“Now for sleep,” I complained, rubbing my eyes.
“You do need your beauty rest,” Kiara said. “You have a big day tomorrow.”
“And we have to get up early,” Delmare added.
“Do you feel ready to take your vows?” Odette squeaked as we made our way back to the palace.
I gave a wide smile. For the first time, excitement— instead of nervousness— bloomed in my chest. “Absolutely.”
Tomorrow, I was marrying my soulmate. I’d never been more ready for a new chapter of my life to begin.
I awoketo birdsong on my wedding day, the sun lightly tickling my face as it squeezed through a crack in the curtains.
I’d actually slept… really good. Since I’d given the offering last night, any worries or fears about my wedding had melted away. I was certain nothing could get me down. I was half convinced the reception could catch on fire and it wouldn’t matter, because Ethan Nowak was mine.
Ethan had spent the night in one of the royal guest rooms. I bet he was already up. I couldn’t wait to see him today. I wasn’t supposed to have any contact with him, but I couldn’t resist brushing up against his consciousness, just once.
I immediately got a teasing sensation. He thought I was being naughty. He was excited, too. I was counting the minutes until I could get down that aisle to see him.
“EMMA, WAKE UPPPPPPP!” My peaceful morning was immediately ruined by Odette breaking the door down. I think she actually kicked it. She jumped onto the bed and sprawled on top of me, giving me a very-squeezy hug. “You’re getting married today!”
“Yeah, if you don’t choke me,” I forced out. I pushed her off of me, only to be tackled by Delmare and Kiara next. The girls smushed me in a giant group hug— which was kind of hard to do, with Delmare’s baby belly in the way.
“Today’s the day!” Odette cheered, getting to her feet and bouncing up and down.
“Emma is going to be a wife!” Kiara cried out. The girls jumped on the bed and started smacking each other with pillows. They broke open, and feathers started flying everywhere. I laughed and grabbed a pillow, whacking Odette in the face before I socked Kiara in the gut. Feathers fell like snowflakes, coating the room. Delmare put her hands over her head and spat out feathers that landed in her mouth.
The photographer was already here, and had slipped in. She took a few pictures of our pillow fight, looking amused.
“What is this nonsense!” Lady Wilmaette strode in, looking displeased. Her lips pinched as she saw the mess we’d made.
“Just letting out a bit of nerves.” I chuckled.
“My queen, I beg you to get down from there, before you break an ankle,” Wilmaette said shortly. “Today is no day for tomfoolery.”
Oh, gods, she was already starting. To her, this was a day for battle, not a day for celebrating. She had the highest intentions to pull off the noblest royal wedding without a single flaw.
I hopped off the bed and said, “Fine. How do I look? Fit to be a bride?”
I’d said it mostly to annoy her, because it was funny. My red hair was a wild mess, and my nails, which had been manicured yesterday, already had a chip in them that needed to be fixed.
Wilmaette’s nose twitched. “Perfectly adequate, though I swear, you have more freckles this morning than you did last night.”
“And they’re beautiful freckles,” Delmare shot at her.
“Of course they are,” Wilmaette replied. “We’ll accent them. Now time is short, ladies! We have much to do, and so little day to finish it.”
We had a nice breakfast of tea with avocado toast before the stylists rushed in to do our hair and makeup. My hair was pulled back to a high bun at the top of my head, with a few curls framing my face. I opted for light makeup, although Wilmaette and I got into an argument about wearing false eyelashes.
She won that one. The false eyelashes were annoying at first, but I grew used to them quickly, and found I liked the way they looked.
Kiara, Delmare, and Odette chattered eagerly as they placed small white flowers around the base of my bun. The flowers were an important tradition. They were placed in my hair by my bridesmaids, and would be a big part of the ceremony later. As the girls finished fastening the last of the flowers around my bun, I sipped on champagne and tried not to ruin my lipstick. Afterward, my bridesmaids busied themselves with placing flower crowns around their own heads, fussing that they weren’t straight.
It wasn’t long after that Vara slipped in. She’d already had her hair and makeup done, and looked perfect, as always. “Is there anything you need from me, my queen?” she asked. “As your handmaiden, I am here to serve.”
“More company is always welcome,” I said. “I’m so jittery I feel like I’m going to jump out of my skin. If you can sit with me for awhile, it would help.”
Vara gave a kind smile. “I can do that.”
