Artemis woke up with Holly in his arms. He spent a moment to just lay there and appreciate the feel of it. He could never get over the fierce joy and the familiar rightness of this. Of her tucked into him, hands tangled up in his shirt. Even months of this hadn't taken away the wonder of it.

Holly stirred, large eyes blinking awake and up at Artemis. He smiled at her and brushed a hand lightly against her temple.

"Morning, love," he murmured softly. Holly shook her head fondly as a smile took her face.

"Are you always going to be so sappy?" She asked. "Every morning we're together you go and get all soft in the eyes."

"It's a ruse," Artemis said, kissing her temple before lazily pushing into a semi-upright position. "I'm only nice until we're married. Then I'll get slovenly and never wish you a good morning."

"So this is my last morning in paradise?"

To hear Holly call this paradise, even in jest, made Artemis's heart swell. And then he remembered. Today was the day.

"We're getting married," he said in awe.

"Yes, Arty, we're getting married today. It's not like you to forget such important things."

"Though, I suppose we are already married by fairy standards. We're having a wedding, then."

"And getting married by your law," Holly pointed out, which thrilled Artemis again. She cared enough of his people's laws to count their marriage at least partially incomplete. He felt seen when he was with her. He felt like himself. Human, still, at the root of his soul. And she accepted that part of him too. Accepted it as a part of her through him.

"It's a big day," he said, unable to articulate how her simple words had affected him. He thought she understood despite his lack of words.

The door endured an abuse of pounding just then and Holly was to it in an instant, opening it before Artemis had even thought to start moving.

"Holly, what do you think you're doing here?" Juliet demanded.

"Sleeping?" Holly offered. Juliet threw her hands up in exasperation.

"You're not supposed to sleep together the night before the wedding," she berated.

"Why not?"

"It's tradition. Anyway, come here, there's still so much to do!" Then Juliet craned her neck around Holly and told Artemis, "You too, Arty, time to get up. Your mother sent me up to get you going. So. Get going."

"I will, Juliet. Thank you. Holly, I'll see you—,"

"At the alter," Juliet finished. "Mrs. Fowl's orders."

And with that, Artemis's bride to be was whisked away. The door fell closed with a heavy thwump and then there was nothing left to do but, as Juliet had said, get going. He did have something of a drive to do this morning. Climbed out of bed, he started in on neatly making it when his eyes fell upon the book that had gotten lost in the covers.

Artemis picked up the volume, smiling down at it. They'd fallen asleep last night while reading and Artemis took a moment to think fondly of all the times they might do so again.

The estates looked lovely. A golden sunset washed across the grounds and cast the manor in brilliant light. But the sun was unsatisfied to stay in her domain, and so gold seemed to spill from the heavens directly onto the earth in the form of delicate petals. Marigolds. It looked magical. It was magical. A Time-stop. It was more than anything Artemis could have imagined for himself and he was glad for all the assistance he'd received in putting it together; no less than this could befit Holly Short. She deserved to have the world stopped for her. She'd saved it enough times to have earned its appreciation and admiration.

Deep breath in. And out. Artemis grounded himself to this moment. He wanted to commit every detail to memory: Myles carefully distributing slivers of the setting sun down the aisle. His mother sweeping gracefully down the petal-strewn path on his father's arm, both of them beaming as they sat down in the front row of meticulously arranged chairs. Butler escorting Caballine next, the both of them taking their place. Butler at Artemis's shoulder as he always was. Juliet walking next to Beckett, her heels too high and her groomsman too short to allow a traditional hold. Beckett happily clutched her fingers in his and when Juliet went to stand with Caballine, he found his way to Myles and grasped his hand instead, absolutely bubbling with excitement.

Last came Mulch, alone by his own insistence. He'd been meant to walk with Juliet but had waved the idea off. I'd rather walk down with the gold than have people think I'm taken. And with a mudgirl, no less. He'd gotten his way once Beckett realized that letting Mulch be ring bearer meant he got to walk with Juliet.

The piano swelled and Holly stepped into view. She was captivating. Breathtaking. Radiant. And she was going to be, by no uncertain terms, his wife. Gratitude and love almost overwhelmed Artemis, watching her walk down the aisle. Toward him. In the dress he hadn't thought he'd get to see. Holly was—she was more than words could express. She was perfection. She was the sun manifested in skin and bone and magic and grit. She was wrought by every hardship and every wonder. She was the love of Artemis's life.

And she looked stunning, the ivory lace sleeves of her dress binding her arms in reaching branches adorned with leaves and flowers that left her shoulders and collarbone bare. And the skirt was full in the way of a blooming flower turned on its head, crafted in layers of fabric as fine and gauzy as a morning mist. There, too, were branches and vines beautiful embroidered in gold. For something so delicate and exquisite, the dress reminded Artemis wonderfully of their oak tree, gilded in gold and threaded into the skirts, wrapped up in the sleeves. He wondered if Holly had seen the same thing in it. If, perhaps, she'd chosen it for that reason.

Holly's bouquet was a simple collection of marigolds tied with a ribbon. A tiny vial of magic hung off it. The hand not clutching the bouquet—really, Holly, it's flowers, not a gearshift—was tucked into Foaly's arm. Commander Julius Root would have been the obvious choice for this but he was wasn't even here to see Holly get married. Likely, he'd have gone beetroot red and spluttered at the announcement. But he would've walked her down the aisle all the same. Foaly had one of Root's foul cigars tucked into his front pocket in honor of the fallen commander.

"You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Artemis whispered when Foaly placed her hands into his. "And that dress—I'm speechless, truly."

"It's alway gold with you," Holly whispered back and they shared a private smile. This was them. Every part of this wedding was built on who they were, who they'd been. The gold from a long-ago ransom. The flowers from a not-so-long-ago death. They'd been through so much. Been through it all together.

Artemis was pulled out of the moment by a disturbance behind him. Myles and Beckett, though Artemis wasn't sure what the tussle was over and Butler had it sorted before he'd gotten a chance to look. He wouldn't have looked anyway. Now that Holly was here, he couldn't look at anything but her.

As No. 1 started the procession, Mulch quietly produced the rings from the depths of his beard. He was an entirely unorthodox ring bearer, and Holly made a face when she took the proffered ring from his beard hairs.

The exchange came first, between Holly and Artemis; a mix of both their people's customs, fairy and human. Artemis presented Holly with an acorn, plucked fresh from nature that morning, and a band they'd had formed from one of thirty-seven infamous bars of gold. He slipped the ring onto her finger, the acorn into her palm. She did not have to ask where it was from to know. Holly fashioned Artemis in the golden band that was a match to hers and, from the center of her bouquet, plucked a single marigold, stem still hung with a few delicate ropes of root. He did not have to ask where it was from to know.

Then Holly took his hand and held it against her heart. He took her remaining hand and pressed it to his heart in turn. Another wedding ritual common among The People—it was this that elves considered to be the binding of the marriage. The ritual that made the marriage true. Artemis closed his eyes, knew Holly was doing the same. No. 1 recited a verse in Gnommish and Holly and Artemis, in perfect harmony, spoke the ancient words that promised their hearts to the other. Artemis felt magic pulse through him, incited by Holly's touch and the promise that was so laden in magic, it allowed him to feel it as he hadn't felt it for years.

When they pulled apart at last, Artemis felt realigned. He felt sure of the magical bond they shared in a way he never had before. He could feel the magic now, tying him and Holly. He could still feel her heart thrumming under his palm, despite that his hand was back at his own side. Meeting Holly's eyes, Artemis knew that she felt it too. She smiled, soft and lovely. A smile just for him. He returned it in kind.

It came time for the vows, which they had opted against practicing in full before now. Holly took his hands again, looking fiercely up into his eyes. She was squeezing too tightly and it filled Artemis with even more affection and even more wonder. Because Holly Short was nervous. Holly Short, the bravest individual he'd ever met. Holly Short, who'd saved the day so many times that most people didn't bother to keep track. Holly Short, who'd saved him so many times and in so many ways. He never lost track. And she was nervous over this, over him. Crushing his fingers in hers, Holly took a deep breath and began.

"Artemis Fowl II, if I'd known what you'd grow into when we first met, I wouldn't have thought it possible. If I'd known what you'd come to mean to me, I would've run for the hills. But I never could have known, never could have guessed. It was so slow that I got lost in it until one day I looked at you and realized that you'd grown and you'd made me grow, too. And, somehow, we got all tangled in that growing, we'd grown into each other's hearts and souls and I couldn't imagine life without you—," she swallowed. "But I didn't have to imagine it. Without you, I felt like I could never be properly me again. I hadn't realized how much I loved you until you were taken from me. Taken from the world. When I got you back, I felt like I could breathe again. I could feel the warmth of the sun again. I could smile again and feel it was the truth. When I got you back, I never wanted to lose you again. If I could have you walk beside me again, I thought, that was all I needed. If you would just stay, that's all I needed. Because I love you in a way that is bigger than any of this. I love you as my best friend. And as my partner in crime. And, now, as my husband. Artemis, you are my soulmate in the way that my soul can not bear to be without yours."

Artemis did not typically get emotional but his eyes were misting. He gave Holly's hands a squeeze, though their grip on each other could hardly get any tighter.

"One way or another, it's you I need more than anything. I didn't see it coming, but here we are. Still alive, despite it all. Still okay. Still together. So let's keep growing, you and me, let's keep growing together." She finished and Artemis wondered if perhaps they ought to have practiced the vows before now. Without a strong idea of what he was supposed to be doing in response, emotion took over—which was a rare thing for him. He'd accidentally nodded through her last statement and now, like a fool in love, brought her hands to his lips and kissed them briefly.

"Holly Short," Artemis said once he'd collected himself enough to speak. "You know me better than anyone and so you must know I'm not particularly well versed in expressing my feelings. You don't often need my clumsy words to understand and I'm hoping you will understand today too. What I have prepared as my vows to you, I spent months working on and perfecting. Even before I knew the reason for it, it was always about you. For you." Carefully, Artemis pulled his hands out of Holly's. She watched him curiously as he gestured for the pianist to vacate his seat.

Artemis took the bench, readied himself. He saw Holly's gaze still fixated on him. Heard her delighted bark of laughter before a hand came up to cover her mouth, as if it could cover up her un-ladylike behavior at her own wedding. Artemis was glad for the laugh.

He began to play. The music stretched across the estates and across time. His life. And Holly's. And their tangled journey together. It spoke of the devastations and the triumphs. Of the time they'd spent together, working and fighting and saving the world and growing. And all through it was woven the love. Best friends. Partners in crime. Soulmates.

When the final note faded out, he looked again to Holly and found her crying. She'd understood. He stood and was hardly back in front of her when she pulled him into a hug. We really should have gone over proper reactions to vows, a corner of his brain thought. But he was glad they hadn't. This was more them.

No. 1 led them through I dos. And then:

"I now pronounce you Man and Elf," the imp said cheekily. The very words that had married Artemis and Holly in the first place. "You may now kiss the bride!"

Artemis and Holly didn't kiss. Not just yet. Instead, Artemis pulled a vial out of his pocket and Holly turned to disentangle another from her wedding bouquet, which she'd pushed on Caballine earlier in the proceedings. This was an added step they'd concocted on their own, not letting anyone else in on the secret.

Theoretically, the magic stolen from them was still theirs, still part of a larger magic. There was no sense in keeping it trapped in little vials, they'd both agreed. Holly grinned at him.

"You ready for this, Mudboy?" She asked. "A life of magic and fairies?"

"I am. After all," Artemis said with a wicked smile, "I have been, since the very start, fairy bound."

He unstoppered the bottle containing the sliver of magic extracted from Holly. She did the same, setting that which had been taken from him free. Their magic spun around them in a soft and brilliant golden light, already flowing back into them and their bond by the time Artemis had his arms around Holly and she had her hands in his hair and they met in the middle of it all with a kiss that was every bit as magical as their first.