The music around us enters its second loop. I've been standing here at the end of the aisle for more than five minutes, and our guests are starting to seem restless. Of course, Piper is late. That wasn’t even an option during the first ceremony because of the crowd of attendants who made sure she got dressed and to the ceremony. This time she only has Tabitha helping her, and apparently that's not enough to counteract her remarkable inability to get places on time. I've started changing clocks everywhere we go. When we took her father's house off the market, one of the first things I did was adjust the time on every clock in every room to all read different times. I told myself it would disorient her enough that she might automatically go with the earliest time in an effort to not be late. Since I set that earliest time to twenty minutes before the actual time, it would have worked out perfectly. Instead, she went through the next day methodically matching the time on the clocks to that on her phone, amazed at the strange coincidence of every clock being wrong. I hadn't had the heart to tell her. Now I do it more gradually. Eventually, it'll take hold. A man can dream.
Or, it won't. I'll spend the rest of my life hurrying her along, waiting for her, and relying on staff to get her to the important things on time. I can live with that, too.
The music changes and I turn my attention to the end of the aisle. Tabitha stands there, beaming as she makes her way down the aisle in her lavender dress. Piper picked that dress before she even chose her own. She insisted on something that wouldn't make Tabitha feel ridiculous, and that wouldn't get relegated to the back corner of the closet never to be seen or worn again. I'm not sure what occasion would justify wearing a lavender floor-length dress other than a wedding or a ball, but both women seem optimistic about it, so who am I to argue?
I smile at Tabitha when she reaches the head of the aisle and takes her place on Piper's side of the altar. Her cool disposition toward me has softened considerably, and I feel like we're on the road toward having a close bond someday. Either that, or she and Frederik can be the awkward ones in the family portraits, who look like they don’t quite approve of everything that's going on. She's standing up there for Piper as her matron of honor, though, and that's what's important. All that matters to me at this point is making Piper completely and unquestionably mine.
The music shifts again and makes everyone in the chairs look down at their programs, and then up the aisle. They stand, turning to face the curtains at the end of the aisle that the wedding coordinator stealthily closed after Tabitha passed through. A few seconds later, they open, eliciting sighs from the guests.
Piper has finally appeared. At our first wedding, she wore a traditional Cambrian wedding dress that looked like it was going to swallow her whole. The simpler dress she wears now fits her body, and personality, much better. Rather than yards of fabric creating a huge ball gown skirt and unnecessarily long train, topped off with a heavily beaded bodice and long sleeves, the off-white sheath effortlessly glides along her sexy curves. The October weather outside may be chilly, but the warm interior of the hotel allows her to reveal her graceful neck and shoulders, showcased by delicate straps enhanced with tiny sparkling Swarovski crystals.
In her hands, Piper carries a simple bouquet – a stark contrast to the overflowing flowers of our first wedding. She carries only three calla lilies. One for her, one for me, and one for Aurora. Our daughter was supposed to be the flower girl and go down the aisle in Tabitha’s arms, but now she's asleep in my mother's lap in the front row. Her chubby little hand clutches a spray of tea roses. It's not what we planned, but that’s what makes it perfect. The best things that have happened to Piper and me are the most unexpected. If this wedding went exactly as planned, I'd probably worry something terrible was about to happen.
Grant stands proudly beside his granddaughter, smiling as she takes his arm. Getting his permission to propose to her had meant so much to me, but I didn't realize how much of an impact it would have on him as well. Being a part of this for her seems to be softening the pain he carries from the loss of his son and wife. He knows this is a day Piper's father looked forward to from the day she was born. Robert must have thought about his little girl being a bride one day and escorting her down the aisle. I know that feeling. I've felt it when I look at Aurora. She's still so small, so innocent. When I look at her, though, I see her life laying out in front of her. I wonder what she's going to look like, and the type of person she'll be. I imagine with a sense of both excitement and dread, that she will be an adult one day, and enter into a marriage of her own. I want to be by her side to usher her along her way to her new life with her partner.
Grant knows just how much this day would have meant to his son, and how precious it would have been for Robert and Piper to walk down the aisle toward me together. Escorting her himself not only demonstrates his love for his granddaughter but honors the memory of his son.
Piper doesn't take her eyes off mine as she makes her way down the aisle towards me. The closer she gets, the more I feel like we are locked in this moment, just the two of us. Everyone and everything else around us seems to fade so I can only see her. Tabitha takes her flowers when Piper gets to the altar, and I reach for her hands. Holding them in the air between us, I squeeze them gently. She does the same in return, and a smile comes to her lips.
I listen more closely to the ceremony this time than the first. During that wedding, I didn't think the words we were saying had any meaning. Now, they do. When we promise ourselves to each other, it’s genuine and from a place of confidence. As we speak our vows, it doesn't matter that we're already legally married. This ceremony is for us and the people we love. The first one was the production meant to appease a nameless, faceless crowd of spectators, and put up a barrier against a scandal. This time, we’re standing in front of those who mean the most to us and sharing our commitment to each other with them without concern about what anyone thinks.
It doesn’t make sense that anything should feel different now, but as I finally kiss Piper, it does. That kiss feels like something deeper, and more meaningful, has passed between us. I feel more prepared than ever to face whatever life might throw in front of me. I know I can handle anything as long as Piper, and my daughter, walk through life beside me.
Our reception is a stark contrast to the solemn dinner and tasteful dancing of our Cambrian wedding reception. Dinner isn't swept through the room by a brigade of perfectly choreographed waiters but presented for our guests to enjoy on long buffet tables. The towering wedding cake has a top tier of spicy fruit cake, a nod to Cambrian tradition, but the rest is rich, luscious chocolate with raspberries and cream between the layers. The minute we tasted that flavor at the bakery, I knew it was the right choice for the wedding. The flavor is intense, unapologetic and indulgent, just like Piper. She could have a dainty vanilla wedding cake. Sweet and beautiful? Absolutely. Dainty, restrained, and forgettable? Never. Piper is unlike any woman I've ever met, and I wouldn't want her any other way.
We dance, laugh, and celebrate for hours after the ceremony. We are going right upstairs to the honeymoon suite for our wedding night afterward, so there's no point in checking out early. Instead, we stay until the last guest has finally tired and left. My parents took the baby home a few hours ago, so we sit alone in the room, looking out over the messy aftermath of our wedding. Holding my hand in her lap, Piper leans over to put her head on my shoulder. Her sigh is one of contentment and happiness. Finally, I scoop her into my arms and carry her to the elevator, princess-style, naturally. Standing inside reminds me of the mirrored elevator from the trashy hotel where we spent our first night together. We never had the opportunity to use the bench inside. I make a mental note to myself to plan another visit there sometime soon.
The next day, the house is quiet. My parents are taking the day to meet with American dignitaries and other important figures, so it's just the three of us. I've just finished a slice of leftover wedding cake and set the dishes in the sink, when I hear Piper's voice coming
softly from Aurora's nursery. I walk down the hallway and stop right at the doorway, not wanting to disturb them. Piper sits in the rocking chair beside the window with Aurora in her lap. They stare happily into each other's eyes, and I feel fortunate to be able to witness one of the most beautiful connections in existence.
"Do you want to hear our story again?" Piper asks the baby. Aurora's giggle seems to be enough of a confirmation for Piper, and she smiles.
"Once upon a time," she starts, "there lived a young woman. She had the life she thought she always wanted. She spent almost every day helping other people and traveling around the world, seeing the most amazing things. But she was alone. She had a wonderful stepmother who was very important to her, a grandfather, two great-uncles, and a few friends, but no one to really call her own. But it didn't bother her. She told herself she didn't need anyone else, and that she was happy to live her life exactly as it was. But one day the young woman was running late, and she fell. She thought she would have to pick herself up and keep going, but a handsome prince was there to help her. Then her whole life changed. The young woman and the prince went on amazing adventures together and learned all about each other's lives. Soon she knew she was in love with him, and that she hadn't been so happy with her life all along. Together they had a beautiful baby girl, and they got married. The young woman, now a real princess, knew that she was never going to have to pick herself up and keep going alone ever again. She knew she was always going to be late, and she was probably going to fall again, but her prince would be there to help her back up. And they lived happily ever after."
Grinning, I step into the room.
"I will always help you back up," I tell her.
Piper looks up at me and smiles.
"I know," she says.
"And are we going to live happily ever after?" I ask.
Aurora giggles, and I lean down to kiss her, then the wife who taught me how to find yourself when you're running away from everything else.
"Absolutely."
Epilogue
Piper
One month later…
"Do you know how many times in the last few months I've been ushered to a private plane? The commercial airlines might start thinking I am a threat to homeland security pretty soon."
"Will I ever be able to actually impress you?" Christian asks, taking my hand as he leads me to the waiting plane.
I stop, and yank him back, capturing his mouth in a hard, insistent kiss. I wonder if I'll ever get tired of kissing his soft lips, or staring into his dark eyes. I'm willing to put in the work to find out.
Purely for research purposes, of course.
"You are very impressive," I say to him quietly so the very nosy flight attendant hovering too close to the open door of the plane can't hear.
"Remind me," he whispers.
I kiss him again, running my hands up his chest, and pressing my hips forward against his. If the TSA has eyes on me at this moment, they'll see that my panties have burst into flames. Their fault for looking.
We climb onto the plane, and I'm surprised but thrilled to see Miriam and Arthur already on board, with Aurora sitting in Arthur's lap.
"I thought Aurora was having an adventure with her grandparents this weekend," I say.
"She is," Christian says. "It just so happens that adventure is in the same place as the surprise I have planned for you."
I happily pick up my baby and manage to kiss her cheek before Arthur takes her back. I'm starting to wonder if they are trying to slowly make me forget I ever had a baby, so they can keep her and play with her all the time. Christian and I brought them to Massachusetts for the first time, so they could come to our vow renewal, and they recently returned for a longer visit to see more of the States. They've spent the entire time touring around with Aurora, showing her everything like she’s never seen it before. This morning Christian told me he had planned a surprise for us and that we had a flight to catch but I still don't know where we're headed. This trip is one part of the long, meandering honeymoon we've been enjoying. Since we didn't get a chance to take an actual honeymoon after our ‘fake’ wedding, we decided to travel together as a family and seek out some more adventures to celebrate how Christian and I came together.
It's amazing to see how much better Arthur is doing. In fact, with his health so vastly improved, the thought of Christian becoming King anytime soon has quietly slipped from our minds. He knows it's still a part of his future, and a part of mine. There's no way around that. Now Christian looks forward to the day when he'll lead his country and continue the legacy of his family. Right now, however, he's enjoying his new roles as husband and father. I have to admit I'm blissful with my very own prince.
The flight is short, and by the time we've finished the breakfast that was waiting for us when we boarded, the plane is already preparing to land. Though I've been getting much better at flying, considering how frequently I'm shuttled back and forth on planes, I'm still not the biggest fan of taking off or landing. Being on a private plane does make it a little easier. Anything is easier when relaxing on a leather couch, sipping champagne, instead of being cramped in a carpet-covered seat in coach. Despite being relaxed, though, I still haven't looked out the window. As the plane gets closer to the ground, I hazard a glance through the window. Immediately I notice an airport sign I haven't seen in decades.
I look over at Christian, confused, and unsure how to feel.
"Are we in Virginia?" I ask.
"I certainly hope so, since that's where we're supposed to be," he replies.
I look out the window again, then back at him.
"Why? Why did you bring me to Virginia?"
"You'll see," he says. "It's a surprise."
"Bringing me here wasn't the surprise?"
We step out into air that is cool, crisp, and scented with the spice of autumn. I love this time of the year.
"As much as I love walking through all the world's airports with you, there are other things on the agenda for the day."
As we make our way across the tarmac, I find myself feeling nervous. Another car awaits us, and I rest my hand on Christian’s thigh as we drive. Knowing that he’s beside me gives me the sense of confidence and security I need. It's been so many years since I was here, and there are so many different emotions racing through me that I can't settle on just one. To distract myself, I point out various locations I recognize as we pass. So much has changed, but a few things are still familiar, and I show them to him, giving Christian tiny glimpses of my life before moving to Massachusetts. Almost an hour after we left the airport, I hear something on the GPS in the dash that makes my ears perk up. Suddenly I think I know where we're going, though I'm not sure why.
"What's going on?" I ask as we pull into a bumpy field quickly filling with cars.
Christian shrugs and I climb out of the car before he's finished taking the keys from the ignition. I need to know if my suspicions are right. Immediately, my lungs fill with the smell of apples, pumpkins, hay, and cooking oil. Animals bray from some faraway barn. In the distance, a Ferris wheel glitters in the sunlight.
"You brought me to the fair?" I ask in disbelief. "We flew halfway down the east coast to go to the State Fair?"
Christian laughs and comes to my side, wrapping his arm around my waist and leaning down to kiss my temple.
"When we first met, you were horrified to find out I had never been to an amusement park or a fair in the States. I didn't know at the time why it mattered to you so much, but over the last nearly a year-and-a-half I've known you, I've found out so much about you. I know how much time you used to spend with your father in these places, and that those are some of your favorite memories. I spent some time talking to Tabitha recently, and she told me your father carried around a picture of you from this fair from when you were four or five years old. She said he used to look at it and say it was one of the best moments of his life, and one of the times you were happiest."
"I never saw
that picture," I say.
"I know," Christian says. "Tabitha told me he never showed it to you."
"Why not?"
"Because it was taken before you moved away from here, during the last time the two of you came to this fair with your mother. He didn't want to upset you by making you think about that. You and I have gone on a lot of adventures together, Piper. This is one I feel like you need to take. Not just to show me, or my parents. You need to be here, so you can take back that memory, for you, and for your father."
I draw in a shuddering breath. This is the last thing I would have expected.
"Christian…" I start, but my voice trails off, choked with emotion.
"Are you upset?" he asked. "I'm sorry Piper. I didn't mean to upset you. We don't have to stay if you don't want to. We can leave and go back to Massachusetts right now."
I shake my head.
"No," I say. "I don't want to leave, yet. I was going to say thank you for bringing me here. It was a long time ago, but I remember being here with them. Nothing would mean more to him than knowing my daughter got to be here, too. You are incredible. I love you so much. "
"I love you too."
The sun is setting behind the vibrantly colored trees that skirt the edge of the fairgrounds, and the midway glows with neon lights in the distance. Christian takes another sip of root beer, and samples a fried pickle slice. These are just two of the wonders of the fair I have introduced him to over the last few hours we've spent wandering around the grounds. I sit down in the grass field in the middle of the grounds.
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