By: Supafly
Finally one of the events that the book fans have been waiting for: The Wedding! Or rather, what comes after!
When Claire and Frank got married it was a small affair. They got married before she even met his parents, at the courthouse before lunch. He didn't care what his family thought, only of her and the family they would make together. Claire and Jamie married in front of the entire Clan. Her life before, slowly becoming a distant memory, or at least attempting to.
The wedding party continues to go strong, and Claire waits. Their first time will be watched, to make sure that the marriage is consummated. Jamie and Claire share a drink to take the edge off of things. Jamie says a toast to his beautiful wife, and they drink their drinks down. Claire has two more drinks, and Jamie tries to ease her fears. He tells her that she doesn't have to fear him, he's not planning on ravaging her. She has questions, and Jamie is willing to submit to answers. She asks him why he would marry her. She didn't have much choice, and he admits that he didn't have much either.
Mr. Gowan goes over their dire circumstances. Claire's testimony could be the downfall of everyone, with all that she's witnessed and lying about a marriage to her would be even worse. If Claire does become his wife, Jamie told Dougal she is to be treated with the respect she deserves. Dougal warns that Claire already took a beating from Randall, and it would only be worse for her if she were to fall into his hands again. Jamie knows all too well Randall's cruelty.
Jamie married Claire to keep her safe, and that melts her heart a little. She has his name, his clan, his family, and the protection of his body. That little declaration should be enough to send her heart aflutter. As he leans in to kiss her, she asks about his family. Jamie tells her about his father, a Fraser, and the rest that he hails from, and Jamie talks into the night. It was a welcome distraction, and Claire reciprocated in kind. They finally got to know eachother. Jamie was charming, and Claire relaxed and enjoyed herself. Angus and Rupert interrupt checking on the couple. Jamie sends them scurrying from the room. Claire tells him that its getting late and they should get to bed. Jamie offers to help her with her corset, and Claire accepts. The chemistry between the two is electrifying, even simple action make the heart flutter. He slides her skirts to the floor, as howly unlaces her corset, taking his time to unwrap her like a gift he's not sure he deserves. Jamie barely manages to get a handful before Claire announces that its her turn. Claire and Jamie finally share a kiss. He's a virgin, but cerrtainly no monk. Jamie drops his kilt, and the rutting begins. He tries to take her from behind, but she turns face to face as they fall to the mattress. It's short lived and definitely not what he thought it would be for his first time. He thought that you had to go the backways, like horses. Poor inexperienced Jamie. Claire breaks her promise not to giggle at his admission. Jamie acts if she enjoyed it, and Claire doesn't answer, which confirms to him that women don't enjoy sex. Claire tells him that she did like it, which only makes her feel worse.
Claire leaves in search of food, but the men in the wedding party are still downstairs celebrating. They tease Jamie since Claire can still walk straight, and he sends her back to the room, while he gets the food.
Rupert and Angus continue to tease Jamie, asking if he bled for his first time. He tries to send the men home, and Dougal wants a proper thanks for finding him a bride, and cautions Jamie on returning too quickly to Claire. Wouldn't want her to know he was eager to please her and all.
Jamie shares with Claire what Dougal said, and his meal. He told Dougal he was completely under Claire's power and happy to be there. He pours her a whiskey, and she flinches under his touch. She apologizes, and Jamie wonders the spell that she's cast on him. He marvels over the beauty of even her hair, and she finds herself breathless at his touch. She turns her attention to his kilt, its different. It's in the Fraser colors.
Murtaugh collected his wedding clothes for him, and in the Fraser colors. Jamie planned on only getting married once in his life, and he wanted to do it to make his mother proud. Jamie asks if his mother would have liked Claire, and Murtaugh scoffs at the question at first, saying that he can't commune with the dead, but relents seeing Jamie's saddened expression. He asks if Jamie still has the broach, which he does. Jamie's mother's smile lit up the world, and Claire has the same kind of smile.
Claire asks if Murtagh is a Fraser or MacKenzie. He's a Fraser. Claire is surprised that he had time to get wedding clothes. Jamie has a hand it the slowing of Dougal. Jamie made certain demands if he was to marry Claire. They were to be wed properly, in a church, and before a priest. Dougal met with a priest, and he was unwilling to do so unless the pair were announced three times. Dougal's man and the priest has a scripture off until Dougal finds something that strikes his fancy, a better church.
Jamie's next demand was a wedding ring made out of a ring. He has very specific instructions about how it as to be formed, and Angus and Rupert were set to the task of getting it done. They pay a hefty price to the blacksmith to have it done immediately. Claire asks what the key was to, and Jamie brushes off the key's significance.
Jamie's third condition had to do with a dress. Ned Gowan had to go to the whorehouse to find something. The girls all try to strike his fancy, but the proprietress has a dress worthy of a wedding, a dress lost to pay a gambling debt, but never worn. She names the price, which he agrees to without batting an eye, but when he pulls his purse out to pay and the girls see how much he has, they fall back to their seduction as the dress is wrapped up for transport. Claire laughs at Jamie's story, but he swears its all true.
Claire may have had a monsterous hangover during the wedding, but Jamie remembered every moment, every detail. When the cloak was taken off her, it was if the sun came out suddenly. She was radiant and beautiful. She was hesitant to marry him, not even knowing his real name, and Jamie revealed it as: James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser. Claire Elizabeth Beecham shook his hand, and Dougal prompted the wedding forward. Claire didn't remember all, but some things remained clear. She removed her gold wedding band before entering the church. They took their vows in front of the clan. The invocation was said over Claire's ring before Jamie slipped it on her finger. Dougal cut both Jamie's and Claire's wrist before they were bound together and she repeated after him a Gaelic vow. They kissed as man and wife, and he reaized when she kissed him with such feeling that maybe she wasn't so sorry to have wedded him.
Claire orders him to take off his shirt, she wants to look at him, and he is a beautiful marvel to behold. Claire looks over him as she walks around him, letting her hand trail his backside. Jamie has her remover her dressing gown as well, and gets a good look. He's never seen a naked woman so close, and never one that was his. He kisses her, lifting her into his arms for round two. Claire is much more vocal this time, and Jamie fears that he hurt her, but he did anything but. Jamie had no clue. Claire flips Jamie over onto his back, and shows him a few tricks of her own. He thought his heart was going to burst for a moment. Satisfied he falls asleep. Claire gets out of bed, and heads down for a drink. The house is quiet, everyone has finally gone off to bed. Dougal returns. He's just come from informing Randall of Claire's change of statusDougal commends her for doing what she did, and makes its clear that her marriage status is not a deterent for him. She tells him that she's Jamie's wife. Rupert returns singing a merry song, Claire thanks him for the ring, and his kindness. Claire returns to bed, and Dougal proves to be in a foul mood, taking it out on Rupert.
Jamie awakens to find Claire watching the fire. He slips from bed and retrieves a string of pearls. They're Scotch pearls, that were once his mothers, and now they are his wife's. They extremely precious to him, as is she. Claire kisses her new husband, lowering herself on his lap. She drapes his tartan plaids around them as she slowly rides him.
In the morning, Claire and Jamie dress, nd Jamie heads down for breakfast. Claire shakes out her crumbled up wedding attire, and her golden wedding band goes flying across the room. Claire retrieves it, and there's guilt all over her face.
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