Chapter 84

MILA

I woke up before the sunrise the next morning, my body unable to sleep a moment longer.

Today was my wedding day.

Felix was still asleep as I slid out of bed and over to the shower. He was meeting Joseph and his groomsmen later to do his preparations, but mine were a bit more… involved.

A car was waiting for me to take me to the castle, where I would be getting ready for the ceremony alongside my bridesmaids. Marie was bringing my dress, and a hair and makeup team would be meeting us there.

The bridal suite was set up on the first floor of the castle. To my surprise, when I walked in, Queen Rowena was the first person I saw.

“I wanted to wish you a happy wedding day,” she said, with joy on her face. “And I wanted to bring you some coffee.”

I laughed and accepted the drink before giving her a hug.

“Thank you for all your help these past few weeks,” I told her. “It’s meant the world to me to have you be so welcoming and kind. It can be kind of hard to go through something like this and not have your family present, but I am so excited to be joining your family today.”

Rowena sniffled slightly and hugged me tighter. “I always wanted a daughter. And now I have one.”

That made me cry. As Isla and Marie walked in, they smiled at the scene.

“Get all your tears out now, because once you have your makeup done, you’re not allowed to cry anymore,” Marie warned. I laughed.

“We brought some scones and breakfast sandwiches so that you have something in your stomach for the ceremony,” Isla said. “We figured you could use a little something.”

I smiled at them gratefully. “I didn’t have time to make breakfast this morning. Thank you.”

The hair and makeup team descended on us in a flurry, and even Rowena consented to getting her hair done nicely.

I was very specific in my instructions to the team: I wanted a soft, natural glam look for my makeup, and loose curls with pearls strung throughout for my hair. Marie even consulted with the team to give them a swatch of my best colors. I knew it was hard for her to watch someone else glam me up, but she had no idea how helpful she had been in the first place with the dress.

After the team was finished with me, though, I was left alone with my thoughts for the first time in days. And it was at that moment that fear started to creep in.

I heard a cough from behind me and turned. I looked at Isla and Marie, who were both peering at me with concern in their eyes.

“Is something wrong?” Isla asked. “You seem quiet. Are you nervous? You shouldn’t be. Felix adores you, and so does the whole kingdom.”

“I’m worried that Nadine and Isabella are going to try to crash,” I admitted. “They already tried to ruin our engagement banquet, and they both are hugely against me. I’m terrified that they’re going to try to destroy this, too.”

Isla placed an encouraging hand on my shoulder. “There’s a ton of extra security around the wedding for any and all unwanted guests. They’re on the lookout specifically for those two. Believe me, even if they dare to show their faces here, they won’t make it anywhere near the wedding.”

I smiled at her in gratitude. My fears slightly assuaged, I went back to applying mascara.

When I put the dress on, both Isla and Marie looked ready to cry.

“You really are the most beautiful bride,” Marie said softly. “You’re a vision.”

Isla merely sniffed emotionally.

I exhaled, looking at myself in the mirror. And there I was: a bride.

Isla linked her arm through mine and rested her head on my shoulder. “Are you ready?”

“It doesn’t feel real,” I admitted.

Marie grinned. “It will when you walk down the aisle and see your Prince Charming at the other end.”

Isla and Marie went down the aisle first, looking effortlessly elegant. I had thought long and hard about it and decided not to have anyone walk me down the aisle, since I didn’t really have a father figure and had fought long and hard on my own to be here. It was just me and Felix now, and that was all I needed.

The bridal march started, and I rounded the corner.

The hundreds of guests stared at me in amazement and awe, and some women were even wiping their eyes. I knew that weddings made people emotional, but it was still uplifting to see that many people invested in me.

At the end of the aisle, next to King Ivan, who was serving as our officiant, Felix was also getting a little misty-eyed at the sight of me. I focused my eyes on him, tried not to worry about tripping on my long skirt, and walked down the aisle.

The ceremony passed by in a blur. I knew there was music, and prayers, and speeches from the King about the commitment of marriage and the role of the crown, but all I could focus on was Felix. He held my hands and my gaze throughout the entire ceremony, steadying my feet and heartbeat.

I’m sure it was a perfect wedding. I did not remember a thing until the vows. We had decided to write our own, and I had no idea what Felix was going to say.

“I knew from the moment I saw you that you were my future bride,” Felix said, his voice ringing across the crowd. Little did they know just how true that statement was. “Mila, you light up every room you walk into. Not only are you the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, but you are hardworking and loyal. Above all, you are kind. You are my perfect other half and I cannot wait for our future together.”

I smiled at him through watery eyes. He had a way with words, and these touched my heart. I was a little concerned about getting through my own vows at this rate of emotion.

“Felix, I had no idea what to expect when I moved to Fresonia,” I began. “Something had drawn me across the ocean and into this beautiful country, although I did not know what, but as soon as I met you, I knew that you were the reason. You are my sun and my moon and my stars. You are my hero, in countless ways. I am so grateful to have met you and even more grateful to love you. I swear to love you in this lifetime, and in countless others.”

I was vaguely aware of Rowena crying in the front row. Joseph stepped forward with the rings, giving me a nod of approval. Even he was fighting tears. It was an emotional day for all of us, I supposed.

Felix slid a gold band onto my finger, fitting in perfectly with the diamond already there.

“With this ring, I thee wed,” he said softly.

I placed the wedding band on his finger, aware of my own racing heart.

“With this ring, I thee wed,” I responded.

King Ivan looked at us with pride in his eyes.

“You may now kiss the bride.”