BLAKELY SPEAKS !
hi my beautiful babies, before starting,
i do want to disclaim that this chapter canonically did not happen. from the bottom of my heart, as much as it pains me to say, i truly see no way of mare and coriolanus ever being able to rekindle their love. after what they've been through--what coriolanus has done--I just cannot for the life of me think of how marian could possibly oversee this and devote her life to coriolanus. now, since it's tom blyth's birthday, i do want to let y'all live in your delusions and can technically say marian ended up with coriolanus, even though it isn't *actually* what happened. enjoy!!

ALTERNATE ENDING #2: Marian & Coriolanus
five years later

"THERE'S THE LADY OF THE HOUR," Festus greets me, embracing me in a hug.

"Of the day," Clemensia corrects with a scowl, earning a laugh from me and two raised arms in defense from Festus.

Festus doesn't drop his smile as he looks down at me, in fact, it grows.

"Any doubts? Regrets? I can object at the altar if you want."

I want to smile, to laugh, but my nerves are eating away at me.

"Are you and golden boy doing anything for a honeymoon, then?" He asks, shifting his position onto the wall.

I take a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. "Actually, we're not planning on going having a honeymoon," I reply, avoiding Festus's gaze. "We're just going to focus on the move."

Clemensia looks at me incredulously. "No honeymoon?"

I shrug, feeling a tad defensive, but I keep silent.

Festus leans off the wall and walks over to us, quickly noticing my discomfort. "Hey, let them do what makes them happy," he says, shrugging. "Not everyone wants to spend all their daddy's money, Clemensia."

Clemensia glances between us, her expression softening.

It falls silent for a moment before Lysistrata clears her throat. "Are you nervous?"

Nervous was an understatement. I was being eaten from the inside out by this monster called anxiety.

But I couldn't bring myself to admit it. Instead, I put on a brave face and shrugged again, trying to play it off.

"No, just excited," I replied, forcing a smile.

The three of them exchanged glances, their concern evident in their eyes. They knew me too well to buy my facade. They don't say anything, though.

I wish they had.

I wish someone talked me out of this because I think I'm going to vomit all over this gown.

"Deep breaths, Mari." Festus chuckled, his fingers gently tracing the small of my back. "Deep breaths."

"Not helping." I choke out, nearly hyperventilating.

 Lysistrata comes over and joins me at my side now, and she just barely manages to calm me down enough--after much bickering with Clemensia and Festus. 

GROWING UP, I ALWAYS THOUGHT WEDDINGS WERE OVERRATED. I could never make sense of why someone would logically want to spend thousands of dollars on one singular event worth the amount of a down payment on a house.

That is, until I'd been walking down this aisle, imagining Sejanus at my side, guiding me to the altar where Coriolanus stood with tear-filled blue eyes.

I was no longer nervous; no longer regretted this day. I was utterly at peace. 

In hand, a bouquet of white roses that replicate the flower Coriolanus gave me on our first date.

Suddenly, all my worries washed away--like, I was no longer worried that I'd trip on this gown and embarrass myself in front of the dozen people here. I didn't care if I did.

I watch as Janus' clumsy little body slowly steps down the aisle before me, flower petals in hand as she tosses them scattered.

And once I finally make it to the altar, to where Coriolanus stands and his

tear-filled blue eyes meet mine.

As I stand there, on the lifted pedastol, with my heart pounding in my chest, I can feel the weight of this moment.

Coriolanus reaches out and takes my trembling hands in his, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. I can see the love and adoration shining brightly in his eyes, and suddenly, it's like nothing else in the world mattered. Just him.

The officiant begins to speak, but their words seem distant as my attention is solely focused on Coriolanus. He holds my gaze with unwavering intensity, and in this moment, everything else fades into the background.

I'm going to spend the rest of my life with this man.

He'll be the one I wake up to each morning when the sun is peering through the blinds. The man who'll hold my hair back when I've had one too many drinks.

Coriolanus Snow, the man I could never quite figure out--it would drive me absolutely insane--the very one I swore to hate for so long, is standing before me and it's everything.

And though I can't quite hear anything with how fuzzy my mind has now become, I watch as his lips shape the mold of the words I do.

I know I'm being asked the same question, and I hear it faintly, but I look out into the venue, into the rows of chairs at each person here.

Janus, Festus, Lysistrata, Clemensia, and possibly the only person who rooted for our relationship all along, Tigris.

I face Coriolanus and look eternally into his eyes, into his soul.

"I do."