The maid of honor stared straight ahead, looking across the beautiful view of woods and the Alienn water tower in the distance with Maxwell the Martian hanging off the edge, grinning like he was forever on his greatest adventure.
A hush fell over the guests and Axel’s attention was drawn down the aisle toward the bride. She stood at the end of the center aisle. Her veil was nearly opaque with lace. Valene told him two places were lacy but thin enough for the bride to see through. From this distance, he couldn’t see her eyes or tell whether she was blinded by the lace.
He’d been surprised when her father had declined to walk her down the aisle, Earther style. Harrison Duvall didn’t want to participate in what he considered the less important wedding ceremony, so Valene hadn’t pushed it.
Francine would have to do the best she could with her opaque veil. He hoped she didn’t walk into a post or any wedding guests along her way.
The pianist started the opening bars of “Here Comes the Bride.” The guests, led by the groom’s family, stood up as the bride walked down the aisle toward him.
It was unnerving not to be able to see her face beneath the heavy veil, but that was the point. This was an arranged marriage. It didn’t matter whether he could see his bride during the ceremony until it was too late and they were already married.
Both Duvall parents had fervently insisted on including the Alpha-Prime custom of the signing of the vows as part of the Earther ceremony. They didn’t want Francine or Axel to be able to change their minds once the Earther ceremony was complete. After the Earther ceremony, he’d be wed to her forevermore.
His bride made her way slowly and carefully down the aisle to him. Once she stood next to him, he looped his arm through hers and together they stepped onto the platform. The officiate, a man selected from a few choices in the basement facility for couples wanting to officially marry on a colony planet, stepped forward.
The maid of honor and best man also stepped up onto the small platform and the officiate began his program.
Francine’s dress was beautiful. So was Lucy’s. They were very similar in style, but Francine’s was fancier with more lace and a longer train.
Axel took a deep breath and pushed it out, trying not to think about the future or how he’d make it work. The picture of Lucy’s face telling him she couldn’t hurt her sister was what he held in his mind.
He didn’t want to hurt Francine either. She didn’t deserve it. She’d been nothing but kind, friendly and happy throughout the last several weeks of preparation.
Axel glanced down at his bride-to-be. She held a beautiful bouquet of flowers in both hands at waist level. The blossoms she’d selected were simple, colorful and beautiful.
She wore lacy gloves that gripped the stems of the flowers, possibly showing her nervousness at this official occasion.
He glanced down at her hands again in time to see the bride press her thumbs together hard for a count of three. She did it again and then a third time.
Axel smiled. She always did that when she was nervous.
He froze. No. Wait.
Did Francinealsodo that when she was worried?
Fifteen minutes before the wedding ceremony
Lucy did her best to keep her mother away from Francine when she came back from getting her hair, makeup and nails done, but Adeline Duvall had a few more barbs of advice to share with her second daughter.
“You have to start working on him immediately after this ceremony, Francine. You don’t want to end up on this horrid planet for a lifetime, do you?”
“I already told you many times that I will talk to him, Mother. How many more reminders are you going give me?” It wasn’t like Francine to snap at anyone, let alone their mother. Apparently, she’d hit her limit.
Lucy—already standing beside Francine—straightened the train of the beautiful bride’s dress and moved closer. “Mother? Give it a rest. I’ve heard you say the same thing three times in the last half hour.”
“I’m just trying to help,” their mother said. She frowned at the dress. “This dress is too plain. I want to fall asleep with boredom every time I look at it.”
“What?” Francine and Lucy said at the same time.
“I love this dress,” Francine said. She stroked her hand down the front, brushing non-existent wrinkles out of it.
“I love this dress, too,” Lucy added.
Their mother rolled her eyes. Her mouth opened, but they were saved from another acerbic comment by Valene rushing into the room.
“Okay. Let’s get this show on the road. Everyone out!”
