Well.
It was Friday.
****
The day began with the pealing of the bells. They could be heard for miles and miles, celebrating peace and matrimony and the happiness of a well loved princess. The joyful cacophony rang through the entire palace, waking everyone to greet the marvelous dawn.
Almost everyone. A certain red headed princess hadn't slept a wink all night, her stomach tied in knots. It was ridiculous when she really thought about it. She had dreaded being married to a complete stranger, and instead, she was getting Angel. She knew Angel, she trusted Angel, and everyone was jealous of her good fortune.
Willow winced at the thought. Despite the fact that she was in an alternate reality, she still had the irrational fear that Buffy would show up and find out. It was probably just left over from her excursion into infidelity with Xander, but it didn't make the sick feeling in her chest go away.
Sitting up, she looked out her window. It was a beautiful day, and she was getting married to Angel. Throwing the blankets back, she threw on her dressing gown and walked over to the mirror. She had dark circles under her eyes and she was getting married to Angel. Running her hand through her hair, she flopped down into a chair. Her head hurt and she was getting married to Angel.
"Get a grip, Willow."
She was talking to herself and she was getting married to Angel...
****
Angel had been in the ramparts since half an hour before dawn, watching the sun rise yet again. He wasn't sure when he would be able to see it next, since it would definitely be remarked upon if he left the honeymoon suite in the wee hours every day.
He wasn't sure what the day would hold for him and his bride. Well, other than the wedding. That part would be hard to ignore. He was more worried about the evening, worried about what he would say to her, what she would be thinking, where he was going to sleep.
It was certainly going to be a unique sort of wedding night.
****
Willow had been hustled around the palace all day as preparations to make her the most beautiful bride in the country's history exhausted her even further. Her hair had been coifed to perfection, her skin's natural luminosity seemed to glow, her wide green eyes were expertly emphasized by an attendant who had a way with a brush and some shadow. Finally, she was dressed. And wearing that dress, she began to think that maybe getting married had some definite perks.
She would actually have been hard pressed to describe it, it was so dazzling. She could feel the incredible softness of the silk kirtle that was against her skin, but it could hardly be seen. The overdress was a phenomenal concoction of swaths of fairy-fine lace and brocade so lush it looked like it had been carved out of marble. Sewn into the gown was an impressive amount of iridescent seed pearls. The pearls, however, were overshadowed by the diamonds.
To merely cover a dress in oversized diamonds would be impressive, but ostentation of that sort would be inappropriate for a wedding. Instead, the diamonds were so small they could really only be seen by the light bouncing off of them. They were somehow woven into the cloth, and the slightest movement Willow made sent up another shower of sparkles.
A veil so light it looked more like mist than cloth was billowing out from underneath a circlet of beaten gold that almost seemed part of her shining hair. She was undeniably and completely lovely.
Turning in front of the mirror, she was almost as entranced as Angel had been the first time he saw his own reflection. It was the inexplicable stirring of her veil that gave her pause. She thought she could feel a breath of wind on her cheek, but that should be impossible as the room had no windows and the door was closed...
Willow almost fell over when she saw it. Well, more like the lack of 'it' or anything, because the wall was gone. In it's place was the same nothingness that had sucked her in all those weeks ago as she tried to help Angel on his mission.
She almost dove headfirst into it, thinking of home and habits and the familiarity of her old life, when another thought stopped her.
Angel.
On one hand, he loved the new world and would probably be quite content to spend the rest of his days there. But she didn't have it in her to just leave him alone. To leave would be a mutual decision, as would staying. She had to find him.
****
Marie looked up in surprise as Willow burst out of her dressing room. "Marie-" she began breathlessly.
"Oh, Willow, Your Highness, never has a girl been lovelier."
"Marie, you have to listen to me now. You have to go get Angel."
"What?"
"Prince Alaric, whatever, His Royal Highness, my fiance, my betrothed, my intended, that tall dark haired guy with brown eyes and sometimes a crown, I need you to find him and bring him here." There was panic in her voice. Out of the corner of her eye, she could still see the portal. Was it just her imagination, or had it gotten smaller?
"Don't be ridiculous, dearest. You can't see him before the wedding."
"Marie, please!" There were tears now, threatening to make desperate tracks on her carefully tended face.
"Willow, what's gotten into you? Besides, I couldn't bring him here even if I thought there was any reason to. He's busy getting ready to get married, just like you-"
"Marie," Willow interrupted, grabbing the older woman's arm. "I can't explain, you wouldn't believe me if I tried to, but you must find a way. There has to be a way. I need him here, now." It was definitely shrinking as the seconds ticked past.
"You'll have him for the rest of your life, dear. Now let go of my arm. You're squeezing a bit tight. I could maybe take a message for someone to give to him, if that would help. What do you want to tell him- Willow, what's wrong?"
Willow sank to the ground, her dress of diamond billowing out around her. The portal was only a handsbreadth now, and she watched in despair as it winked out of existence all together. A hoarse sob ripped from her throat.
Her way back home was gone.
And she was getting married to Angel.
****
Angel had to squint as Willow came up the aisle, and he smiled at the gasps of delight from the guests. He held out his arm for her to take, and it was the trembling of her white hand that first told him something was wrong.
Looking at her face, he swore to himself, because she looked to be on the verge of tears.
'Well, big surprise there, Angel,' he thought angrily. 'You think an eighteen year old girl likes the idea of giving up the rest of her life and most of her freedom for the privilege of being your wife?' He sighed, knowing he couldn't have done anything to prevent it, wishing that he could have.
Willow barely heard the priest, and she didn't notice the worried glances Angel kept throwing in her direction. There were phrases floating about, words of commitment and forever and love. She remembered to say "I do", but her fingers were ice cold as she and her husband exchanged rings. He pulled the veil away from her face, stroking her cheek gently, trying to silently ask what was wrong. She apologized with her eyes, and he leaned over to kiss her softly. He tasted the salt of quiet tears and hated himself for making her unhappy.
Both did their best to smile as they retraced their path between the cheering guests.
****
Angel thanked his occasionally operative good fortune when he and Willow actually had a moment alone together after leaving the sanctuary.
"Willow, I'm so sorry. I guess I had underestimated how much you didn't want to reach this point-"
She cut him off by bursting into tears. "No, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, it's just that it came and they wouldn't get you and I meant to be happy today and I'm so so so sorry..." she lost the ability to speak as she gasped for air, Angel all the while rubbing her back to help her calm down.
"What came?" he asked as she finally regained some small amount of composure.
"I was looking in the mirror, and I was liking the dress and the veil and thinking that maybe it would turn out to be a pretty great day after all, and then I felt this breeze, and in the room, on the wall, it was there. It was just like the first time, all swirly yet empty and black and nothingness and it was on the wall but I couldn't go without you and they told me that you couldn't come. I could see it shrinking and then it disappeared and it was time to get married and I ruined our wedding because I was so upset and I'm sorry, because I feel selfish but it was our chance and I couldn't go alone." She took a deep breath, trying to clear away the frustration and the choking sadness. Angel just stood looking stunned.
"You mean you finally found a way back home, and you didn't take it? Why?"
"I told you. I couldn't go without you," she responded, looking slightly irritated. "You wouldn't have left without me. You don't really think I would just jump back into our own reality without a backward glance, did you?"
"No, I just-"
"I mean, do I seem like the sort of person who would just abandon a good friend to fend for himself in a strange world? That I would be so excited about going home I would forget the fact that we're here together? Well, I feel so flattered. I just got married to a man who thinks I'm a self centered fair weather friend with no thought in my head for anyone but myself. This bodes well for wedded bliss, I would say. I can see it now. "My name is Prince Alaric, meet my wife. No need to tell her who you are, she won't remember, because she's too self-involved to notice that other people exist." We'll have a great and glorious reign, King Alaric the Valiant and Queen Aurelia the Selfish. I'm so very-"
She stopped speaking as she heard Angel laugh. She glared at him, all her earlier listlessness melted away in the heat of her anger. "What are you laughing at?"
"Oh, Willow," he sighed. "I'm so relieved. I'm not used to seeing you sad. I knew the real you had to resurface soon. I'm also slightly relieved to discover that your sorrow wasn't about getting married to me."
"Stop being ridiculous. Okay, the thought of marriage itself was daunting, but you? Let's end this conversation. Can we just throw ourselves into the roles of a happily married couple?"
Her tears had mostly dried, and the only ones remaining made her eyes sparkle more than usual. Her cheeks were rosy, courtesy of her pique, and her usual expression of irrepressible optimism had resumed it's proper place. "Come, my prince, let us depart for the banquet. I feel that some refreshment is in order."
Halting her for a moment, Angel looked closely into her face. "I know how much you miss home, Willow. The fact that you stayed means a lot."
She gave him a smile. "So do you. Mean a lot, I mean."
Their first domestic quarrel ended, the newlyweds walked down the hall together.
****