#and that's what got me thinking that Victor should get Alice an engagement ring

[victorluvsalice]

Forgotten Vows Friday: Acrostic Engagements

“What’s that?” you ask. Well, I discovered semi-recently that, in the Victorian era, it was popular to give acrostic jewelry -- rings and brooches and the like that spelled out words and messages with the gems. For example, if you wanted to spell out “dear,” you would set your ring with a Diamond, an Emerald, an Amethyst, and a Ruby.

I thought this was a cute idea, and so I decided that both Victoria and Alice get acrostic engagement rings from their beaus. Christopher gives Victoria an “Regard” ring (Ruby, Emerald, Garnet, Amethyst, another Ruby, Diamond), which was considered very romantic at the time. Alice, meanwhile, gets one from Victor that spells out her name (Amethyst, Lapis lazuli, Iris quartz, Carnaline, and Emerald). Victoria immediately recognizes what Christopher has done and is quite touched. Alice, meanwhile, thinks her ring is pretty, but -- thanks to having spent a lot of her life in hospitals and the like -- doesn’t realize the significance of the gems until Victor has her note the first letters. She finds it appropriately awww-worthy afterward, though. (Even if she’s too afraid to wear the ring in public often when she first gets it, because there’s always that one thief willing to try his chances. . .)

[victorluvsalice]

Forgotten Vows Friday: Happy Anniversary, Victor & Alice!

You’re spared the “nightmare” snippet again -- it’s the date I’ve chosen for Victor and Alice’s wedding in both of my “primary” fanfic universes, and I can’t post anything super-creepy and sad today! Instead, since it’s Forgotten Vows Friday as well as the wedding date, I figured I’d share something else -- the final design of FV-Alice’s wedding dress, and the idea I came up with for her engagement ring!

Yes, she gets an engagement ring. While she and Victor ended up having an understanding they were going to get married someday by the end of “Remembering You” (and actually do so in the last chapter of “Fixing You”), Victor decides at some point he’d like to do a proper proposal and gets her a ring. The one I created for her was inspired by the fact that Victorian engagement/courting jewelry often had names and words spelled out by their gemstones (”regards” was apparently popular). Victor naturally wanted to spell out his love’s name, so the ring he got was a slim silver band set with:

Amethyst

Lapis lazuli

Iris quartz

Carnaline

Emerald

Alice quite likes it, although she doesn’t dare wear it in public often while they’re still in the East End of London, for obvious reasons. Once they’re safe in Sanford, though, it goes well with her wedding ring.

As for her wedding dress -- I’ve been mentally fiddling with the design for a while now. I wanted something similar to Secundus!Alice’s rather vaguely-described white gown with blue embroidery, and yet something that wasn’t an exact copy of that either. After a lot of thought (and a look at Nebby’s old dress designs), I think I’ve come up with something I like. Here, see if you agree:

His breath caught in his throat as Alice stepped over the threshold. While he was used to seeing her in a variety of outfits by now (Wonderland did love giving her a new dress for every domain, after all), this one – this one was something else. She and Victoria had clearly spent quite a bit of money getting everything just right, and the effect was stunning. Little white boots with blue laces; white-and-blue-striped stockings; a white silk skirt that looked perfect for an afternoon soar across the Vale, embroidered with blue cats and rabbits racing around the hem and matching butterflies flying up the side; a blue sash with a wide bow tied in the back; and a white bodice with puffy sleeves, blue flowers and vines (like the ones etched onto her Vorpal Blade) stitched across it from the right shoulder to her left hip. She'd even carried the theme to her bouquet, white and blue lilies and roses –

Victor blinked as he suddenly realized he recognized half those flowers. "Are those–"

"Emily's," Alice confirmed, looking down at the dried and fragile blooms. "Victoria gave them to me."

"She is the next bride," Victoria said. "Though she insisted I keep half. . .you don't mind, do you?"

"Oh, not at all," Victor assured her, before stepping up to Alice. "Oh my. . .you look amazing."

"I guessed by the way your jaw almost hit the floor," Alice said, giggling. She reached up to adjust her wreath – orange blossoms, Victor noted, as was becoming traditional. Though, looking a bit closer, he could see she'd also woven some winter jasmine in. He grinned – a perfect complement to Emily's flowers. "I suppose I should be glad I clean up so nicely."

"You look beautiful no matter what you're in," Victor told her, taking her hand.

I think it works, don’t you? :)