23.
Heather
T he sun shines in streaks through our windows, casting a golden hue on Moth as he sleeps. Beyond him, leaves of red and orange press against the window. After sleeping alone in that tower, this is the perfect picture to wake up to. Moth. He’s so much more than beautiful, and in the still of this moment, all I can do is admire the face of my future husband.
The soft touch of his gold-flecked skin, the way his dark brow relaxes as he sleeps, his freaking adorable antennae bobbling with dreams I hope are as sweet as the wedding cake he’s going to eat his body weight in later.
“Good morning,” Moth mumbles, his eyes still closed, a ghost of a smile on his lips as if he can feel me looking at him.
“Good morning,” I reply, planting a kiss on his lips. “Sleep well?”
“Mmm.” He nods, wrapping his arms around me. “How could I not after the night we had together?”
Heat burns my cheeks as I think of the power we shared soaring through the trees. Last night was beyond perfect.
Glancing at the clock, I thank my lucky stars that we still have time for some cuddles. I know the week leading up to a wedding is normally stressful, but I think we set a record for ridiculousness.
“Did Widow make the necessary adjustments to your dress?”
“It’s been glamoured for the reveal,” I say, booping his nose. “I’m kind of excited. I’ve always wanted to do two looks.”
“It will be quite the costume change,” he croons, planting a kiss on the exposed skin of my shoulder before letting out a deep breath. “This feels good.”
This.
The smell of the woods, the soft blankets in cotton and linen layered across our bodies, the way his dark curls feel under my fingertips. Yeah, this . This is perfect.
The buzzing of my alarm causes us both to groan.
“Why did we decide to do a brunch wedding again?” I whine, pulling myself up from the comfort of our blanket cocoon.
“I believe it was a part of your grand plan for the perfect—”
“Yeah, yeah, you should have talked me out of it,” I say, resisting the urge to climb back into bed—and preferably, on top of him.
“Who am I to argue with a Pinterest vision board, my flame?” He smiles, his fangs on full display.
God. I love this man.
The morning passes in the blink of an eye.
Mom’s gift to me was unexpected, a private offline photoshoot of Moth and I getting ready for the big day, with the promise that these photos will never grace her social pages. It’s nice—for once. I actually believe her.
We sip our tea and coffee while wearing matching lush robes in the morning. Me with rollers in my hair, and Moth with his black curls perfectly messy.
It’s not traditional, but then again, neither are we. It’s Moth’s claws that lace the back of my dress and help me tie the ribbon in my hair. Mom subtly takes pictures, staying out of the way. Moth looks dashing in his suit—something gorgeous that Widow fashioned just for him. It’s nice to see him dressed up like this. The color is a soft burgundy, with golden moths embroidered on the cuffs, a blend of fairytale and modern elements that he can’t wait to see crumbled on the floor.
Honestly? Same.
I love him in both forms—even if the more human one hates wearing pants.
His Adam’s apple bobs as I straighten his cravat. When his ruby eyes meet mine, I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life: I want to marry this man.
“You ready?” Mom asks, looking from me to her almost-son-in-law. We exchange one more glance, no words need to be spoken. These past few days has felt like a decade, and I can’t wait to finally say “I do.”
All five of Ruby and Pepper’s giggling children flutter down the aisle, sprinkling flowers. It’s their first time in the mortal realm, and if the smiles are anything to go off of, I think they’re having fun. Sprout walks next, looking dapper in a bow tie my mom made for him. Flower petals cling to his fur, and when he takes his seat next to our youngest guests, we make our entrance—together. With hands joined, we walk slowly down the flower-filled aisle up to where Queen Plume is standing under a homemade arch of fall foliage.
Clara is fully bawling by the time we are standing in front of everyone, and Holly, though she tries to hide it behind the sway of her lace fan, is not faring much better.
Mom takes her seat, continuing to snap a photo here and there before giving me a small smile and stowing away the camera.
This moment is just for us.
“Gathered loved ones.” Queen Plume greets the small group of guests with the regality of royalty. I know she had wanted a big affair with the whole kingdom gathered to see our union, but it makes me happy that she accepted not only our wishes but also her role as officiant.
“We are here to celebrate the love between Heather and my son, Moth, Prince of Eclipsica. Usually, a union of this status would be attended by lords and ladies of neighboring courts and a kingdom of subjects—these two would stand and proclaim their love for all to hear as proof of their dedication. But if you know Moth and Heather, you know they have nothing to prove, for the care they show each other day by day is something precious and rare.
We do not gather for this pair to prove themselves. Rather, we are here to celebrate and stand as their community, for not only do they love each other, but we all love them fiercely.”
Looking back at our friends, I see the joy reflected in their faces. Gil sits next to Uncle Doug. I hope he has been briefed on all of this. So far, he’s either being very cool about the notion of other realms and creatures, or just thinks we really go all out for a theme. As my eyes wander from face to face, I see each family member and friend is misty-eyed. I’m so happy that they’re the people we get to share this moment with.
“Whether it is to unravel a devious ploy by vampires, to come for Sunday dinner, or to be an ear when there is trouble, we will always come together for you, my darlings,” she says, whispering ‘my darlings’ at the end just for our ears only. She pauses to wipe a tear from her eyes before turning to both of us.
“The bride and groom will now exchange words and rings as a symbol of the promise they make on this day.”
“Heather—” Moth begins, then clears his throat. His red eyes have an unfamiliar sheen that makes a lump form in my throat. “You are my hearth, my home, my comfort, and above all, you are my inspiration. You have accepted me in the shadows, and I solemnly promise to love and cherish your warmth for the rest of our days.”
Sprout comes forward, dropping my ring from his mouth into Moth’s hand. And sure, it’s covered in drool and definitely has dirt stuck in-between the prongs, but more than anything, I’m just impressed he managed to find it. Moth dusts it off on his suit jacket before placing it on my finger, and I grin.
Now, it’s my turn.
“Moth—” I take a deep breath willing myself to get through this without turning into a blabbering mess. “You fell into my life and turned everything upside down. Since then, I’ve learned about new worlds, met new family, and most importantly, fallen even more in love with you. I love you in the quiet moments, where it’s just us. I love you in the chaos of a crowded ballroom and a forest full of trees. It doesn’t matter if we’re soaring through the sky or walking on the grass, I can feel the way my heart and yours beat together like we were always meant to be standing right here.”
I retrieve his ring from my dress pocket and slip the band of golden leaves with black gems onto his finger; not only does it look perfect but it makes things official. Moth is my husband.
To the cheering of our family and friends, our lips meet, and I smile against him, wrapping my arms tightly around my husband.
“My darlings, as beautiful as that was, we have not gotten to the kissing part yet.” Queen Plume chuckles. “I believe you have some words to speak?”
“I do,” we say in unison, and I burst out laughing. Moth’s red eyes crinkle into half-moons, and there is nothing else to say before Moth pulls me in for yet another kiss. Our guests erupt into cheers as Queen Plume tries to regain control of the proceedings.
“By the power vested to me by the crown of Eclipsica and becomeaminister.com, I now welcome you into this new season of your lives. You may kiss … again. ”
And we do.
I’m in absolute disbelief that—after the week we’ve had and all our adventures leading up to this moment—we’re finally husband and wife.
“Are you ready?” The sound of Moth’s whisper tickers my ear and I nod. We’re not just bound together in flesh; we’re also bound in feathers.
The sounds of bones cracking meld with the music of the harp, and when Moth and I kiss for the second time, it’s not the soft touch of lips, but our beaks that meet.
We walk back down the aisle to more cheering, flower petals, and bubbles. All exit to start this next chapter together; I reach for Moth, and our claws entwine as we launch into our first flight together as newlyweds.
Leaves flutter down from the trees as we fly past, and I laugh, glad to have the extra layers of exoskeleton and feathers protecting my body from the cold. Our clawed hands join as we soar above the trees. I think we’ll circle the area and go back home, but Moth leads us further into the woods and seems to have … other plans.
“Close your eyes,” Moth instructs, guiding me with a gentle hand. I do as he asks while we slowly descend to the earth. Our feet land on the ground, and the smell of jasmine and pine fills my nose.
Unsure of our surroundings, I hold tight to him, shifting back into my other form. It’s freezing. Luckily, my wedding dress snaps right back into place with the magic Widow wove into it.
Opening my eyes, we’ve happened upon a cottage in the woods. The front is ivy covered, with an archway of flowers similar to the one we were married under.
“Where are we?” I ask because it’s beautiful—and strangely familiar, though I can’t place where I’ve seen it before.
Moth leads us toward the cabin; on the door there’s a keypad he punches a few numbers into, and the door unlocks.
Did he get us an Airbnb for our honeymoon? Oh my gosh, cute.
When we step inside my stomach flips. Though cramped, I’d convinced myself our little cabin in the woods was perfect, but this place…
High vaulted ceilings allow us to open our wings, and there’s a loft at the top with a writing desk. A pile of pillows is in the corner by a large window—and I can just picture Sprout perched in the midst of it.
And the kitchen—God, what a kitchen. Not only is it open with a giant island in the center, it’s bright and airy with an herb garden on the windowsill. Wow, this place is a storybook come to life—with room to grow.
“Wow,” is all I can say as we walk farther into the cabin. There’s something familiar about it, and then it clicks: didn’t I bookmark this on Zillow? Whoever bought it must have turned the cabin into a rental property. Perfect timing for our honeymoon.
“Do you like it, my flame?”
“It’s perfect,” I say, leaning into him. “Maybe too perfect. I don’t know if I’m going to want to leave.”
“Well, that is rather convenient.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s ours.”
“You didn’t!” I squeal, wrapping my arms tightly around him. I can’t believe he did this!
A place to make new memories. Room to stretch our wings, it’s everything I’ve been wanting, but been too scared to ask for.
“Wait, how?” I pause. “How did you buy a whole house?”
“Being the prince from a kingdom in another realm has its perks.”
“Why am I picturing you showing up to an open house holding a bag filled with gold?” I laugh.
“That is … not as far from the truth as you would imagine.”
Oh my God.
“I realize now perhaps I should have talked to you.” He shakes his head. “I do not want you to feel as if you have had no choice.”
“Um, I think I can forgive you for buying me my dream house,” I say, nuzzling his shoulder. “I can’t wait to keep building our life here together.”
“Together again at last,” he says, pulling me into a kiss. “Now, this is a home.”