Royally Interested

Chapter 26

My wedding day. The day every girl dream's of ever since they were little. I never imagined I would find myself here , in a palace, wearing the most beautiful wedding dress and ready to marry the love of my life , father of my son and a king no less. I was a ball of nerves since the moment I woke up. I didn't know what to expect or even how today was going to turn out , though I could be certain about one thing ; this is a day I will surely never forget.

"You look beautiful , the king is going to love it. " Darla tried to encourage as she adjusted my veil and dress.

"Thank you Darla. I'm sure everything will be fine , I'm just a little nervous is all. " I answered mustering a small , nervous smile.

"Well that's to be expected. Today is a really big day. But you're going to do great and trust me , the king won't be able to take his eyes of you. " Darla added making a small blush rise to my cheeks. Sure I knew I had nothing to worry about because I loved Rysand and he loved me. What more could I have asked for right ? But the thing is ; what if I'm not ready for this ? For this royal lifestyle ? What if he realizes I'm not up for the task and that being me is just...not good enough...

"You're overthinking again."

"What !? Get out ! " I yelled as Darla quickly shut the door in Rysand's face.

"I promise I didn't see anything. " He apologized from the other side of the door as I could hear the bit of humour in his voice. Of course he didn't regret a thing. That's just who he is.

"oh yeah ? well...it doesn't matter anyway. " I pouted , flopping down on the bed.

"what ? What are you talking about ? " He asked as I could hear he was growing worried, so I didn't respond. "Avalon please, talk to me. " he begged as Darla just stood awkwardly to the side acting as if none of this was happening in the first place. Bless her heart.

"What if I'm not good at any of this ? What if the longer we're together the more you start to regret your choices and start resent me ? "

I listened as he took a deep breath and sighed saying ; "I would never resent you. And I would never regret falling in love with the most beautiful , smart, capable , hardworking and loving woman a man could ever dream of having. I'm yours Avalon. Now and forever. And you're mine now whether you like it not. " I couldn't fight the smile on my face after that. All I ever wanted was to be loved and wanted . And maybe that's why it hurts so much to love. Because loving means letting your guard down and letting someone else in. Loving means being vulnerable and transparent no matter what that means or looks like. Love...is what I feel for Rysand...and what he feels for me.

"Avalon ? are you still there ? " He asked as I realized I had spaced out for a good amount of time as I smiled - even though he couldn't see it - and said ; " Yeah , I'm here. And I'll see you down there in a minute. I'm ready now."

I could practically hear the smile on his face when he replied with ; "great " and I'm happy that I could make him happy now. For Rysand I would give the stars , moon and sun just to see him smile. His smile has grown to be my favourite thing in the world. And the reason I get these butterflies in my stomach every time he says my name.

The garden was packed with people that all seemed important each in their own way. I felt so out of place but yet when I saw Opal sitting at the very front of the garden , my face lit up because I knew that even though I didn't have any other family , it felt little bit like home.

All eyes fell on me as the music started playing , and for a second nothing else seemed to matter but Rysand and this moment right now. When my eyes met his , it was like I could see the love swimming in every emotion , feeling and in the smile he was so desperately trying to contain. He was happy. I could tell. And it made me happy to know that no matter what happens today that I will be making him happy too.

"-through every high and every low , I am yours and you are mine. Now and forever." Rysand ended his vows as a stray tear fell unto my cheek as he reached his pinkie out to me , interlocking it with mine . In a way...it become something we've grown very fond of doing. It was silly , childish and simple but, it held a lot of meaning to us both. It's funny how something so small and insignificant could hold the world to us. It showed that even the smallest gesture and act of love has power if you give it the power to. To me ? it symbolized that nothing could break our love and that we promised ourselves to each other in the most innocent and pure way possible.

A smile spread across my face as we both waited for those 6 little words that now meant we could 'seal' our promise with a kiss. Nothing in the world meant more to me than this moment, right now and I wouldn't dare change a thing. The moment our lips touched it was like the first time we kissed all over again , I could feel his heart beating crazy along with mine as he held me close flush against his chest - our hearts beating in perfect sync and harmony- I could feel him smile through the kiss as I couldn't contain mine either , and the moment we pulled back I knew I never wanted him to stop and that...he's my forever now. And I wouldn't want it any other way.

"congratulations !" Opal squealed as she was the first one to embrace me. Everyone around us must've thought we were crazy - since they all were proper men and ladies of the court- but I didn't care. Opal is my best friend and I love getting to experience this moment with her .

"Thank you so much ." I said grateful and equally as excited as I pulled her into a tight hug.

"So ? Where are you going for the honeymoon ? " She asked with a silly eyebrow dance as I felt Rysand's arm snake around my waist making Opal's face turn a bright red colour for what she just insinuated.

"That's , still my secret I'm afraid ." Rysand answered as I could hear the hint of amusement in his voice making a shy smile take place on my face.

"A secret I can't wait to uncover." I said excited looking up at him as he held me in this arms.

"Amongst other things." Opal mumbled teasingly -taking a champagne flute from the tray- as I couldn't help but almost choke on my own drink. "What ? you know it , I know it , heck I'm sure even you know. " She added the last part referring to Rysand -before realizing how incredibly inappropriate that could be towards royalty- and added a "Your highness" afterwards before awkwardly bowing to him and walking back into the reception.

"I'm so sorry about her. " I said embarrassed "She can be a little -"

"- a little what ? I really like her. I think she's going to be a lot of fun having around. " Rysand interjected amused.

"Really ?"

"Of course ! Any friend of yours is a friend of mine. Besides , -between you and me - she seems a lot more fun than any of my friends." He added with a light hearted laugh making me smile.

"You know I love you very much right ? " I asked looking deep into his eyes as he turned me around in his arms - once again flush against his chest - as he held me close saying; "And I love you more." making me smile and place a longing peck to his lips , pulling back and adding to his statement "I love you most" before joining the others back in reception. I knew exactly what game I was playing and this time I knew exactly how I was going to win. That's why when I heard him say his next words , I knew that my night has only begun.

That's it ! Thank you so much for reading . I apologize if my updates aren't up to my usual standard. I find it difficult to find time to write the last couple of weeks. I'm just absolutely swamped with uni and juggling everything else in my life. But I promise I'm trying my utmost best to keep you all interested in this book. Until next time , keep howling my wolves ❤🐺