♔Afterwards: Falling For Aspen♔✔️

Chapter 8: Wedding Planning

💔America's POV💔

This is my fourth day out of the month that I'll be staying in the palace. Today, I have to help Kriss and her Majesty, Queen Amberly, wedding planning. I kind of don't want to help and I'm surprised she didn't invite Celeste to help too. 

I don't want to see Kriss' face, yet I would like to spend time with Queen Amberly. The number one person I want to avoid for now is Maxon. I'm afraid that if I see him during the day besides meal times, I'll burst or make a rash decision.

Right now, it's one o'clock and I'm walking towards the Women's Room where the planning will take place. As I'm walking, I'm thinking of my plan and what might happen. Many questions flooded my mind.

What if this goes wrong? If it does, this will be all my fault. What if I die? What if innocent people die because of me? What will Kriss do?

I'm sure Kriss has a plan to ruin the day of the wedding, but what might it be? What if Kriss' suspects August and Georgia as rebels? What would happen to Nicoletta if I invite her to the wedding and something goes wrong? What would I do if I accidentally let Kriss' secret out and she kills my family? Would I die too?

More importantly, what if I don't do the plan? What would be the better outcome? Going with or without the plan?

My thoughts were soon interrupted as I bumped into the one person I don't want to see right now.

"Are you okay, Mer?" Maxon asked concerned, holding my shoulders. I looked down in silence, avoiding him.

"Mer, answer me." he pleaded as he shook my shoulders. That's it. Anger was starting to boil unless I leave right now so I won't say anything, but it was too late.

"Don't ever call me that again! You may call me Lady America or Miss America, but that's it.  Goodbye." I spat. I was about two minutes away from the Women's Room, so I ran.

I started to walk as I got closer to the Woman's Room. I smoothed out my dress, took a deep breath, put my best smile on, opened the door, and walked in.

I heard laughing resonating around the room as I walked closer to Queen Amberly and Kriss.

"Oh hello Lady America! We were just choosing the bridesmaids' dresses and the maid of honor's dress! Come on! Help us!" Queen Amberly said happily.

I sat down in a chair next to her Majesty and asked, "So, what do you want the dresses to look like Kriss?"

"Mmm...I don't know yet. Maybe something that's loose and flows." she replied while looking at a bridal magazine. I know I hate her and all, but I have to help her on this and act happy around her, especially Queen Amberly. I have some experience at bride's maid dresses so I give her an idea.

"I agree with loose and flowy. How about this?" I suggested. "We can have the same dress for all the bride's maids. For the maid of honor, you can have a different shade or color. They can all wear matching hair pins, matching hairstyles, and shoes. You could do the same, but of course with different shoes and a different dress. Maybe a different hairstyle."

"How do you know this stuff America?" Kriss asked.

"I helped my older sister, Kenna, with her wedding plans. I was also her bride's maid." I explained.

"Oh! Well I think what you just said about the dresses is a great idea! The bridesmaids and maid of honor can also have matching makeup and sparkly belts!" Queen Amberly exclaimed with a genuine smile. I've never seen her this excited. She's finally going to get a daughter. What she doesn't know is that her future daughter- in- law is a Southern Rebel. Oh how I wanted to tell her right now, but then her dream of having a daughter would be crushed.

We talked about details of the wedding for about two hours until Queen Amberly had to go do her work. It was just Kriss and I in the room besides a few guards but they were out of earshot. Once her Majesty left, Kriss' smile left her face immediately and she just stared at me with an evil look.

"What do you want Kriss?" I seethed, already wanting to leave. I stood up to leave but she grabbed my arm forcefully.

"You got my little note right?" Kriss asked in a sinister tone.

I gulped, "Y-yes."

"Good. If you tell anyone about my secret and this conversation, I will kill your precious little family. If I do, you'll have no one. No one." she threatened. She let me go and I hurriedly left the room. I won't see her until dinner, which is only two hours away, so I went to my room. I decided this was the time to invite August, Georgia, and Nicoletta over to the palace.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: The MV above is from Youtube. The song is, 'How To Be A Heartbreaker' by Marina and The Diamonds. This song kind of sort of goes along with what Kriss is going to do to Maxon. She wants to make him fall in love with her, then break his heart whenever Kriss takes over the Kingdom and all of its people.