It was a warm spring afternoon in Piltover. The sun was just beginning its long descent behind the horizon, and a select few individuals made themselves comfortable in the gardens behind the Kiramman estate for a close, intimate, joyful occasion. The wedding of Caitlyn Kiramman and Violet.
The ceremony itself was small by design. That was the thing that confused Piltover and its nobles the most. This wasn't just any marriage. This was a union between a Piltovan and a Zaunite. A union of two war heroes, one of them the new Sheriff and the head of one of the oldest and most influential houses in all of Piltover. And by now it was common knowledge who Vi was. Who her family was. Her sister. "The symbolism," was the argument. Showing that there was no wound too serious that it could not be overcome. This was BIG. Bigger than just the two of them. It needed to be seen, and to be treated with a deeply serious gravitas.
And it was for that reason that Caitlyn and Vi had said, "no." Over and over again. "No" to pomp and circumstance. "No" to huge, gaudy outfits and massive bands and a reception filled with people they neither knew nor cared to see. "No" to... well, almost everything. From the moment they set the date, they also knew that they would never add anything to the ceremony that wasn't them. They weren't big or loud in that way. They were just... themselves.
Undeterred, the Council had asked for one thing, and the women eventually acquiesced to having a few members in attendance, to keep up appearances. Sevika, representing Zaun, slouched slightly in a chair next to Shoola. Her scowl was somewhat absent, replaced with a look that could almost be considered soft, as she cast a stray gaze around the gardens. She wore all-black: black dress shoes, black pants, black button-down shirt, even a simple black shawl to cover the space where her left arm would be. Shoola, by contrast, was the picture of prim and proper, dressed formally for the occasion, where Sevika was more casual but no less cleaned-up.
Vi stood at the small altar with the celebrant. She was dressed all in white. The top two buttons of her shirt unbuttoned, her neck tattoo peeking just above the collar. Her hair, untouched since the end of the war, was tidied up, with the short side buzzed close as always. Her hands, unwrapped as they often are nowadays, were clasped together nervously. Standing next to her, looking very uncomfortable, was Ekko. He caught the subtle smirk thrown his way by Sevika and resisted the urge to flip her off.
Getting Ekko to agree to attend, and to be Vi's best man was surprisingly difficult, to say the least. Ekko, like all Zaunites, harbored a deep-seated resentment towards Piltover and its excesses, for sins both old and new. And Ekko himself had not yet settled with his own personal feelings towards the former Commander, despite the enormous amount of effort and money Caitlyn expended in repairing what she had broken in Zaun. And those hard feelings unfortunately extended to Vi. Being called a traitor to Zaun had quickly become routine to Vi, even if it did hurt more coming from him.
"You don't realize what you're asking me, Vi. Why would I ever dress up for them? Go Topside and pretend like everything's okay when it's not? When it probably never will be? Even for you..." Ekko had demanded. Vi, in a voice far too small, and sad, and broken for someone like her, answered simply, "Because you're the only living family I have left."
Compared to that, the other requests Vi made of Ekko seemed like a walk in the park. In place of seating, Vi's side simply had a large, hand-drawn portrait lined with candles, showing her family. Vander, Mylo, Claggor, Benzo, Felicia, Connol. And yes, Jinx. Before she asked Ekko, Vi wanted to clear it with both Caitlyn and Tobias. Vi was not stupid, of course. The wounds that Jinx caused were far too deep, and would likely never heal. But Vi wanted something, no matter how small, to remind her of her sister. The one person she had lived for, before Caitlyn. Surprisingly, Tobias agreed with little pushback. "For your wedding day, for an occasion as joyous as this, I can put my personal feelings aside," Tobias had said with a soft, sad smile.
Speaking of...Vi looked up just in time to see Tobias and Caitlyn starting to walk down the aisle, arm-in-arm. Caitlyn looked positively radiant. Like Vi, she had eschewed a dress in favor of a pantsuit, though hers was much more complex. Gold inlay lined nearly every seam, and gorgeous jewelry adorned her ears and fingers. Vi wouldn't see it until she was closer, but the crest of House Kiramman was embossed into the lapels of Caitlyn's jacket. As a small surprise, Caitlyn decided against her eyepatch, electing instead to show her scarred eye. To bear her sacrifice proudly. Beside Vi, Ekko flinched. He had heard of the wounds Caitlyn suffered in the war, and had occasionally seen her with her eyepatch during tense meetings between them and Sevika. But to see it plain made something in his gut twist.
In Caitlyn's hands, was a small bouquet of violets. She had once told Vi, in the stillness and darkness of the night, that after her mother died, the only thing that kept its color in her world was Violet. The double meaning brought tears to Vi's eyes.
Tobias walked next to her, and whispered softly in her ear about how proud and happy he was, and how he wished Cassandra were here to see it. Feelings shared by Caitlyn. As truly happy as she was, it was tinged with melancholy. For everyone that Caitlyn and Vi had lost. People who should have been here. Both Caitlyn and Vi wanted to make sure that those people were here, in one way or another.
So, when Tobias let go of his only child, after he had shaken the hand of his soon-to-be new daughter-in-law, he turned to see another pair of portraits next to Shoola and Sevika. One was of Jayce Talis, with his trademark bright, confident smile. And next to him, was a portrait of Cassandra Kiramman. Dressed as everyone remembered her, white blouse with a black brooch. Long-sleeved brown dress with white gloves. Hair perfectly in place, wearing a soft smile, as if she was in the know about some delightful secret. So lifelike, one would not be surprised if she stepped right out of the portrait. Tobias stumbled at the sight of it, and Sevika shot up out of her chair to steady him. He looked up at the imposing woman, with the saddest, most bittersweet smile she had ever seen, and mouthed a silent "Thank you" before taking his seat next to Cassandra's portrait. Sevika returned to her seat, momentarily unable to hide the haunted look in her eyes. Tobias gently spun the ring on his finger.
Over Caitlyn's shoulder, Vi caught the warm gaze of Mel Medarda. Mel had used her influence as the last in her family to act as an "emissary" for Noxus, in order to return to Piltover in time to be Caitlyn's maid of honor. As always, Mel was resplendent, in robes of black, gold, and red. The gold markings on her body glittered in the setting sun. Mel nodded slightly at Vi, her smile widening, before the celebrant opened their book and began.
Both Vi and Caitlyn wanted to incorporate elements of their heritage into the wedding ceremonies. They quickly found that many Ionian traditions depended on both sets of parents being alive. And with Vi being the only surviving member of hers, she basically had no family traditions of her own to fall back on. In spite of this, they were able to find a few simple things to do. They sipped traditional Ionian wine from three cups to symbolize the past, the present, and their future together. And in Zaun fashion, she and Vi had fasted the night before. There was also a glass wrapped in a white cloth by the celebrant’s feet.
When it came time for the vows, Vi started first. "Caitlyn," she said softly, "In my life, I have never believed that I deserved good things. So much was taken away from me. Family, friends. For a while, even you were gone. I began to believe that happiness was something I could never truly have. That I should feel guilty for even wanting. But, deep down in my heart of hearts, no matter how hard I tried not to, I still wanted. I wanted so bad that it hurt just as much as any punch I’ve ever taken."
"And then someone very special to me, told me that I didn't have to feel guilty for wanting to be happy. She told me that I deserved to be with you," Vi continued, glancing meaningfully at the image of Jinx. "And when I was finally able to let myself do it, let myself want without feeling guilty or worrying about what might happen next, I got the greatest gift anyone could ever have. You."
"I might never know if I truly do deserve you yet. I sometimes feel like I have nothing to give but myself. But I promise that I'm never gonna stop wanting you. And I'm never gonna let myself feel bad for waking up next to you, for opening my heart to you, for living the rest of my life with you and for you. Because you're all I want. You're all I've ever wanted. No matter what might come, for the rest of my life, you're it for me, Cupcake." Everyone giggled through their tears, even if Ekko and Sevika rolled their eyes.
Caitlyn nodded, taking in a shuddering breath to steady herself. "Violet. My Violet. My whole life has been one of expectations: what I was to do as a Kiramman, what I had to do as Commander. What I have to do as Sheriff and as leader of my house. I buckled under that pressure. I failed time and again, and hurt those around me. People who didn’t deserve it." Caitlyn spares a lightning-fast glance at Ekko, who looks at her with a guarded expression.
"But through it all, even when we were apart, there was you. You were... you are, the only person who never cared about any of that. You look at me, and you’ve never seen my family name, my wealth and privilege, or my upbringing. You've only ever seen me. You are the one I trust above all others. You keep me safe, you keep me centered. You'll never take any crap from me," more giggles, "no matter how upset we may get at each other."
“I once told you that you had a good heart. And I was right, but even saying that is so inadequate. You have the biggest, strongest, most loving heart in all of Runeterra. For all you’ve been through, for all you’ve lost, your heart is a gift. A blessing to all who have experienced it. And I am blessed, truly blessed, to have it for myself, to be the one that you’ve chosen. I shouldn’t make more promises, so I pledge to do everything I can to always be worth wanting.”
The celebrant placed their hands on Vi and Caitlyn’s heads, blessing their union and commanding them to love and honor each other. After that, it was done. “I declare, here and now in front of family and friends, that you are wed. You may kiss your bride.”
Vi immediately grabbed Caitlyn around the waist and kissed her deeply. Caitlyn returned her passion and love just as fiercely, and the sweetness of kiss mixed with the salt of their tears as they were overcome with emotion. Even Ekko and Sevika wiped their eyes, while Tobias was borderline inconsolable. They stomped on the glass in the cloth, and that was it. They were finally married.
The reception was similarly small and intimate, mostly dealing with the mountain of gifts sent from all across the twin cities and beyond. Jericho sent a beautifully written note promising that they could eat for free at his stall for as long as any of them lived (Vi was much happier than Caitlyn). On behalf of the Firelights, Ekko gifted them a pair of beautifully constructed, mechanical firelights which flapped around them and glowed their soft green light. The Enforcers gifted them a pair of black silicone rings, so that they could keep their wedding and engagement rings safe at home while they were on duty. There were various, overly fancy gifts from the other noble houses and the new Piltover Council. Things that were nice to look at but that they’d probably never use. Babette gifted them a one-time free use of the most luxurious and expensive room in the brothel. The note said, For your anniversary or when you’re ready for kids ;). Vi hollered with laughter while Caitlyn hid her reddened face.
Mel brought them an original art piece she painted. Bold colors of black, red, and gold, interspersed with midnight blue and bright magenta. Somehow it all fit together, despite the clashing colors. The biggest surprise, however, was Sevika. She walked forward with an unsure, almost nervous look on her face. “I was able to get this out of the Drop before the looters could get to it,” she said gruffly, and held out a box, the wood darkened by fire, for Vi to take. Inside was a pair of steel mugs, a trio of engraved tumblers, a brown bottle of liquor, and a pair of photographs. Vi’s breath stilled when she saw them. They were of her families. The first was just after Powder was born. Vi is holding her with the biggest smile on her face between her mother and father, who are kneeling with her and smiling as well. The second was one taken when Vander had brought them topside. Vi’s eyes filled with tears as she traced the images of him, Mylo, Claggor, and Powder. She got up slowly and hugged Sevika. “Thank you,” Vi whispered softly. “This is the best present I could ever have gotten.” Sevika’s lip trembled, and she roughly shoved her way out of Vi’s grasp before stomping back over to Shoola, who embraced her trembling form.
When the night was over, and everyone had left, Tobias walked towards his daughters with a thick folder. “This day was a long time coming, and yet I always wished it never would,” Tobias said, his voice thick with emotion. He handed it to Caitlyn, who opened it and gasped. “That’s everything. The money, the estate. The summer home in Ionia, the bungalow in the Summer Isles. All of it. It’s all yours now, my dears.” Caitlyn fought back tears as she pointed out the names to Vi.
Caitlyn and Violet Kiramman
“It all belongs to you. Both of you,” Tobias said, before all their faces crumpled and they hugged each other, at once celebrating all they had gained, and mourning those who could not be there to share in the joy. Vi and Caitlyn finally retired to their room, after spending much more time than you’d think carrying each other over the threshold. Vi held Caitlyn close, her grip almost crushing, and somehow still had enough tears to cry as she sobbed, “Oh fuck… we did it. We actually fuckin’ did it. I’m your wife…”
“You are. You are mine and I am yours. Forever,” Caitlyn whispers softly. The crash of emotions throughout the day had completely sapped them of any remaining energy, and they barely had undressed before they both flopped into bed, fast asleep within seconds.
The next morning, they were awakened by the light and warmth of the morning sun. Vi reached out and sleepily grabbed Caitlyn around the waist, pulling their bodies together. She kissed Caitlyn’s shoulder and whispered, “Good morning wife.”
“Good morning, wife,” Caitlyn replied with a smile, as she held their left hands together, the rings sparkling in the light. “Hungry?”
“Gods yes, I feel like I could out-eat half of Piltover,” Vi groaned. They got up, showered together and dressed. They headed downstairs past their already-packed luggage. “It’s supposed to be three days to the Summer Isles,” Caitlyn said absentmindedly as she walked into the kitchen. Any further murmuring was interrupted by her bumping into Vi. “Vi, is everything alright?”
Vi didn’t answer. She stared at the dining room table with wide eyes. Caitlyn followed her gaze to a medium-sized box that definitely wasn’t there the night before. It was wrapped crudely with very familiar splotches of pink and blue paint and crayon scribbles.
“The doors were locked?” Vi asked.
“Yes, as were the windows. You don’t think…” Caitlyn replied.
“Stay back,” Vi commanded softly. She walked cautiously to the box, pulling gently at the big bow on top. It slowly unfurled, the ribbons falling onto the table. The box opened of its own accord and Vi and Caitlyn flinched. But there was no nasty surprise. No bomb taking their faces off.
Instead, there was a small shower of pretty sparkles. Inside the box was a beautifully-crafted cupcake with violet icing and pink and blue sprinkles, along with a note that looked like it was scrawled by a child. It simply said
Congratulations to Fat Hands and Pirate Commander Cupcake