Chapter 26
Adele
“It’s all right.” Zayden said. “You’ll have to get used to this life sometime.” He must have felt how nervous I was upon hearing all the commotion.
Troy walked through the curtain with Jaylyn as they were announce and Ruby and Darius did next.
“Sometime doesn’t mean now.” I muttered.
“A little too late for doubts.” Zayden smiled, hearing us being announced in the distance. “And I won’t let you take it back.” He pulled me through the curtain alongside him and everyone applauded with joy to see us walking in together as one.
I was still feeling nervous, not from all the people watching but from what was up ahead where Zayden was leading me. Izin stood stiff with his hands behind his back and Kathryn was already at his side, holding the box to the crown he would present to me. Everyone was watching and I was only nervous because I hated the constant attention.
We stopped in front of the King and Queen and Zayden bowed his head. My eyes were still on Izin and I didn’t bow until Zayden barely nudged me with his arm. My gaze broke when my head lowered for just that instant but found its way back to him when I looked up.
He didn’t say a word. The box was opened to reveal the Senian Princess crown and was held out next to him. Izin made the first move and reached for me, removing the Kaluian Princess crown from my head. He placed it in the open box to his right that my father was holding open and took it even slower to reach his hand to the one on his right.
I remained still but lightly bowed my head again, waiting on him. The Senian crown was placed on my head and I lifted mine when Izin took my hands. Our eyes met and his seemed more gentle and welcoming, as did his voice. “Today is a favorable day since you have joined our family whether I had planned it this way or not. Still, we welcome our new Princess.”
Everyone cheered.
“And ladies.” Izin smiled, looking back to Ruby and Jaylyn. “Glad you could finally take me up on that offer.”
They looked at each other and smiled.
“It was all in the timing.” Jaylyn said.
Izin laughed. “Yes! Quite but I’m overjoyed to be welcoming you now.” He took their hands, kissing each of their cheeks while they tried their best not to blush. He was charming when he wanted to be and now was definitely one of those times. “Now, this is the time when I would just love to spend some quality time with you and possibly go over what you might expect later but as it is, I’m well aware that they’ve already corrupted you.”
Zayden sighed almost embarrassingly. “Father, really? That’s the word you chose to use?”
“Yes, I think it fits. Like always, you never waste any time.”
I just smiled and took Zayden’s hand to ease the moment. “It’s okay. It’s exactly what you did.”
“See? Now, go mingle. Don’t ignore your guests. They’ve been waiting for this day as long as I have.”
“Since I was born?” Zayden muttered.
“Don’t disappoint them.” Izin smiled, turning away to his chair.
Zayden kept from saying anything else and turned towards the crowd with me. “Ready for this?”
“Like I have a choice.”
It made Zayden smile and we took our first step onto the crowded floor. We received a few simple greets and didn’t really stop to talk to anyone until we saw an equally familiar face.
“Oren!” Zayden called, delighted by his presence. “Glad you could make it.”
“Last one to get here probably but of course I wouldn’t miss it.” The two Princes shook hands with a very brief pat on the shoulder. “I heard about the beacons being lit and I was completely ready to join you in the exploration but come to find out, you just got back from one.”
“As was reason for it.” Zayden looked at me and so did Oren.
He smiled handsomely. “Hello, Adele. Nice to see you again.”
“Hello Oren.”
“You two know each other?” Zayden asked.
“Awe, didn’t tell him about us?” Oren joked.
It was playful enough that I tapped his shoulder. “There’s never been an us. Oren is the one that contacted us about their ambassador. We just made Arianna think it was for her benefit and she sent us like we wanted her to.”
“Why am I just hearing about this? You actually had a heart in the middle of war that you never showed me?”
“You know how much I hated it, Zayden. Suffering is suffering. It doesn’t matter where it’s coming from.”
“It was a nice job though.” Oren said. “Too bad you missed it.”
“So I keep hearing. Where’s your wife?” Zayden brought up the question to get away from it though we were never involved like I said. He’s been married for three years, longer than I’ve known him.
“She would have loved to come but being eight months pregnant permits her from traveling. I hope you don’t mind but I won’t be able to stay that long.”
“I understand completely. I wouldn’t want you to miss that because of me.”
“Thank you.”
“Please excuse us.”
“Yes, of course. Make your rounds. We can talk again.”
He took my hand like a gentleman and kissed the top of it. I smiled shamelessly and Zayden began to lead us away. “How haven’t you told me about that?”
“It wasn’t a big deal. It’s not like anything else happened. No one was supposed to know that he was involved. His father wouldn’t have liked it but it was true. You could have done it too if you knew about Lamar’s plans sooner.”
“Well, I guess we don’t have to worry about this now. We won’t be seeing him again. Let’s enjoy the night.”
I was ready to and stayed close to him.
Chapter 27
Ruby
We let Adele and Zayden be the ones to walk around so everyone could see her. Thankfully, Darius spent his day doing that as they arrived so he didn’t feel the need and we could get right to eating.
We sat at the main table like the night before and I guess we were just trying to enjoy ourselves. I was still trying to take in the fact that this was our wedding. Well, mostly Adele and Zayden’s but we were technically married too but it didn’t much feel like it. We were still us and behaved the same with each other. So far, the night hasn’t seemed that special.
“Isn’t this supposed to be a party?” Darius asked.
I looked around at the crowd and everyone was quite still even with the light music. “Isn’t this how these things always are?”
“Well, yeah but it doesn’t have to be. We should be having fun. It’s our wedding. Can you dance?”
“We’ve danced before.”
“I don’t mean that formal crap. I mean dance.”
“You mean freely, not with the crowd?” I was getting excited that fun was beginning to look like an option.
“If you know how.”
“Are you judging my talents, good sir?”
He laughed at my fake formal voice. “No, madam.”
“I’m not sure how much this dress will allow though.”
“That’s an easy alteration. Shall we?”
He stood up and held out his hand like a gentleman. I couldn’t say no. I took his hand and he even held it up all elegantly as we walked to the open space on the floor. He gestured towards the musicians and literally had a conversation with them just using his hands but I guess they knew what he was saying because they spoke amongst themselves and the music started to change.
It was slow at first but some drum beats started to get mixed in and Darius was simply amazing. He took off the cape on his shoulder with the beats and threw it across the floor then started taking steps around me while looking down at the puffy skirt of my dress. He did it as if the sound of the music was controlling him and it was a joy to just watch but I wasn’t quite sure what he was going to do until he did it.
He reached for my skirt and ripped the bottom puffiness off so my legs could mo
ve freely and be seen while doing so. I had to say, it made the dress look that much better and more like me with a little leg showing up to my hips. People around us, on the other hand, were gasping like my legs were sacred and should be kept hidden under a dress at all times. I didn’t think that of course and welcomed our first dance as husband and wife.
He reached for my hand and spun me towards him to settle in his arms. He was so amazing. I had to say it again. I let him lead me and it was like we never took a moment to breathe. I loved it every time he dipped me and one of my legs flew in the air. I never knew he could dance like this. He held me effortlessly with his strength and every movement we made only proved how much we were made for each other.
The crowd got more into it in a positive way and cheered every time something drastic happened like me being tossed or flipped over him. He could just throw me around and it would have looked good.
By the end, he practically had me laying on the floor while he leaned over me and the crowd went wild. I looked around at everyone with laughter to how much fun it was and we kissed right there in front of everyone for the first time. I liked it too much because I kept pulling Darius back to me until I was laying on the floor and he was still over me. If we weren’t interrupted, I would have had him right here too.
“That was wonderful.” Zayden said, tapping Darius’s shoulder. “Way to steal the show.”
He got up and pulled me with him. “Jealous.”
“No. I can top it.”
“Can you?” I asked.
“Watch me.”
He downed a glass he was holding in his other hand and I came to the only conclusion I could think of. “Are you going to sing?”
He just smiled and started to walk back towards the table. Darius and I looked at each other and just had to follow.
“Are you?” I asked.
He didn’t answer even when we made it back.
“That was so amazing.” Jaylyn said. “I didn’t know you could move like that.”
“Thank you.” Darius confidently replied. “Wait until you see this.”
“What?”
He motioned his eyes to Zayden and he was downing another glass.
“Thirsty?” Adele asked.
“Nope.” Zayden answered rather upbeat. “Happy.”
“Didn’t you say to father that you were going to limit the drinks?” Troy asked.
“I am. He didn’t exactly say what my limit was.” He down yet another glass and Adele seemed like she was getting worried for him or maybe she forgot about the whole thing.
“Are you okay? You’re kind of being too happy.”
“No such thing. I’m finally back home where everything is perfect, I have you and we just got married. Why shouldn’t I be happy? In fact, I have a gift for you.”
“You don’t think you’ve given me enough?”
“You’ll like this gift. I’m going to give you an answer.”
“An answer?”
“You once asked me if there were words to the melody you embarrassingly caught me humming and I’m ready to give you an answer.”
Adele’s face went blank for a moment like she just didn’t know how to react and you could even hear it on her voice. “Really?”
“Really. Stay right there and don’t move.”
He walked away and we were all smiling now.
“Yay!” Jaylyn said, clapping her hands lightly. “I can’t wait.”
I watched Adele and she was watching Zayden walk towards the musicians. The music stopped and the room had begun to get quiet while Zayden was talking with them and Adele still had that look on her face.
“He isn’t.”
“He is.” Darius said. “I can tell he’s had too much already and the night had only just begun.”
Everyone knew what he was going to do when he turned around and people in the crowd started cheering for him.
It got quiet when Zayden put his hand up and took another drink like he was going to start with a speech. “Thank you. Thank you. I’ve got a few things I’d like to say. Um, first of all, I’d like to thank you all for coming as this evening will soon turn out to be the greatest night of my life, hopefully.”
People in the crowd laughed at his comment, especially us.
“I haven’t quite worked it all out yet but I’m looking forward to it.” Zayden said, making the crowd laughed again while he took the moment to take another drink. “And secondly, I’d like to thank the hosts for the evening, my father, the King and my beautiful mother.”
The crowd applauded as they both held up their glasses to Zayden and he took another drink from his.
“Also, I’d like to congratulate my brothers, for this night is not just mine alone but happily shared with them and their new wives and may you all be witness here tonight that I can truly convince them to do anything.”
The crowd laughed again and Darius and Troy looked at each other with their own. It was funny but definitely true. I’m sure Zayden’s encouragement helped.
“And also, my thanks goes out to my new father-in-law, King Aleksander for his generous donation, who I’d now like to call my wife.” Everyone cheered again and Adele completely blushed. You never really see her do that but Zayden was being so adorable. It was hard not to when you see his smile. “Which leads me to what you’ve most likely been waiting for.” He took another drink and the crowd cheered louder. “But you’ll have to be patient, it’s been awhile and I really mean awhile.”
He took a few quick breaths and the last sip of wine from the cup he was holding then set it next to him while someone approached with a guitar. I was surprised when he took it and put the strap on. I didn’t know he could play just like Troy surprised us with the piano thing.
Zayden started tweaking with the strings like he was making sure they were just right then started to play it with the other musicians following along.
The guests were already cheering and Zayden set his look around them while he started to sing in this voice that was so pure, it melted even the coldest person; his wife.
I wake up in silence
How could this be me?
Even in dark I see light
I’m drowning in queries
Could this really be me?
I should be afraid but I’m all right
Where does this come from?
Could this really be me?
I should be afraid but I’m all right
My darkest secret caught up in the weakness
I should be afraid but I’m all right
Black as a danger
I’m feeling stranger
As my eyes see across the night
I feel every motion
Caught up in the moment
I could fall and it’d be all right
Where does this come from?
Could this really be me?
I should be afraid but I’m all right
My darkest secret caught up in the weakness
I should be afraid but I’m all right
Please forgive me
I’m more than all right
For I’ve never seen such a beautiful sight
My senses are stirring
It’s all so alluring
This is me and I’m all right
I wake up in silence
How could this be me?
This is me and I’m all right
The music slowed and it was over. Everyone cheered louder. The song was clearly about him discovering the gift he was born with on his own but no one else here seemed to suspect a thing. They loved it. We all did but Adele was still just staring off at him without giving any kind of real reaction.
I gave her a little nudge to see if she was alive and she sprang from her chair.
Chapter 28
Adele
My heart was beating heavily in my chest. Zayden always seemed so perfect to me but now—after hearing—I just had to be with him.
It was easy for me to get through the cr
owd and Zayden took me in his arms when I reached him. “What’d you think?”
I was still so flustered. I didn’t know what to say so I did the next best thing. I reached up to his face and passionately kissed him. It was the appropriate time. I couldn’t think of anything else but us. “It was beautiful. I love you.”
“And I love you.”
He put my hand on his arm as I smiled and turned us to walk into the crowd.
“Stirring performance.” Izin said.
“Thank you, father.”
“Don’t because I never want to hear you speak about that publically again.”
Zayden laughed instead of arguing and took another drink from a glass at the table. He was a little drunk and everyone could tell.
“You should really stop that if you plan to make a grander performance later.” Izin went on.
“Hmm?”
Zayden looked up from taking another drink and he looked around at everyone before his eyes found his father’s again. He still had the sip he took in his mouth and he let it pour back out into the glass.
“That’s not what I meant but thank you for letting us all witness that.” Izin took the glass from Zayden and set it down like he was disgusted to have touched it. “Come, we’ll get you something to slow the effects.”
He turned Zayden and started to walk away with him. I just smiled while Zayden looked back but let them continue.
“It’s for the best.” My father said.
“Yes. I suppose it is. I’ve just never seen him like that before. It’s—cute.”
My father smiled and our conversation was interrupted by someone familiar.
“Deven.”
He stood still in front of me at first without a word. I was kind of fearful of what he would do because he was never happy about knowing that I came back here but he bowed in front of me. “I came in hopes you could forgive me—your majesty.”
Forgotten Days (Fate's Intent Book 6) Page 10