Epilogue
THREE AND A HALF MONTHS LATER
Amanda whistles loudly and slightly off-key as I zip up the back of her wedding dress and take a step back. “My brother is going to cry when he sees you,” I whisper, awed by how stunning my soon-to-be sister-in-law looks.
The vintage dress we found a few months ago has retained many of its original features, but Amanda has also added a few of her own touches to it. It now contains straps and a giant bow on the back.
My eyes travel up to her face. She’s used a champagne-colored eye shadow and a light layer of mascara, and offset it with some hot-pink lipstick. Her cheeks are rosy, and as she moves under the light, I notice a few sparkles. “Is that glitter?”
“Of course. It’s my wedding day. Well, my secret wedding day. When else will I get to dress up like a real-life Disney princess? Would you mind helping me sprinkle some in my hair?”
“Sure.” She hands me a brush and some white and gold glitter. I dip the end into the container and carefully brush it on the crown and ends of her hair. She’s straightened her normally wild red curls and styled her hair so it’s half up and half down.
“Do you want me to sprinkle some in your hair too?” she asks.
“Why not? If we’re going all-out Disney, I want to be a part of it.”
A goofy grin crosses her lips. “That’s the spirit.” She begins humming “Oh I Just Can’t Wait to Be King.”
A short while later, after I’ve slipped into my own blue dress, we grab our coats and walk arm in arm from our suite to the waiting glass carriage.
“Bonjour, madame,” a footman greets Amanda as he opens the door, assisting us inside. “You look very beautiful this morning.”
“Merci,” she exclaims, beaming with pride.
We settle ourselves and the doors close.
“Don’t get me wrong, your family’s carriages are amazing, but you have to admit, there is something extra special about this baby!” Amanda says.
I nod. “One, it’s much comfier. And two, it’s the Cinderella carriage. Riding inside of it is one of the things my brother was most looking forward to.”
Amanda sighs. “I can’t wait to take a sunrise ride around the park with him in it.”
Taking out my mobile, I take the opportunity to snap a few photos of us, the horses, and a view of Disneyland Paris without any people inside of it.
The popcorn lights of the Main Street shops elicit a soft yellow glow.
A few maintenance workers are power washing the street, but stop and wave to us as we pass them.
The sun has just begun to rise, and as we get closer to the castle, it transforms from an inky black to a purple and golden orange. With the twinkling Christmas lights of the castle as a backdrop, it’s as if we’ve stepped into a real-life fairy tale.
Suddenly the carriage slows, and my pulse begins to race. Amanda slips on a pair of gloves. I make one final adjustment to her fascinator. “You look perfect. Are you ready to do this?”
She nods.
The door opens, and as we descend, I notice that a white carpet has been sprinkled with red rose petals.
At the end of the aisle, standing under an archway of fairy lights twined with red and pink roses, I spy Eddie.
He’s fidgeting as he speaks to Art. Both men look handsome, but I have to admit, Art in a form-fitting tuxedo is an image that will live in my mind for a long, long time to come.
“Ladies.” The deep voice of my cousin David causes us to spin around. He, too, is dressed in a black tuxedo.
“David! What are you doing here?” I squeal.
“You didn’t expect Clara and me to miss this, did you?”
Clara is seven-and-half months pregnant.
Travel around London has been uncomfortable for her; neither Amanda nor I thought she’d be coming.
But now that she’s here, I’m extra excited.
A moment like this necessitates Amanda having her bestie here.
And from way she looks like she’s about to burst out of her skin, she shares my thoughts.
“When? How?” she sputters.
“We flew in last night. Clara can fill you in on the details later. She’s sitting at the end of the aisle, waiting for us.”
I turn my head and see her petite form covered in a few blankets as she watches us. I wave and she waves back.
David extends his arm to Amanda. “First, let’s get you married. Then we can spend the rest of the day talking and celebrating.”
I accept a bouquet of fragrant roses from a Disney cast member and trail behind Amanda and David. A hidden string quartet plays the traditional wedding march. It’s a strange sight to see Clara as the only guest sitting among the ten chairs on either side of the aisle.
Both my parents and Amanda’s were invited to the affair at the last minute, although Amanda’s mum technically knew about it.
After some heated conversations, they both agreed it would be best not to intrude on the event and that the happy couple should be allowed to have the ceremony of their dreams. Especially since their London ceremony, scheduled for next June, has turned into a circus.
I release my breath and begin down the aisle after Amanda and David.
The moment my brother spots her, his head snaps up and he stands at attention.
His eyes are locked on Amanda. All the tension in his face melts away and he smiles wider than the Grand Canyon.
I’ve never seen him appear so happy. My heart leaps with joy.
This moment has been a long time in coming, and I’m beyond thrilled to be able to share it with them.
We reach the end of the aisle. David places Amanda’s arm in Eddie’s, kisses her on the cheek, and takes a seat on the bride’s side next to Clara.
She snuggles into his chest. I take up my spot to Amanda’s left, directly opposite Art.
Our eyes meet and he mouths You look beautiful to me. I mouth Right back at you.
The ceremony is over in the blink of an eye, and after Amanda and Eddie share a long, passionate kiss, I officially have a new sister.
It’s only after the photographer steals the newly married couple away for a few minutes that I finally have the chance to greet Art.
“Good morning.” I kiss him on the cheek.
“Good morning to you too, Ali.” He chuckles and wraps his arms around me. “You must be freezing—that cape doesn’t look like it’s doing a very good job of keeping you warm.”
I shrug. “Up until now, I really hadn’t noticed it. I’ve been thinking about other things.”
Art slips his jacket over my shoulders. “Better?”
“Much, but aren’t you going to be cold?”
“I’ll manage until we get back to the hotel.”
Flashes go off as Amanda and Eddie ham it up for the camera, not wasting a single moment of their precious time. “Are you still all right with exploring the theme park after breakfast?”
“Of course, I’d be concerned if you didn’t want to do a full Disney day, seeing as it’s your first time here.” He glances at David and Clara. “Do you think they’ll be joining us?”
“I doubt it. Knowing David, they’ll probably fly back after Clara fits another nap in.”
“What about your brother and Amanda?”
I lower my voice so Art is the only one who can hear me. “I love them both dearly, but I can’t handle the mad pace they’ll want to keep to make sure they fit literally everything in today. If they try to join us, we’ll find a way to ditch them.”
His body shakes with laughter. “It can’t be that bad.”
“Yes, it can. Amanda is notorious for choreographing the day’s activities down to the loo breaks.”
He arches his eyebrow. “Loo breaks, huh?”
“Uh-huh. Trust me. We’ll be better off on our own.”
“As you wish.”
I picture us taking a slow walk up to the bridge of the castle, where we’ll share a romantic kiss.
“Are you picturing us in the castle again?”
My cheeks warm. “Yes,” I admit.
“Brilliant, because I’d like that to be our very first stop of the day. Angela and Dylan have even agreed to give us a few minutes of privacy.”
“What’s the catch?” I ask.
Dylan is the protection officer who was hired to replace Art.
A former Royal Marine, physically, he’s a lot like Art.
Personality wise, however, they’re opposites.
Dylan is always laughing and manages to keep me entertained.
He’s nowhere as serious as Art. If you ask me, it’s no surprise Angela is smitten with him. Or so I think.
“They want us to purchase them mouse ears, churros, and some popcorn buckets. Apparently collecting them is a thing.”
I nod. “Done.”
It’s a small price to pay for a few moments alone with my boyfriend, but worth it. Art and I deserve to be able to enjoy our own fairy-tale moment.
Three Months Later
“I’m so proud of you. You’re going to do brilliantly Ali.” Art kisses my cheek. “Just remember to breathe.”
“You’re not going to tell me to try and imagine the audience in their knickers?” I joke.
“No,” he deadpans, crossing his arms. Our eyes meet and we both snicker. It’s just the distraction I needed to push the bundle of nerves away. Sometimes it’s hard to believe we’ve officially been together for about just over six months. We’ve gotten to know one another so well.
“We’re ready for you, ma’am,” my mum’s secretary says as she joins us behind the curtain separating Art and me from the press. A clipboard is tucked under her arm. She’s my assistant for the day. “The teleprompter is loaded with all the speaking points you’ve prepared.”
“Thanks, Lynn.”
“Be the Alice I know and love.” Art squeezes my hand one last time as I stand by the entrance and take a deep breath.
Squaring my shoulders, I plaster a smile on my face and walk out.
There are three rows of schoolchildren in uniform seated crossed-legged, watching me with wide eyes.
I can hear their whispers as they wonder why they’re here.
Their teachers stand off to the side, also chatting quietly amongst themselves.