Thorns and Roses Chapter 10

Thorns and Roses

White gloved hands clenched the sides of the painted vanity, nails digging into the wood as Amy hunched over before the mirror.
"Okay Amy." She whispered. "You can do this."
She looked up at her reflection and her pale forced- clam face dropped .
"Who am I kidding! I CAN'T do this!"
Everything had been fine when she had woken up that morning. She'd been calm as her maids greeted her with congratulations.
She's remained clam when her mother was suffocating her teary-eye at breakfast.
Even when she had been lead to the dressing room with the bridesmaids, including Blaze and Sally who'd arrived the morning before, she had been calm to the point of apathy.
But it was a s soon as she had gotten into her own wedding dress and alone in her private dressing area when she looked at the mirror her whole mood chipped, cracked and shattered into a million pieces. Suddenly all the underlying anxiety and nervousness she had all but forced down for the last few weeks came crashing forefront.
She didn't throw up, and she didn't burst into tears. But the pure force of the terrible emotions impacted her mind enough to kill her nerve and break every ounce of resolve she had mustered up since the day she had heard of the engagement.
For a moment she felt as if she was being sucked into a deep dark hole, pressure coming from all sides. She could barely breath and he heart was pounding in her ears.
She couldn't do it! She couldn't go down there in front of all those people her parent's had invited. She wasn't ready for this!
She wasn't ready to leave her old home and her family! Or be married off to somebody who didn't love her.
She looked around the room in a panic. She had to get out of here!
She was just about to run out the door when it swung open, nearly scaring her closure to death.
"Amy?"
Blaze the cat peeked from behind the door to see if Amy was decent, and as she approached her younger friend she took in the tortured expression on her face and was instantly concerned.
"Amy, what's wrong? You don't look so good…"
"Blaze I can't do it! I can't go out there. I just can't!"
Blaze hesitated for a good while at the whimper from her friend: Amy was always seen as the most carefree and happy person one could ever meet, so seeing her in such distress was unnerving.
"What? Why? What's wrong with you?"
"I just can't do it Blaze! I'm freaking out over here!"
"Amy, calm down. I'm sure that it's very normal to feel nervous on the day of your wedding."
"You think it's NORMAL for a woman to feel completely out of her mind?"
Blaze shrugged.
"I'm just telling you what I hear, but I won't know till I get married myself, will I."
Somehow even in her time of panic Amy was able to pull humor out of this.
"Make sure to remind me to introduce you to Silver then…" She shook her head painfully looked back at the mirror.
Seeing her reflection brought a huge jolt of discomfort.
The wedding dress she loved so much only served as a slap of reality.
She was getting married.
In less than a few hours.
Her whole life was about to change.
Everyone always said that marriage dictated how a woman was going to live. She would have no more of the freedom that her parents had always graciously allowed her.
Shadow was also a lord of high standing in the court.
She was sure that she would be expected to act as a lady; hosting extravagant parties and being forced to be poised and proper for groups of complete strangers; dressing up in those ridiculously uncomfortable gowns for every ball and social gathering; and not to mention the snobby first class pinched-nosed ladies that would come to call at every chance.
She wrung her hands unhappily before plopping down on one of the sofas, and bringing her knees to her chin.
"Ugh. Just look at me, match making at my own wedding that I don't even have the guts to go through…"
While she buried her face in her knees Blaze walked over slowly, unsure exactly how to handle the situation, and to get out the way of the maids who'd just walked in.
"Amy, you are not a woman, you're just a big chicken! No offense Langley," Amy said to a portly hen who was picking up articles of clothing left on the ground. The chicken looked affronted as she went back to her chore.
"At least you're retaining a small bit of humor." Blaze remarked  "But Amy, please don't worry too much. Aren't you always saying everything will turn out okay in the end?"
"Ha-ha! Yeah. But that was before I came across a situation that probably won't turn out okay."
Amy huffed, her bangs flopping up.
"Are you worried about the marriage itself, or is it really Shadow? I'm sure he's a nice  enough guy: from what I've been told we're pretty alike so he can't be that bad."
"Hmph! That might actually mean that he IS." Amy replied with a very slight grin that melted off her face the next minute as she fiddled nervously with the final piece of her outfit: the veil.
"You're so funny." Blaze said dourly, taking the veil out of Amy's hands and placing it correctly on the girl's head.
"Why Don't you go sit on the balcony for a while until you've calmed down? You always feel better after getting 'one with nature' right?"
Jumping for the change to get away from that mirror Amy nodded.
"Yea… you're right. Maybe I just need to clear my head… You'll tell me when it's time to go right?"
"Of course. You all didn't force me into this… dress, just for you to skip out on me."
Amy flashed a quick smile and turned towards the wooden screen in front of the doorway that led to the balcony, taking up her white velvety skirts to keep her dress from getting wrinkled.
Blaze shook her head and flicked the lights out before leaving. Maybe some fresh air would do them BOTH some good.
She turned and headed out to the courtyard, closing the door behind her.

~~~

As she walked out into the sunshine she pulled at the collar of her white and purple dress, being careful not to rip it with her claws. She found the other bridesmaids in their similar dresses waiting around on the stairway, well away form the garden so they wouldn't be distracted by the guests who were socializing in the garden, but close enough to be ready for the procession to start.
"Isn't everything so beautiful?" Mina the Mongoose was saying to Bunnie Rabbot, Sally and Rouge.
"Yeah, lady Alicia and Lady Jasmine have outdone themselves! Just look at how the decorated the pagoda!"
"The roses were a very nice touch"
As Mina and Sally babbled over how beautiful everything was Rouge and Bunnie greeted Blaze.
"So, how is our little bride today? Is she gushing over her outfit still?"
"No. She was actually having a nervous breakdown. I sent her out though for some air though. I'm sure she'll be back to her usual bubbly self in no time."
"Wait, you mean she' out and about?  What if the groom see's her? That's bad luck you know…"
Blaze laughed.
"Nah, she's on her balcony, probably daydreaming. I'm not THAT careless."
"You? Careless? At all?"
The three women grinned at each other until Bunnie turned to Rouge.
"How IS that Shadow-hog doin'?"
"Oh, I'm sure he's off sulking somewhere. But I wouldn't worry much about him. He's perfectly able to take care of himself."

~

Shadow glared out the window of the borrowed dressing room, having already finished dressing, and now trying his best to relax. He was sitting on the window seat for the time being, graciously alone while the groomsmen were off either getting dressed or in Sonic's case making a nuisance of himself. His frown deepened and he struggled to keep his feelings calm in such an uncomfortable situation. He should have just run away when he had the chance, but it was much to late to turn back now.
He let out a sigh, and as if on cue the one person in the world he did NOT want to see right now happened to stroll on in.
"Hey'a Shads! How's our favorite whipping boy?"
"Go away Sonic."
Shadow kept his glare centered on the window unwilling to let Sonic get under his skin. However in his currently distracted state it was becoming very easy to push his buttons.
"Aww, what's the matter grumpy Gus?" Sonic put his fists on his hips and raised a brow humorously. "You're not still made about the whole tainted punch thing are yuh? I SAID I was sorry."
"Go AWAY Sonic."
"Hmph. Rude as ever I see. But I don't think I WANT to go away."
To prove his point further Sonic plopped down on the ground, crossing his legs Indian style and grinning up at the black and red hedgehog.
With another sigh Shadow stood and glided to the door, pushing past a new-coming Silver without another word.
"What's his problem?" the gray hedgehog asked Sonic.
The blue hedgehog shrugged with a somewhat mischievous grin.
He was actually surprised at Shadow's behavior today. The black hedgehog would have usually reacted more aggressively.
He leaned back with a wide grin to take a short nap.
He couldn't blame the guy, as surprised as he was.
A wedding would make ANY guy nervous.

~

'Stupid idiot.'
Shadow ground his teeth in slightly in annoyance as he walked through the castle of his soon to be in-laws. It was rather unlike his own castle in that this fortress had been built in a different type of environment. He's before noted how on this side of the castle, the hallways were darker. Desperate for a nice quiet space to clear his head he looked outside the window. The Garden perhaps?
He dismissed the notion with a glance, it would be crowded with the wedding guests by now. He gritted his teeth and instead decided to make this easy on himself. He stopped where he was and turned to slip into the closest room, closing the door behind him.

He looked around at the room he'd wandered into. It was rather large, with a high ceiling from which a large but unlit chandelier hung. From the door he could hear the sounds of people talking and of birds chirping floating in from behind a large dressing screen. Behind the screen must have been one of the balconies that the Rose family apparently had a big attachment to. He raised a brow and made his way to the center of the room curiously. It looked like this had been used as a dressing room. There were articles of fancy clothing littered about the room, and his eyes caught onto several hair-care objects scattered about on the vanity. He stuffed his fists in the pockets of his suit as he frowned at the vanity mirror. He couldn't wait until this day was over…

"Blaze? Is that you?"
""Wha!?"
In surprise at the unexpected voice that had appeared from behind Shadow both jumped and stepped back in such shock that his foot met with the most inopportune type of object: the vanity's chair.
CRASH!
His eyes were spinning. He was halfway on the ground, laying with his back on the floor and his legs stuck in the air over the accursed bench. Not that this was his main priority. Who it was that CAUSED his embarrassing mistake was at the forefront of his thoughts.
Shadow looked over to the dressing screen in utter embarrassment as the head of Amy Rose of ALL the people in the world, popped out from behind it.
"Oh my gosh! Shadow? Are you okay?!"
Shadow's face lit up from where he was sprawled out on the ground. This was only getting worse. He jumped back up on his feet.
"I'm fine."
He brushed off the black jacket of his suit and pointedly looked to the side.
Amy tilted her head unsurely and walked over to him "Are you sure?"
The darker hedgehog's face still resembled a tomato  as he gave a nod, his hand brushing through his quills, and his trying to avoid looking at her.
"I apologize. I was unaware that… you were in the room."
"Oh, that's okay. I'm just glad you're alright."
She looked around at the room and felt a sweat drop. It was messy in here still despite the maids having come in. She turned again to Shadow and smiled. Somehow her concern and the excitement had rejuvenated her. That, plus the secret amusement at Shadow's embarrassing fail. She tried to push away a smile by picking at a piece of her dress, but then her eyes widened as she realized something.
"Oh!" She looked up and met Shadow's eyes in a sorta of shock, and his eyebrow rose.
"I just realized… We broke the rule didn't we?"
"Rule? What… rule?"
With an amount of effort he kept his gaze on the pink hedgehog.
"You know, that rule!"
Shadow frowned, not comprehending, and Amy sighed as her fists met her hips.
"Remember? The groom isn't supposed to see the bride before the wedding ceremony! That's bad luck!"
For a moment Shadow paused in rubbing at his sore arm to stare wide-eyed at the young female.
'Bad…luck..?'
He snickered.
The idea was so funny to him that he forgot his present situation, and was now grinning evilly. Only, his amusement didn't last very long.
Amy kept a straight face, and her eyelids lowered halfway while she looked at her nails before uttering five deadly reminders.
"You tripped over a chair?"
As if by magic Shadow straightened up immediately and was back to his somber old self.
"That's what I thought." Amy said before frowning at the black hedgehog.
"And how in the world is bad luck funny?"
Shadow smirked.
"There is no such things as bad luck. The very idea that someone actually belvies in that sort of thing is… amusing.
He shook his head.
"You're such a child."
Amy had her hands on her hips in the next moment.
"I am not!"
"Yes you are."
"Nuh uh!"
"Mhmm~"
"Hmph! I'm not the one jumping into random rooms like a little kid!"
Shadow was just about to refute this, his cheeks turning red, when Amy put up and hand and put a finger to her chin thoughtfully.
"Actually, why WERE you running into random rooms for anyway? Shouldn't you be getting ready yourself?"
Shadow was just about to answer this, but again he was interrupted, not by Amy Rose, but by the actual thing he was avoiding. Sonic
"SHADOW! WHERE ARE YOU?"

Shadow jumped as he heard the blue hedgehog's voice from only a hallway away.
"Shoot!!!"
With a laugh Amy looked at Shadow's slightly panicked face and silently she pulled him over to the dressing screen and pushed him behind it to the balcony, JUST as the door opened and Sonic appeared, whipping his head around until he spotted Amy.
"Oh! Sorry Ames! Didn't mean to disturbed you."
"Hi Sonic! What's going on? I heard you shouting about something."
Sonic scratched at his head, suddenly worried about what Amy would do if she figured out her groom was missing.
"Aw it's nothing. Have you seen Shadow around?"
"Umm, not for a little bit~" She said as she avoided looking towards the black hedgehog who as now cowering behind the dressing screen. It wasn't a total lie she supposed.
"Okay then. Thanks!" With a worried glance down the hallway Sonic was off looking for the man missing in action.
Amy and Shadow simultaneously let out a sigh of relief, but just as they had relaxed they were surprised against as Sonic came right back to the door suddenly.
"Oh, and looking~ good~ Amy!"
Sonic gave a wink and a thumbs up before disappearing again, leaving Amy grinning after the blue hedgehog.
"Hmph" Shadow peered over to the girl, his hand under his chin contemplatingly from behind his dress screen. "Flirting even on your wedding day?"
"Oh, that wasn't flirting." Amy strutted over to her vanity and plopped down on the circular cushioned chair before playing with her hair.
"Anyway, what are you planning to do now that you got away from Sonic?"
Shadow shrugged.
"I suppose I'll stay in here until it starts. That is, if you don't mind?"
"Nah, go ahead. I'll be stuck with you for the rest of my life anyway. What's another thirty minutes."
She waved him down and he found a chair, setting himself towards the wall and leaning back to put his arms behind his head.
The room went quiet save for the soft sound of Amy's hair brush and the distant sounds of people outside. The silence was actually not unwelcome: it was a comfortable and peaceful silence, that instead of making either hedgehog feel anxious or uneasy, it actually calmed them down.
'Funny how that works…' Shadow thought as his eyes fluttered closed for a few minutes before he would once again have to get up and go down to his own wedding ceremony. Their wedding ceremony.

~~~

Knuckles the Echidna looked around curiously at all the people in the court yard. He, Tails, and Silver were relaxing in the shade of a tree, Knuckles was leaning against the trunk while the others tried to point out familiar faces in the crowd. . He could see the happy parents of the bride and groom chatting socially with the rest of the guests who were being led to their seats by the suited servants. In only a few more minutes they would be getting ready to give off their children.
Already Mina the organist was setting down, putting her music up and stretching her fingers, and Ash the priest was now straightening up on the other side of the tree that Knuckles and Silver were sitting under.
All they were missing was one of the two most important people of the wedding;
The groom.
"Where the heck are those two?" Silver mumbled worriedly. "You don't think they would skip out on this thing, do you?"
"Nah, Shadow isn't THAT much of a jerk." Knuckles said. "…Is he?" He added with another thought.
"Hey guys, have you seen Shadow yet?"
Silver, Knuckles, Tails, and Ash all looked up at Sonic who skidded to a halt in front of them, and just as Mina began to play the precluding music.
The four men began to panic!
"No! We haven't!"
"Oh man, what are we going to do?"
"Shadow's parents will kill us if we tell them their son went a-wall."

"Ahem!"
Sonic, Tail's, Knuckles, and Silver all turned on the spot.
"Shadow! There you are!" Sonic exclaimed as the black and red hedgehog strolled over to his groomsmen.
"We thought you chickened out for a minute."
"Hmph."
A twitch of his cheek showed Shadow's amusement before he raised a brow towards the alter, taking in the view of what looked like a hundred people seated in their white chairs awaiting for the start of the wedding.
Around the chairs were long white ribbons, hanging onto the chairs, each with a purple and a pink rose holding them up. Down the aisle the altar was a beautifully constructed arch, decorated with pink and purple roses and white flowing ribbons and lace that blew around in the breeze mysteriously. In the front Shadow's father sat, a leg crossed over next to a vacant seat, and right across the aisle were two other vacant seats.

Shadow closed his eyes and breathed in and out through his mouth, suddenly aware of the time. The mothers appeared closure to the side of the castle, across from the groomsmen and followed by the bridesmaids. Ash the mongoose grinned and stood up.
"Are you ready?"
"As I'll ever be." Shadow mumbled back.
"Good."
As if on cue the preclude music was finished and after a quick nod from Ash, Mina was playing the familiar traditional processional music. The wedding had begun.
Lady Rose smiled as she was escorted down the aisle by an usher who Shadow recognized as her trusted butler, Reeves. She sat down at the side opposite of his father and turned in her seat to smile at the next person.
His own mother in her orange dress flowed down the aisle as well, looking pleased as she smiled at the other wedding guests, escorted by another un-named usher before taking a seat next to his father.
As the mothers were settled Ash gave Shadow a slight wink before he walked down the middle of the white chairs and stopped at the altar to turn. He made it seem so easy, but now it was his turn.

Shadow took a very deep breath, and the world seemed to be going very slowly as he took his first step down to the aisle, followed closely by Sonic. He fought to keep his gaze situated on his destination, and it had everything to do with his nervousness. Somehow the image of hundreds of pairs of eyes surrounding him left him more uneasy than even the usual crowd would.
People who his parents knew, and people he'd never seen before all staring at him as if expecting some great miracle to happen. He was also aware of his mother and father sitting in the front. It seemed like such a very long distance, and Shadow also couldn't help but feel those few moments as if they were many hours.
His eyes down cast to keep the flush on his cheeks inconspicuously and he finally felt a great swell of relief as finally he made it past his parents parents-in-law, before stopping at the altar. But even as he turned around and Sonic has taken his place he still felt an overwhelming pressure of what he was about to do.

The next to come down the aisle was Sally and Silver as her escort. She smiled broadly as they walked down together and as the two stopped to take their positions at the alter, Shadow was momentarily amused as she winked her eyelashes towards Sonic, making the blue hedgehog squirm uncomfortably. Even Silver gave a low chuckle at this.
Rouge, looking lovely as ever in her lavender dress only graced the crowd with a small smirk as she and Knuckles escorted each other. Knuckles was blushing very lightly, and Shadow was comforted a bit that he was not the only one who was horrible at being in the public eye.
Blaze the cat as the maid of honor fared about as well as Shadow and Knuckles did. Although she was very much sued to being in attention, she also had a certain amount of self consciousness when it came to dressing up. When she finally came down the aisle she was the female closest to the middle, so Shadow was also able to notice her blushing.
Tails was able to earn quite a few "Awws" from the crowd as he strolled down the aisle with his pillow, upon which the rings were sitting, gleaming in the sunlight. He settled next to Shadow without trouble, looking around excitedly, and then Cream was also a great crowd pleaser.

But then the music changed as the most anticipated part of the entire wedding began. Shadow's back tightened up and next to him he felt Sonic do the same. The guests all came to their feet as the wedding march went on and they turned around to face the oncoming pair. Amy and her Father.
For a quick moment Shadow has been unsure that the girl coming down the aisle was Amy Rose. Somehow the Amy that was now standing with her father at then of the aisle looked even more beautiful than he thought he'd ever seen her. Her dress's corset was designed beautifully with designs of multiple roses, the top held up by four straps: two light purple ones on her shoulders, two pink ones hanging loosely around her arms. Going around her hips was a lavender ribbon that was tied on the right. The skirts of her dress were set into three billowing layers each designated by a pink, purple, pink ribbon.
And even the simple white veil pulle back and held up but a silver tiara only served to underline her radiant smiling face. She looked as if she were glowing.
As Amy and her father walked down the aisle Amy giggled after a glance to her father's face, being careful to keep hold to the bouquet of pink purple and white flowers.
"Are you going to be okay Daddy?" She whispered secretly, smiling at the guests who were staring at her happily. Several of the lades in the seats were whispering between smiling lips to each other, and her mother down in front was already crying as she watched her daughter walk closure and closure, latching onto the arm of her father.
"I-I'm fine sweetie" He replied, his voice muffled by the underlying emotions. He was trying hard not to think that she was actually about to go away: to leave them for the husband that they'd chosen for her. Why had they decided to marry off their only daughter!? At the time the reasoning had seemed valid… but now he could hardly bear it. After all, how much did they really know about their about to be son-in-law? Would he take care of her properly?The two of them had such a funny and unstable relationship.
"A-are you sure you'll be aright?"
He whispered to her while glancing at Shadow down at the alter.
"You can always say no you know?"
Amy giggled. Shouldn't it be the other way around in this conversation? NOW her father was deciding to get cold feet, just as she was beginning to accept the future her parents had laid out for her. The old worry wart. She smiled and squeezed her father's arm into a sort of affectionate hug.
"Don't worry too much about me dad. I'll be fine!"
"How can you be sure?" He asked turning to her slightly. Her was his own daughter telling him that she was perfectly fine with getting married when for the last half a year, she'd been screaming something completely different!
"Well, I'm not completely sure. But I guess I'll have to find out right? After all, this would have happened eventually."
She faced her father with a final smile as they crept closure to the alter.
"Who knows. Maybe having a husband won't be so bad." a very mischievous smirk not replaced her smile and she nearly scared her father half to death. "At least I can make him buy me whatever I want."
"…….." Her father felt his sweat drop. She was definitely her mother's daughter. Finally they arrived at the very front row of chairs, feet away from the altar, and Amy gave her father's arm one last squeeze before the paused just before the alter. The giving away part actually went smoother than Amy thought it would as her father place her hand into Shadow's without much complaint of hesitance and went to his seat to stand next to her mother. Amy could feel herself blushing as Rouge and Sally tired hard not to giggle at her on her left, and on the right behind Shadow, Sonic gave a very small thumbs up. But even behind her blushing Amy was very pleased to note that she wasn't the only one embarrassed slightly. As Ash went through the introduction Amy could see Shadow's face was also redder than his usual tanned color.
And it deepened even more for both of them as the introduction finished and the two faced each other, holding each other hands. Somewhere behind her Amy heard a snicker and decide that later she would trip up Rouge while she was dancing.
"Shadow, will you have this woman to be your wedded wife, to live together in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honor, and keep her in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her, so long as you both shall live?"
"I do" Came Shadow's husky reply, and Ash then turned to the bride who's hands he was holding.
"Amy, will you have this man to be your wedded husband, to live together in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love him, comfort him, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, as long as you both shall live?"
"I do"
From the front row came a very loud sob as Amy's mother embarrassingly buried her face in a handkerchief as the rings that Tail's had been holding were held out.
The ring ceremony also went without much trouble. The rings themselves were more resembling large golden wrist bracelets.
"I give you this ring as a visible and constant symbol of my promise to be with you as long as I live" Was the ring pledge they both shared, as the golden bands were put around each other arm causing a slight glow as they were closed.
Now came the vows.
"Shadow take thee, Amy, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part."
"I Amy, take thee, Shadow, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part."
Another set of sniffling now mixed into Lady Rose's sobbing as Shadow's mother began to tear up herself.
It was hard to listen to the rest of Ash's words. He was basically giving them advice on their marriage. But then finally the last part of his speech got the attention of everyone in the area.
"..That God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. Inasmuch Shadow and Amy have declared their love and devotion to each other, I now pronounce that they are husband and wife."
Time seemed to slow down in that last moment as both hedgehog knew what was coming up next. But even as they looked at each other neither of them felt what they had expected;
Amy even felt herself smiling widely despite herself.
"You may kiss the Bride!"

~~~~~~