’t matter in this moment as she made her way to her fiancé. Lorenzo looked so incredibly handsome, more so than she had ever seen. He often left her breathless, but this was different. Lorenzo looked like a prince from a storybook she used to read as a girl, waiting for her at the end of the aisle in his formal wear. He had dressed to impress; he had truly become her prince. In this moment, all of her nervousness and anxiety melted away as her attention focused on herself and Lorenzo as they prepared to commit to one another for the rest of their lives. For just a moment, she imagined how she would be peeling his outfit off of him once their honeymoon officially started. 

Her heart fluttered as it dawned on her that this day was really here. Allegra had been anticipating this day for Maker knows how long, and it was finally here! She was going to marry her favorite person and the love of her life, the man who had swept her off her feet when they first met, the man whom she had been unable to stop thinking about since their chance meeting. When Allegra reached the altar, Elysia got up and adjusted the train of Allegra’s dress, fluffing the fabric so that it lay on the ground in a nearly perfect circle around Allegra’s feet. Once that was done, Allegra handed her bouquet to Elysia and took Lorenzo’s hands in hers. Allegra couldn’t stop smiling as she looked up at him.

Ulrich cleared his throat and instructed everyone to take their seats as the couple prepared to exchange their vows. In typical Allegra fashion, she had written hers down and stuffed the paper into her bouquet, the perfect home for her flowery vows. Elysia handed the sheet of paper to her, and Allegra unfolded it, her hands shaking slightly with excitement despite her best attempt to keep them steady. She cleared her throat and gave a nervous chuckle before she began to read the words she had been rehearsing for months now:

“Lorenzo, the day we met was one of the most memorable days of my life. One minute I’m studying the wisps, the next this handsome, charming stranger is chatting with me. Everything was a whirlwind from that moment on. I remember how much it hurt when you told me we couldn’t be more than a casual fling, how angry I was. I think that was because, deep down, I knew then that we were meant to be together. You had been all I could think about; you occupied my every waking thought and every dream in between. I still can’t put into words how happy I was when you finally agreed to give us a chance. My heart nearly leapt from my chest the first time you told me you loved me. I thought I was still dreaming; it felt too good to be true. You have made me happier than I ever imagined was possible.”

She paused, smiling up at Lorenzo, nothing but pure love and adoration in her eyes as she folded up her paper, took his hands in hers, and spoke from the heart, no notes required.

“Lorenzo, my love, I vow to you to stand by you no matter what the world throws at us. Neither illness nor strife will tear us apart. I promise to be a loving wife and protect your heart with the same intensity and dedication that I protect my own. You will forever be the center of my world, and nothing will ever come between us.” She sniffled as she struggled to get through the rest of her vows, overwhelmed with emotion in all of the best ways. “I love you with every part of me, and I will continue to love you with everything I have until death comes for me.”

Lorenzo wiped away the tears that were gathering in his eyes as he smiled down at Allegra. Her words made his heart pound harder than a drum in his chest. At Alecto’s insistence, he had written down his vows as well and kept them in the front pocket of his tuxedo jacket. He was grateful he listened to her. Hearing Allie proclaim her love for him made his mind go completely blank, not unlike the first time they met when he saw her playing with the wisps. In an instant, he had forgotten all of the vows he had rehearsed in the weeks and months leading up to the wedding. With shaky hands, he pulled the paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and began to read his vows, his voice trembling with emotion:

“Allegra Pentaghast, mi amor, mi todo. You have bewitched me every moment since we first met. I do not like that I upset you when I thought we could not be together, but I am so grateful you chose to forgive me and gave me another chance after I was such an idiot. I was scared that you would not want me in the way I wanted you. I still believe you deserve much better than me, but I will be forever grateful you chose me regardless. Your beauty is exceeded only by your intelligence. Every day, you find a new way to amaze me and give me another reason to feel like the luckiest man alive. I love you more than words can say, and I will never stop showing you how much I love you and how much you mean to me.” He paused for a moment, looking up from the paper and looking at her lovingly. “Allegra Pentaghast, I vow to you that I will be by your side for as long as you will have me. I will do everything I can to keep you safe and protect you. I am your shield, your husband, and your lovesick protector. I will never take you for granted, and I will forever be at your beck and call. I will never deserve the amazing, beautiful woman that you are, but I will spend every day of the rest of my life earning the honor of being your husband.”

~~~~~

Once the ceremony was finished, the newlyweds sealed their vows with a kiss and proceeded back down the aisle to a chorus of cheers. At this time, the crows from House de Acutis (Ruby, Ferfante, Alexandrite, and Nerea) took their places around the room as the other guests moved from the ceremony area to a dining area. They had discussed strategy and positioning well in advance of this moment. They had studied the venue closely, from the blueprints and schematics down to the decorations the couple had planned. They chose their positions based on where they would blend in the best, as well as get close enough to strike without raising too many eyebrows. 

Ruby and her sister were positioned at another table where they could clearly watch Ferfante in case anything were to go wrong. At the next table over was Nerea, their backup plan. If Ferfante failed, she was to ensure Ruby and Alex both made it out of there safely. Can’t have the future Talon and her younger sister getting hurt because of a fresh Crow’s negligence. If he gets himself killed, that’s his problem. It is par for the course for Crows after all. The four members of House de Acutis bided their time, waiting patiently for the perfect moment to strike. They wouldn’t have to wait for long.

This was Ferfante’s first big contract as a Crow, his chance to prove himself to his house and to the order. Ferfante’s palms were sweaty, his arms weak as he did his best to maintain his composure, taking several deep breaths in an attempt to slow his pounding heartbeat. He felt the vial of poison in his coat pocket and wrapped his fingers around it, using the sensation of the cool glass to ground himself in the moment as he turned the vial over in his hand several times. He also felt the blade neatly nestled beside it, a backup plan just in case the poison didn’t work or was accidentally given to the wrong person. Contingencies were vital in their line of work. As sharp as his blades were, what they left behind was never clean.

~~~~~

Allegra and Lorenzo moved from the ceremony area to where the tables were set up for the reception. They made their way to the head table, set aside just for them and the wedding party. The food was served, the drinks were poured, and merriment abounded. Ulrich gave a toast to the happy couple. He stood on a chair and clinked his glass with a fork to get everyone’s attention and loudly cleared his throat. His words were full of love and adoration for his friend and his friend’s new bride:

“On behalf of Lorenzo and Allegra, I want to thank everyone for coming out and joining us today. I know they are both honored to have you all with us. I won’t take up too much time. I just wanted to say congratulations, Lorenzo and Allegra. You two make a beautiful couple. I can’t wait to see you two make a family together. Knowing Lorenzo, they’ll probably start tonight,” he teased with a hearty laugh, joined by the crowd. Lorenzo’s reputation preceded him. Allegra laughed heartily too, but she blushed fiercely, fanning her face. Lorenzo tightened his arm around his blushing bride and leaned in to whisper something in her ear, which only made her blush more. This did not escape Ulrich’s notice. “Easy, you two, save that for the honeymoon!” He laughed heartily once more. Once he settled, he raised his glass. “A toast to the lovely couple!!” This was followed by cheers from the newlyweds and all the guests in attendance. After they both sipped their drink, Allegra pulled Lorenzo in for a sweet kiss. She cupped his cheek with her hand as she pulled away and gave him a doting smile.

~~~~~

After the toast, the food was served. Everyone ate and drank, enjoying the festivities and embracing the much-needed break from the chaos of the world. It was a morale boost for all of the Antivan Crows. Well, all of them except for one house, the members of House de Acutis. Nerea, Ruby, and Alexandrite watched the couple closely but kept their distance. All eyes were on the happy couple as they each received a fresh glass of wine, both poisoned by Ferfante lest someone try to swap them. Besides, no one is more vengeful than a woman widowed on her wedding day. Ferfante had heard those stories. He had also heard rumors of the bride’s necrotic magic abilities. The last thing he wanted was to be an unnecessary casualty or to be disintegrated on the spot. He really hoped that part of the rumor was false. Surely, one mage couldn’t be so powerful as to reduce someone to a pile of dust on the spot, right? 

Ferfante smirked to himself as the couple took their wine glasses, but he was thrown when the wife took Lorenzo’s from him. What was she doing?! The next thing he saw was green magic coursing from her hands and through her eyes as she held both glasses of wine in her palms. No, it couldn’t be. She shouldn’t be able to do that! Allegra handed the glass back to Lorenzo. They clinked their glasses together before both taking a large swig. The amount of wine they drank should have been enough poison to put them both down in seconds, but it didn’t seem to work at all. Surely, he miscalculated and just needed to give it more time. Several more minutes passed, and the poison still had not taken effect. Either poison was a dud, or she had managed to nullify it with her magic. Since when could mages do that?!

Ruby, Nerea, and Alexandrite all turned and stared daggers at him. Ruby gave him a silent command to ‘take care of it’ before leaving her table to get a drink for herself. She needed something to help distract her from the rage she felt in that moment at his ineptitude. Nerea and Alex stayed in their seats, knowing it was best to let her cool off before trying to reason with her. Ruby was known to have a temper, but it was likely to be more fiery than normal. Ruby was under a lot of pressure from the older and more senior members of the house to make sure this contract was done right, or Ferfante would be taken care of if it wasn’t. Ruby didn’t want to bury a fellow de Acutis if she could avoid it. She hated the idea of someone failing on her watch, but she hated the idea of that resulting in their death on her watch even more.

Soon enough, the dinner wrapped up, and the dancing began. Ferfante couldn’t make a move on the couple until the dance floor was full of unsuspecting wedding guests. If he moved too early, the couple would see him coming, or worse, the wedding party would seize him. Ruby stared daggers at him, encouraging him to hurry it along. Ferfante palmed the dagger he had stashed up his sleeve and waited for a more lively beat to begin playing before he made his move. Several other small players of House de Acutis were aware of the backup plan and moved to station themselves strategically around the border of the dance floor should Ferfante need their assistance. Most were fledglings, but they were trained enough to do damage and avoid getting hit themselves if a scuffle were to ensue.

The music swelled as the assassins of House de Acutis made their move. They dodged through the innocent bystanders, focusing on Lorenzo and Allegra. Unfortunately for them, Lorenzo’s Crow instincts were sharper than they gave him credit for, and Allegra had charmed the dance floor to detect any uninvited guests. As soon as one of them stepped on an enchanted tile, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up as her eyes locked in on the intruders. Allegra’s eyes lit up with necrotic magic as soon as she sensed the disturbance, preparing for a fight. These fuckers chose the wrong wedding to crash.

~~~~~

Lorenzo felt eyes on him again, those with malicious intent. His expression shifted as he and Allegra danced. She could see the change in him just before she felt the enchantments on the dance floor activate. Both of them hurried to get their guests out of the way just as Alecto, Elysia, Ulrich, and Jin all hurried to the dance floor, weapons drawn. Ulrich tossed Lorenzo his hammer, and Elysia got Allegra her staff in a flash. The newlyweds stood side by side as they faced their assailants, both ready to fight to the death to protect their spouse if needed. They had vowed ‘to death do us part’, and they did not plan to die today.

“Let’s kill these assholes. What do you say, love?” Allegra told Lorenzo with a smile, drawing her magic to her hands and channeled it into her staff, her eyes shining with a necrotic green. “Gladly, mi amor. Let us show them why those chose the wrong wedding to crash,” Lorenzo told her with a wicked grin, rage apparent on his face towards those who would dare threaten his wife. Elysia and Jin jumped into the fray as well, taking care of two of the would-be assassins on the periphery. Elysia used her ice magic to freeze them in place, cuing them up. Jin used her axe to shatter the ice and knock them down. Their frozen corpses shattered into a million pieces that scattered across the floor. Alecto and Ulrich took care of those who tried to attack from the left, and the newlyweds took care of the rest, namely Ferfante. Alecto used her lightning to course through the opponent and arc to another, who was quickly dispatched by Ulrich and his hammer.