Chapter 27
Zora
The morning of Keith and Aurelia's wedding dawns bright and impossibly clear, as though even the weather has decided nothing should spoil the day.
By the time I arrive at Aurelia's bridal suite, the resort is already buzzing with quiet excitement.
Staff hurry through the corridors carrying garment bags, bouquets, and steaming cups of coffee while muffled laughter drifts from behind half-open doors.
Inside the suite, controlled chaos greets me.
Hair stylists move from one side of the room to the other while makeup artists put the finishing touches on the bridal party.
Garment bags hang neatly against the walls, bouquets rest on polished tables waiting to be carried down the aisle, and someone is frantically searching for a missing pair of earrings.
Aurelia, somehow, sits perfectly still in the middle of it all.
She catches my reflection in the mirror before I even say a word.
"Don't look at me like that." She says with a nervous laugh. "You're making me think something's wrong."
I smile as I walk behind her, gently lifting the delicate veil before fastening it into place.
"Nothing's wrong." I reply. "I'm just trying to figure out when exactly you turned into the woman sitting in front of me."
She watches me through the mirror. "What does that mean?"
"It means..." I pause, smoothing the veil over her shoulders before stepping back. "...you look genuinely happy."
For a moment, neither of us says anything.
Her smile softens. "I am."
She glances down at the engagement ring on her finger before looking back at me. "I've imagined this day so many times that part of me keeps expecting to wake up."
"You won't." I reach forward and straighten a loose strand of hair beside her face. "This one's real."
Aurelia's eyes glisten for a brief second. "I swear, if you make me cry before the ceremony..."
"I'll fix your makeup."
"You'll fix it?"
"I'll threaten everyone else until they fix it."
She laughs. "I missed you."
"I'm right here."
"I know." She reaches for my hand and squeezes it. "And I'm really glad you are."
Before either of us can become too emotional, the suite door flies open. Theo marches inside carrying a silver tray filled with champagne flutes.
"My beautiful girls!" He announces dramatically. "Emergency mimosas have arrived because apparently weddings are emotionally exhausting before they've even started."
Several people laugh.
Theo freezes the moment he sees Aurelia. His expression changes almost instantly. "Oh..."
For a second, even the room seems to fall quiet.
The gown is breathtaking. Layers of soft ivory fabric fall effortlessly to the floor, the fitted bodice giving way to a sweeping skirt that moves with every step. Delicate lace traces the neckline and sleeves, catching the morning light without stealing attention from the woman wearing it.
Theo slowly lowers the tray onto a nearby table. "Aurelia."
She raises an eyebrow. "What?"
He presses a hand dramatically against his chest. "Babe... Maison Delacroix absolutely outdid himself."
Aurelia laughs. "I'll take that as a compliment."
"It is the highest compliment I am capable of giving." He shakes his head in disbelief. "Keith is absolutely doomed."
"He'll survive." I reply.
Theo points directly at me. "I sincerely hope he doesn't."
"What?"
"I want tears." He points toward the ceremony site outside. "I want him emotionally devastated before the vows even begin."
Aurelia laughs so hard she has to steady herself against the dressing table. "You are impossible."
"I am invested."
A knock sounds at the door before Steven pokes his head inside.
"The guests have started arriving." He says calmly. "About thirty minutes."
Theo immediately claps his hands together. "Right."
He looks around the room. "Everyone stop being emotional. We've got a wedding to attend."
The ceremony takes place on a breathtaking cliff overlooking the ocean.
An elegant open-air ivory colonnade, wrapped in flowering vines and warm fairy lights, crowns the edge of the coastline.
A marble aisle lined with white roses, hydrangeas, candles, and lanterns leads to a raised circular altar overlooking the sea, while rugged coastal mountains rise in the distance.
Everywhere I look I recognize faces from newspapers, business magazines, and international summits.
Political leaders sit beside billionaire families.
CEOs exchange quiet greetings with diplomats as discreet security teams watch over the ceremony from the shadows.
Keith had even extended invitations to Mikkel and Margrethe, hoping they'd attend despite everything that had happened between our families.
They never came. In the end, only Tobias and Nikolaj accepted, their quiet presence a reminder that not every bridge had been burned.
Yet despite the power gathered in one place, the atmosphere feels surprisingly intimate. None of it seems to matter once Keith steps beneath the floral arch.
I take my place at the front of the aisle, smoothing the fabric of my dress as I glance toward the groom's side.
Keith is already waiting. Anton stands beside him as his best man, adjusting his cufflinks before leaning over with a grin.
"You know," he says quietly, "there's still time."
Keith doesn't even look at him. "For what?"
"Running."
A snort escapes me before I can stop it.
Anton immediately points at me. "See? Even your Maid of Honor thinks it's funny."
"I absolutely do." I admit.
Keith sighs the long-suffering sigh of a man who's questioning every relationship he's ever made.
"I'm getting married."
"I know." Anton replies with a solemn nod. "That's exactly why I brought it up."
I fold my arms. "You've been waiting all morning to say that, haven't you?"
"Since breakfast."
Keith shakes his head. "I need better people."
"No." I say. "You need people who'll keep you humble."
Anton nods enthusiastically. "Exactly."
Keith finally looks between the two of us. "I've made a terrible mistake."
"You haven't even said 'I do' yet." Anton says.
"I wasn't talking about the wedding."
I grin. "Too late. You're stuck with us."
Before either of us can tease him again, the music changes. The conversation dies instantly as every guest rises to their feet.
Keith straightens beside the officiant, but the composed expression he's worn all morning disappears the moment Aurelia appears at the far end of the aisle. Declan appears with Aurelia's hand resting lightly on his arm.
She is radiant.
Sunlight catches the lace of her gown as she takes her first step onto the stone aisle, and for a heartbeat the entire ceremony seems to fade around her.
Keith forgets the rest of the world exists.
I've watched my brother negotiate billion-dollar deals without blinking. I've seen him walk into gunfire with the same calm expression he wears in a boardroom. But I've never seen him like this.
His eyes never leave Aurelia, and as she draws closer, they begin to glisten. A single tear escapes before he can stop it, tracing silently down his cheek. He doesn't even seem to notice.
Every part of him is focused on the woman walking toward him, smiling through tears of her own.
When they finally reach the altar, Declan gently places Aurelia's hand into Keith's.
"Take care of her."
Keith's fingers close around hers immediately. "I'll spend the rest of my life doing exactly that."
Declan smiles and gives a single nod before stepping away.
The ceremony itself is surprisingly simple. There are no grand speeches or elaborate promises. Just two people speaking honestly after everything they'd survived together.
Keith speaks first.
"Aurelia..." His voice is steady, but I hear the emotion beneath it. "My Maneskin."
A smile trembles across her face.
"Before you, I measured my life by responsibilities. Somewhere along the way, you reminded me there was something worth coming home to."
He brings both of her hands into his.
"You became the light I never knew I was searching for. I promise to choose you every day, to protect you, to stand beside you through whatever life asks of us, and to spend the rest of my life proving that loving you will always be the easiest decision I'll ever make."
Aurelia smiles through tears. When she begins speaking, her voice trembles only slightly.
"Everyone always saw the man people feared. I was lucky enough to meet the man who loved quietly, protected fiercely, and made me feel safe long before I ever realized I needed saving."
She squeezes his hands. "I'll choose you today, tomorrow, and every day after that."
By the time they exchange rings, there isn't a dry eye among the people closest to them. Even Theo has abandoned every attempt to pretend he isn't crying.
The officiant smiles warmly. "By the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Applause erupts across the cliffside. Keith doesn't hesitate. He pulls Aurelia into his arms and kisses her as though, for one perfect moment, the rest of the world simply ceases to exist.
By evening, the reception has transformed the grand ballroom into something magical.
Crystal chandeliers scatter warm light across polished marble floors while a live orchestra plays near the dance floor.
Waiters move gracefully through the crowd carrying champagne and hors d'oeuvres, laughter echoes from every corner of the room, and everywhere I look people seem lighter than they had only days ago.
Across the ballroom, Anton has already found himself exactly where everyone expected him to be. Charming the daughter of a well-known conglomerate owner.
Theo follows my gaze before letting out a theatrical sigh. "Some people have absolutely no respect for grieving single men."
I raise an eyebrow. "You're grieving?"
"I'm grieving the fact that Anton has somehow managed to flirt successfully before dinner."
I laugh. "He is the Best Man."
"He's conducting international diplomacy."
"Through flirting?"
"The oldest diplomatic strategy known to mankind."