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Glimmer can't believe this day is really here. The last time she felt this nervous about any royal event was her coronation, well over three years ago. Butterflies swarm her stomach as she paces around her room, her heels clicking in a rapid motion. Catra groans, and looks up from the book she is reading. She sets the book down on a small table, and glances up at the Queen of Bright Moon.
"Do you maybe wanna stop with the pacing? It's not going to help." Catra speaks.
"You scolding me doesn't help either." Glimmer snaps.
"Touchy." Catra whistles. "I'm just saying, your Majesty."
"Your jokes aren't appreciated." Glimmer speaks, tilting her head upwards.
"Neither is your pacing, but here we are. I'm trying to read the protocol for your wedding, but if you want it to go spectacularly wrong, just continue distracting me with your click-clacking." Catra counters, gesturing to the book she had placed on the table.
About six months after the war, Glimmer had made the decision to make Catra her Royal Advisor. For obvious reasons, there was much controversy within the kingdom of Bright Moon as to why their young Queen would choose the person responsible for her mother's disappearance to be her Royal Advisor. But Glimmer and Catra had been through a lot, and despite the events of war, they had grown close. Bow said it was because they were so alike. Adora called it taking care of each other, just as Angella had asked. Glimmer liked that idea, so ran with it.
Truthfully, Glimmer couldn't really place when she started to respect Catra enough to befriend her, but it was definitely around the time the feline had saved Glimmer from Prime, and took on the consequences. Glimmer could never imagine the torture Prime had inflicted on Catra, and thinking of it always made her shudder. But anyone who was willing to sacrifice themselves like that, for someone that they had called an enemy for so long...they had to be a good person, right? It had confused Glimmer just as much as it had anyone else, at the time. But now, two years after the end of the war, Catra is sat here as her Royal Advisor (or her actual title: Her Highness' Emperial Strategist and Most Trusted Advisor, Catra of Bright Moon) and Glimmer is about to get married.
Glimmer never expected for her and Bow to be married first. But she's the Queen, isn't she? She's 21 now, the youngest Queen to be wed, yet all of Bright Moon is rejoicing in the news of her impending marriage. It seemed so crazy that only five years ago, Glimmer's life had changed forever. Before she met Adora, Glimmer had just been the 'weak' princess, whose powers went no further than teleportation and sparkles. Now, as the Queen of Bright Moon, she had a full connection to the Moonstone which had greatly amplified her powers, alongside her sorcery tuition under her aunt Castaspella and her father, the former King Micah, which she had started after the war had ended.
"We didn't even read the protocol for my coronation and that went fine." Glimmer responds. Catra snorts.
"Is that so? Because, the way I hear it, you didn't expect the guardian, and you ended up crying in a cavern." Catra says crossing her arms.
"My mom had sacrificed herself, I was perfectly entitled." Glimmer turns her head indignantly, as Catra picks the book back up, smiling.
"Whatever you say, your Majesty." Catra opens the book on its marked page, continuing to flick through quietly, as Glimmer tries to calm herself down.
"You're still pacing." Catra chimes after a few moments. Glimmer turns to her feline companion.
"Do you ever miss Shadow Weaver?" Glimmer asks, suddenly. Catra recoils, taken aback.
"Why would I?" She responds shakily.
"I just...I really want my mom to be here today." Glimmer says, sitting down.
The topic of Queen Angella was always awkward for Catra and Glimmer, given how Catra had been the one to open the portal in the first place. But over the years, Catra had strangely become a source of comfort. Bow and Adora never really understood it. They thought Glimmer and Catra would always have the sacrifice of Angella looming over them, but apparently not. One morning, Bow had gone into the gardens of Bright Moon, where a statue of Angella had been beautifully crafted, and Catra and Glimmer had been lay in front of the statue. The archer isn't exactly sure what happened that night, but something changed. Catra and Glimmer could now discuss Angella without crying, shouting or blaming.
"She'd be happy for you, wouldn't she?" Catra asks, sporting a gentle smile. Glimmer offers the same back.
"She always liked Bow, even from when we met. She was fond of him. I always thought it was because he was rational, and knew when to admit defeat, just like her." Glimmer explains.
"Is that part of the reason you love him? Because he reminds you of Angella?" Catra broaches, genuinely curious.
"Bow's just...Bow. I don't really know when I started to love him. It just happened." Glimmer admits.
Maybe she's always loved him. They'd been best friends forever, but she had felt a shift when Adora had first joined the Rebellion. The dynamic changed, shifted. Not that Glimmer would ever change that. It was around the time of Princess Prom that Glimmer realised her feelings for Bow might have been more than those of friendship. Seeing him with Perfuma had ignited something in her, a jealous spark that she couldn't shake off. She had later pushed it aside for the sake of the war, and the revelations that were revealed to her and her friends. But there had always been something between them.
"When did you decide you loved Adora?" Glimmer asks. Catra blinks. Once. Twice.
"You don't decide that you love someone, Sparkles. You know it. You feel it. And in my case, it drives you to insanity. But we found our way back. You and Bow were apart for a little while, right? When he left Bright Moon with Adora to go to Beast Island. And then we were...." Catra trails off. They don't talk about what happened next. His name had not left their lips in years. They would never forget him, how he captured them, held them as prisoners, even though he insisted they were his 'humble guests'. Catra would never forget how he threw her into the sickening green pool, and Glimmer would never forget how he had threatened her by using her own father as bait. It made Glimmer sick to think that the only reason she knew her father was alive before returning to Adora and Bow was through Prime.
"Anyway." Catra continues. "You guys found your way back. Just like me and Adora."
"You can't remember not loving her?" Glimmer inquires. Catra shakes her head.
"Me and Adora were always close, and it killed me after she left. It doesn't excuse what I did but still." Catra gazes off into the distance, before snapping out of her trance when there is a gentle knock on the bedroom door.
"Enough about me and Adora, though. Today is your day, Sparkles. Now come on. I think it's time." Catra smiles, walking to the door to open it. Castaspella immediately barges in, as Catra wobbles to the side, grunting.
"Good morning to you, too." She grumbles, rolling her eyes.
"Oh my little Glimmer! You look wonderful!" Castaspella gushes.
"I'm not so little anymore, Auntie." Glimmer laughs softly, catching Catra's gaze. The feline smiles.
"I'll leave you both to it. See you out there, your Majesty." Catra picks up her book, and leaves the room.
"What if she says no at the altar? I'm hardly fit to be King." Bow panics as Adora ties his bow-tie. The blonde woman shakes her head, laughing softly.
"Bow. You are going to be an amazing King, just as Glimmer is an amazing Queen." Adora reassures, swiping some fluff from Bow's lilac blazer.
"She is also not going to say no given how she is the one who proposed to you." Adora adds after a moment. Her heart swells with pride for the future King. This is really his wedding day. The Best Friend Squad, they've made it.
"There's going to be so many people, 'Dora. It's so nerve-wracking." Bow wrings his hands nervously, but Adora takes them in her own.
"Do you remember the day the war ended? The speech you made to Etheria. Glimmer told me and Catra about it constantly. Catra knows it off by heart. She tells Finn all the time." Adora smiles, momentarily distracted.
"I still don't understand you two." Bow says.
"What do you mean?" Adora responds.
"You're not married, or engaged, yet have a child together." Bow says. Adora clears her throat awkwardly.
"Well I had intended to propose to her at Scorpia's ball next week, if you must know." The blonde admits, her cheeks dusted red. Bow goes to cry out in excitement, but Adora holds a hand up, stopping him.
"Today isn't about Catra and I, Bow. It's about you and Glimmer." Adora smiles, letting go of Bow's hands, and picking a pink flower from a congratulatory bouquet on the desk. This one was from the sorcerors of Mystacor, the label said. Adora gently tucks the flower into Bow's blazer pocket. The archer turns to regard himself in the mirror.
"Should I have shaved?" He asks, putting a hand on his stubbled chin. Adora laughs.
"No, you'll be fine. Come on, your future Majesty." The blonde mockingly bows, earning a swat from her best friend before they leave the room.
"If I get drunk tonight, you'll have to keep me away from Catra. Otherwise I'll end up telling her you intend to propose." Bow says, as they walk down the corridor.
"Oh, she knows. We're competing to see who can have the better proposal." Adora shrugs, walking ahead. Bow watches her, mouth agape.
"WHAT?!" Bow gasps.
As the guests begin to be seated, Glimmer watches from her balcony, heart racing. Castaspella stands behind her, a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you ready?" The sorceress asks.
"It feels weird, Auntie. Like another coronation." Glimmer explains.
"That's a normal feeling. Micah felt like that when he married your mother. After all, his wedding to your mother was technically his coronation as King."
"No, I mean for me. Like up until this point, I've only been a temporary Queen. Now that I'm marrying Bow, it feels like I'll be a true Queen." Glimmer overlooks the crowd of people, her people. The citizens of Bright Moon, travellers from other parts of Etheria, even Brotheria. Bow's twelve older brothers were somewhere in the crowd. Glimmer had only met a handful of them before, so she was nervous to meet them all, especially on her wedding day.
"Glimmer, you have always been a true Queen, ever since the Quest of Queens. You are the Queen who led the Rebellion to victory in the war, just as your mother knew you would be. Your destiny as Queen has been fulfilled, Glimmer. Now, you deserve a peaceful reign. Both you and Bow." Castaspella tucks some of Glimmer's hair back into her held back doe. A few weeks ago, Glimmer had cut away her purple hair, and shaved it down to an undercut. It had been particularly difficult to plan hair does for her wedding from there, but Glimmer had eventually decided on a sprayed back parting, which curved in a flame like motion.
As Glimmer and Castaspella gaze over at the guests, Micah comes onto the balcony.
"Wow, Glimmer. You look lovely." The former King smiles, as Glimmer turns to face her father.
"Thanks, Dad." Glimmer smiles, shyly dusting her dress.
"Shall we get going, baby girl?" Micah asks. Glimmer nods, and she, Castaspella and Micah leave the balcony.
Down at the altar, Bow is nervously fumbling with his tie. Adora is whispering something to him that he can't quite understand, despite the small spacing between them. Catra watches the exchange, and rolls her eyes.
"Behind you!" The feline hisses. Adora sighs, as Bow finally turns around as a fanfare plays out. Castaspella is quickly rushing to her seat on the family rows, which take up the first two rows of both sides, as Micah escorts Glimmer out of the castle. The Queen of Bright Moon wears a sleeveless flowing pale lilac gown, complete with a golden choker and of course, her tiara. The dress is covered in sparkles and glitter, with a cape attached to the back, which drags behind her, held up by two small children. Finn, Catra and Adora's only child, and Princess Flora, Scorpia and Perfuma's daughter.
Flora sprinkles pink blossom petals as she goes, as Finn waves to everyone in the crowd as if the day were about them. When they spot Double Trouble sat with Mermista and Sea Hawk, the young child enthusiastically greets them.
"Auncle DT!" Finn squeals, as Glimmer turns to smile at them. The guests find Finn's antics adorable, whilst Catra and Adora chuckle. As Glimmer gets to the altar, Finn stands between Catra and Adora.
"Remember sweetie, today is about Auntie Glimmer, okay?" Adora asks, ruffling Finn's hair. The child nods.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the wedding of my daughter, Queen Glimmer of Bright Moon, and Master Archer Bow of the Rebellion." Micah speaks as he stands in front of Glimmer and Bow, smiling. The Queen and her future King look at each other for the first time that day, wide smiles covering their faces.
"Glimmer and Bow have been friends, best friends even, since childhood. I regret that I missed out on seeing the chaos that these two could cause as children. However, it was Bow who was part of the team that rescued me from Beast Island. The moment I met him, and registered that I was not dreaming," Micah speaks, causing a few chuckles from within the crowd. "I knew he was important to Glimmer. The way he spoke about her, how he was determined to get me home to her. I knew they were dear to each other. So, now, here we are." Micah speaks.
"Marriage is not simply promising to belong to another person for the rest of your life. Marriage is about committing to one another, being there for one another throughout every up and down, no matter what is thrown at you. My own marriage to Glimmer's mother, Queen Angella, taught me that loving someone means putting everything on the line for them, and accepting that sometimes, it is not the quantity of your actions that count, merely the gravity." Glimmer's eyes begin to mist up at the mention of her mother and father's marriage. All she has ever wanted from a romantic connection is what they had. And now, she has it.
"I believe Glimmer and Bow have prepared their own vows. Glimmer?" Micah glances at Glimmer as Finn walks between the couple, with a satin pillow in hand. Glimmer looks up at Bow, her whole life coming together before her. This is her future. Bright Moon's future.
"Bow, we've been best friends since we were children, and we have been through so much. From meeting Adora in the Whispering Woods that fateful night, to reforming the Alliance, and even through my mother's sacrifice. You were always the person by my side, especially after I became Queen. I'm standing here now, and I can't say I know anyone who I would rather see as the King of Bright Moon." Glimmer's words are soft-spoken, for full effect. Bow is already crying and Glimmer hasn't even finished her vows yet.
"I swear to you, Bow. No matter what happens, I will always be by your side as loyally as you have been by mine. I know now, that we're ready for anything. I love you, Bow." Glimmer finishes, as Bow's smile wobbles in emotion. The Queen takes a pearl earring from the pillow, and places a quick kiss on Finn's head, earning a few 'awws' from the crowd. Finn grins in response. Glimmer looks at the earring with a smile, before she carefully places it in Bow's newly pierced ear.
Bow doesn't even know where to start. He's suddenly lost his words, as he feels Glimmer's hand place the jewellery in his ear. This earring belonged to Queen Angella, Glimmer's mother, as did the one that Glimmer wore. Bow knew how protective both Micah and Glimmer were over anything that belonged to Angella, so the fact that she had chosen to give him one of Angella's earrings as the symbol for their marriage.
"Glimmer...today, I pledge to you to have all the patience and adoration that love demands of us. I promise to take care of you, every day, throughout our reign over Bright Moon, for forever. So give me the bad hair days, the irritation after a meeting gone wrong. Give me all of you, and I'll give you all of me. Today, I vow to be not just your best friend, but your lover, your partner in all things...and I will fall in love with you each and every day." Bow finishes, and even Catra has to wipe a tear away. Bow reaches on to the pillow, and takes a ring off. He looks up at Glimmer, who is smiling at the ring.
"My dad gave you this?" She asks in a whisper. In Bow's hand is the ring in which King Micah gave Queen Angella on their wedding day. After MIcah's disappearance, Angella had stored it in one of Bright Moon's vaults, determined not to lose one of the parts of Micah that she had left...just like she had been with Glimmer. This ring meant everything to both of Glimmer's parents. For Micah to entrust Bow with it meant a lot to him. But not as much as it would mean to Glimmer.
"He did, yeah." Bow whispers back, sliding the ring onto Glimmer's ring finger, as Finn walks back over to their parents. Glimmer sighs contentedly.
"Now that the vows have been exchanged, it is my duty to ask if anyone in the crowd knows of any reason that Glimmer and Bow should not be wed this day?" Micah asks, looking into the crowd. A moment of silence ensues, and Micah quite audibly sighs.
"Get on with it!" Catra remarks, earning a swat from Adora.
"Then in that case, I now pronounce you, not only husband and wife, but King and Queen of Bright Moon!" Micah decrees, as Glimmer finally reaches forward for Bow and kisses him.
They've made it. That's the only thought that circles Glimmer's mind for the next few hours. She and Bow are married, Catra and Adora have a family. Etheria is at peace. The Best Friend Squad, they've finally made it, after everything. After Angella, after Shadow Weaver, and Prime, and everything else. This was the life Glimmer wanted, what she'd yearned for since she'd known how to want something in this way. With Bow as the King of Bright Moon, Glimmer knew. They had won in the end.