To Ease Temptation

Posted on Sun 24th Sep, 2023 @ 2:02am by Maiek s'Ethien & Mary Elizabeth Gregory
Edited on on Sun 24th Sep, 2023 @ 2:02am

977 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Neither Yours Nor Mine
Location: Romulan Diplomatic Ship
Timeline: MD 9: 1000

Continued from "Appropriately Chapperoned."


Only then did Maiek begin to thread the ribbons that hold up the outer skirt through the sheath's gaps, and he did caress her skin as he did so, and tied it in the back. The lace jacket layer would come next.

"That looks quite lovely, Maiek," Mildred said with sincere admiration. "I've never seen Mary Elizabeth gowned so beautifully."

"What, not even in my prom dress?" Mary Elizabeth gave Mildred an indignant look.

Mildred shook her head. "Especially not that one, Miss Tutti-Frutti."

Mary Elizabeth giggled. "It did rather look like that, didn't it?" She carefully shook out the wedding dress skirt. "I agree; this one is much better. Maiek, you've done wonders. Jeremiah will faint."

"In that case, one recommends allowing him to see it prior to the wedding." Maiek intoned with a wicked twinkle in his eyes that only Mary Elizabeth could see.

"Oh, not at all," Mary Elizabeth said. "What's the fun of having younger brothers if you can't surprise the socks off them once in a while?"

Mildred cleared her throat as Maiek marked alteration spots on the dress. "Ahem. As we're here with time on our hands, there's a subject I've wanted to broach with the two of you--that being the guest list." She glanced at her future prospective son-in-law. "Maiek, on Earth, the bride traditionally sends the wedding invitations, with input from the groom and his family. If I understand what Mary Elizabeth has been telling me, this is something of a political marriage? If it is, I'll need to get a list of who we must invite and how to reach them and any information about order of precedence you might have, for seating during the reception." She paused. "If Romulans do wedding receptions?"

Maiek muttered a word that had the tone of a curse and then rubbed the back of his neck. "My aunt is the Ambassador from New Romulus. She is...well connected and was a member of the Great Council at one point, but this is not a political marriage. I assure you that Romulan politics as it was under the Empire would have had me dead for giving my heart to our ancient enemy." His eyes softened as he looked at Mary Elizabeth. "What is the meaning of 'tutti frutti'? "

"It means, 'all fruits,'" Mary Elizabeth said. "My prom dress was, er, colorful--very colorful, with large, puffy sleeves, and a full skirt. It was awful, but I loved it--at the time. Then, after I completed Basic Training, I went home on leave, saw that dress again, and couldn't believe I'd been caught alive in it."

"May I see it?" he asked, uncharacteristically amused by the look on her face. It was an expression he'd never witnessed on her face before, and he liked it.

"I can draw you a picture, but that thing went to the charity shop at the earliest opportunity," Mary Elizabeth told him.

"She forgets her father and I took a photograph of her and her prom date that evening," Mildred said to Maiek with a wicked grin.

Mary Elizabeth groaned. "I was so hoping you wouldn't remember that."

Maiek's eyes lit with glee at the proposition of seeing his betrothed as a young woman. "Please, might we see it?"

Mildred Gregory's eyes sparkled with merriment, and she grinned. "Oh, splendid! I get to embarrass my daughter in front of her fiancé! I don't know about Romulans, Maiek, but Earth mothers live for this moment!"

Mary Elizabeth pointed a finger at her mother. "You are getting no grandchildren!"

"No grandchildren. Mm-hm; that's why I have to chaperone the two of you." Mildred scrolled down the screen of her wrist-comm, tapped it, and showed Maiek an image of Mary Elizabeth standing next to a tall, blond-haired boy who wore a white formal suit with an orange cummerbund and boutonniere. 'Colorful' was the kindest word that could be said for Mary Elizabeth's prom dress. It even had the words, "Tutti-Frutti" embroidered on the bodice.

"Wordy formal dresses were all the rage, that year," she explained to Maiek. "Still, that was no excuse for committing a fashion crime of that magnitude--or for making it necessary for poor Alec to wear a tuxedo to match."

Maiek's magnificent grin turned into a snort of laughter at the photograph of his beloved. He raised twinkling eyes to meet hers and bit his lip to hold in more laughter lest he hurt her feelings. "I have no words, ar'rhea.".

"Oh, I have plenty," she said, "like, 'What in the world possessed me to wear a dress like that?!' Thankfully, my fashion sense has much improved--and I now have a brilliant teacher in the subject."

"Such a thing would have been immensely popular on Romulus in the not so very distant past. The color scheme!". He made a gesture of appreciation with his hand as he took another glance at the picture. A little chuckle escaped him as he raised his eyes to hers, taking in her slightly embarrassed expression. He whispered in Rihan into her ear something he knew she would have to use the translator to figure out The complete message. The words themselves were not difficult, the tone, however, in which they were delivered was the important part. Switching back to standard for the sake of politeness, and for his own practice in the language He continued "Orange is a color I favor."

Mary Elizabeth just giggled as her mother snorted knowingly at Maiek.

Maiek's eyes rose to meet Mildred's and for a moment something lingered in them that made him absolutely certain that the traits he admired so in his intended came from her mother. He inclined his head to her in acknowledgement of the point made and received by them both.

 

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