Everyone Ages (XIAOLIN SHOWDOWN)

The Palace

Chase Young's Heylin Jubilee took place on a June Day without a cloud in the sky. "Queen's Weather," as we call such days here in England.
The gilded gates of the palace fell open that morning to the stately parade of Chase and his all mighty alliance. 
With everything in a muddle Chase Young and I were rushed off our feet.
An assistant heylin-in-waiting's work is never done.
All the hundreds of palace staff were watching now, clustered at their windows. The Body Linen Laundresses and the Bedchamber Women. The Fire Lighters and the Footmen, the Butlers and the Under Butlers. The Chimney Sweeps. The Apothecary to the Household. Even the Rat Killer. Yes, there's an official palace rat killer. 
A silence fell upon the palace then. No foot-steps rang. No one was summoned or sent for. The Palace awaited the queen's return. Sunlight-pale, watery English sunlight - fell, almost unseen. Sunbeams winked on the polished fender  before the hearth. How welcome is a crackling fire on an English summer day. 
Oh, you should have seen that noble chamber in all its quiet grandeur. The famous paintings on the paneled walls. The gently tinkling chandeliers. The tapestry cushions. Then, just at the stroke of noon, probably, there came a stirring and an occasional cheep.
The black carpet suddenly filled up with a murmuring multitude of heylin.  All the palace heylins, of course.  And the heylins of the better London families. Then the foreign heylins visiting.  Gigi alone was accompanied by a retinue of forty people, including the pot carriers, and he was only one heylin of many.
There is nothing like a palace wedding to draw a fashionable crowd. And the flowers on the fender were such admired. Sprays and cascades of red-bloom petals and lily of the valley, plucked straight from the palace greenhouse. Chase Young and I had been up half the night.
He went first, of course, Chase Young did, to his place at the front to confirm the alliance agreement.  Down the aisle between the crowds he walked with such posture, wearing his crown and his signature armor. For the music, the wedding march was played.  And so Kimiko started down the aisle to the Wedding March. She carried a  burgeoning bouquet of four late violets, white ones, picked dew-fresh that very morning from a shady corner of the palace gardens.
The wedding guests made a path for her across the black carpet, leading to the fender before the hearth. She was a lovely bride, of course, and she looked as though she liked to be the center of attention. Several of the foreign heylin dropped curtsies as she passed, showing their tight-lipped respect for the xiaolin warrior.
From a small explosion of flowers in her hair , a train of lace fully ten feet flowed behind her. It was white lace.
At Kimiko's throat, hung a pearl necklace. Her wedding gown, white like her veil, was simple and girlish, and stopped just below her feet.  I ran up her train myself, with the help of six or eight palace staff.
Kimiko proceeded on the arm of Clay, He sported a very tight wing collar and a small black bow tie. Clay being the only responsible xiaolin male in the party would be the one to give Kimiko away and name peace for the alliances in doing so. 
I was naturally maid of honor. My bouquet was of three waxy hydrangeas, green to match my dress, which is right for my colouring. I looked nice. 
It was a day beyond our wildest dreams, and my eyes grew misty as we approached the fender. Then there before us was the clergy-man, come directly from Westminster Abbey. He wore a purple silk robe, embroidered, around his neck and held a prayer book. And spectacles, which put me in mind of Master Fung from our old life. Beside him stood the groom. In his mightiest stance. Snowy white hair. Emerald eyes. Gorgeous skin. Oliver.
Yes, Oliver. Also on shore leave for the occasion. I couldn't talk her out of him. It had been love at first sight, but I had insisted on a palace wedding. I'd put my foot down. You do what you can.
Clay was leading Kimiko up to Oliver now. I busied myself arranging her veil and her hair. As she handed me her violets, she goggled her eyes at me and smiled. You know Kimiko. Then she turned to Oliver, and her future. 
The clergy-man adjusted his spectacles to begin: "Dearly beloved..."

And my mind spun backward to our old lives, in China. 
Before you knew it, Kimiko and Oliver were united in the bonds of matrimony, sealed with a kiss. And back up the aisle they proceeded.

"'Ello, 'ello," said Oliver, nodding to left and to right as Kimiko hung on his arm. 

Cake and dancing followed. "The Blue Danube" waltz played, and Oliver and Kimiko took to the floor. Oliver took Kimiko into his arms and stepped forward. She stepped back, and off they floated as all the heylin multitude pattered applause.
Then what do you suppose happened?
Out of nowhere appeared Jack Spicer, evil boy genius. He was bowing from the neck before Chase Young as always. Oh, that messy hair! I never cease to marvel. If I am remembering correctly, he wore everything he normally would wear but a bit cleaner. 
Chase Young's clawed hand came up, and he kissed the air above it. He grinned down at him, showing his sharp reptilian teeth. Then he nodded in my direction.
And he was before me.
My heart skipped a beat. I buried my nose in my waxy hydrangeas in a sudden fit of shyness. 
I went pink as a begonia.
But he waited until our eyes met. Then he spoke

"Will you dance with me, Alice..? And Many more besides?"

Then I was in his arms. Don't ask me how. I don't dance. I never had. When would I? But we were turning and turning in the waltz, swept away upon the beautiful Danube, while all the world watched and wondered. 
You should have seen the look on Omi's face.

END.