32. Ellie
Istare at my bump in the mirror, a smile spreading across my face as I rub a hand over it. Even in my ballgown of a wedding dress, you can very obviously tell that I’m pregnant, but I wanted to do it now, when the baby is still inside, and not a crying, pooping mess for everyone to see and hear.
We’re already married, but this one is for real. This is the one in my soul. This is the wedding to the man I love, now that I know he loves me back.
Unlike at my first wedding, I’m not nervous. At least not about Cedrick. The hundreds of people waiting for me outside, on the other hand, is a whole other story.
This wedding is a full royal one, with all members of the royal court in attendance, as well as anyone important to the royal family.
Everyone will know about me. I don’t exactly mind it, but as someone who’s never liked being the center of attention, it’s certainly a new experience for me.
“Your dress is amazing!” Liza squeals as she walks into my private dressing room.
“Thanks! It had to be specially made for me, because of my bump. It took them forever to do.”
The biggest difference between this dress and the one I wore at our first wedding is that this one is anything but simple. It was made to attract attention, to make a statement. It’s so painstakingly beautiful, but the wedding dress of Princess Eleanora Vanecourt, not little Ellie Lawson.
“It should be in a museum. It’s stunning.”
“Alright tell me, has anything gone wrong?”
Another huge difference between this wedding and the first one is we actually had a wedding planner for this one. I’ve stayed out of pretty much everything, letting other people handle it all.
“There was a very small mixup with the flowers, but it was handled before it even became a problem. Everything else has gone perfectly.”
“Good. You need something small to go wrong to know that everything will go right. It’s good luck.”
Someone knocks at the door and pokes their head in.
“We’re ready for you, bride!” Bella says.
I grin, feeling a tad jittery. I’m beyond excited to be reunited with Cedrick again. We decided to stay separated the night before our wedding, so I haven’t seen him since yesterday morning, and the anticipation is killing me.
“You remember your vows?” Liza asks.
“Yes, I’ve got them memorized.”
“Okay, here’s your bouquet, and you know what to do!”
I follow Liza out of the room and through the palace. The wedding is taking place right on the grounds, as well as the reception.
I get deja vu as the music begins playing outside, played by a live string-quartet. Everything feels like I’m reliving the day. The way all of my sisters-in-law filter out, the way I’m left waiting by myself to walk out.
I open the door to walk outside, a wave of fresh air hitting me in the face. The smell of flowers is strong, in a good way. Calming.
The aisle stretches out in front of me, this one five times as long as the one I walked down before. Once Liza is a good distance ahead of me, I begin walking.
As I walk, I smile at every face staring out. When I finally look ahead and see Cedrick patiently waiting for me, tears well in my eyes.
The sight of him standing there in his suit, as handsome as ever, makes me so emotional I can barely hold back the tears. But I manage to save the emotion. I want to say my vows with the sincerity and clarity my husband deserves.
When I reach the altar, Cedrick takes both of my hands in his. I notice his eyes shining, holding back tears of his own. I smile, and he winks, before the royal officiant begins speaking.
“Today, Solvaria will not only celebrate the joining of these two wonderful people, but the ascension of Princess Eleanora.”
He goes on to say a few more traditional things. Cedrick and I just stare at each other, wearing matching smiles on our faces.
“You may now say your vows, Cedrick.”
Cedrick clears his throat before beginning.
“Ellie, it is with great pride that I stand here with you today. You have made me the happiest man in the world. You have made my dreams come true in ways that I never thought possible.
“I’m so glad that I met you when we were kids, because we come from the same place. But nothing compares to falling in love with you as an adult. I cannot wait for us to meet our child.
“I know that being a parent with you will be the most fulfilling, rewarding thing I’ve ever experienced. I know that, because being in partnership with you has been the greatest experience of my life. I vow to be the best father and husband I can be. I vow to always try to be the father and husband you and our child deserve.”
Tears slide down my cheeks. I try my best to hold back more so that I’ll be able to say my own vows without sobbing. Cedrick reaches out and wipes a tear off my cheek, giving me an encouraging smile.
“And your vows, Eleanora.”
“Cedrick. My darling Ricky. The first and only man I’ve ever loved.
“This is the last place I expected my life to end up. It’s so much better than I ever could have imagined.
“You’ve taught me so many things and shown me so many of life’s joys. I’ve never been this happy. I didn’t know happiness like this existed until I met you.
“I vow to stand by your side for the rest of our lives, no matter what. I vow to love you forever and to be there for you, for our children, and for people around the world in need. Together, I know I can accomplish anything.”
After a few more words that I drown out as I stare at Cedrick’s lips, awaiting that moment I’ve been dreaming of all day, the officiant declares us husband and wife, and he bestows my official title.
“You may now ki?—”
Before he can even finish, Cedrick and I are molded together. I kiss him passionately, a fire deep inside of me igniting the heat of the kiss.
He’s mine. He’s really, truly mine. No more pretending, no more hiding. We’re together now, and nothing is going to change that, ever.
We pull away with huge smiles, and lipstick smeared on his lips, and we turn to the crowd, holding hands. Everyone cheers, and flowers are thrown up into the air.
Cedrick and I begin running down the aisle, laughing and waving at people as we go. It’s the happiest moment of my life. And I know with Cedrick I’ll have so many more. I’ve never felt as free and as loved as I feel right now.
When we reach the end, we’re ushered back into the palace, where there’s a room for each of us to change before making our entrance at the reception.
Once we’re alone inside the center vestibule of the private space, I throw myself into his arms. We have about twenty minutes to change, but I’m pretty sure at least ten of them will be spent like this. Maybe nineteen.
“You look so beautiful,” he whispers.
“Thank you,” I say, angling my head so I can look up at him. “I wish we could just stay like this.”
“I know. But we have our whole lives. We should give the people what they want.”
“Really?” I’m grinning. We’ve both gotten to like official duties better, knowing we have each other by our side, and we have each other to remind us what really matters.
“It’ll be fun. And just think…the sooner we get out there, the sooner we can have cake.”
“Ooh, cake! I almost forgot about that part!”
“Oh, yes. And I saw the cake earlier. It looks delicious.”
I sigh and pull away.
“Okay, meet back here in ten?”
Cedrick winks at me and disappears down the hall. I enter my dressing room, where I change into a tea-length dress that will be easier to dance in. After sprucing up my makeup from the crying, I walk back out into the hall.
“Holy shit, I might actually like this dress more,” Cedrick marvels, spinning me around in a circle. “You ready?”
“I’m ready.”
Cedrick and I cross the palace until we reach the door that will lead us directly into the reception. He squeezes my hand before opening the door.
As soon as we walk in, we’re blasted with welcoming cheers and shouts. It makes me feel phenomenal that all of these people are rooting for us.
We walk out to the empty dance floor, where everyone is waiting for us to share our first dance. The two of us actually met with a choreographer to plan this out, and Cedrick actually helped choreograph, since he has a hidden passion for it.
As we start our routine, I find myself closing my eyes and just letting my body move. All of life’s problems melt away as I just live in the moment with my husband.
Cedrick spins me around a few times before dipping me, causing a few cheers, probably from his brothers. As he dips me, he presses his lips into mine.
“I love you,” he says before lifting me back up.
“I love you, too.”