at last
;

 

For the past few weeks, the palace had been in a flurry of activity, preparing for the grandest event to ever be held in the kingdom—the double wedding of Luhan and Minseok, and Jongin and Sehun. Invitations were sent, amongst those including Minseok's friends from the orphanage; messengers travelled from kingdom to kingdom; wedding gifts were received by the happy couples with smiles on their faces. The entire kingdom was in a festive mood. Luhan couldn't even go out as much as he would have liked because he'd get mugged by the crowd. The wedding was the talk of the kingdom for days, and little else was mentioned. 

 

Understandably, when the marriages first were announced, the people were taken aback. They'd expected a prince, or at least someone of noble birth to marry Luhan and Jongin, but they quickly grew endeared to Minseok and Sehun after they had made a few public appearances as couples, from which it was clear that they were made for each other. The people also commented on how uncannily alike Sehun and Luhan were (at this point which Luhan and Sehun would laugh and glance at each other knowingly), and welcomed the fact that there was to be a double wedding. The king and queen of Lyria, Jongin's kingdom, were a bit unsettled with the idea of a double wedding at first, as it was customary for a wedding to be held in the prince's own kingdom. A compromise was quickly reached, however—the wedding ceremony would be held in Luhan's kingdom, and the next day, a dinner reception in Jongin's kingdom.

 

A week before the wedding, Baekhyun was in Luhan's room, helping him with the fitting session for his wedding suit. It had to be tailored to exact proportions so that it could bring out the best in Luhan; tight-fitting in the right places yet loose in others, to leave room for imagination. Luhan stood on an elevated stand in the middle of his bedroom, feeling like a mannequin as Baekhyun fussed about him, measuring tape and pencil in hand.

 

"You've got to be dazzling. Dazzling. When Minseok sees you, he'll fall in love all over again."

 

Luhan blushed slightly at the thought. "What about Minseok's suit? Are they making him a nice one?

 

Baekhyun chuckled. "You bet. It'll be the handsomest suit you lay your eyes upon, and it'll make you probably want to, you know, do things to him."

 

"Oi!" Luhan hit Baekhyun hard on the arm and Baekhyun yelped. But he couldn't keep from smiling. These few days, Minseok was either constantly being whisked away to fitting sessions or court decorum lessons, likewise Luhan was also swamped with duties. Both of them were so busy that they barely even had the time to see each other. For reasons of appropriety, they weren't allowed to spend too much time alone, and so Baekhyun or Junmyeon would always be tasked to accompany them. They could barely even find the chance to sneak kisses with how heavily they were being watched. But they put up with it, simply because after a few weeks, they'd be officially married and free to do whatever they liked openly. 

 

"What about you, huh?" Luhan asked, nudging Baekhyun's arm with his elbow. 

 

"What about me?" Baekhyun retorted in feigned ignorance. "There's nothing about me. You're the one who's getting married; I'm just helping you prepare for the big day."

 

Luhan sighed, stepping off the stand (much to Baekhyun's protests) and looping an arm over his shoulder. "You know full well what I'm talking about. You and Chanyeol... you guys are perfect for each other, don't you know that? I've found my happy ending—what about you, Baek?" 

 

"I only met Chanyeol once, and it wasn't even anything much." Baekhyun shrugged. "Big deal. Life goes on."

 

"I know you, Baek. You had something special with Chanyeol. Don't deny it."

 

Baekhyun scoffed. "Even if," he started, "even if we had something, it's all gone now. Chanyeol's from another kingdom and I heard long-distance relationships are very impractical."

 

"But it's a neighbouring kingdom," insisted Luhan.

 

"Doesn't mean we're neighbours." There was a pause, and Baekhyun exhaled, leaning into Luhan's warm embrace. "I don't know, Luhan-ah... if I go with him, that'd mean giving up everything I hold dear here. Giving up my job. Giving up you." Baekhyun turned, looking Luhan straight in the eye. "And I don't want that to happen."

 

"Enough about me," Baekhyun said suddenly. "Do you know Junmyeon and Kyungsoo are official now?"

 

"Seriously?" Luhan shifted suddenly, yelping as Baekhyun's pencil poked him in the back. Baekhyun hissed, "I told you to stay still!"

 

Luhan ignored him. Due to his busy schedule, he hadn't been keeping up with the palace gossip for a while now. "They announced it? How come?"

 

"When you were busy with wedding preparations, they must've also gotten inspired somehow and secretly got engaged. But it's not really a secret anymore."

 

"Engaged?!" Luhan screeched. "Wow, that's, that's...."

 

"Unbelievable," Baekhyun completed the sentence for him. "But they have been together for what, three years now? So it's not that much of a shock."

 

"Why don't we make it a triple wedding then?" Luhan joked, and Baekhyun elbowed him in the ribs, wiping the grin off his face.

 

"You distracted me from the subject again," Luhan said in sudden realisation. Baekhyun was extremely good at changing topics in a conversation—it was what kept him safe from prying servantmaids.

 

"Anyway," Luhan smiled. "He'll be there for the wedding next week." He winked and nudged Baekhyun. The latter sighed. 

 

"I'll think about it" was all that he said in response. 

 

-

 

The day which the whole kingdom had been anticipating finally dawned. Jongin and Sehun arrived early in the morning in order to get ready in time for the wedding at noon, and were received with the blaring sound of trumpets, as well as Luhan, Minseok and Baekhyun's smiling faces. 

 

"Congratulations! Are you excited?" Luhan asked eagerly, the minute he saw them.

 

"More than anything," Jongin replied while squeezing Sehun's hand, looking at him meaningfully. None of them had changed into their wedding suits yet, because "the veil of secrecy is to be preserved", according to Baekhyun. They were all wearing normal palace wear. Jongin pointed to the trunk of the carriage, indicating a few large trunks where the suits were kept, and asked the servants to help remove them.

 

"Now, now, we must separate you till the hour of the wedding. No more spilling of secrets," Baekhyun whisked them away, each to their respective guest room for preparation. Jongin turned to press his lips to Sehun's in a chaste kiss, before whispering a "See you" in his ear.

 

"See you," Sehun echoed, and Jongin turned around and followed the servant to his room. He turned after a while to see Luhan looking at him with a barely-suppressed giggle.

 

"What?" asked Sehun defensively.

 

"Nothing," Luhan chortled. "I understand." He snuck a not-so-subtle glance at Minseok, who was standing beside him. Minseok rolled his eyes.

 

"Of course you do," Sehun said. "So don't judge."

 

"After you," Luhan gestured, grinning cheekily and Sehun obliged, following the servant before him. Minseok then returned to his own room, while Luhan went with Baekhyun into his. 

 

Less than five hours to go. 

 

-

 

It was less than four hours to the wedding and Baekhyun was busying himself sick. He fussed around Luhan's make-up and suit. When Luhan told him to relax, Baekhyun got fed up.

 

"This is the biggest event of my—I mean your life and you dare tell me to remain calm?" He shouted, positively scandalised. "God forbid, what if you have a loose thread on your sleeve? Nope, I have to triple check." He manoeuvred Luhan around, inspecting his attire meticulously, while Luhan just laughed at his best friend's antics.  

 

Luhan poked Baekhyun's ribs, earning a furious stare from the latter. "You're not even the one getting married. What are you so worried about?" 

 

"How can you be so nonchalant about your own wedding?" Baekhyun was perplexed, unable to comprehend how Luhan could be so unaffected when his entire life would be changed in a matter of hours. "I'm your best friend, and I'm more concerned about it than you are."

 

"I think you've just been single for too lo—Ow!" Luhan yelped in pain when Baekhyun flicked him on the forehead. "What was that for?" 

 

Baekhyun was trying his best to conceal his bubbling laughter. "Pissing off your best friend isn't the best idea, especially when he's also your stylist." He glanced at Luhan meaningfully. The latter rolled his eyes. Luhan knew that their friendship dynamics would undoubtedly change after the wedding, especially since he was getting married and Baekhyun was still in denial about a possible relationship with Chanyeol. After the wedding, he would also have to take on more responsibilities, so he was treasuring every minute he had with his best friend. 

 

"Done," Baekhyun announced after a few minutes, surveying Luhan from head to toe with what seemed like affection and a hint of pride. "Now don't go fooling around or all my efforts will be wasted, okay?"

 

Luhan only nodded, the corners of his mouth lifting up.

 

-

 

Baekhyun hurried down the corridor, the sound of his footsteps clear on the marble floor. Beads of sweat flowed down his face, but he couldn't care less. There were, not one, but four grooms to take care of and Baekhyun felt his head spin. He, being Luhan's personal stylist, had insisted to be responsible for all their attire himself. Of course, there were other stylists in the palace, but he didn't trust them enough to let someone else handle it—what if something went wrong? But now, he was starting to regret it a little bit. He had just finished checking on Sehun and Jongin, adjusting their bowties and fixing their belts. Now he just had to do some final checks on Minseok—hopefully his grooming was at least of passable standard. With his eyes trained ahead, he didn't manage to dodge in time when a person bumped into him from the side.

 

"I'm sorr—Chanyeol!" Baekhyun gasped when he made eye contact with the taller male. Chanyeol had not changed one bit from when he first saw him a few weeks ago. He was still the same lanky guy, with a row of white teeth and elfish ears and a grin gigantic as ever. 

 

"Baekhyun," Chanyeol greeted happily. "It's good to see you again." He flashed a toothy grin and opened his arms wide. Baekhyun stared at him unsurely.

 

"Hug?" Chanyeol asked, lifting an eyebrow. The grin on his face faltered a little. Baekhyun flushed, feeling slightly stupid.

 

"Oh, okay." He stepped forward into Chanyeol's embrace and was enveloped by a pair of strong arms. Baekhyun thought to himself that he wouldn't mind staying there forever.

 

Chanyeol broke away first. "I've missed you, Baek," he stated simply. Baekhyun didn't know how to react. Chanyeol was so blunt and forthright about everything; it always took Baekhyun by surprise.

 

Baekhyun sighed. He supposed it was time to come clean and tell him directly that they weren't meant to be. "Look, Chanyeol," he began, staring at the floor. He didn't dare to meet Chanyeol's eyes. "I know we both have good feelings towards each other, but this can't work out. You and I live in different kingdoms, and I'm not ready to give up everything to be with you. I'm sorry."

 

"Who said you had to give up everything?" Chanyeol spoke again, and Baekhyun lifted his eyes to look at him.

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"Although the marriage between him and Prince Luhan didn't work out, the two kingdoms are still keen on strengthening their alliance. They're currently working on the possibility of the two kingdoms co-owning a plot of land for agriculture. Every week, I will be coming over on behalf of the king and queen of Lyria for meetings regarding trade and economy," Chanyeol explained.

 

Baekhyun felt his heart beat faster. "Then why didn't Luhan tell me?"

 

"Prince Luhan doesn't know it yet. Nobody knows except the king and queen of both kingdoms. Not even Prince Jongin knows. I only know about it since I'm the advisor."

 

"Oh," Baekhyun managed to utter out. 

 

"Yeah," Chanyeol chuckled. It was a nice, rumbling sound that Baekhyun would never get tired of hearing. "We can go on real dates then," Chanyeol continued. "Wouldn't that be great?"

 

Baekhyun smiled softly, his eyes sparkling with something resembling hope and joy. "Yeah," he replied, "I'd like that." 

 

"And, if you don't mind, there's something else I've always wanted to do, but never had the chance to..."

 

"What?"

 

"This." Before Baekhyun could react, Chanyeol leaned forward, pressing his lips to Baekhyun's. Baekhyun's brain got into a state of overdrive because oh my god Chanyeol is kissing me and he could feel nothing but Chanyeol's soft lips on his and the way he was gently cupping his face and Baekhyun had to tiptoe a little bit because of their height difference but he didn't mind at all. 

 

They finally pulled apart after a while, and Baekhyun spotted, out of the corner of his eye, the silhouette of a servantmaid running off, no doubt to gossip about it with her nosy counterparts.

 

"Oops," Baekhyun giggled.

 

-

 

When Baekhyun pushed open the door to Minseok's room, he saw the latter standing in front of the mirror, blinking. Minseok felt out of place, almost as if he wasn't in his own skin. He wasn't used to the texture of the smooth fabric that was rubbing against his skin. He felt odd.

 

"I feel weird," he mumbled, looking himself up and down in the mirror. Baekhyun tutted at him.

 

"Don't say that, you look fantastic. I'm sure Luhan will agree."

 

"Yeah, but I'm not used to it," Minseok replied.

 

"You'll get used to it soon. Now, just stay still while I fix your hair."

 

-

 

The ceremony was held in the royal gardens, because of the beautiful backdrop that it offered and the unique memories it brought back for both couples. Also, it was the only place in the palace that was big enough. (The cake itself was massive, occupying an entire table.) The garden was decorated with colourful silk and whimsical carved statues and there was a splendid red carpet laid out across the ground. The chairs were custom-built, legs made to resemble flowers. 

 

Seated in the front row were the kings and queens of both kingdoms. Baekhyun, Chanyeol, Junmyeon, Kyungsoo sat behind them in the second row, along with Wufan, Yixing and Zitao, whom Minseok had invited. Junmyeon had his hand rested unobtrusively on Kyungsoo's thigh, while Baekhyun was not-so-inconspicuously leaning into Chanyeol. There were a hundred more seats, though, which were occupied by ministers and nobles and other important guests from both kingdoms. 

 

Jongin and Luhan were already standing at the altar, waiting expectantly. Jongin appeared impassive, but the twinkle in his eyes gave everything away. Luhan, on the other hand, didn't even try to hide the wide grin that was spreading across his face. He was really and truly happy, and he wanted the whole world to know it. The priest, Kim Jongdae, who was swathed in robes, stood at the altar. He opened his mouth to speak.

 

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome the grooms."

 

All heads spun around, eager to catch a glimpse of the grooms. A carriage drawn by horses arrived at the royal garden's entrance, the door opened, and Minseok and Sehun stepped out. 

 

Despite telling himself countless times that there was nothing to be nervous about, Minseok's hands were still covered with cold sweat. He rubbed them on his pants, trying to calm himself down. Needless to say, Luhan looked flawless. Minseok had always admired his delicate features, and today, he seemed to glow beautifully under the sunlight. The shadows clung perfectly to his features, making him seem even more ethereal. Even better, he was dressed in a sharp black suit that fully brought out his status as royalty. Minseok gave a small smile, and Luhan returned it. He could hardly believe that after all the obstacles they went through, they were finally getting married. It seemed to him only yesterday when Luhan crashed into his life, and he smiled fondly as he recalled the moments they had together. Playing soccer with Wufan, Yixing and Zitao, cleaning up the orphanage as punishment, the night spent at the carnival. The memories flashed across his mind one by one, and his smile grew a teeny bit wider.

 

Luhan's eyes were drawn to Minseok immediately. He didn't know about how Minseok felt but damn, he was falling in love with Minseok all over again. He was suitably impressed with the way his hair was styled with the gel, and his eyes wandered up and down appreciatively. He shut out the loud applause and cheering from the audience, and in that moment it felt as if it were only the two of them in the world. When his eyes connected with Minseok's, his grin grew exponentially wider. 

 

Sehun glanced at Luhan before looking at Jongin. He never expected, in his entire life, to end up marrying a prince. If not for Luhan, he thought, he'd still be sleeping on the streets. He saw Jongin gaze at him with those warm brown eyes, mouth unsmiling but his eyes crinkled just a little when he saw Sehun return his gaze. Sehun flushed and averted his eyes. He couldn't handle this. He was afraid that once he started staring at Jongin, he wouldn't be able to stop.  

 

Jongin, on the other hand, was absolutely and completely floored. Sehun was dressed in a navy blue suit with a white bowtie and Baekhyun had worked wonders with his hair, bangs falling naturally over his forehead, just slightly covering his eyebrows. Jongin wanted nothing more than to kiss him and run his fingers through his hair. His heart filled with a kind of happiness; his chest felt as though it might burst at any moment.

 

Minseok and Sehun walked side by side towards the altar. Their strides were slow but elegant (both of them had received lots of training for this). Sehun held his head high, looking forward, while Minseok was still staring at Luhan. Words could not describe what each of them were feeling at that moment—each of them bore different expressions, but their feelings were similar. They stopped beside their soon-to-be husbands, and all four of them turned to face Jongdae. 

 

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to share with two very special couples as they exchange their vows of love. We are gathered here, not to witness the beginning of what will be, but rather what already is! We do not create this marriage, because we cannot. We can and do, however, celebrate with them the wondrous and joyful occurrence that has already taken place in their lives, and the commitment they make today. Marriage is merely the beginning, and I believe that each and everyone of you here will bless them and wish them all the best in their journey together from now on." Everyone applauded when Jongdae finished his address.

 

"At this point, I'll ask you, Luhan and Kim Minseok, Kim Jongin and Oh Sehun, to face each other and take each other's hands." The four of them did so, gazing at each other with looks of pure bliss. The entire audience quietened down, waiting with bated breath for the recital of the marriage vows. 

 

Jongdae turned to look at Luhan, and, addressing him, spoke."Luhan, do you take Kim Minseok to be your partner in life, to live together, to love him, comfort him, honour, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep only unto him so long as you both shall live?"

 

"I do." The reply was soft, but clear. 

 

"Then do you, Kim Minseok, take Luhan to be your partner in life, to live together, to love him, comfort him, honour, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep you only to him so long as you both shall live?"

 

There was a moment of silence, before Minseok opened his mouth to declare, "I do." 

 

"Do you, Kim Jongin, take Oh Sehun to be your partner in life, to live together, to love him, comfort him, honour, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep only unto him so long as you both shall live?"

 

"I do." Jongin answered without hesitation.

 

Jongdae then turned to Sehun, and for the last time, repeated. "Do you, Oh Sehun, take Kim Jongin to be your partner in life, to live together, to love him, comfort him, honour, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep only unto him so long as you both shall live?"

 

"I do," Sehun answered solemnly. Finished with their vows, the four grooms turned to face each other expectantly. 

 

It was then that a warm smile crept up Jongdae's impassive face. "You may now kiss." 

 

They leaned forward, Jongin and Sehun cupping each other's cheeks while Luhan wrapped his arms around Minseok's waist, and their lips touched just as cheers erupted from all around them. 

---

A/N:

This took me so long to write ;; (Marriage fics are not my thing tbh) There were four couples, so I apologise if it gets a bit confusing/sketchy at times! 

You may have expected this to be the last chapter, but I'm here to tell you some great news - it's not! I've realised that I simply can't just end the fic here—there would be too many loose ends left untied. There will be a short epilogue sometime later closing off everything. I won't be posting it up anytime soon though (I need to study for my exams gdi). I also am planning out two other fics (angst, anyone?) and will start writing them after this is complete.

Feel free to talk to me at my ask.fm or tumblr ^^