The Guest of Honor

Chapter 1
Chapter 1

Chapter Description: Meeting the family

    Rolling hills of pine and elm streamed past them on the road South to Emma's family home in Northern Virginia, a gigantic plantation style mansion occasionally rented out for weddings. Oliver sat in the backseat with Liam's dog Boomer, peeking up from his book occasionally to steal a glance at the couple up front. He thought he was one of the luckiest men alive to be allowed to join them on this trip, though he was still nervous to meet the rest of her family, especially her mother and sister.

    Oliver's life had been drab and grey before he met Emma and Liam. More than the color they brought to his days, they had believed him; he had been haunted by visions and odd occurrences since he was a child, although most people wrote these things off as mental illness and he had learned to keep quiet about it. They had come into the bar where he worked a few times, gaining his trust and becoming friendly over the course of perhaps a year. Eventually, they showed him their own magic tricks and offered to help him learn how to direct his power effectively if he went away with them to do so. They had even warned him of the dangers of an uncontrolled talent for magic, everything from house fires to earthquakes. 

    He hadn't needed much persuading. He wasn't terribly attached to his job and he thought that he had little to leave behind, and the thought of being validated by these two beautiful strangers and no longer being "crazy" lent him a feeling of belonging he hadn't felt in years. It was like they shared a wonderful secret that no one else would believe, a conspiracy of three against the world. They had said that people with gifts such as his that manifested without study were both incredibly rare and dangerous, and they had been glad to find him before any serious harm came to anyone around him. 

    The three of them had spent the last two weeks indulging their whims in the leadup to Oliver coming to become an official member of Emma's coven at the upcoming Beltane festival. Emma had said she was "an heiress" and that money would be no object. Still, he had paid his rent up and made sure he had plenty in savings until he could find another job should things not work out. He hadn't let go of rationality or come to trust these two completely and wanted an escape hatch available. 

    Oliver's worries were getting closer and closer in the form of meeting the rest of Emma's family. From what she had told him, her sister and mother could be a little intense. What if they didn't like him? What if he made some obscure faux pas at dinner? They were supposed to be old money and the world they occupied was completely foreign to him, and Emma's assurances weren't enough to completely set his mind to rest. 

    "We love you, so they'll love you. Trust me." Emma said, her hair drifting behind her head from the rush of the open window. "Just don't engage when Izzie teases you and call my mother Mrs. Adams and they'll be utterly charmed." 

    Oliver's heart skipped a beat. They loved him? What did that mean? 

    "Oh, and make sure your shirt's tucked in, Sophia hates an untucked shirt on a man." Liam added. "And take her hand, don't let her take yours, and for the love of God don't kiss it." 

    "I'll try to remember all that." 

    "Don't worry, you'll be a hit. Just wait, when you see your outfit for the ball you're going to just die!" 

    Part of the weekend included a reception ball for the coven, which included Emma's immediate family and a few dozen others with their children, who would be looked over by the older kids and servants. It was supposed to be an elaborate masquerade, and she had insisted on choosing his outfit and made him promise to wear it as a condition of attending; she had even taken his measurements before placing a covert order. 

    Oliver's escape into his book had was running out, they were pulling into the shaded lane that led to the estate, made up of some historical buildings maintained in period condition, a guest house, and the main manor house, a sprawling plantation style manor that the Emma's ancestors had acquired under dubious circumstances. He was equal parts nerves and excitement as they parked in the circle out front, leaving the keys in the ignition for the servants to park it later. 

    They passed through the double doors and main entryway, past the grand main entrance and spiral staircase, through the panelled halls of decorative tables and vases, past a few more shut doors and old paintings, and finally to an open door that Emma referred to as "the sitting room". Shirt tucked in, Oliver took a deep breath and followed her and Liam inside. 

    Sophia sat on an overstuffed couch inside the elegantly decorated room watching the news on a television that was on a small table in the corner, dressed simply in a navy blue skirt and blazer set. Her other daughter, Isabelle, sat on the floor changing a baby girl's diaper while another kid, maybe three or four, played with pony dolls. Behind the couch was a pile of boxes in brightly colored wrapping paper, like presents for a baby shower. 

    Oliver did his best to ignore the smells of dirty diaper and follow Emma's instructions, taking Sophia's hand and greeting her after the initial bustle of introductions. 

    "Oh I love this one Emma, no wonder you want to keep him." 

    "Stop it Mom, you're going to scare him off," Emma said with a light chuckle. 

    "Well, I think he's a bit scrawny but there is something cute about him." Isabelle put in with her baby daughter in her arms. 

    "And don't you get started. He's perfect, you'll see that later. It's getting late already, do you mind if we retire to our rooms until the ball?" Emma was not in the mood so soon after a long drive. 

    "Of course not dear." 

    "Thanks Ma."

    Emma's old bedroom was an airy space, a large bed and a vanity were one of the few things uncovered, the rest of the furniture had been covered with large white sheets. Some paintings hung about the walls and had obviously been uncovered and dusted just for her arrival. She commended Oliver's patience with her relatives among the piles of their luggage that had been carried up by the servants; he thought maybe she was being a little over the top, although he couldn't deny the tremendous pressure of the other Adams women's presence. They had a scant few moment's rest before they were due to get ready for the ball. 

    Emma opened the package that contained Oliver's outfit and unwrapped it from the monogrammed paper it was shipped in. It was beautiful; a delicately embroidered white dress with a matching veil, like a high fashion finale gown. She laid it out on the bed with a corset and a pair of angled platforms for him to take in. 

    "Is that yours?" Oliver asked hopefully.

    "Oh no, this is for you. It's tradition! Witches love crazy outfits, the Masquerade Ball is something we all look forward to for years. I had it made just for you! Come on, everyone else will be in something just as wild."

    Liam had unpacked his own outfit, a black robe that trailed onto the floor with sleeves that poofed outwards and tucked into a set of dark latex fetish gloves. Laid on top of the pile of clothes was a mask of a devil's face made of lacquered wood.

    "If you really don't want to wear it you can go home, we did tell you it's a condition of joining the coven," Liam said as he started to undress and get into his robes, drawing Oliver's eyes and eliciting a blush.

    "Come on Ollie, no one will even know it's you, no one knows you here anyway."

    "Ok, ok, fine you've convinced me. It's just not what I expected." 

    He was won over once Emma pointed out that no one would even recognize or know him there anyway. Oliver had always been hyper conscious of his narrow frame and fine features, he wasn't thrilled about being so clearly on display all night. Nevertheless, quitting just because of his hangups wasn't an option. It'd be over before he could even think about it too much, he told himself.

    "Excellent! I'll help you get into it, I know it looks like a lot. And I'm doing your makeup too, even though your face will be covered by the veil. Oh, by the way, do your best not to show your face, it's another tradition."

    Oliver's face flushed an even deeper red when he saw that she had even brought a tiny pair of white lace panties for him. 

    "What, did you think you could wear boxers under there? Don't worry, I'll turn around while you put them on." 

    He obliged as quickly as he could. She laced the corset tightly, drawing his breath out, zipped the back of the dress up for him, drew the veil over his face, and had him pull a pair of white opera-length gloves over his elbows.

    "Even better than I thought! Turn around and have a look." 

    He was stunned; was that really him in the vanity's mirror? He looked like a young bride, glowing with the excitement of her wedding day. 

    "I'm glad you like it. You can keep the dress when we're done," Emma said, taking his silence for an answer. "I have to get ready too so hang out with Liam for a few minutes, mine shouldn't take as long as yours." 

    She closed the door of the attached bathroom behind her and although Liam did his best to engage in small talk, Oliver wasn't biting. 

    "You know, you really do look beautiful. This is a big deal, being brought into the coven from the outside world. You would usually have to wear white, but the dress was Emma's idea. And don't worry, you're like the guest of honor, everyone will be inclined to like you no matter what." 

    When Oliver didn't respond he added, "I said you look ravishing and you can't mess this up?" 

    He blushed under the veil and feigned a little laugh. "It's ok, I'll get through this. I can't wait to get this over with and get on with the rest of my life." 

    "To be honest, I agree."

    True to her word, Emma emerged soon after from the bathroom, decked out in a bewildering suit covered in bells and a mask of red ceramic with a comically elongated nose. 

    "Shall we, gentleman?"