The Prince's Choice (Book 3)

Chapter 27

It took us three months to plan our wedding. Three months of cake tasting, flower picking, dress trying. You name it and we did it.
As well as our regular duties. We both attended meetings now. Daxton would go to some, I would go to some, and we would go to some together.
We both had ambush bachelor and bachelorette parties due to our hectic schedule. Being that it was planned by James and Sabrina, it was...something.
Something we did do over these three months was heal. We healed from the gun attack. We healed from the selection as a whole. And we healed from the passing of Isabelle.
We were okay. And our wedding was tomorrow. Or today being that it was 4:30 in the morning.
I couldn't sleep. I felt as if there were still preparations to be done. I felt as if I still needed to give Alexa, Rose, Sabrina, and Emory their bridesmaid dresses but I did that a week ago. I needed to get my dress delivered but I did that two days ago.
Everything was falling into place. And everything was going to be perfect.
Soon, Cecily, Josie, and Courtney came bustling into my room with big smiles on their faces.
"Wake up, beautiful bride. We need to get you ready for your big day," Cecily smiled widely.
Yawning I sat up in bed and saw it was six in the morning. The wedding was at five.
Less than twelve hours in counting.
Smiling, I let them pull me from my bed and into the bathroom. I was stripped, bathed, oiled, and pampered for two hours. At eight on the dime, Sabrina, Alexa, Rose, and Emory walked into the room.
"Are you excited?" Alexa asked as she came in. Each of their maids followed them and I thanked the lord I had a big bathroom.
"I feel like I'm going to throw up but don't tell the press that," I said jokingly.
"Well, I feel like I'm going to throw up all the time thanks to him," Alexa winked, jokingly pointing to her stomach. James and Alexa had found out about two weeks ago that they were having a baby boy and we couldn't be happier. Although, every time they tried to decide on a name, they ended up in an argument.
Each of us begin to get ready. Cecily did my hair into a beautiful bun with the front of my hair sweeping the front of my face. It took her two hours.
Lunch was brought into my rooms and we took a break from getting ready.
My nerves were on end so much that I barely wanted to eat. I didn't have anything to worry about. Daxton loves me. I love him. And we love our country.
The country didn't scare me anymore. I ran it for three months on my own and three months with my love by my side. I could do this.
"Mrs. Camry Cambridge," Emory said. "Has a nice ring to it."
"I know," I smirked. "It's finally real."
"Just a couple months ago you were a nobody who had nothing," Sabrina sighed and I reached over and smacked her arm.
"I didn't have nothing. I had a few things. I just didn't have friends."
"Hmm sure. That was the only thing you didn't have."
I rolled my eyes at her. "Now, I have too many friends for my liking."
Sabrina stuck her tongue out at me to which I went to give her a vulgar gesture but someone coughed and stopped me. "Miss, you realize you can't do that in front of people?" Cecily asked with raised brows.
I frowned playfully at her. "Of course I realize that. I wasn't very well planning on flicking the press off."
Cecily held her hands up in defense before gesturing back to the bathroom. I quickly finished my lunch and allowed her to pull me back in there.
Josie began on my makeup and an hour and a half later, she was done. I looked in the mirror to see she had lined my lips with a dark red color, my eyes highlighted with bronzes and golds and light pinks.
I looked elegant.
An hour before the wedding, right as the guest began arriving, Cecily helped me into my dress. It was a sweetheart neckline that was covered in flowery lace that eventually fell off my shoulders. The lace faded into a full blush pink skirt.
I looked regal.
Thirty minutes before the wedding, they placed the lace veil on my head, a tiara holding it in place.
I looked like a queen.
We made our way downstairs for the wedding to start.
Alexa went first with James as she was my maid of honor and he was the best man. Then Rose with Devon. Then Sabrina by herself-she refused to walk with any guys. Then Emory.
My father stood by my side as each of them went. "You look amazing, princess."
"Thank you, dad," I murmured, smiling up at him.
"I told you benefit would come out of this. And you aren't even a princess. You're a queen."
I smiled, nodding.
"I'm very proud of you, sweetheart. Me and your mother both."
Before I could respond, the wedding march started and the doors opened. Me and my father began our procession down the aisle.
Immediately, my eyes found Daxton's brilliant blue ones. Tears glistened in his eyes as he beheld me. He pressed a fist to his mouth, trying to stop from smiling or crying-I couldn't tell.
Before I knew it, we made it to the altar and my father placed my hand in Daxton's. I joined both of our hands, stepping beside him so we were equal. Because we were.
When he was in a coma I was technically crowned queen. I already had my coronation. It wasn't televised, it wasn't a big deal.
Daxton's was.
It happened three weeks ago and it was televised everywhere. He was crowned King in front of the entire world. But he couldn't let himself have all the spotlight, so in the middle of the coronation, he pulled me out of my seat and made sure we were both coronated in front of the whole world together.
King and Queen.
And that's what we stood across from each other as. King and Queen-equals.
I smiled at Daxton as the priest began. We made it. We had survived everything the world, the selection, had to throw at us-death included. And we were still here.
We were here, at this altar, filled with love.
Love, contentment, happiness, joy.
All of those things flowed through me as I stared into Daxton's eyes.
I was truly happy. And I was truly in love.
I numbly remember reciting my vows. I numbly remember Daxton reciting his. I was too filled with happiness-too filled with Daxton-to remember anything fully.
"I now pronounce you King and Queen, husband and wife. King, you may now kiss your bride," the priest said.
Daxton wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me too him. His lips met mine and our happiness and joy and love met.
We shared our feelings in that kiss. We shared our vulnerabilities. We shared our promises.
"I love you," he whispered when I pulled away.
"I love you more," I said back.
"I love you most," he breathed, placing a kiss on my forehead.
***
The reception was held in the room adjacent to the wedding. I talked and mingled and thanked everyone for coming.
I tried to be the epitome of regal and elegant.
My friends had other plans.
The intro to a very familiar song came on and I turned and looked at the doors. Sure enough, James and Devon stood on either side of Daxton who stood in the middle. Looking around me, I saw Alexa and Rose were on either side of me.
I laughed at the deja vu of the situation.
Sexy and I Know It blasted through the speakers. I laughed as the men danced their way over to us and we danced our way over to them.
Daxton reached me and we started dancing as we had done at James and Alexa's wedding. Or I tried my best to dance is in this huge dress. Unfortunately, we couldn't make it on one of the tables again.
"So, is this what we do at weddings?" I laughed as we danced.
Daxton smirked. "Why, of course. You started a new tradition, love."
"And what of the public?" I raised my brows.
His grin grew devilish. "They can f-."
"Language, King," I interrupted, laughing.
We danced and this time everyone was smiling at us. There was no scowling. There was no pitying looks. Everyone was happy for us as we danced-or grinded-to I'm Sexy and I Know It.
Before long, the reception was over and people had started to trickle out. I tried my best to thank everyone for coming or tell them goodbye, but Daxton had other plans. He kept pulling me right back out to the dance floor and slow dancing with me. It didn't matter whether the song was a slow song or not, he slow danced with me.
"Excuse me, I hate to interrupt, but everyone is gone and it's 5:00 in the morning," a servant came up and told us.
My eyes grew wide. We had danced the entire night. How was that possible? Looking around, I noticed everyone was gone. Alexa and James had probably went to their rooms. Rose and Devon had disappeared. And Sabrina was probably fast asleep on one of the couches somewhere.
"Come here," Daxton pulled away from me, taking my hand. He led us out of the ballroom, into the hallway, up the stairs, up, up, up-until. Smiling at me, he pushed open a set of doors.
Pinks and oranges filled my eyes and I realized what I was looking at. Daxton pulled me out onto the small balcony and we stood there, gazing at the sunrise. The sunrise over our country.
"Welcome home, Queen Camry Cambridge," he murmured in my ear as he pulled me against him.
"Welcome home," I breathed.