Crimson {COMPLETED}

CHAPTER XXVII

EMILY'S POV

NOVEMBER 8
1:34 p.m

ALICE IS already being fit for a wedding gown. Usually the tailor would be done already but the king and queen requested they take their time with the dress.

Alice insisted I get my bridesmaid dress done today too.

A wedding at the earliest opportunity? What the hell is she thinking?

She hums softly as the tailor and help carefully stitch the lace on her dress.

I wish I got to enjoy the moment of seeing her in her nearly finished wedding dress with an optimistic view.

But instead here I am dreading what is supposed to be a celebration of love and uniting.

The door opens and Adalia walks in with a grin.

"Oh Alice, it's looking absolutely breathtaking." She gapes.

"You think so?" Alice smiles at her, trying not to move too much.

Alice has barely spoken with Adalia, why is she talking to her like they've known each other their entire lives?

"And Emily I almost forgot." She turns to me. "Jackson is here. He's looking for you."

"That's a shame, I'm busy." I motion to the few apprentice tailors who are making my dress, slightly faster than Alice's

"I'll have to come get a dress made for me too in my spare time." Adalia's fingers skim the silk of my dress. "You picked a lovely color Alice. It compliments Emily so well."

Alice smiles at me. She insisted on picking out the color of my dress as her maid of honor. She picked out a royal blue, which I wasn't expecting. I thought she would pick an extremely light, pastel color. Maybe she picked something she knew I'd like.

Or something she knew the royal family would like.

"Who are your other bridesmaids going to be?" She continues to longingly stare at my dress. She can't possibly get more obvious.

"I was thinking maybe you could be one?"

Adalia smiles. "Really? Little old me?"

Jesus Christ.

"Of course." Alice continues to hum softly.

"Oh Alice that's so sweet. I would love to be a bridesmaid." She acts as though she's surprised by the suggestion.

I roll my eyes and move my hair out of the way of a tailor working on my neckline.

"Well I'd love to stay and see the finished products but alas I have made a promise to my dear Lucifer to go out on a walk." Adalia steps off the platform. "And I'll be sure to let Jackson know you're busy." She smiles at me before turning and walking out.

After a few minutes the head tailor backs away from Alice.

"Lady Alice, would you mind if we took a small break?"

"No, no not at all." I can see her eager to stretch.

They leave to get refreshments, warning us to be careful in the dresses.

This is the first time we've been alone since Christos announced they were engaged. I feel like she's been avoiding this on purpose.

"Alice, why did you say yes to a proposal from a man you barely know?" I sigh.

She looks down, shrugging. Her once happy expression has dropped right off her face.

"I feel like this is the only thing I have." She whispers. "In the mortal realm I'm just a nobody. In the real world no one cares about you unless you're rich or a prodigy or you have some amazing personality but I'm just...me."

"C'mon, you have an amazing personality."

She shakes her head. "People always said I'm weird. I don't have any friends. It's almost as if human interaction is this completely foreign thing to me."

"If you're basing this off high school that's your first mistake. All the popular people in high school are the ones who have no clue what to do with their life."

"I have no clue what to do with my life." She bursts out. "I don't have any skills, I have average intelligence, I'm not exactly attractive enough to rely on my looks, I have nothing."

"You're just going through a difficult time, I went through it too."

"No you didn't." She snaps. "You graduated high school and immediately got into your dream school and had an idea of what to do with your life. You're pretty and clever and talented and this-" she pinches her dress, "-this is all I have."

"I know it all seems like some dream come true from a Disney movie but reality is going to hit you like a truck. Mates or not, do you really want to marry Christos right now?"

She stares down at her dress. She smiles at it for a moment.

"Is it okay to say I don't know?"

She's unsure now but every time she sees Christos she feels like she's made up her mind.

The door opens and Jackson walks in. His eyes go wide and I wait for him to say something about Alice's dress. Instead he smiles at me.

"Wow you both look great." He walks up to me.

"Thank you Jackson." Alice murmurs, running her hand over her dress.

"Christos is ecstatic you know? Haven't seen him this happy in while." He tucks his hands in his pockets.

He takes one of my hands into his and pecks my cheek. "That color suits you."

"So I've been told."

"Jackson," Alice interrupts, "do you think it would upset him if I wanted to push the wedding back?"

"What?" Jackson snaps his gaze from me. "Oh come on Alice, you're just getting a little cold feet is all."

"It's not that I want to call it off entirely, just push it back a little you know?" She rests her shaking hands on her legs. I've made her doubt whether or not this is a good idea.

"The wedding is in less than two weeks, why would you want to push it back now? You love Christos don't you?"

"Well love is a strong word for starters." Alice's voice shakes. "It's not that I don't care about him. He's not a stranger I feel like I know him, but we're just not close."

Jackson sighs. "Yes Alice, I do believe that would upset him."

She makes a noise that's a mix between a groan and a whine. She sounds like she might cry.

It's my fault. I should have let her continue her little fantasy about a fairytale wedding and her Prince Charming.

"Don't worry Alice, if anything will make you and Christos closer It's this wedding." Jackson smooths her hair down. "After you become a vampire you'll start to feel the bond between you and him and after that you won't regret a thing. I promise."

"Pinky promise?" She sniffles.

Jackson chuckles and laces his pinky with Alice's

After that he has to get off the platform to make room for the returning tailors.