Chapter 20
The Vows
This is it. The doors open and the music changes once again and slowly, step by step, we walk up the stone steps of the abbey. And as my uncle and I cross the threshold to step inside so that I can marry Rhys, a cheer goes up through the crowd.
“Woohoo!” Dahlia cheers back, waving her bouquet and making me laugh.
“Decorum, ladies,” my uncle says in a stern tone.
We close our mouths as we make our way through the interior and down the aisle.
The first part of the abbey is filled to the brim with people.
Do all these people know Rhys? Surely, they’re not here for me.
I know maybe three people and none of them would be here.
Or at least that’s my thought until I see Fran and Paul, the men who raised me as their own niece and protected me in secret.
In a perfect world, they’d be walking me down the aisle.
I know that they’re in service to my homeland, but I wonder if they could come here instead.
Would that be allowed? I’ll have to ask Rhys.
Fran blows me a kiss as Paul wipes tears from his eyes.
As we move further down the aisle, I see Maeve in her gorgeous dove gray suit with a matching hat on her head. She lifts a lace trimmed hanky to pat her eye as she smiles huge at me. I can’t believe it. My three people other than Dahlia are here, for me!
I feel my smile grow wider knowing that I am also loved here. My people are here. The family of my heart.
The further we move into the abbey, the more important the people are. A sheikh, a prime minister here, the President and First Lady there. All of them smile as they see me, or at the very least, my uncle, the king.
And then there’s the royal pews that sit higher than the rest. I see Saoirse and the earl and a few others. But just past them is the archbishop standing behind Rhys and Taylor looking so handsome in their military uniforms and royal honors.
“George Rhys John Aidan Alexander,” the archbishop begins, “Will you have this woman to be your lawful wife? Will you love her and honor her, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?”
“Aye,” he answers, his voice strong and sure. “I will.”
“And you, Estrella Francesca Maria Cordova de la Reyes,” he says. “Will you have this man as your husband? To love him and to honor him, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?”
“Yes,” I reply. “I will.”
“Very good then,” he says. “Who gives this woman away?”
“I do,” my uncle says. “As well as the country of San Juan de Baptisto.”
“Thank you,” the archbishop replies. “You may give her away.”
My uncle lets go of my arm and leans close to lift the veil covering my face before symbolically placing my hand in Rhys’s. Dahlia takes my bouquet and fixes my veil, before giving me a wink and taking her place on the opposite side of the altar from their brother, Taylor.
“And now, the vows before God,” the archbishop says.
“I, George Rhys John Aidan Alexander, take thee, Estrella Francesca Maria Cordova de la Reyes, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, ’til death do us part.”
“I, Estrella Francesca Maria Cordova de la Reyes, take thee, George Rhys John Aidan Alexander, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, ’til death do us part,” I reply.
“Bless Oh Lord, this ring,” the archbishop declares, holding up a gold band for all to see. “Grant that he who gives it and she who wears it, remain faithful to each other and live together until death claims them.”
Rhys takes the ring from him and places it on my finger while saying, “With this ring, I thee wed; with my body, I thee honor; and all my worldly goods, I share with thee.”
The archbishop places the final ring in my hand and I place it on Rhys’s finger.
I was surprised when he said that he wanted one since it is not always done.
He is not necessarily tied to me in the ways that I am tied to him, but he had said he wanted the world to know that while I am his, he is also mine.
“With this ring, I thee wed; with my body, I thee honor; and all my worldly goods I share with thee,” I say quietly as I slide my ring up his finger.
“It is my esteemed honor with the powers vested in me by the Holy Church of the Isle of Saints, I now pronounce you man and wife,” the archbishop declares. “You may kiss your bride.”
“Gladly,” Rhys replies as he grabs me and places a shocking kiss on my lips, one that is closed but not short and definitely more passionate than should be happening in a historic abbey.
The music starts again, and Rhys leads me down the aisle after Dahlia hands me my bouquet.
I can’t believe it but I’m a married woman.
Once we’re out the front doors of the abbey, we’re loaded into a gold trimmed carriage and led by six horses through the streets as the church bells ring out to announce the news that their king has wed.
People everywhere cry and cheer as they wave flags and toss flowers.
When we reach the castle, we’re brought through to have official wedding portraits taken—alone, together, with our families. It’s bananas. And then afterward, we’re led out onto the official state balcony where we greet those waiting to see their king.
We wave as we’ve been directed and then Rhys grabs me again and kisses me. When he pulls back, there’s a huge smile on his face as he waves to his people one more time before he takes my hand and leads me back inside.
“You did so well,” he says to me. “I’m so proud of you. What do you need?”
“A giant turkey sandwich and not these shoes,” I reply before I can think, and he throws his head back and laughs.
Maeve is there, waiting for us, her hat and gloves gone. She’s back to work, her job to look after us, and as I’ve always known, it’s with love.
“Now, you’ve got the afternoon to rest before glam will be back to patch you up for the party tonight,” she says to me before turning to Rhys. “Do not tear that dress, it’s to be displayed in the archives next week.”
“Spoilsport.” He laughs.
“You’re a child,” she says good naturedly. “Now off with you before someone comes looking for you.”
“Thanks, Maeve,” he says, placing a kiss on her cheek. “You’re a gem.”
“Don’t I know it. Now go on, then.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” he says before wadding up my train and stuffing it in my arms. Then he scoops me up in his arms and takes off down the hall.
“Ach! Not the dress,” I hear her whisper shout in our direction and the protection officers snicker as they follow behind us.
“You’re a brute,” I laugh.
“This dress must weigh a thousand pounds,” he says. “I’ll no’ have the strength to tear it.”
“Good.”
Rhys kicks open our suite door before nodding to our protection officers “I’ll take it from here, lads,” he says, making them snicker again.
“Pleasant afternoon, Your Majesties,” one says just before the door closes.
I blush wildly.
“Does everyone know what we’re doing in here?” I ask before biting down on my lip. I hate being a spectacle.
“Aye,” he says with a smile as he shucks off his coat and tie before unbuttoning his vest and shirt. When he’s down to just his pants he says, “We’re to be making a baby now.”
“Now?” I gasp. “Like right now?”
“Aye and not a moment before,” he chuckles. “Now turn around so I don’t rip your beautiful wedding gown.”
I do as I’m told and turn away from him.
He carefully pulls the clip holding my veil and sets it on the chaise before unpinning the tiara from my head.
That he takes more care with. Knowing that the suit belonged to his late mother, I understand.
I wish I had things like that from mine.
The earrings are laid gently in the box with the necklace, next to the case for the tiara.
Then button by button, he lets the dress fall from my body, the lace butterflies take flight down my arms, and it all pools in a frothy mess at my feet, leaving me standing in nothing but a lace thong and heels.
That is until Rhys holds out his hands for me to step out of it all, and I happily leave the heels behind.
Once I’m clear of the dress, he scoops me back up in his arms and walks over to the bed, where he lays me down. Rhys lets his own pants fall to the floor before covering my body with his. He makes love to me so well that I completely forget that I was worried about my safety.
A dangerous mistake to have made because in a few hours, I will die.