Walking up to the double doors at the back of the ballroom, Aelin stopped and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she pressed the heels of her hands to her forehead.
"Gah, why am I even here?" She groaned, letting her arms fall back to her sides. Her head hung forward and the loose French braid that she'd tied her hair back in slipped over her shoulder. Gathering her wits with one or two more quiet seconds alone, she looked down at her ensemble. A flowy, peach shift dress, wooden wedges, and silver pieces of jewelry here and there. Tucking a few wayward hairs behind her ear, Aelin took a deep breath and opened the door, stepping over the threshold into the crowded ballroom.
She walked to the table proudly set up in the entryway, holding a large map of the room with drawings of the table setups.
She knew the layouts with her eyes closed, she could have told you where every single person in this room was going to be sitting, forwards and backward.
Table One
Aedion Ashryver – Groom
Lysandra Ashryver - Bride
Rowan Whitethorn – Best Man
Maeve Doranellia – Maid of Honor
The rest became a bit of a blur as she noticed the final name had been re-labeled.
Sniffling, she scanned the list for her own name; with a start, she found it.
The last name on the list, at the far table in the back.
Aelin Galathynius
Picking up her tame tag, she headed to the table hidden partially behind a speaker and a curtain, taking the first seat, where she'd still be able to see the dancefloor in the middle of the room. She also noticed, with an unhappy sigh, that no matter where she was sitting at the round table, thanks to the small platform it sat on at the front of the room, she'd be able to see Table 1.
Leaving her purse in the seat and placing her name tag on the plate, Aelin left the table and headed for the small bathroom in the back of the room. Throwing the lock on the deadbolt behind her, she leaned her head against the door and closed her eyes.
It had only been 3 minutes and she was already ready to be curled up in her hotel room with a Nicholas Sparks movie and the carton of ice cream she had stashed in the mini fridge.
The locked the knob jingled and she heard three timid knocks on the door. Clearing her throat, she said in a loud voice, "Just a second."
Sighing, Aelin braced her hands on the porcelain sink.
This was going to be a long night.
