The uproar over the bride swap erupted behind them as they made it to the end of the aisle. Lucy pulled on Axel’s arm, directing him to the dressing room. They ran inside with Cam and Francine on their heels, slammed the door shut behind them and locked it tight.
Lucy and Francine both pulled their veils off and hugged each other tight.
“Thank you so much, Fancy. I can’t believe we got away with it!”
“What did you just do?” Cam said to Lucy and Francine.
Axel grabbed Lucy out of Francine’s arms and kissed her passionately. “They switched places and Lucy signed her name on the bride line. It’s official. We’re married.” He held up the scroll. “And I have the wedding scroll with our names on it, signed and sealed by the officiate, then rolled and tied up to prove it.”
The door handle rattled as someone tried it.
Heart beating in her throat, Lucy turned to Francine and said in a whisper, “We need to think of a way to show that you didn’t have anything to do with this switch. How can we do that?”
Francine shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. When they can’t break this bond, they’ll just find some other second son to shackle me to for a lifetime. They have someone in mind as a backup.”
“That’s it,” Cam said.
“What’s it?” Axel asked.
Cam reached into his wallet and pulled out a small silver disc the size of an Earther coin. “If we put a shackle sticker on Francine, she can deny being part of the scheme.”
Francine shook her head. “Valene would take the fall. I can’t allow that either.”
“Valene isn’t under your parents’ purview, Francine,” Cam said. “What are they going to do, take her birthday away?”
“Let him put the sticker on you. At least it will confuse them in the short term.” Lucy grabbed Francine’s sleeve and motioned for Cam to apply the sticker.
“Thanks, Francine,” Axel said. “I want you to know I would have married you, if it hadn’t been for Lucy.”
Francine helped roll her sleeve up. “Oh, I know that. I would have happily married you, too, even if I didn’t love you. It was out of the question once I saw the way the two of you looked at each other. I can’t believe no one else noticed the arc of electricity in the air. You and Lucy are meant to be together.”
Cam put the sticker in place. Francine’s eyes glazed over. Lucy led her to a chair and told her to sit down.
The pounding on the door increased and shouts could be heard from outside.
“Do we let them in or wait until they calm down?” Cam asked.
Lucy let out a long sigh. “I don’t think they are ever going to calm down. Let them in. Francine doesn’t need to be shackled for any longer than necessary.”
“Good point.”
Cam and Axel walked over to the door, unlocked it and turned the handle. Both of Lucy’s parents spilled into the room. Adeline Duvall regained her balance and marched over to where Francine sat, Lucy standing next to her. “What is the meaning of this?” She gave Lucy a glare that would have withered a lesser person. Turning her angry gaze on Francine, she grabbed her by the shoulders and hauled her halfway up from the chair. “Explain to me what you did, Francine.” Her sister squinted and opened her mouth as if ready to spill the whole plan. The shackle sticker would make her talk. Oh no.
Lucy broke the hold her mother had and said, “She didn’t do anything. It was all me.” Francine closed her mouth, confusion shaping her features.
“How is that possible?”
Cam explained. “With this.” He lifted Francine’s arm and pulled back her sleeve to reveal the silver circle. “This is a shackle sticker. It was made to calm Alpha prisoners who become agitated during prison transfers. It forces the person wearing it to comply with any commands given.”
“That’s right. I put the sticker thing on Francine and forced her to change dresses with me. Then I told her to walk out and be the maid of honor. She had to comply.”
Cam peeled the sticker off Francine, who looked around as if puzzled by where she was, who she was and the identity of the rest of the people in the room. “What’s going on here?” she asked, as if completely befuddled by the world at large.
Their father, face crimson with anger, approached. “I do not believe a word of this. Lucinda, perhaps you’ve won this round, but Francine will pay the price for your perverse selfishness.”
“That’s not fair,” Lucy said. “I made her do it.”
Francine stood up. “No, she didn’t. This was all my idea.”
