EPILOGUE
Vander
Six months later
Ican’t remember a time in my life when I was nervous. I’m always in control, responsible, dependable and driven, but here I am sweating in my gray morning suit while classical music plays softly around me. At my side are three of my brothers, minus Andre, who is currently taking some time away for “stress”. My parents sit in the front row, my father proudly wearing the ceremonial sash denoting his position in the Alliance. My heart speeds up as the music shifts, announcing the entrance of the bride.
My bride.
The last six months have been the best of my life. I can’t imagine a time before I got to see Addy’s sweet smile at the end of the day. Instead of returning to Abu Daher, Addy stayed in New York so we could spend time together before the wedding. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, fear pounding in my ears, at the thought of not bumping into her that day, of losing her before I had a chance to find her.
Her brother was happy to purchase a place here for her, even though he was concerned about the security risks of having her outside of Abu Daher. I know she loves continuing her mother’s charitable works in New York, and her joy at experiencing everything the city has to offer is more than worth the expense of the private security team I’ve put into place. She’s also driven and ambitious, and along with actively planning our wedding here in Abu Daher from her office in New York, she’s also initiated a new organization supporting body positivity in dance.
I made sure she surrounded herself with people who respected her voice, and I assured her brother I was more than capable of looking after her security needs. No one gets near her but me. No one casts a shadow on her happiness.
She is my sunshine and I crave her like oxygen.
I focus on the large double doors, my breath catching as they open, and tears burn my eyelids. I’ve never been a man who succumbs to emotion, but as a ray of sunlight falls across the rich embroidered carpet, highlighting my soon-to-be wife in a golden aura, my heart stumbles and a strange pressure builds in my chest. I am a lucky bastard.
As she reaches me, I finally notice the man next to her, her brother who has become a good friend in a short period of time. He bends to place a kiss on her cheek and places her hand in mine. He repeats the ceremonial words that have been drilled in my head over the various rehearsals within the last week, and I respond, earning a slight giggle from my bride at my deplorable accent. I squeeze her hand, feeling like I need to hold on to her for dear life.
Although this is a formal event, this is our wedding, and I decide to break with tradition for a moment, protocol be damned. I turn to face her, my gaze roaming over her figure. Her wedding gown is a mix of traditional and modern elements, cream silk, with gold detailing and the folds of her train are inlaid with deep purple. She looks like a queen. Her ample curves aren’t concealed, although the dress is fairly modest by my standards. I love it when she shows off her body, knowing her gorgeous breasts and thick thighs, soft hips and belly are all mine. If she could wear one of her sexy sundresses down the aisle, I would have been happy, but of course that’s not appropriate for a royal wedding.
Luckily, I made sure Hayley packed nothing but bikinis and my favorite sundresses for our honeymoon.
“I love you,” I say aloud, not caring that this isn’t part of the practiced ceremony. “I love you and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you. A thousand years wouldn’t be long enough.”
She blinks and I see a shimmer in her eyes. She swallows and gives me a smile that makes my heart sing. “I love you too.”
One of the officiants clears their throat. I’m not certain which one it was, because there are representatives from the four main religions within Abu Daher, but I can’t look away from the radiant face of my bride.
Realizing that neither of us was going to take the hint, they start the ceremony, and we share a smile. I speak the words forever binding me to Adara, accepting the honor of taking Abu Daher’s princess as my bride. I swear my oath to her, to her brother, as king and to the country.
And when the bells peal, I break protocol again and lift my bride into my arms, ignoring the gasps of surprise as her veil falls away and a shocked laugh falls from her lips.
I stride down the aisle, noting the raised cameras and my smile widens. Let them record it. I want the whole world to see that this arrangement is a love match and that I can’t wait another second to have my wife in my arms.
“Where are we going?” she asks, breathlessly as I push through the doors to the wild cheers of the public who have gathered nearby in the hopes of catching a glimpse of their princess’ wedding.
“Still a curious little cat, aren’t you, my love?”
Security surrounds us, but I refuse to put her down, letting them lead us to the Bentley town car. Finally, I set her on her feet and let them open the door, helping to gather her dress. I slide in next to her, framing her face in my hands and kiss her beautiful, lush lips.
When I break the kiss, her eyes are dazed. We’ve been so busy for the past month with preparations and state dinners and everything that we’ve had no time alone. But I intend to remedy that immediately.
“Sebastian got us a wedding present,” I say.
“I would expect nothing less.” She puts her head on my shoulder. “What is it?”
“He’s opening a very exclusive Club Curve at my family’s resort.”
She sits up, her eyebrows raised. “Here?”
I nod, reaching into a bag under my feet and pulling out a burgundy cloak and gold mask. A pretty blush floods my bride’s face. We haven’t been back to the Club since that one night, but Adara has mentioned several times that she'd like to explore what is on the menu.
She reaches for the mask. “I’m so glad I followed you that night.”
“Now it’s my turn to follow you.” I kiss her again. “Forever.”
