A Previous Selection

Chapter Forty-Three

"Wren, can you please stop pacing? You're stressing Mom out," Logynn says, and I let out a sigh before sitting down on my bed.

"There? Is that better?"

"Yeah, actually, it is."

She turns back to the mirror and watches the maids doing her makeup. I try to take calming breaths to ground myself, but it's not working, so I grab Bluebell off of my pillow and clutch him to my chest. Addison notices me doing this and walks over to join me on the bed.

"Come on. Let's talk it out. Maybe that'll calm some of the nerves," she says.

"I don't even know where to start," I say as I lay my shoulder on her head.

"Start anywhere. You just need to get it out."

"Okay. Umm. . . I guess I'll start with the flowers."

"Okay, what's wrong with the flowers?"

"Apparently, my bouquet has gone missing, and literally nobody can find it which makes no sense because how does something so important for the wedding just up and vanish the morning of the wedding? They've basically kept that and my dress under lock and key, so how did it just disappear?"

"Oh, honey," Mom says as she makes her way over now and sits on the other side of me. "Is that what Alice came in here to tell you?"

"Yes, and now I don't know what to do because how am I supposed to walk down the aisle for my ROYAL WEDDING without a bouquet?"

"They had a bunch of them made up for you. Can't you just pick one of those?" Logynn asks, and I shake my head.

"No. I mean, technically, yes, but the one I picked is special. It's important for me to have that one."

"Are there people still looking for it?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Then there's still plenty of time to find it," Airabella chimes in. "There's only so many places it can be, so I'm sure it'll be found."

"Right. Yeah. You're probably right."

"Okay, that's one thing down. What else?" Addison asks.

"Umm. . . Oh. The menu. One of the chefs woke up sick this morning, which threw everyone off, so now, they're all off-schedule, and they're not sure that they're going to have everything ready in time. Which I could care less about, but there are going to be dozens of important people there that will be expecting a three-course meal on top of the wedding cake at the end. And the way it's looking, that's not going to happen," I explain.

"But that's not your fault. None of us can control sickness. And I think everyone will understand that if they don't get all three of their courses, even kings and queens."

"I know. But I can't help but worry about it because everything needs to be perfect for today."

"And why is that?" Mom asks. "Because the Wren I know couldn't care less about having three courses and the perfect flowers. All she would care about is the person at the end of the aisle."

I let out a sigh.

She's right.

Why do mothers always have to be right?

"That is all I care about."

"Then why are you letting it stress you out?"

"I don't know. Probably because this isn't just our wedding, it's our coronation. Cameron is becoming King today, and I'm becoming Queen. And I guess a part of me feels like this whole day has to be bigger than what I would care for it to be simply because of the positions we're taking over today. Plus, a nagging little voice in the back of my head won't let me forget that it's all going to be televised for the entire country to see. And they don't want to see simple. They don't want to see mistakes when it comes to a royal wedding."