It is day of our wedding when dream and reality finally collide once more. The day has been glorious -- overwhelming. Arella is more beautiful and radiant than I have ever seen her, and that first glimpse when I turned and saw her was a moment I will never forget -- her golden hair intricately arranged on the back of her head, all interwoven with gold thread and tiny white flowers, the long-sleeved, ivory coloured dress -- laced at the back in an almost Tudor style and falling from her waist in a great cascade of crushed silk, her every move accompanied by an evocative swish. I am in a tailored tailcoat which instantly transforms the way I hold myself. We look and feel like new people -- transformed, ready for our new lives. Tirzah looks stunning, but, as always, is a complete contrast to her sister. She is in a dress of straight, heavy silk in a pale purple and cut with almost classical simplicity that follows the slim, long contours of her body and seems almost to quiver as she moves. She looks at us with all the pride that we feel ourselves, allowing herself -- unless I am imagining it -- several more smiles than usual.
Later that day, as the celebrations get underway, Arella and I head up to the suite in the hotel to change into more relaxed clothing. We laugh like children as we run up the huge, sweeping 18th century staircase and fall into the room, our heads fuzzy from the champagne, still buzzing with the excitement of it all. I fall silent in appreciation as we enter the room. This is where Arella spent the previous night, and where she prepared herself for the day. It's spacious and classic, with high ceilings, French windows leading to a balcony overlooking formal gardens, and a small adjoining room to one side -- the bridesmaid's room -- to which the door is still open. The French windows are open too, and a gentle, warm breeze is blowing, catching the long, gauze curtains and making them drift in and out of the beams of sunlight. Arella kicks off her shoes in relief, then, pulling the pins from her hair, lets it cascade over her shoulders. Lifting her voluminous skirts, she pads towards me and kisses me passionately on the lips. I slip my hand around her slim, tightly laced waist and we savour the moment, her fingers cradling my head, spreading through my tousled hair.
For a moment I glimpse the both of us framed in a large antique mirror on the wall. Suddenly she breaks away, swings me around and with a smile pushes me backward so I slump down on the side of the low, ornate bed.
'Something for my new husband,' she says dreamily. Then, very slowly, she starts to gather up her skirts again, raising them bit by bit, to reveal her shapely, white-stockinged legs. She knows I have a thing for stockings -- the anticipation of seeing those lacy tops revealed, with the smooth skin of her thighs above, is intense, and Arella clearly enjoys milking it for all its worth. But first to appear, on the thigh of her left leg, a beautiful, antique, embroidered garter, trimmed with fine lace. She stops, refusing to go any further, teasing me. I notice that tucked into the garter is a tiny sprig of greenery.
'Rather pagan, isn't it?' I smile.
'It's mistletoe,' she says. 'For luck.' And with that she plucks it from under the garter and moves towards me, her smooth thigh now so close to my face she must be able to feel my warm breath. But all I can think about are the tops of those stockings, so tantalisingly close. 'You're supposed to take the garter off,' she says. 'It's traditional.'
'I thought it was traditional for me to take it off in front of the guests.'
She smiles. 'I thought you'd prefer this in private.' Returning her smile, I slip my fingers under the garter and slide it carefully down her leg, pausing to give her beautifully shaped foot a kiss before straightening up once again. There's another tantalising moment -- then she starts to raise her rustling skirts once more, until finally the tops of her sheer stockings are revealed, the crisp white edge of the intricate lace contrasting deliciously with the smooth, golden warmth of her skin. Beautiful. I feel my cock twitch and start to harden. She continues to raise her skirts. My heart is beating faster, my mind reeling, wondering what underwear she will have chosen for this occasion. Sexy? Demure? Virginal?