The Third Wedding

Chapter 22: A Forest Wedding (Part 1)

"What do you mean you don't think the rain will let up?" Leo asked. He was pacing back and forth in the ballroom in front of the giant glass wall to the outside hurricane weather.

"I think he means we're going to be rained out of our venue." Victoria told him flatly. She seemed to be less shy around him.

Sondra was glad that she could call him out. The entire family were there with him, well, Except Garth, he had work. But they all pondered what they could do to help ease the situation.

They wanted to be married at the lake where all the engagements happened, there was a section where the lake met the forest, it would be beautiful, but not in this weather.

"We could do it inside?" Ashton suggested, he sat by Sondra on the steps.

"The rain could be a beautiful drop for an inside wedding?" Juliana shrugged.

Leonardo grumbled under his voice.

Sondra thought he'd said something about magic...? She tried to ignore that.

Victoria grabbed Leonardo's arm to get him to look at her, "look, if it's raining we'll do it outside if not, let's plan on it being here. Okay?" She asked in more statement kind of tone.

He sighed heavily, "Sondra, can you make sure that announcement is made?"

Sondra nodded, "I'll do my best." She told him.

They spent the rest of the evening setting up the archway and chairs inside the ballroom. Victoria seemed to be sad that it would seem like copying Rosalina's, but the decor looked all their own. Instead of pink and yellow it was a sage green and lavender.

"It looks beautiful in here," Sondra tried to reassure Victoria.

"It does!" Rosa chirped in.

"It does," Victoria agreed, "it's just not my dream."

***

The next day the thunder cracked in the distance but the sun was out.

Sondra and Ashton were grateful for the sun, but the roads were muddy made for a bumpy ride in the carriage. They spent the morning reassuring people of the new location. She was worried though, with the sun coming out would they want to change it again?

Ashton smiled and squeezed Sondra's hand.

She nodded kindly, "thank you."

That's when the world seemed to stop for them. the carriage slipped in the mud. The motion happened so fast, the horse whinnied outside spooked by something.
The carriage was quickly spun falling to its side on the ground slamming the two royals into each other.

Sondra panted and jumped off of Ashton, "Ash! Ash are you okay?" Her heart pounded, the terror of him being hurt made her feel like her soul might just leave her body.

Ash mumbled a slur of words that verbalized his discomfort, but those aren't exactly family friendly.

"You're okay?" She asked standing where the window would be.

"Yup, just peachy," he sighed a bit annoyed.

She helped him up and gave him a soft hug and kiss.

They were surrounded by carriage, "How do we get out?" Ash asked rubbing his neck.

Sondra looked up seeing the window in the opposite door above their head. She jumped and grabbed the opening and pulled herself through the window. She reached back down grabbing Ashton's hand and pulling him up to the side of the carriage with her.

She jumped down and grabbed his waist gently setting him beside her. They both seemed a bit achy but nothing too brutal.

"Highnesses I'm so sorry!" The driver insisted, "the road was muddier than I thought and the steed got spooked and-"

"It's okay," Sondra smiled, "believe me it's okay." The adrenaline had her heart racing, they still had to make it to her brother's wedding, her siblings weddings were the only things that mattered.

"We'll continue on foot." She said.

Ashton laced his fingers through Sondra's, "I'm so sorry." He whispered.

She kissed his pink cheek, "Ashton if we can make it through this we can make it through anything, come on."