“That she did,” I agreed. “Let’s enjoy dinner, shall we?”
I was starving. I’d been too nervous to eat before the ceremony, but with my new wife by my side and the rituals over, it was time to loosen up. We sat at the bride and groom’s table, which had been placed on the stage of the ballroom where the thrones usually sat. We were immediately served french onion soup with honey mead, which I was heartily grateful for.
It was the first of many courses. Whenever we were finished with one dish, we started on another. There were dumplings with quail, salmon with pine nut salad, crab legs with asparagus, and my personal favorite, prime rib with a side of seared steak. It was all delicious, and by the time the servants cleared away our plates, I was certainly satisfied.
Near the end of the last course, Odette bustled up from the bridal party’s table and hurried to a small platform that had been set up by the cake. She took a microphone from a servant, and waved to the audience.
“What’s Odette doing?” Emma asked.
“The meal’s entertainment,” Wilmaette grumbled from nearby— as if this had been a favor she’d owed to Odette for getting Emma’s dress done on time, and so, had no choice but to grant her.
Odette waved eagerly to the crowd. “Hello, everyone! So, um, if you’d all like to know, I’m one of the queen’s bridesmaids, and I’d like to sing a little song for the groom and bride.”
The crowd gave a little chuckle. Odette brought the microphone closer to her face and whispered, “Anyway, this is for Emma and Ethan. I love you guys.”
The band struck up, and Odette began belting out a very awful rendition ofI Will Always Love You.I tried not to cringe, though I’m sure the reaction was visible on my face. Whitney Houston she was not. I’d heard Odette sing before at the poetry slam last semester, and sadly, had never wished to hear her sing again.
Shesaidshe’d been taking voice lessons. The instructor needed to be hanged.
The faces of our guests turned from warm smiles to awkward grimaces, and I found myself grinning. Never mind. The fact that she was making the nobles uncomfortable was amazing. This was a great wedding present.
Odette let out a screech that sounded more like a parrot. Emma gave a little laugh beside me, like she found Odette’s show amusing— and a little heartwarming. Personally, I was touched that Odette had taken the time to sing us a song. Even if she was off-pitch.
When Odette finished, there was kindly applause. No one dared to be rude to the queen’s best friend at her own wedding, but it was safe to say, Odette wasn’t getting any record deals anytime soon. Theo jumped to his feet to give her a standing ovation, but he was the only one.
After dinner, we formed a long receiving line to talk to each of the nobles and thank them for coming— very boring— before the first dance. Emma danced in my arms to the violin as the crowd watched, but we only had eyes for each other. I remembered how we’d skated on the pond at Arcanea University during our first date together, and how an illusion of snowflakes had skated around us. This moment felt very similar… as if we had gone back in time to that very special day. If I was honest, that first date with her had been one of the most wonderful nights of my life. We hadn’t found any time to go skating recently, but I promised myself we would soon. The pond in the gardens was frozen over, and winter had arrived. We’d soon be back on the ice again, right where we’d fallen in love.
As our dance ended, more couples flooded the floor, swaying to the beat of the orchestra.
Besides the dancing, there were a variety of activities at fae weddings, including fortune telling and games. A couple of dragon shifters kicked around a ball in the corner, while a sorceress read tea leaves by the door. Arthur had gotten a bunch of shifters around to sing an Irish sea shanty, fists banging on the tables for rhythm while sorceresses danced to the sound of his lilting brogue rising and falling over the reception.
Our friends had gathered near the cake. Stefan let out a snort as he looked at Emma. “Ethan deflowered you.”
His pun wasn’t very amusing, at least not to me.
“That happened alongtime ago,” Emma said, taking another sip of champagne.
“Not in front of everyone,” he said. Delmare elbowed him.
“Ooh, don’t Ozzie and Jasper lookso cute!” Odette peeped. She pointed at the couple, who were hand in hand on the dance floor and wearing matching tuxedos. Jasper twirled Ozzie around, and the little dragon fell onto Jasper’s chest with a giggle. A couple of nobles wrinkled their noses and moved away from them.
Inviting them was a must, as they were close friends, but it definitely raised a few eyebrows. Same-sex relationships were legal now in Malovia, but they’d hardly been accepted.
I’d given strict orders to the guards that anyone who spoke anything derogatory about Ozzie and Jasper, to their faces or otherwise, be immediately thrown out. Yet it was clear that nothing had to be said. The disgust on the faces of the alicorn guests in particular was clear.
“They're enjoying the night, as we all should,” Theo said, taking Odette’s hand. “Come. Let’s join the dancing.”
There would be no clubbing tunes or dirty songs here at the royal wedding. It was to be a very pompous event, despite the disappointment of my friends.
However, just because the songs were old-fashioned didn’t mean they couldn’t be fun. My friends and I danced the polka, the waltz, and the tango, switching partners every so often and enjoying the music. I heard Emma’s laugh trickle over the ballroom as she was passed from Arthur to Stefan during a group ballroom dance, and I swore, it’d never made me so happy.
The hours flew by so quickly that the midnight course was being served before I knew it. Delmare and Vara were both tired from dancing— they had babies to carry, unlike the rest of us. Stefan knelt before Delmare, removing her shoes and rubbing her feet while saying, “It’s too bad you can’t play the next game.”
“It’s fine,” Delmare said with a wave. “The unveiling is a stupid tradition.”
“But it’s such a funny game,” Alexei insisted.
I had to sit this one out. I took a seat between Delmare and Vara as the unveiling began. Emma had been given another veil, a short one that was clipped into her hair. Odette and Kiara stood in front of Emma, facing off against Stefan, Theo, Arthur, and Alexei.
