Moments in Between

by DalishEssence

You know, I never once resented my best friend and that's saying a lot, considering he's the Crown Prince of Cordonia. That changed the night Camilla Myers walked into our lives and changed them forever. She was supposed to be one of his suitors. She turned out to be everything I'd never known I wanted. And for the first time... I resented my best friend. (Royal Romance Drake POV)

40. Chapter 40

Tenerife Sea

"You look so wonderful in your dress

I love your hair like that

The way it falls on the side of your neck

Down your shoulders and back

We are surrounded by all of these lies

And people that talk too much

You got that kind of look in your eyes

As if no one knows anything but us

…

And all of the voices surrounding us here

They just fade out when you take a breath

Just say the word and I will disappear

Into the wilderness

Should this be the last thing I see

I want you to know it's enough for me

'Cause all that you are is all that I'll ever need

I'm so in love" ~ Ed Sheeran

"Command, perimeter has been breached. Repeat, perimeter has been breached. Requesting immediate assistance, over!"

"What?!" I yelled.

Bastien glared at me, as everyone around us surrounded him.

"What's going on?!"

"What do you mean 'perimeter breach'?!"

"Where's Milla?!"

"Your Majesty, do something!"

Bastien ran to a side room, a small room that was probably used as the groom's waiting area, and spoke roughly through his ear piece. "All units near Doe Central, repeat, all units near Doe Central, back up now. Over."

From Bastien's radio, several units confirmed the command.

"Command, this is unit 6A. Making our way towards Doe Central now."

"Got it, Command. Unit 11G on the way."

"Command, requesting immediate assistance. Repeat, requesting immediate assistance. Armed shooters on every entrance, repeat, armed shooters on every entrance!" That was distinctly Mara's voice, and while she sounded cool and collected, none of us missed the strain in her voice.

"Bastien, get me over there now!" I told him.

"I'm going with." Jaime stood behind me immediately.

"I can't let you over there, Drake." Bastien mumbled, gritting his teeth, his eyes glued to his phone.

"My wife is alone and getting attacked! What the hell's wrong with you?! I'm going!" I yelled, only to be stopped by Liam.

"Drake, please, calm down-"

"Calm down! Calm down?! How can I be calm right now?! Myers is down there, my sister, Hana-"

"My wife's down there too, Liam." Jaime stepped beside me. "I'm going."

"Please, Liam, do something!" Julia shrieked, panic clear in her voice. "Let him go! My daughter's in danger!"

"Please, everyone, calm down!" Liam yelled.

Even through my panic, I recognized a hint of his, carefully restrained behind a stoic facade.

"I know you're all frightened. I am, too. But panicking is not the answer right now. Let Bastien and the guard do their jobs." He turned to me. "Drake, I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to go. Even if going didn't mean risking your life, it would send the rest of the court and the people outside in a panic."

Anger mixed with fear, and I glared at him. How dare he? My wife needs me now more than ever, and who is he to decide I can't fucking go?!

"Damn it, Liam, I don't give a fuck! I'm going!"

"Drake, enough!" Liam returned my glare with one of his own, standing tall and with a regal aura that seemed to emanate from him.

"You can't-"

"Oh, I absolutely can!" He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't risk your life, Drake. Let the King's Guard do their job."

"But Camilla-"

"Camilla will be safe as long as we remain calm!" He yelled. "Do not ask me to send you, Drake. Please."

"Send me." Jaime insisted. "I'm a trained marine. I know my way around a gun, and I'm a damn good fighter one on one."

Liam considered him, before nodding.

"There's a team of my agents leaving through a backdoor. If you're going, go now!" Bastien told him.

"Shots fired!" Bastien's radio chirped. "Repeat shots fired! Inside perimeter breached, repeat, inside perimeter breached!"

"Damn it." Bastien cursed. "All units, repeat all units near Doe Central, they need immediate backup now!"

Maxwell reached out to me, but I pulled my arm away sharply. I collapsed on a chair in a daze, grappling my head with my hands. My heart was beating a thousand miles an hour. Voices became distorted and distant, my hands and knees began shaking uncontrollably. I was dimly aware of Liam and Maxwell crouching in front of me, looking at me with concern.

"I'm hit!"

All the breath seemed to leave my lungs.

Mara was hit. And if Mara was hit, that meant the rest of the guards were out for the count, and Camilla was alone, and she would either fight and get herself killed, or get taken, or-

"Drake, breathe." Liam told me, placing a firm hand on my shoulder.

Tears streamed down my face and I looked at him. "I can't-"

I can't breathe.

I can't breathe!

I felt like I was choking, air just wouldn't reach my lungs, no matter how hard I tried to breathe or how hard I tried to hold it.

Bastien hissed. "Mara, stay down. Remain calm! All units, ETA to Doe Central?"

I turned my head sharply back to where Bastien was standing a few feet away.

"Unit 6A. Five minutes to Doe Central. Over."

"Unit 11G, two minutes to Doe Central over."

"Unit 3B, eight minutes to Doe Central."

"Drake, look at me." Liam told me.

I nodded, my eyes on his.

"Breathe with me, Drake. Slowly. In. Out."

I tried to follow, but Bastien's next words didn't let me.

"Doe Central, did you get all that?" Bastien asked.

Silence.

"Doe Central, come in, over."

Silence.

"Doe Central, this is Command. Come in, over!"

I began hyperventilating again, panic - no, sheer terror coursing through my veins. Silence was bad, silence meant there was no more fighting… silence meant death.

And if silence meant death, then Camilla - but no, not Camilla, please not Camilla.

God, please not Camilla. You already took my dad, please don't take Camilla. I can't-

Finally, Mara's strained voice came through. "Ugh… G-Got it, Command. O-"

"YOU WILL RUE THE DAY YOU INVOKED THE DUKE OF RAMSFORD'S WRATH!"

"Ohmygod, that was Bertrand!" Maxwell's yell snapped me out of my trance.

"Doe Central, keep transmitting. Over."

"... I was threatening that one!" That voice was distinctly Olivia's.

"I'll walk down that aisle even if I have to line it with your corpses!"

Camilla!

"That's Milla!" Wendy shouted.

"Milla!"

"Thank goodness!"

"She's okay!"

I felt my breath come in a little easier at that. She's alive, she's still alive. I wiped the tears from my cheeks, rubbing my eyes.

"Unit 11G arrived on Doe Central. Repeat, arrived at Doe Central. The fledgling and company are secure. Repeat, fledgling and company secure. Apprehending all targets now."

"Unit 6A, also arrived at Doe Central. Requesting immediate medical assistance, repeat, immediate medical assistance. Several agents down."

"Medical assistance dispatched. Over." Bastien nodded. "All units, status report."

"BC West entrance, all clear."

"BC South entrance, all clear, no signs of trouble."

Several other units reported an all clear, stationed in different parts of the capital and even the Palace.

"Unit 21C, reporting suspicious vehicle speeding on highway 56. Repeat, suspicious vehicle speeding on highway 56. Requesting aerial assistance."

"Jerry, get a bird in the air!" Bastien called out. "Unit 21C, maintain pursuit, repeat, maintain pursuit!"

"Unit 21C, maintaining pursuit. Over."

"Command, Chopper 136, confirming visual on the suspicious vehicle. Over."

"Drake… are you alright?" Liam asked softly, drawing my attention away from Bastien's radio.

I swallowed, frowning as a lump settled in my throat. I couldn't speak, so I just nodded.

"Unit 6A, escorting the fledgling and company to BC, over. Repeat, fledgling and company moving to BC. ETA 20 minutes."

Julia sniffled. "Is Milla okay?"

Bastien nodded. "She's safe and on her way to the cathedral now."

The room breathed a collective sigh of relief. Wendy hugged Victor, as Julia squeezed Armando. Maxwell slumped on the chair next to me, clapping my shoulder. Liam was still crouched in front of me, looking up at me with worried eyes.

A moment later, he stood, and my mom pulled me up into a hug. My legs were still shaking, so I had to lean on my mom for support. She held me tight, as tight as she did when I was a kid with a skinned knee, and murmured soft reassurances in my ear.

"It's okay, son. You're okay. Camilla's okay… It's over now… Ssh…"

With my mother's arms wrapped tightly around mine, I couldn't help but cry at the sheer relief I felt right now.

Camilla's safe and on her way, and I can breathe, because she's safe and she's alive, and I don't think I could take it if she left, if she was suddenly gone…

"There, Drake. It's okay, son. She'll be here soon. But she's safe, she's alright, you hear?"

I nodded against her shoulder, and she squeezed me tighter.

When she finally let me go, I collapsed back into that chair, unable to hold myself up. Mom sat next to me and gripped my hand tightly. Maxwell sat on my other side, a steadfast hand on my shoulder. Liam crouched in front of me, eyes attentive and full of concern.

Minutes felt like hours, like days, like weeks, until finally, who knows how much later, the roar of the crowd grew immensely. Their cheering was so thunderous, it could be heard from the deepest parts of the cathedral.

We all stood and looked at the door. A moment later, Madeleine stepped through those doors, heels clicking loudly in the silent room. Behind her, Jaime stepped inside, hugging Karen protectively, followed by Mari Jo, Olivia, Penelope, Kiara, and Bertrand.

They all rushed at them, several of us hugging several of them. Bertrand rushed at my mom and took Bartie in his arms, hugging him tightly.

"Is everyone okay?"

"Honey, you need to get that cut on your arm bandaged!"

"Where's Milla?"

"Bertrand, where's Savannah?"

"And Hailey?"

"What happened?"

"We were attacked by Anton's forces, in case none of you had heard." Madeleine rolled her eyes at everyone's concern. "However, we were able to fight them off, and now we're here and already behind schedule. Now-"

"Oh, honey, you must have been scared out of your mind! Forget the schedule for sec. Are you okay?" Wendy asked.

Madeleine looked surprised for a moment, before nodding. "I… appreciate your concern. But we're all fine. Now, if we could all take our places, please? The bride should be arriving in a few minutes. The bridesmaids are in the carriage with her, and they're all okay. Now, Mr. Myers, if you'll follow me, please?"

Madeleine turned on her heel and began walking out.

Victor looked bewildered, staring after her.

Madeleine turned around with a sigh. "Mr. Myers? I understand how shocking this must be for you, but if you want to walk your daughter down the aisle, we must go now."

"Uh… Right. Let's go." Victor followed.

"Bastien, can you please get someone to take a look at Lady Kiara's arm, please?" Liam asked.

"Right away, Your Majesty." Bastien nodded and left the room.

"I'm so glad you're all safe." Liam remarked, looking at everybody.

"You and us both." Mari Jo told him, chuckling ruefully.

"What happened?" Maxwell asked.

Karen sighed. "We were at the boutique, about to get dressed, when we smelled smoke coming out from outside. The guard, what's her name?"

"Mara." Kiara told her.

"Right, Mara." Karen nodded gratefully. "She told us Anton's forces had gotten inside. She went outside to fight them, and told us to stay inside and barricade the door."

"We did, using the couch, but they still managed to get inside." Penelope continued.

"So, we had to dispose of them ourselves." Olivia looked at her nails disinterestedly, but none of us missed the smirk that adorned her face.

"Or rather… Olivia, Milla, and Bertrand did." Mari Jo grinned, before looking at me.

"Hey, come on! Madeleine, Kiara and Penelope got some good shots in." Karen chuckled, relief mixed with exhaustion clear in her voice.

"You did as well, Karen." Kiara told her, cradling her arm. "I did not know such a… petite girl could fight like that."

Jaime hugged his wife tighter, wiping his eyes with a chuckle. "Yeah, well I did teach her a thing or two."

"She did wonderfully." Bertrand nodded. "I personally owe her my life, given as to how she tackled an assassin who was aiming his gun at my back."

"You what?!" Jaime looked at her.

"I couldn't let him shoot him, Jaime! He's a father!"

"That was so dangerous and so stupid, Karen…" Jaime pressed her against his chest. "And so badass. I love you."

"I love you, too." Karen shuddered against his chest.

Bastien came back with a paramedic. "Lady Kiara?"

Kiara nodded, and held out her arm. The paramedic crouched in front of her, and began cleaning the long scratch, before bandaging it. He finished just as the crowd outside surged with thunderous cheers.

"Command, fledgling and company have arrived at BC. Repeat, fledgling and company arrived at BC."

"Milla's here!" Penelope clapped excitedly.

"Places, everyone! Ladies and gentlemen not in the procession, please go find your seats!" Bertrand clapped.

"Okay, baby. Shake it off. Your bride's here, she's safe and you're getting married." My mom patted my cheek. "Okay? Everything's okay."

I nodded, giving her a hug. "Okay, mom."

Wendy moved on to hug me next. "Good luck, hon."

"Yes, good luck, Drake." Julia nodded, giving me a quick peck on the cheek and Armando shook my hand.

"Parents of the bride, please go take your seats…" Bertrand urged. "Everyone, please."

Jacob squeezed Kiara's hand, before walking out as well. Penelope looped her arm through Kiara's before they both went to find their seats.

"Going, going!" Daniel nodded.

"Come on, babe. Good luck, Drake." Jaime clapped my shoulder before leaving with Karen.

Maxwell also squeezed Mari Jo's hand, before she followed Jaime and Karen out.

"Maxwell!" Bertrand glared at him. "This is not the time or the place."

"What? I wasn't doing anything!" He shrugged innocently.

Bertrand sighed. "No matter. Now, Your Majesty, Maxwell, Bastien, please go to the entrance to greet Hana, Hailey and Savannah. Drake, please take your place on the altar."

I nodded, still not being able to speak just yet.

Maxwell hugged me tightly, as did Liam and Bastien, before they all walked out, and I walked towards the altar.

I swallowed as the whole court stared at me, but I looked to my family and friends on the front row. Outside, people had begun singing Cordonia's national anthem, before the anthem dissolved into unintelligible screaming and cheering. Shouts of "Lady Camilla!" or "Duchess Camilla!" could be heard even through the walls.

Suddenly, the string quartet began playing a song and the cathedral doors opened.

Bastien walked my sister proudly down the aisle. She, as well as the rest of the bridesmaids behind her, were wearing beautiful lavender off-the-shoulders dresses, with flowing skirts and a satin flower on their hips. Savannah had a big smile on her face, and she carried a small bouquet of white flowers. Behind her walked Hailey and Maxwell, both of them also smiling widely. Maxwell winked at me as he got closer. Liam and Hana brought up the rear. Hana looked beautiful, her hair done in a pretty updo. She shot me a beaming smile as all three couples took their place on the altar just as the string quartet finished their song.

There was a moment of anxious silence, before the doors to the cathedral were opened once more, perfectly in time with the musicians who began their rendition of a song I didn't know, but it sure as hell wasn't 'Here Comes the Bride'.

"Everyone please rise." Regina commanded.

The whole court stood to watch the bride - my bride - make her grand entrance. Chase waddled down the aisle in a tiny tux, holding a basket in his mouth. He scattered rose petals everywhere as he walked down the aisle, prompting many in the crowd to "awwww…" Myers and her dad were backlit by the sunlight, so for a moment there, I only saw their silhouettes.

Until they stepped forward.

I felt my breath leave my body with a whoosh. Tears pricked my eyes, as a lump settled in my throat.

The word 'stunning' did not even begin to cover it.

Her dark hair was up into an elaborate updo, topped with a tiara on her head. She wasn't wearing a veil, which worked fine for me because I wanted to see her, not an overpriced piece of tulle. Her dress was beautiful, with long, sheer lace sleeves and a tight bodice that gave way to a full skirt.

As she walked closer, our eyes met and she smiled at me - that angelic smile of hers that she seemed to save just for me, that smile where her dimples fluttered and the corner of her eyes crinkled, and her eyes shone brighter than the sun.

I stepped down from the aisle just as Myers and her dad reached the steps. Her dad squeezed her hand tightly, pressing a kiss to her cheek, before bowing and placing her hand in mine. I nodded gratefully, before turning to Myers. She handed her bouquet to Hana, before turning back to me, and shooting me a playful wink.

I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped me, before wrapping her in my arms. Decorum and protocol be damned. "I'm so glad you're okay. If anything had happened to you in the attack…"

Myers squeezed me right back. "I'm alright. And I'm here now. Nothing was going to keep me from our second wedding."

I nodded, squeezing her lightly one last time before stepping back. "You look incredible, Myers."

She laughed. "I'm just trying to keep up with my handsome fiance."

I shook my head. "I'm the one who needs to keep up."

Regina cleared her throat, and together we stepped up onto the dais. Once we were in front of her, she began the ceremony.

"If I may have everyone's attention…" Regina waited until the crowd quieted. "Traditionally, the duty of conducting this ceremony would fall to King Liam or the King Father. But in my beloved Constantine's absence, and with King Liam's blessing, it is my honor to unite this couple in matrimony."

Several people in the audience clapped politely. After a moment, Regina held up a hand to continue.

"There are many wedding traditions around the world, but no matter where you come from, they all have one thing at their heart… The love between a couple and the bond they have chosen to share."

Myers looked at me and squeezed my hands.

Regina continued. "Here in Cordonia, we like to think of marriage as a promise. The promise that you will renew your love and commitment to one another every day that you are together. Just as planting a seed is not enough for it to grow into an apple tree, speaking your vows is not enough for a marriage to truly flourish. But if you nurture and cherish one another, your relationship will always grow stronger."

I met Myers' shining gaze, and we both nodded.

"Good." Regina nodded. "Now, I believe you wanted to recite your own vows?"

"Yes." Myers answered with a beaming smile on her face.

Then she fixed that smile on me. I took in a deep breath, brushing my thumbs against the backs of her hands.

"Drake…" Myers began, her voice charged with pure emotion.

"You are my best friend, my partner in crime, my biggest supporter. You're my rock, Drake. You're the reason I want to get up in the mornings and do better, be better.

I've always admired your loyalty, the way you take care of the ones you love, how much you look out for them, how much you're willing to sacrifice for them. But what made me fall in love with you is your sweetness. That gooey marshmallow inside you have underneath those rock-hard walls."

I couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"I promise to appreciate every single moment I get to spend with you. Every minute of every hour of every day we're together... I'll never take that time for granted. And I will never ask you to change who you are. You, my husband, are perfect to me. And I will love all of you, now and always."

For the second or third time today, a lump settled in my throat. I wiped away a tear from the corner of my eye, with not a hint of embarrassment.

"That was beautiful." Regina also wiped at her eyes, before turning to me. "Drake, you may now recite your vows."

I took a deep breath, my chest tight, before letting it out. "Myers… Camilla… You took me by surprise. I fought how I felt about you for so long. I was determined not to fall for you. But fighting how I feel about you was like fighting gravity. Impossible. Inevitable. I love you, Camilla. I don't know if I'll ever be worthy of a woman like you…"

Myers frowned at that. I laughed as I pressed my thumb over the crease in between her eyebrows and smoothed it out. She laughed and shook her head.

"But I swear that I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying."

Myers' eyes welled, and she gave me a teary smile.

"Thank you both." Regina smiled and gestured to Bartie. "Now, would the ring bearer please come forward?"

Bertrand stood proudly and took Bartie's hand. "Come on, Bathelemy. Just like we practiced."

Several people in the audience, including Myers and I, aww'd and chuckled at how Bartie seemed to stand up straighter and nod solemnly. He waddled towards us, clasping Bertrand's hand tightly, and presented us with the ring pillow on the other.

Myers smiled at him lovingly. "Thank you, Bartie."

He nodded and smiled at her back. "Tank ooo!"

Myers took my ring, and I took hers. Bartie and Bertrand made their way down to their seats, with Savannah pressing a quick kiss to Bartie's cheek.

"Drake Walker, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you vow to love her, comfort her, and cherish her, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in times of joy and in times of trial till death do you part?"

"I do." I slid the ring on Myers' finger.

"Camilla Myers, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you vow to love him, comfort him, and cherish him, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in times of joy and in times of trial till death do you part?"

"I do." Myers said, gently sliding my wedding band on my finger.

"By the power vested in me by the kingdom of Cordonia, I now pronounce you husband and wife." Regina concluded the ceremony. "May this blessed union be sealed with a kiss!"

Myers laughed as I stepped forward. I gently cupped her cheek, running my thumb over her cheekbone, wiping away a stray tear. Myers leaned in and kissed me sweetly, pouring all her love and joy in that kiss. My heart thundered in my chest as I kissed her back fiercely, wrapping my arms around her waist.

I was dimly aware of the audience and the crowd outside cheering loudly, but those cheers were an afterthought compared to the woman in my arms.

When we finally pulled apart, we were both smiling from ear to ear, as we pressed our foreheads together.

"I love you." I told her, kissing her forehead.

Myers laughed. "I love you too."

We turned hand in hand to greet the court, as all of them clapped for us. Photographers and videographers stepped up to take pictures or get a close up, so we had to stay there and smile for the camera for a few seconds.

All of the court clapped, standing from their seats as we descended the dais. Both of us had beaming smiles on our faces, and we walked down the aisle hand in hand, with our procession behind us.

"Milla and Drake! Milla and Drake! Milla and Drake!" Maxwell tried to get a chant going.

I heard Liam laugh behind us. "Are they a sports team we're rooting for now?"

"Who cares? My excitement can only be expressed through chanting!" Maxwell clapped back.

"Camilla and Drake!" Hana shouted suddenly, prompting me and Myers to damn near stop in our tracks and turn to stare at her. "I'm excited too!"

We laughed, and made our way outside.

When we stepped into the sunlight, the crowd went wild. People were screaming their lungs off, reporters were everywhere with their cameras pointed at us, drones were floating up in the air, probably live streaming the whole thing.

Myers and I smiled and waved, before Myers tugged my hand. "Hey."

I turned and she caught my lips in a long, lingering kiss. The crowd somehow managed to cheer even louder.

"Hey to you too." I chuckled when we parted.

Myers and I smiled and waved some more, before a horse-drawn carriage pulled up in front of us.

"Thank you all for coming!" Myers waved.

"But we have a reception to get to." I laughed, helping Myers onto the carriage. After her, I climbed in myself.

Myers and I made ourselves comfortable in the open carriage, and the journey back to the palace began.

"I'm so glad we finally have a moment alone!" Myers whispered in my ear over the roar of the crowd.

"We're not exactly alone!" I 'whispered' back. "But I get what you mean! The wedding's been a whirlwind!"

I wrapped an arm around Myers' shoulders, still mindful that we were in public. Myers smiled up at me, before raising her arm and waving to the crowd as we rode by.

"A good whirlwind, though." She said.

"Agree to disagree. But it's not over yet… we've still got the whole reception ahead of us."

"I can't wait! Especially for your toast!" Myers squealed excitedly. "Back when I was a waitress, most of the time someone raised a glass at me, it was for a refill."

I couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"Don't forget to wave, babe." She told me.

"Right." I absently raised a hand to the crowds. "I'll be honest… I'm not looking forward to the spotlight."

"You're in the spotlight right now!" Myers pressed a kiss to my cheek.

"I know…"

"Anyway, I'd like to help, but I'm not sure it still counts as a toast if it's in private."

I leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Trust me, Myers, when I do get you 'in private', a toast will be the last thing on your mind."

Myers blushed, but pulled me in for a deep kiss. "Can't wait." She whispered when we parted.

We resumed our smiling and waving as the carriage slowly made its way back to the palace. Once we crossed the gate and reached the entrance, ushers immediately led up to the boutique, where Ana de Luca was waiting for us, along with a hair and makeup artist for Myers.

"There you are!" Ana greeted us.

"Hello again, Ana!" Myers smiled at her, before getting rushed by the makeup artist. "And Grace! Hello."

"Don't move, Your Grace. Thankfully you only need minor touch ups."

"Yeah, I tried to hold my tears at the ceremony, so as to not ruin all your hard work." Myers chuckled ruefully as Grace led her to a seat nearby, and began working on said touch ups.

"You looked beautiful, Your Grace." Grace told her absently, delicately powdering Myers' nose and face with an oversized brush. "And now…" She moved behind Myers, who met my eyes through her reflection in the mirror and stuck her tongue out playfully.

Grace took out several pins from Myers' hair, and her waves fell down her back. Myers sighed in what seemed like relief. Then Grace started gathering half of Myers' hair and braiding it and pinning it and adding flower pins and whatnot. A few minutes later, Myers had half of her hair up in elaborate braids, and the other half waving freely down her back.

"Wow, Grace!" Myers grinned through the mirror.

"I assumed this is what you meant with 'greek goddess come to life'?" The young woman chuckled.

"Yes. This, exactly. What do you think, husband?"

"Beautiful." I murmured.

Ana smirked. "And you haven't seen her in her reception dress yet."

Myers stood and Ana handed her a white garment bag. Myers thanked her, before slipping inside a dressing room.

When she finally came out, my jaw fell to the floor. In a stark contrast to her ceremony gown, that was all lace and poofy princess skirt… This one was shimmering skin-tight silk with a plunging neckline and sheer fabric in the back, with a slim gold belt accentuating her waist.

"Stunning." I said, when I remembered what words were.

"Magnificent." Ana agreed.

"It really is beautiful, isn't it?" Myers looked down at her dress.

I snorted. "Beautiful is a bit of an understatement."

Ana cleared her throat. "Grace, we should give Their Graces some privacy, don't you think?"

"Of course, Miss De Luca."

Both women bowed and left.

As soon as they were out the door, I pounced on Camilla, grasping her waist and pulling her in for a kiss. Myers laughed happily against my mouth, before surrendering to the kiss.

When we broke apart, she wrapped her arms around my neck. "Grace will not be happy about that. You completely smudged my lipstick." Myers rubbed my mouth in an attempt to remove the offending cosmetic off me with a laugh.

"Do you really care?"

"Nope. As long as it's not smudged all over my face…"

"It's not." I told her.

"You know… this reception will be our first official outing as a married couple." Myers trailed her finger down my chest.

"Everybody in there already knows us as a couple. It's not like we're suddenly different people."

Myers shook her head. "It's how they'll look at us. Not just Drake and Camilla, but as husband and wife."

"I'd prefer not to be the focus at all." I told her honestly. Today had been… a lot.

"Hmm… That might make our first dance difficult…"

"The dance I'm okay with. When I get that close to you, the world has a way of disappearing." I admitted, blushing a bit.

"Aww…" Myers murmured.

We both leaned in, our lips a breath awa-

The door slammed open.

"I know the ceremony is over, but we still have a schedule to maintain." Madeleine walked inside, disapproval clear in her face. "I believe… that sort of behavior is slated for after the public festivities."

"Wow, you sure know how to make a bride feel special on her wedding day…" Myers mumbled.

Madeleine raised an elegant brow. "You shouldn't require me to make you feel special. You won the support of Cordonia, you won your lover's hand, and the ceremony that cemented them both into place was a categorical success."

"Huh. Maybe you do know how to make a bride feel special on her wedding day." Myers had both her eyebrows raised in shock.

Madeleine nodded once, before getting down to business. "Now, I've come to collect you both for the reception. The hall has been opened and your guests are eagerly anticipating your arrival."

"Then we shouldn't keep them waiting." Myers grinned at me.

"It's good for you to arrive last, so all eyes will fall to you as you enter the room. And tonight there will be many eyes." Madeleine said.

I offered Myers my hand and she took it. "And here we go. Back to our adoring public."

I bit back a sigh, and whispered. "I was hoping to have more time alone with you. Maybe we can find some time later to sneak away together later on…"

Myers nodded. "We've managed it before." She winked. "Now, let's get out of here."

---

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's my pleasure to introduce Duke Drake and Duchess Camilla Walker!" The lead singer of the band announced through the mic.

We stepped inside the reception hall to resounding applause.

"They're here! They're here!" Maxwell shouted.

"Yes, Maxwell, we can all see that they're here." Bertrand rolled his eyes.

"Just look at this place!" Myers squealed as she looked around the restored ballroom.

Several nobles stepped to greet us and offer their congratulations. We had to greet all of the Great Houses, as well as the nobles from our Duchy, among others.

"Everyone, thank you so much for sharing this moment with us!" Myers nodded gratefully. "It means so much to have you here on our wedding day!"

I also nodded. "Thank you all for coming."

"Felicitations on the ceremony, Camilla!"

"Your Graces, truly an honor to have witnessed such a beautiful moment."

"I could barely keep myself from weeping!"

"Don't worry Kiara, I think I did enough weeping for the both of us."

"It was a beautiful ceremony!"

"I wouldn't be surprised if it's all I'm asked about the next time I meet with my foreign counterparts."

"Your kiss was like the Klimt brought to life!"

"Today was just what I'd expect from a Cordonian noble's wedding."

Myers and I smiled, nodded, and shook hands until finally, Madeleine announced dinner was about to be served. I breathed a sigh of relief and we walked towards Liam, Hana and Maxwell.

"Camilla! Drake! We're glad you're finally able to join us!" Liam greeted us, grinning pointedly at me.

I rolled my eyes playfully.

"Whoa, Milla! Look at you! You are rocking that dress!" Maxwell commented.

Myers winked at him. "Thanks, Maxwell. But you know you're only saying it because you're the one who helped me pick out this dress."

He laughed. "Yep, you caught me! But guys! You did it! You're married! ...Again!"

"Again?" Liam looked at us questioningly.

I shot Maxwell a sharp warning look. That was supposed to be a secret!

"Uh… I meant… I was so excited about today that I dreamed the whole reception last night! So… it's like I'm experiencing it twice!" He fumbled.

Thankfully, Hana swooped in and saved him unknowingly. "I know just how you feel! I've been dreaming of it all week! Though in mine, you were all wearing tutus for some reason…" She shook her head, shaking the memory away. "Anyway, the ceremony was lovely, and you, Milla, make a beautiful bride!"

Liam nodded. "Yes, you do." He looked at her guardedly, before clearing his throat. "You and Drake are truly the perfect couple."

Myers smiled sadly. "Thank you, Liam. Thank you all, really!"

"Yeah, congrats!" Maxwell laughed. "Now let's eat, I'm starving!"

"Oof, that makes two of us!" Myers laughed.

Gladys ushered us to our table, where Myers' parents, my mom, Savannah, Bertrand and Bastien were already sitting.

Mom immediately stood as she saw us approaching. "Drake! Camilla! You look so beautiful tonight! I don't mind saying it… I teared up a little when you spoke your vows at the ceremony." She hugged us both.

"That makes two of us." Wendy was next.

"Three." Armando nodded. "And the way you both looked at each other, as if no one in the world existed save each other."

"It was perfect." Julia agreed.

"Thank you." Myers nodded.

"Yeah, thanks." I sighed, a twinge of sadness coursing through me. "I just wish Dad could've seen it too…"

Mom grimaced, but shook it off. "Big events with lots of people were never his favorite… but I think he would've liked this one."

"Yeah?" I asked.

Mom nodded. "He'd have been proud to see you at that altar, Drake. Proud of the man you've become and proud of the woman you've chosen to spend your life with."

Next to me, Myers, squeezed my hand.

I squeezed back. "... Thanks, Mom. You know, I think so too."

We sat down, and Mom unrolled her napkin. She sighed. "Two forks. Two spoons. I appreciate a good meal as much as the next woman, but I'll never understand why they give you one too many of everything but the entree."

Everyone at the table laughed, Myers' parents all looking much more comfortable after that statement.

Mom looked at Liam. "Oh! I hope that doesn't sound ungrateful."

Liam merely smiled kindly and shook his head.

I scoffed. "As far as I'm concerned, that's the normal reaction to this amount of silverware." I slid one of the forks away from my plate.

Mom smiled and did the same. Then Wendy… Victor… Armando… Hailey… my sister.

Soon, servers had set up plates of steaming hot feijoada in front of us.

"Mmmm…!" Myers hummed appreciatively.

"Oooh! Feijoada!" My sister exclaimed.

"I can't say that's a dish I'm familiar with." Bertrand sniffed it apprehensively. "It smells like… Drake."

Everyone laughed at that.

"Just try it." I told him.

"Very well." Bertrand said. He tried it, his face lighting up. "Marvelous!"

"It's better than the one we used to get at that little Brazilian restaurant near our apartment!" Hailey looked surprised for a split second before breaking out into a smile.

"Isn't it?" Myers agreed. "Half a block away where we lived there was this Brazilian restaurant that was run by these 5 brothers, and we'd always go there for lunch." She told us. "Aaaaand… sometimes Hailey and I would go there at midnight to get some brigadeiros."

"You know, for those late night chocolate cravings." Hailey grinned.

At that moment, servers approached yet again, and the sparkling wine began to flow.

Myers nodded gratefully to her server, before swirling the wine in her glass. "It's like being at Kiara's winery all over again."

"Don't take a drink just yet." I told her.

I stood, and Gladys approached me with a wireless microphone. Okay, I can do this.

I took a deep breath and raised my glass, clearing my throat. "I'd like to make a toast."

The room quieted immediately as 200 pairs of eyes turned to me.

"Distinguished guests," I began, sounding a bit stiff. "On behalf of my wife and I, I'd like to thank you all for being here today. As you all know, these have been trying times for Cordonia, so your presence and support today has been invaluable."

A round of polite applause spread throughout the room.

I turned to look at Myers. "When I met Myers, I knew she was going to be trouble. I just didn't realize how much."

Myers grinned impishly at me, and several people chuckled.

"She's… impossible to predict. Smart, sharp, funny. Never let's you get away with anything. She sees things that no one else does. She sees people like no one else does.

She saw me."

Myers' eyes began to water, and she nodded.

"What happened? How did it turn out like this? With me up here next to you? Hell, I wasn't even nice to you the first time we met. I thought I'd scare you off."

She shook her head adamantly.

"And somehow you still saw through all of that. You saw the best in me even when I was at my worst. You push me to be better. You inspire me. And yes, before anyone else says it… you put up with me."

The crowd laughed.

"Give him credit for his honesty!" Maxwell cheered, clapping.

Once the laughter died down, I took Myers' hand. "You're one of a kind, Myers. And that's a good thing, because the world couldn't handle two of you. I still don't know how I ended up here with you. But for as long as you'll have me, I'm yours."

Myers wiped a bit of moisture from the corner of her eyes. "Then you're mine forever."

"I'm gonna hold you to that. So with that said… To Camilla, the only woman who could make even this cynical bastard fall in love… The only woman fool enough to marry him. And most of all, the only woman in the world for me."

I clinked my glass to Myers as the guests clapped and cheered. Myers pulled on my lapel and brought me down for a sweet kiss. I could taste the wine on her lips.

As I sat down, I handed the mic to Gladys, who in turn handed it to Liam.

He stood with a charming smile and cleared his throat. "If I might have your attention, I'd like to propose a toast to Cordonia's newest duchess, Camilla. She's been a friend to Cordonia and to myself in our darkest hour."

Myers' eyebrows furrowed, confused.

"Her courage, humor and loyalty is nothing short of inspiring." Liam continued, looking at her tenderly. "The world is a brighter place for her being in it."

Myers nodded, her face polite and attentive, but there was a question clear in her eyes, mixed with a hint of discomfort.

Liam cleared his throat again. "And to Drake Walker, my dearest friend… What can I say on this momentous day, except congratulations. Drake, you've seen me at my lowest. You've been nothing but selfless and loyal in your friendship to me." He grimaced slightly but hid it quickly. "Drake has given much to Cordonia, more than should've been asked of him. And taken nothing in return, despite my many attempts to convince him otherwise.

Drake, you deserve happiness.

And I've never seen you so happy as you are with Camilla. So let us toast to the happy couple! To Drake and Camilla!"

"Drake and Camilla!"

Hana stood next, and Liam passed her the mic. "As maid of honor, I'd also like to propose a toast… I first came to Cordonia as an outsider, competing for the hand of a prince I'd never met. I expected to find only rivals, but Camilla surprised me."

Myers shot her a tender smile.

"She's made me laugh when I thought I would cry. She's been by my side when I thought I had no one else in the world to turn to. She has so much strength that she taught me how to be strong."

Hana looked at Myers, speaking now only to her. "Milla, I can never thank you enough for all that you've done for me, and for your friendship. You and Drake deserve nothing but a lifetime of happiness together."

Then, Hana turned to look at me. "And Drake… our friendship grew slowly, over time as we got to know each other. But in that time, I was fortunate to find one of the sweetest, most loyal friends. You always believed in me, stood up for me, and pushed me to believe in myself. And for that, I will be forever grateful to you."

I nodded, damn near tearing up.

She raised her glass. "To the best friend I'd never thought I'd find and the man lucky enough to marry her. Camilla and Drake! Cheers!"

Myers couldn't help but stand and damn near tackle Hana into a hug. "You're my best friend too!"

"Oh no! Don't cry! That wasn't my intention." Hana hugged her back tightly.

Myers let out a mix of a sob and a laugh. "I know, but still…"

"Don't embarrass us." I turned my head to see that Maxwell had grabbed the mic, not seeming the least bothered by Madeleine's whispered warnings.

"No promises." He shrugged.

"You can and you will if you want this microphone." She hissed.

"Okay, okay! I promise!" Maxwell took the mic just as Myers sat back down. He winked at us. "So I know everyone thinks I'm a pretty popular guy."

Everyone laughed at that. Myers' friends, who were sitting at the next table, whooped particularly loudly.

Maxwell raised a hand to them. "Yes, thank you! Anyway, yeah I look like a popular adonis… But I've never had any close friends." The mood became unmistakably sad. Several people aww'd. "Not until Milla. Some people say I'm kind of a screw-up. And… they're usually right."

"Hey!" Myers interrupted, frowning at him.

Maxwell rolled his eyes playfully. "Yeesh Milla! I was going to say that despite that, you've always been on my side! See?" He gestured to the rest of the crowd. "She's always had my back."

"That's right!" Myers nodded.

"She believes in me and has my back, no matter how many peacocks I've bought."

"Yes, I do. And we're going for the twelfth now right?" Myers clicked her tongue, shooting him with a couple finger guns.

"Thirteenth." Maxwell winked at her.

Bertrand sputtered. "What now?"

Maxwell ignored him and continued his speech. "Because of her, I've got a real best friend. And a bunch of other best friends too." He shot me, Liam, Hana and Olivia some more finger guns.

"Kind of a stretch." I teased.

"Tell me he doesn't mean me." Olivia muttered under her breath.

"Aww, Maxwell!" Hana clapped.

"Among those best friends is Drake! I know I probably annoy the hell out of him, but thanks to Milla, he tolerates me!"

The crowd laughed.

"Nah, I'm kidding." Maxwell's smile grew softer, and he looked at me. "Drake… you went from being Liam's surly bff to being my surly bff too. And I know how strange that might seem, because we don't have anything in common. But despite all that, we still manage to be there for each other when it counts."

"Damn right!" I shouted, prompting cheers from the crowd.

"Anyway, thanks, Milla, for bringing us all together. You're the best." Maxwell finished his speech with a giant grin.

"No, you're the best!" Myers shot back.

"No, YOU'RE the best!" He clinked his glass against hers.

Myers laughed. "Something tells me this isn't going to end until I end it, so… Cheers!"

Maxwell handed the mic to Hailey next. She stood nervously, before clearing her throat. "So… for those of you that don't know me, which is most of you…"

The crowd chuckled.

"I'm Hailey, one of the bride's best friends. I first met Milla in New York, when we were both moving into our dorm. And I'm not gonna lie to you fine people… I kinda hated her."

The crowd laughed politely once more.

"She was just so plucky and bubbly, you know? It was a little annoying, how happy she was all the time.

But as I got to know her, I began to admire that kindness and that fearlessness. Milla always goes for what she wants. Believe me, I was there when she came home in the middle of the day and began shoving clothes into a suitcase, talking about how this guy she'd just met offered her a ride to Cordonia to compete for a prince. I mean who does that?!"

Myers and I laughed, as did the rest of the court, because she had a fair point. Who actually does that? Jump on a plane with two strangers for a foreign country?

"Milla does, that's who," Hailey continued. "But in doing so, she found the love of her life and I couldn't be happier for her. Even if said love is all 'gloom and doom' to her 'sunshine and rainbows'. Milla… I love you. You're like the annoying sister I never had, and I couldn't be happier for you.

And Drake… I don't know you very well yet, but even I can see how much you love Milla. It warms my heart to watch the two of you together, and I wish both of you all the happiness in the world. To Sunshine Milla and Gloom and Doom Drake!"

"To Camilla and Drake!"

Hailey handed the mic to Bastien with a trembling hand. Myers stood and pulled her in for a long hug.

Hailey chuckled. "The things I do for you, Milla."

"I know. But you did amazing! Thank you." Myers whispered back.

They broke apart after a few more whispers, and took their seats.

Bastien cleared his throat. "I've known Drake since he was a boy, and in all that time, I've never seen him as happy as he is when he's with Lady Camilla. I won't say much, because there's not much that needs to be said, other than… I'm proud of you, son. And I'm so glad you've found happiness with an amazing woman by your side. To the bride and groom!"

"To the bride and groom!"

He handed the mic to my sister. She cleared her throat nervously. "Ahem. Hello. Everyone. A heh heh. There's… a lot of you out there, huh?"

"You got this sis!" I yelled.

"Go Savannah!" Myers yelled next to me.

"Whoo! Go go go!" Maxwell cheered.

Everyone clapped politely in encouragement.

Savannah nodded resolutely. "Yes. Right, okay. Here we go. When I met Milla, I hadn't seen my brother in over a year. Milla found me, and brought Drake back into my life… And that's something I'll always be grateful for."

Savannah smiled lovingly at us. "Drake and I had always been close, and when we started talking again, it was clear right away how he felt about her. Mostly because of how he kept denying it."

The crowd laughed.

Savannah continued. "Milla brings out a side of my brother I'd never seen before. I don't think I've ever seen him smile so much. I'm excited and proud to call Milla my sister. So, to the woman of the hour, Milla! May she never get bored of putting up with my brother!"

Everyone laughed and drank.

Olivia stood next.

"I expect you to be on your best behavior." Madeleine warned.

The Ice Queen rolled her eyes. "Do I ever behave otherwise?"

"Ha."

Olivia took the mic and turned to us. "What is there to say about Camilla and Drake? Let's start with Camilla. When I first met her, I didn't think much of her."

"Maaaybe this was a bad idea…" Myers whispered.

I merely pressed my lips together in agreement.

Farther down the table, Wendy frowned and Julia scoffed.

Olivia continued, "And after weeks of knowing her, I realized I hated her."

"Well… that's rude." Julia muttered.

"Let's uh… give her the benefit of the doubt, okay amor?" Armando patted her hand.

"Yep, definitely starting to seem like a bad idea…" I whispered to Myers.

Murmurs and whispers began to rise from the crowd, until...

"But then I realized I hated her because she was someone I couldn't push around. She was strong, in a way that many of the nobles here aren't. She was fearless when most others would've run. She reminded me of a Nevrakis at heart."

"Ohmygod, Olivia Nevrakis likes me!" Myers squealed next to me.

I rolled my eyes indulgently. That was pretty obvious by this point.

"And now… maybe I don't hate her at all… maybe I... ugh, maybe what I feel is actually… respect."

Ironically, the crowd's whispers and murmurs rose at her admission.

"Well, that's better…" My mom uttered under her breath.

"Aw, I think she just has a little trouble showing a little vulnerability, is all." Wendy smiled tenderly at Olivia.

Myers' jaw dropped. "Is this real? Did she really admit that in front of the whole court? Quick, Drake, pinch me."

"It's more likely that we're having a shared hallucination." I answered.

Olivia rolled her eyes, before turning to me. "And Drake… Drake, Drake, Drake."

I looked around suspiciously. "Is she about to drop a gallon of whiskey on me or something?"

"Drake, I've never liked you, and I still don't."

The crowd quieted as we all hung on to that sentence. I think everyone expected a turning point in frase, since that's how she'd started her toast to Myers.

After a moment, Myers asked, "But…?"

Olivia shook her head. "No, that's all. Cheers! As we say in Lythikos, you're still alive, so drink!"

The court cheered, albeit somewhat confused this time.

Madeleine rushed forwards. "Give me that microphone back." She glared at Olivia, before turning to Bertrand. "We're not done yet. Here you go."

"I'll try not to disappoint." He adjusted his jacket before standing. "When Maxwell first introduced me to Lady Camilla, I must confess that my first reaction was…" He cleared his throat and looked apologetically at Myers' parents. "In all honesty… utter dismay."

Victor frowned and turned to Myers. "Isn't this guy supposed to be your sponsor?"

"Oh boy…" Maxwell muttered, looking anxiously from Myers' dad to his brother.

Bertrand continued, almost as if trying to explain his reasoning to her parents. "This was the woman who would represent House Beaumont?"

"Excuse you, House Beaumont should be so lucky to be represented by Milla." Wendy glared at Bertrand.

Julia looked miffed. "I agree."

"I only meant that… Maxwell had chosen a waitress with no knowledge of Cordonia, court, or our customs." Bertrand explained.

Myers shrugged, unbothered. "He's got a point there."

"But you're so clever, Camillita. " Armando argued. "You have learned about this country and all its customs, and embraced them as your own."

Myers chuckled. "Yeah, but he didn't know that."

Bertrand sighed, relieved Myers had been able to diffuse the tension a bit. "At first, I dismissed Lady Camilla as one of my brother's many, many, MANY mistakes. But now I see it was the best decision he ever made. Camilla has proven herself worthy of House Beaumont again and again."

"See? Told ya." Myers grinned placatingly at her parents. "He saw the light eventually."

Bertrand nodded. "And what can I say of Drake Walker? The more I learn of the Walker family, the more there is to respect. If Drake is even half the man Savannah thinks he is, Camilla is lucky indeed."

Myers grinned, and pressed a quick kiss to my cheek.

"Camilla… Drake… it has been an honor. To the happy couple!" Bertrand finished.

"That… was a rollercoaster of emotion." Myers' dad commented. "It seems like half this place loved you at first sight and the other half…"

"Once they got to know my awesome personality?" Myers laughed.

"Last but not least, it's your turn, Camilla." Madeleine handed the mic to Myers.

Myers shot Madeleine a grateful grin, before standing gracefully. "Ahem… first off, I'd like to thank you all for coming. Not only because it shows your support for me and Drake, but also for Cordonia."

A smattering of light applause broke out.

"As you know, these last few weeks have been difficult, to say the least. But together, we have shown Anton that Cordonia is strong, and that we'll never bow before tyranny. Not now, not ever!"

The crowd clapped and cheered loudly.

"Now, with that said…" She turned to me, touching my shoulder lovingly. "I feel like the luckiest woman in the world. And that's all because of Drake."

Several people in the crowd hummed or aww'd.

"I could live a thousand lifetimes and it wouldn't be enough with Drake. It wouldn't be enough time to soak in his smile or feel his strength and love in every embrace. Our time together will never be enough, which is why I know we have to make the most of it."

I nodded, and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand on my shoulder.

"I came to Cordonia looking for my fairytale ending," Myers continued. "And now, with my husband by my side, I feel as though I have found it. And yet this isn't my ending at all. It's our brand new beginning. This journey hasn't always been easy… but I wouldn't trade it for anything. If not for everything that happened, I wouldn't have made these friends along the way. And I wouldn't have found the love of my life."

Everyone clapped at that, before raising their glasses along with Myers.

"So cheers! Here's to Cordonia, and to every single one you gathered here tonight! Here's to you, my dear husband, love of my life! And here's to partying our asses off tonight!" Myers grinned as everyone cheered, and clinked her glass to mine.

Madeleine groaned behind her. "I should've seen that coming, yet somehow I'm still surprised."

"Wooooooo! Party!" Maxwell cheered.

Myers sat back down and I pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "You're really making this a night to remember, Myers."

She laughed joyfully. "I always strive to be memorable."

I leaned in to whisper in her ear. "And we haven't even gotten to the wedding night yet…"

From the corner of my eye I watched Maxwell signal to the band on stage.

A moment later, the singer announced. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, for their first dance as husband and wife… Duke Drake and Duchess Camilla Walker!"

The crowd clapped as I stood, bowing and offering my hand to Myers. "May I have this dance?"

Myers gently placed her hand in mine. "I thought you'd never ask."

I led Myers to the dance floor, just as the band guitarist began strumming the opening chords. Myers' eyes lit up as she recognized the song, before her face melted into a loving smile.

Her eyes began to water as I took her in my arms just as Jason began to sing.

"You look so wonderful in your dress

I love your hair like that…"

"You picked this song?" She asked, as I began leading her around the floor.

I shrugged. "Yeah… It sorta spoke to me." I softly sang along with the next verse to prove my point.

"We are surrounded by all of these lies

And people that talk too much

You got that kind of look in your eyes

As if no one knows anything but us"

Myers chuckled tearfully. "It's perfect for us. Even if my eyes aren't blue like the Tenerife Sea."

I parroted back Maxwell's words. "Technicality, Myers."

"Yeah, you're right. I love it. Especially since there's a mention of going back to the wilderness in the fourth verse." She teased.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

I guided Myers into a quick twirl, before pulling her into my arms once more. We glided across the floor, perfectly in time to the song.

"Not a bad waltz, Walker." Myers grinned.

"Yeah, well…" I blushed. "I had a pretty good teacher." Or well… teachers. I had to give Maxwell a bit of credit, I guess. "And I'm not about to step on any feet at our wedding. We went through a lot to get here." I brushed my thumb against the band on her finger. "I just wanted to get everything right."

"I got to marry you, Drake. I'm not sure how much more 'right' my life could be."

"I feel the same way, Myers." I spun her outwards, before she twirled into me again, her back pressed to my chest. "I gotta admit… the big ceremony at the cathedral wasn't bad."

"Wow, that's high praise coming from you." Myers twirled away once more, and I led her from one side to another before twirling her to face me again.

"But I'm still glad we got to have that private ceremony, just the two of us."

Myers nodded, wrapping her arms around my neck. "Our elopement was perfect. I like that we get to share today with our families and friends, but yesterday, alone with you… It felt right. And it was all for the two of us."

"I couldn't have said it better. Besides, you can't blame me for wanting you all to myself once in a while."

I took the opportunity to twirl her and dip her low, holding her closely. I distantly heard the crowd clap.

Myers laughed as she came back up. "Wow. I was not expecting that. Now the only thing that could make this better is a kiss."

"I'll take any excuse to kiss you, Myers."

I cupped her cheek, running my thumb against her cheekbone, before leaning in for a long, lingering kiss. Myers chuckled against me as the crowd began to cheer and whoop.

When we pulled apart, we were both grinning, our eyes only on each other.

"How would you say the night's going now?" I asked.

"Absolutely perfect."

I rested my forehead against hers as the song drew to a close.

The crowd clapped and cheered as Myers and I bowed. Myers also bowed to the band and clapped towards them.

Maxwell came up to us, mic in hand. "You two had your fun. Now it's time we broke this dance floor in style!"

"Yeeeeeessssss! Hey, Jason, play something that'll raise the roof!" Myers grinned, pointing at the band's lead singer.

He nodded and immediately began playing an upbeat song with a killer beat.

"Someone call the fire department, because this reception's about to be lit!" Myers yelled, pulling me in for another dance.

"Woohoo!" Maxwell cheered, as most of the court rose from their seats and began to run towards the dancefloor.

Our friends surrounded us immediately, all of us dancing in a group before breaking into pairs. Liam twirled Hana, and she did some fancy ballet move which had all the guys screaming.

Maxwell, of course, took that as a challenge, and cleared a space on the floor. As soon as we'd made some room, he broke out his breakdancing moves. He finished in a gravity-defying pose, before pointing at me.

"Hey, Drake! Want to get your dance-off on?"

"Er…"

"Don't make him hurt himself, Maxwell." Liam teased.

"It's just a friendly little competition between pals! Like seeing who can do the most epic…" He launched into a clean spin kick. "Spin kick!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Epic huh?"

I stepped up into the circle and jumped, tightening my abs before swinging my legs in a double spin kick. The crowd cheered and clapped.

"Bravo!" Liam grinned.

"Wooooooo! That's my husband!" Myers yelled.

"You looked like an action hero!" Hana complimented.

"Awesome move, man! You're gonna have to teach it to me before we leave!" Jaime clapped my shoulder.

I turned to Maxwell, who was staring at me open mouthed. "Wha… How did you…"

"Self-defense and dance moves aren't always that different." I shrugged, smirking.

Maxwell shook his head and grinned. " I have never been prouder to be your best friend than I am right now." He placed an arm around my shoulders.

"So me taking a bullet was no big deal, but breakdancing's the thing that gets you?"

Maxwell shrugged with one shoulder. "In my defense, I already knew you were brave and awesome. I didn't know you could move like that!"

"My brother's always been full of surprises." Savannah wrapped an arm around my waist from my other side, so I was sandwiched between Maxwell and Savannah.

"That looked fun!" Penelope danced her way over to us. "Can you teach me and Kiara how to dance like that?"

"Er…"

"Maybe you two should take this up with our resident professional." Hana supplied helpfully, gesturing to Maxwell.

Maxwell stepped forwards with his arms wide open and his chest puffed out proudly. "My time has come! Follow my every move, young apprentices!"

"I'm surprised Olivia's not trying to one-up us all!" I heard Myers yell over the music.

"She's probably off claiming the hors d'oeuvres table in the name of Lythikos." Maxwell answered.

Myers came out of nowhere and swooped me into her arms. "Hey, husband!" She took my arm and raised it over her head, before twirling underneath.

I laughed, as we continued to dance. After a couple more songs monopolizing each other, Myers and I finally separated and moved on to dance with our friends.

After a while, Jason and the band finished their last song and everyone on the floor began to clap.

"What's everyone clapping for?" Myers asked.

I watched as Gladys and who I figured was the baker carried out a mini Valtoria estate.

"It's time to cut the cake!" Hana squealed, leading Myers to the specially designated cake table.

Myers gasped, "It's beautiful!"

"I'm officially impressed." I looked at the intricate decorations, that fondant castle on top.

"It looks amazing!" Hana clapped.

"Wow… it's almost too pretty to eat!" Hailey pouted.

"Hey, Milla, is it true it's modeled after your castle?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah, the resemblance is pretty spot on, actually." Myers nodded. "Don't worry, we'll be headed to Valtoria in a couple days."

"Couldn't let us leave without seeing your new home?" Jacob asked with a grin.

Myers nodded. "Duh! What kind of friend would I be if I didn't host you guys in my estate before you go?"

"Did you really just say you'll host us?" Mari Jo teased, with a fake Cordonian accent.

Myers narrowed her eyes playfully, but before she could respond, Maxwell stepped up.

"Cake cutter coming through!"

People gave him a wide berth as he made his way through the crowd with the sword.

"Don't worry," he told us as he reached us. "I had it cleaned after this morning."

"Maxwell! I told you I'm not using Hunter Fierro's sword to cut the cake!" Myers shook her head, hugging the sword to her chest as if it were an infant.

"What, you could use it to stab assassins, but can't use it on the cake?"

"Exactly." Myers nodded.

"Oh, come on, Milla!" Hailey bumped Myers' shoulder playfully.

"No! It has a deep and important historical significance!" Myers hugged the sword tighter.

"Um, Your Grace? Careful with your dress…" Gladys looked pointed at Myers' skirts and the pointy end of the sword.

"Oh, right… Thank you, Gladys."

"Hey, you said it belonged to a guy called Hunter Fierro?" Mari Jo stepped up, phone in hand. "It says here 'Hunter Fierro was the King-Regent of Cordonia in the year 1600', bla bla bla, 'married Elena Rosario'… ah ha! 'Personality: Hunter Fierro was described as a rakish flirt' bla bla bla... 'And he was known to be playful and fun-loving, causing many of his opponents to underestimate his shrewd mind for politics… After years at court he and his sister had earned a reputation for enjoying a good party'! See? I bet he'd love it if you used his sword to cut the cake!"

Myers looked at all of us. "You… actually make a good point. Okay… let's do it. In honor of Hunter."

A cheer went up from the crowd.

"But I'm having it cleaned immediately after!" Myers added with a grin. She raised the sword over her head, swinging it in a series of figure eights. "This… is my moment of glory. I was born for this moment!"

"Yeah, you were!" Maxwell cheered her on.

I, on the other hand, had to admire the way she looked swinging that sword. It was… actually kinda hot.

"Is it wrong that I'm really into you wielding a deadly weapon?" I asked.

Next to me, Hana patted my shoulder. "For you and Milla, that feels… right."

Myers took my hand and pulled me towards the cake. She then raised her sword over the cake.

Bertrand hissed. "Careful!"

"You've got this Milla!"

"I should never have authorized this…" Madeleine shook her head.

Myers brought the sword down on the bottom tier of the cake, and nodded at me. I placed my hands on top of hers, and together, we sliced the cake once more, carving out two perfectly symmetrical pieces.

I laughed. "You made that look easy."

"If you're that much of a natural with a blade, Mara may want to give you sword fighting lessons." Bastien told her.

Myers smiled in thanks, before handing the sword into Gladys' waiting hands.

Before she could say anything however, Gladys nodded. "I will have the sword cleaned and polished immediately, Your Grace."

"Aw, thanks Gladys!" Myers grinned.

I picked up my slice of cake with my fingers, and Myers did the same. We both held up our respective slices, and fed each other as the crowd cheered and photographers took pictures.

"Mmm!" Myers moaned.

Somehow, the cake was even tastier than last time. Servers immediately handed us small wet towels to clean our fingers off, as the court took their seats once more. Once we also sat down, they began serving everyone cake.

"Mmm! Okay, this cake is better than mine." Wendy admitted.

"Or mine." My mom added.

"It's so rich!" Hana wiped her mouth daintily after a bite.

"It's amazing." Liam agreed.

Maxwell had somehow already finished his whole slice. "Hey, can I have seconds?"

"I'm glad everyone's enjoying the cake." Myers said.

"We clearly picked a good one." I told her, squeezing her hand.

We looked around the room, and it was clear everyone was enjoying their cake. Every single noble was eating and smiling, and many plates were already empty.

"Well, the dessert train isn't over yet!" Myers told me.

Suddenly, Gladys placed a covered silver platter in front of me.

"What's all this?" I asked.

"A 'thank you'," Myers took my hand, interlacing our fingers. "For being the best and most thoughtful fiance." She pressed a kiss to the back of my hand, before nodding towards the platter. "The cake was great, but I figured you wouldn't complain about more sugary goodness. So…"

Gladys swept the lid off with a flourish. Underneath, there were a couple of s'mores.

"We did the whole fancy cake thing, but I'd thought you'd appreciate something more… us."

"Myers, this is… This is perfect." I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, before reaching for the s'mores.

"If you didn't grill them over the fire yourself, is it really an authentic s'more?" Maxwell asked.

"You can tease me about semantics or you can get in on these marshmallows. Your choice." I told him.

"Marshmallows, please!"

I passed him the platter, which he then passed on to the rest of the table.

Once everyone was finished with their desserts, the band opened the dance floor once more, with the traditional father-daughter and mother-son dances. I led my mom to the floor, as Victor led Myers. Soon, several other couples, such as Liam and Regina, Hana and her dad, Kiara and Hakim, and Penelope and Landon, joined us on the floor. At one point, I even spotted Maxwell dancing with Wendy. Madeleine and Godfrey were also dancing, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

After dancing with our families and friends a bit more, I decided I needed a breather. I looked around but Myers was nowhere to be seen. I asked Gladys, and she told me Myers had gone to 'freshen up'. I thanked her, and made my way out to our secret garden.

As I sat on a bench in front of the fountain, I decided to text Myers.

"Hey

I'm at our garden

Come meet me once you're done"

I watched as the checkmarks turned blue as she'd read the texts. Happy that she'd meet me in a bit, I laid back and looked at the stars. A cool breeze ran through the garden, rustling some trees and flower bushes. The quiet out here was a stark and welcome contrast to all the noise inside the ballroom.

A few moments later, Myers stepped outside, wearing a giant smile on her face. I stood and wrapped my arms around her waist. "There's my wife."

"And there's my husband." She brushed a bit of hair away from my forehead. "You're just the person I wanted to see."

I narrowed my eyes at that. Something about her tone… this woman was planning something. "...Why?"

She smiled and fluttered her lashes innocently. "Just because I'm happy to see you doesn't mean I need something."

"Uh-huh."

"But in this case, I do." She smiled sheepishly. "I want you to hear Bertrand out."

Bertrand stepped into the light reluctantly, averting his eyes down to the ground.

I breathed in deeply. Exhaled slowly. In front of me, Myers was shooting me her best pair of puppy eyes yet.

"Sure."

Myers broke away, but kept her hand around my waist.

Bertrand stepped up, standing ramrod straight. "Drake Walker, I would officially like to ask for your sister's hand in marriage. By your leave, of course."

I rolled my eyes. "We're not nobility-"

"Technically, you are as of several hours ago." Myers cut me off. She squeezed my waist and I couldn't help but smile down at her.

"I guess. But even so, Savannah's her own woman. She doesn't need my permission." I told Bertrand. "She can marry you if she wants."

He nodded resolutely. "I'm well aware of that. But the fact of the matter is, I believe your blessing and good opinion of me will help." He answered honestly.

The problem was that I wasn't a priest or anything to give my blessing… And my good opinion of him never existed, especially after how he'd treated her.

"In that case… No."

"What?" He actually had the gall to look shocked.

"Did you honestly expect me to be happy about you proposing to her? It was your fault that she ran away from court in the first place. And everything that's happened since hasn't exactly filled me with confidence. You've been good to Bartie since you found out he was yours, I'll give you that. But I'm not sure you're good for my sister."

Myers nodded, taking my words in. Bertrand frowned and looked down at his feet.

"Babe… I'm not defending Bertrand, but it wasn't his fault Savannah ran away from court." Myers told me.

I looked down at her in shock. I'd almost stepped back if it weren't for the fact that she seemed to sense this and held on to me tighter.

"Now, you just said she's her own woman. That means you recognize her agency as a woman, and you can recognize the fact that leaving was her choice."

I grit my teeth, but couldn't exactly argue. She had a pretty valid point. "Fine. But it still doesn't change the fact that what he said to her was what motivated her to make that choice."

"Yes, on that we agree." Myers nodded. "If Bertrand had been honest about what he felt back then, we might not be here right now." She shot him a pointed look. "And with that in mind… Bertrand, tell him how you feel about Savannah."

I rolled my eyes. "Camilla, you don't need to help him."

"I'm not." Myers said simply. "I'm merely looking out for my sister in law. She deserves a chance at happiness. And if Bertrand's the source of that happiness… then so be it."

Bertrand stood a little straighter and looked me in the eye. "I… love your sister, Drake. It took me a while to realize it, but now that I have, I know that I'll love her forever. I hope you know that I would do anything for her."

"Anything huh?"

Bertrand nodded.

Myers rested her head on my chest, as if she knew I was about to cave.

"So you promise to do everything you can to make her happy?" I asked.

"I do."

"And you won't get up in your head and abandon her when things get tough?" I pressed.

"I won't." Bertrand didn't even flinch, which I'll admit… I liked.

"And lastly…" Let's see if the Duke of Ramsford can set his pride aside for the woman he claims to love. "I'm going to need you to act like a chicken." I told him with a straight face.

"Come again?" He glared at me.

"You did say you would do anything." I reminded him.

He inhaled deeply, scrunched up his face, and… "Bwa-"

"Whoa, okay, you can stop!" I told him. "Damn, you really have changed. I don't think the old Bertrand would've even dignified a request like that."

Bertrand's lips twitched, but he suppressed a smile. "Well, admittedly, I've had to emulate a few barnyard animals in the past few months. Bartie enjoys this one book about farm creatures and their common noises-"

"Okay. Enough. You have it." I cut him off.

"Yay!" Myers squeezed me tighter, standing on the tips of her toes to press a kiss on my cheek.

"I have…?" Bertrand looked stunned.

I nodded once. "My blessing. Go forth and... propose. Preferably while I'm far, far away."

"Oh, honey, about the proposal…" Myers pressed her lips together hesitantly.

"I will need to beg one more favor from you…" Bertrand continued.

"We were thinking, in order to give Savannah her dream proposal…" Myers smirked, "that we would get the barbershop quartet together to serenade her?"

I groaned, clasping the bridge of my nose between my thumb and index finger.

"Please, husband?" Myers begged. "Love of my life, light of my world?" She stood directly in front of me now, running her hands over my chest.

"Myers…"

"Please? For your sister…" She continued.

"... Fine."

Myers pulled me in for a hug. "You're the best!"

I hugged her back. "Yeah, yeah."

Bertrand cleared his throat behind us. "Yes, thank you, Drake."

I nodded. "Alright, when do you wanna do this?"

"Now." Bertrand answered.

"Right now." Myers said at the same time.

"What, now?! At our wedding?!"

"Yep. Let's go."

Myers tugged me back inside, shouting orders to me and Bertrand. "Go find Maxwell and Liam. I need a quick word with Hana and Hailey."

With that, she turned on her heel and walked away.

Bertrand and I looked at each other, before splitting up.

"I'll find Liam." I told him with a sigh.

"And I will go find Maxwell." Bertrand nodded.

I walked away, and found Liam at the bar, speaking amicably with Victor.

My father in law was laughing merrily, an empty glass of whiskey in his hand. "... so Milla refused to come out of her room until I took the dead fish from the aquarium! She hadn't even gotten close enough to see it was plastic!"

Liam looked a bit shocked. "How old was she then?"

"Eleven."

"And what did you do?"

"I took out the toy fish and placed it in the fridge. When she came out, starving, she went straight for the fridge, opened the door and yelled bloody murder, before holing herself up in her room again." Victor laughed.

Liam chuckled. "How cruel of you."

"Ah, so that's where Myers got her fish phobia." I stepped up.

Victor lit up when he saw me. "Drake! Com'ere, son. Have a drink. Bartender, whiskey, neat, please."

I nodded. "Thank you."

Victor nodded and handed me a tumbler. "So, I gather Milla told you about our little pranking war?"

I shook my head. "No, sir. But I did take her fishing once-"

Victor guffawed. "How'd that work out for you?"

I smiled at the memory. "Well… it earned me a fish slap to the face."

Victor laughed, nodding, while Liam simply looked shocked.

"When did that happen?" Liam asked.

"Portavira." I told him. "After the polo game."

"Yeah, that was probably not your greatest idea, son… Milla's had a thing about fish ever since my former sister in law decided to give her an aquarium for her eleventh birthday. Stupidest gift ever." Victor shook his head. "We didn't know a damn thing about fish, so we thought that big tank could fit a whole bunch of fish. Turns out they need a certain square inch of oxygen, so even if the tank's big, it still only houses about three or four fish…"

"And how many did you get her?" I asked.

"... Eight?"

I nearly choked on my drink.

"Oh…" Liam's jaw dropped.

"Yeah… not the best idea. Five fish died within the week. Milla got home from school and saw them floating belly up… She got so worked up, she shut herself in her room. Something about-"

"The eyes." I finished for him.

Victor nodded approvingly. "You do know my daughter."

I laughed. "Well, I know her a little better now. She'd never told me that story before. But she did tell me about the infamous PetCo incident of-"

"Of '04?" Victor laughed, nodding at the memory.

"What happened?" Liam asked.

"I'll, uh… tell you later. I actually need a favor right now." I told him. "Victor, do you mind?"

"Not at all. Excuse me, son. Your Majesty." Victor bowed his head, before walking away.

Liam turned to me, his eyes a bit guarded. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I uh… Come with me."

I led Liam to the hallway, where Myers was waiting with Bertrand and Maxwell. As soon as she saw us, Myers began explaining everything in rapid fire succession.

"... You're saying that in order to help my brother win the love of his life back, I have to sing my heart out?" Maxwell was wearing the biggest grin I'd ever seen.

"Correction, we all have to sing." I shook my head. "I'm regretting agreeing to this already."

"But Savannah's future happiness!" Myers pouted.

"Ugh."

"You can count on me! This is going to be awesome!" Maxwell cheered.

"And Liam?" Myers raised her eyebrows, smiling hopefully.

Liam blushed ever so slightly, before shaking his head and returning her grin. "I feel it would be remiss of me saying 'no' to the bride on her wedding day. I, too, will sing."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Bertrand told him.

Myers clapped. "That's everyone! Perfect! Now according to Madeleine's itinerary, the bouquet toss is up next. I've already sent word through Hana that all the ladies are to step back, so Savannah will definitely catch it."

"Nice!" Maxwell nodded eagerly.

Myers nodded. "Then, Bertrand, that's your cue to sing…"

"I think we should sing the Cordonian Tribute and tweak the lyrics to match the mood…" Maxwell suggested.

"That's fine, but what shall I say?" Bertrand looked pale.

Myers shrugged. "That's up to you. As much as I want to help, I'm mostly just giving you the chance."

Bertrand gaped at her.

Myers bit back a sigh and placed her hands on his shoulders. "You only have to say all the things you're afraid to."

"That's not exactly an easy thing to do…" Bertrand slumped.

"Nothing in life worth doing is easy." Maxwell told him, clapping his back.

"Thanks, Maxwell." Bertrand sighed, but stood a little straighter.

"I think I read that on a mug somewhere." Maxwell grinned impishly.

I pressed my lips together. So much for motivational speeches.

"Right. Well, here we go…" Bertrand took a deep breath.

"Good luck." Myers told him. "Be brave, Bertrand."

With that, she stopped back inside, where she was ushered by Madeleine to the center of the dance floor. We waited for a moment, before nonchalantly walking inside.

"Alright, alright! It's time for the bride's bouquet toss!" Jason announced from the stage. "All you single ladies, gather round!"

Myers winked at Jason, and turned. A few feet behind her, all the ladies 'gathered', while stealthily pushing my sister towards the front.

"Eligible ladies, you know who you are!" Madeleine yelled.

Jason and the band started playing an instrumental with a really sexy, sultry beat, as the girls got into position.

"Don't mind me, coming through…" Hana winked in our direction.

"I have a feeling my luck will be better if I stand way over here…" Kiara was a little bit less subtle.

"Ready?!" Myers shouted, discreetly taking aim. "Here goes!"

Myers tossed the bouquet in a high arc over her shoulders, and it landed perfectly in my sister's arms.

"Oh, I…" Savannah looked around, shocked.

"And the lucky winner is… Savannah!" Myers ran towards my sister and hugged her warmly. "I guess you're the next one to get married!" She shot Bertrand a pointed look from over my sister's shoulder.

Bertrand stepped forward, nodding to Jason. He transitioned into a slower, more romantic song seamlessly, and we stepped up behind Bertrand.

"Love is in the air

Love is everywhere

And in my heart, I know it's true…"

Liam, Maxwell and I harmonized.

"Savannah, my future is with you…" Bertrand sang, stepping towards my sister.

"Bertrand, what are you doing?" Savannah asked.

"What I should've done much earlier." He answered. "Savannah, I love you. I should've said it before now, but I kept holding onto the idea that being out of your life was better than being a part of it because I was afraid. But I'm not any longer."

My sister shook her head. "Bertrand, what you're saying is wonderful, but… I don't want to push you into doing something you don't want to do…"

"On the contrary…" Bertrand reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring.

My sister stepped back, clapping her hand to her mouth. "Oh!"

"To be completely honest, I've had this ever since I followed you to Paris. I didn't know if we'd ever end up here, but… I'd always hoped."

Bertrand took one of Savannah's hands and knelt in front of her.

"Savannah, I know our courtship has been fraught with difficulty, and there are things that I've said and done that I wish I could take back. But we have something special here, and I'd be a fool to let it go. I'm hoping you can take a chance on a man who has only ever wanted to make you happy… Savannah Jane Walker, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Savannah's eyes were glistening, but she nodded. "... Yes."

"Truly?"

"YES!"

Bertrand stood and pulled my sister in for a kiss. The crowd cheered and clapped.

Myers ran towards me, engulfing me in a hug before cheering her lungs off. "Woohoo!"

"Yeah!" Maxwell yelled next to me.

"Just tell me when it's over." I tore my eyes away from the happy couple as Bertrand dipped my sister and kissed her deeply.

"Okay, okay, it's over." Myers told me.

I looked up to find them with their foreheads pressed up against each other's, whispering and staring into each other's eyes as if they were the only people in the world. Suddenly, Bertrand whistled and Midnight Rose walked into the room.

"Wha…" I turned to Myers.

"Savannah deserves to ride off into the sunset as the queen she is." Myers grinned. "Good girl, Midnight Rose!"

"A horse!" Savannah squealed.

Bertrand laughed. "This party wouldn't have the true Beaumont stamp without it."

He swung his leg over the saddle, and Savannah climbed on behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. She pressed a kiss to his cheek, and they rode away.

"Awwww!" Myers buried her face in my neck.

I pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Myers pulled back and wrapped her arms around my neck. "Now, don't you feel all warm and fuzzy after seeing that?"

"... Sure, Myers."

Myers' dimples fluttered to life, before she pressed a soft kiss to my lips. A kiss I slowly deepened.

Suddenly we heard a polite cough behind us.

We broke apart to find Gladys there, her eyes respectfully on the floor.

"Oh, um… Hi, Gladys." Myers smiled sheepishly.

Gladys nodded. "Your Graces…" She looked pointedly at Myers. "Perhaps now, with the excitement of Duke Beaumont's proposal dying down, it would be an appropriate time to distribute gifts? I've taken the liberty of gathering them here at the table." She pointed to a small table a few feet away.

"Thank you, Gladys. That's an excellent idea." Myers nodded. "Could you gather Hana, Maxwell, and Liam, please?"

Gladys curtsied and walked away.

"What gifts?" I asked.

"You're not the only one who can give gifts on our wedding day." Myers giggled and led me to the table.

A moment later, the guys joined us. Myers smiled warmly at us, before reaching out for a rectangular gift box. Then she walked towards Liam and handed it to him.

"For me?" He asked.

"I'm handing it to you, aren't I?" Myers quipped.

Liam chuckled, before tearing the wrapping paper off. Underneath was a heavy tome, one that looked pretty old. His eyes widened as he opened the leather cover with gold gilding. "This looks… remarkable!"

"It's an ancient, hand-written book of Cordonian history." Myers informed him, with an excited gleam in her eyes.

"Hand-written?" Liam's jaw slackened. "Then the book itself is history in its own right…"

"Exactly! But if you turn to the final chapter…"

Liam shifted the book's weight to one hand, opening it on one of the last few pages. "It's… blank?"

Myers nodded, taking his hand and squeezing gently. "The future of Cordonia is in your hands now, Liam. Its next chapter is yours to write." She smiled gently at him. "I'm expecting tales of peace and prosperity."

Liam clasped his hand over hers. None of us missed the slight sheen in his eyes. "That is my wish as well. Your faith that I could actually realize it means more to me than you know."

"There's never been a doubt in my mind." Myers' smile grew wider, her dimples flaring.

Liam nodded and gently closed the book. "May what you've given me - both of you," He added, turning to me as well, "always serve as a potent reminder of what it truly means to be king. Today, you have both given me remarkably thoughtful gifts. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"You're welcome." Myers and I said at the same time.

Next, Myers turned to Hana. She took Hana's shoulders and pushed her to where a giant… something was wrapped on the floor next to the table.

"What's this?" Hana asked, stunned at the size of her gift.

"A gift." Myers said simply. "For the best friend in the world. The best confidante and the best maid of honor. For someone who's become more than my best friend and has become my sister. The Jane to my Elizabeth."

"Awww, Lizzy." Hana giggled, reaching out to hug Myers before she'd even unwrapped her gift.

"Open it!" Myers clapped excitedly after they parted.

Hana nodded, carefully unwrapping the gift, somehow managing to not tear the wrapping paper. Underneath stood a beautiful telescope.

"My very own telescope! Oh, it's beautiful!" Hana clapped her hands to her mouth.

Myers nodded, placing a hand on Hana's shoulder. "The night of the Lantern Festival, I saw you take the first steps toward taking control of your own life. I hope that when you look at this telescope, you'll remember to keep searching out the path truest to who you are, and to stick with it no matter what."

Hana opened and closed her mouth, at a loss for words. "I've… never received something so… meaningful. I only hope I can live up to your faith in me."

Myers shook her head. "All you need is confidence in yourself. You're an incredible person, and everyone who meets you sees that. So long as you're always seeing it too, you can't go wrong."

"If you don't stop talking soon, I'm going to cry." Hana blinked quickly.

Myers laughed, pulling her in for a hug. "Just watch the telescope, or you'll rust the fasteners."

"Thank you, Milla." Hana nodded and hugged her back. "I'll never know what I did to deserve such a perfect friend."

"Neither do I, Hana. But I love you, Janey."

"I love you too, Lizzy." Hana chuckled, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.

They broke apart, both of them blinking back tears.

"Woo! Okay!" Myers shook it off, and reached for the next gift. She placed it into Maxwell's hands.

He looked at her, surprised. "You got me a thing?"

She nodded, beaming at him. "I got you a thing."

In a stark contrast to Hana, and Liam for that matter, Maxwell tore the wrapping paper to shreds. Underneath was a small bronze statue.

"Oh-em-geeeeeeee, just look at this little guy! I love him!" Maxwell hugged the statue to his chest. "It's like an action figure, but one people won't make fun of me for having as an adult!"

"Oh, he's more than that." Myers told him. "He's a perfect, historical representation of one of your actual ancestors… and your namesake."

Maxwell's jaw dropped. "No."

"Yes!" Myers squealed.

"I didn't think your present could get any better, but it just did!"

Myers waggled her eyebrows. "If you think it got better then, just wait until I tell you the best part…"

Maxwell gasped. "There a best part?"

"That is not your gift. That is just a scale model of the actual statue I got you…" Myers paused for effect, a slow grin spreading over her face. "Which is life-sized."

Maxwell's jaw fell even further to the floor than last time. His eyes welled with actual tears. "It's just so… amazing… you… I mean… I can't…"

Myers nodded, hugging his waist with one arm and raising the other. "Let all who see the statue bask in the glory of House Beaumont!"

Maxwell shook his head. "Hang on, that brings up a good question. Is it bad form to bask in your own house's glory? Because if the actual statue is even half as majestic as I'm imagining, I don't know if I'll be able to help myself. Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Maxwell pulled her in for a giant barehug, carefully cradling the model between them.

"You're welcome, you're welcome, you're welcome!" Myers grinned.

"This is the absolute best. Seriously." Maxwell mumbled.

"Of course. Love you, Maxwell."

"Love you too, sister from another mister." He squeezed her once more, before stepping back. "Whoo! That was a lot. Hey Liam, Hana, why don't you help me show off my awesome gift?" He winked not so subtly at them.

Liam laughed. "Of course, Maxwell. I'm sure all the guests would get a kick out of seeing your present."

"Let's go!" Hana added, ushering them away.

Finally, Myers turned to me with a smirk. After picking up the last gift on the table, she handed it to me with a kiss on the cheek.

"What's this?" I asked.

"Let's just say, it's something everyone knows you love more than anything."

I rolled my eyes, tearing off the wrapping paper and betting it was…

Whiskey.

In an ornate wooden box with beautiful carvings.

"Whiskey. Ha ha." I opened the box, expecting to find an old bottle inside. But instead… she'd placed a bag of gourmet marshmallows.

Myers squealed. "That look on your face! Where's a wedding photographer when you need one?"

I shook my head. "I'll give you that one, Myers. You got me, fair and square."

"I'm glad you liked it. But I meant it more like… a message. You, like this whiskey box, are… special and unique, in this day and age." Myers ran her hands over the carvings lovingly. "You're… often overlooked or dismissed, but when you really take a look, you're sturdy… strong. And you have all these little details - beautiful details - to you, that are apparent once you take a closer look."

I followed her hands as they traced the intricate patterns on the wood. "I guess… You can tell an actual carpenter made it, instead of some bored factory worker."

"Exactly. It's a carefully constructed barrier to protect the fragile glass that's supposed to go inside. But once you open it, instead of the whiskey bottle you're expecting - a bottle whose contents are bitter and burn as it goes down - you find marshmallows. A sweet, fluffy, comforting interior."

I nodded, squeezing her hand gratefully. "I got that. And this might surprise you, but I appreciate it." I closed the box and pulled her in with an arm around her waist. "As much as I've tried to resist, you've got a knack for seeing through me." I pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Mmm… I love your forehead kisses." Myers whispered.

I kissed her again, running my fingers through her hair. "I'm not about to say I have something in common with whatever the hell a marshmallow's made of…" That earned me a laugh from Myers. "But it's good to have someone who knows me, all the same."

Myers hummed, burying her face into my chest and hugging me tighter. "You are literally proving my point right now. I love you so much, Drake." She said softly.

"I love you too, Camilla. And thanks."

"No problem." Myers looked up, and kissed me sweetly.

"Means a lot you were thinking of me." I whispered.

"Every hour of every day, you cross my mind, Drake Walker." Myers whispered back.

"Damn, Myers." I couldn't help but blush.

Myers giggled. "I know, I know. I'll stop before you turn into a big pile of mush. But, um… about that moment alone..."

"I was thinking the same thing."

I took Myers' hand and turned to lead her outside… but nearly bumped into Madeleine.

She cleared her throat, annoyed. "Ahem. There's a hall filled with guests who aren't here to talk to each other. It's important to make the rounds so all of the nobles feel important."

"Heaven forbid we get a moment alone." I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, that'd be quite the trick, wouldn't it?" Myers sighed, pressing a quick kiss to my lips. "I'll, uh.. see you in a bit." With a last, wistful smile, she followed Madeleine away.

Maxwell was by my side in an instant. "Did someone say 'mingling'?!"

I groaned. "Sadly, yes."

"Come on. I'll be your wingman!"

I followed Maxwell as we approached Hana's parents.

"Lady Lorelai, Mr. Lee." I greeted them, Mr. Lee with a firm handshake and Lady Lorelai with a kiss on the back of her hand.

"Ah, Duke Drake!" Lorelai nodded approvingly. "Congratulations! Everything has been beautiful tonight!"

"Indeed. From the ceremony to your first dance with Duchess Camilla. I think we all had tears in our eyes, Your Grace."

I bristled at that, but tried to plaster a smile onto my face. "Thank you. I'm so glad you've been enjoying your evening."

"Of course, Your Grace. We're thrilled to be here, and to support you and Duchess Camilla, of course." Lorelai nodded diplomatically.

"And, of course, because you've been such a good friend to our Hana…" Mr. Lee looked fondly over to where Hana was dancing with Mari Jo.

"Of course, Mr. Lee. Hana's one of my best friends." I answered truthfully.

"Glad to hear that, Your Grace." Mr. Lee clapped my shoulder.

"Now, we don't want to take much more of your time…" Lorelai nodded, giving me an out.

"Right. Thank you." I nodded and left.

Maxwell clapped my back. "Well done, buddy! You're really getting the hang of this diplomacy thing! Now… go charm those ladies!"

He pushed me towards a group where Adelaide was talking to Joelle and Emmeline. They all turned to me when they saw me coming.

"Your Grace!" Adelaide raised her glass towards me.

Emmeline curtsied, smiling brightly. "Congratulations, Your Grace!"

"Le marié, bonjour!" Joelle greeted me. "Congratulations, Duke Drake!"

"Thank you, ladies. For your, er, kind words and for coming."

"Oh, of course! I wouldn't have missed it! I adore a beautiful wedding." Joelle told me. "Your vows, the way you looked at each other, or held each other as you danced… c'était beau, émouvant, parfait."

"I could barely keep my tears at bay." Emmeline added.

"Neither could I! Though this sparkling wine has definitely helped." Adelaide joked.

I laughed politely. "I'm glad you liked it. It's from Duchess Joelle's vineyard."

Adelaide turned to Joelle. "Truly?"

"Oui."

"Oh, we're going to be great friends, you and I." Adelaide chuckled.

"I'm sure you will be. It was great seeing you ladies." I bowed.

"Au revoir, Drake!"

"Thank you, Your Grace!"

"Lovely to be here!"

I walked away with a sigh.

"I need a drink." I told Maxwell, making my way to the bar.

Once I got there, however, I found Leo doing shots with Daniel.

"Hey, groomie!" Leo greeted me.

"Hey! Where's your wife?"

"Right here!" Olivia - Leo's wife, Olivia, not Ice Queen Olivia - came towards us and wrapped an arm around Leo's waist. "Congratulations, Drake!"

"Thank you."

"Everything was beautiful." Daniel added. "Even if it sorta got off to a rocky start."

"Don't remind me." I told him.

"So, you're doing the rounds? Your new Dukely duties?" Leo teased.

"Yep…"

"I gotta say, Walker, I didn't see this one coming. Duke of Valtoria…" Leo grinned at me, raising his glass in toast.

"Yeah, you and me both, But here we are."

He clinked my glass with his. "To flipping coins. The former prince, now a commoner…"

"The bodyguard's son, now a Duke." I toasted, before turning to Olivia. "So, uh… how're you feeling?"

"Um… my back mostly hurts, but… it'll be over soon." She smiled.

"I gotta say, I can't wait to see how you do as a dad, Leo." I smirked at him.

"I know…!" He groaned playfully.

"Congrats to both of you then! To flipping coins and new beginnings!" Daniel cheered.

"To flipping coins and new beginnings!" We toasted.

After downing my shot, I sighed.

"You getting back out there?" Leo asked.

"Yep. I kinda have to."

"Oof. Good luck!" Daniel clapped my shoulder, handing me another shot.

"Heh. Thanks." I downed the second shot, before nodding my goodbyes.

I looked around for Maxwell, but saw that he was currently busy on the dancefloor with Myers' friends, so… I braved the crowd on my own.

I greeted Hakim and Landon, accepted their congratulations and made small talk. I spoke with Marchioness Anne and Marquis Timothy, from our Duchy. I attempted small talk with Godfrey. Rashad introduced me to his father, the current Duke of Domvallier.

Finally, when I started getting really claustrophobic, I flagged Gladys.

"Your Grace?"

"Hey, Gladys. Could you do me a favor?"

"Of course."

"Could you, er… find Myers and tell her to meet me at the hedge maze?"

Gladys nodded, smirking. "Of course. And if I may… I haven't had a chance to congratulate you today."

I nodded. "Thanks, Gladys. For everything you've done for me and Myers. I can only imagine how hard you've worked on this wedding."

She looked a little surprised, but brushed it off quickly. "It was no trouble, Your Grace. Now, let me go see if I can find your wife…" She winked and walked away.

I looked around, and when I was sure nobody was looking, I walked out of the ballroom. Through the palace halls and its wide doors, I sighed when I finally reached the gardens. The air was cool out here, and the stars shone brightly in the sky. It was blessedly quiet, too - no chatting or murmuring or even music. Nothing. Just pure silence.

I made my way to the entrance of the hedge maze, deciding to wait for Myers in order to get lost in it with her. A few moments later, I heard laughter and soft conversation.

"...There you are, Your Grace." I heard Gladys say.

"Thank you so much, Gladys!" Myers stepped into my line of sight, smiling widely when she saw me. "Drake! There's my husband!"

In a flash, a shadow loomed behind her.

"Camilla, behind you!" I ran towards her, but was held back by three pairs of very strong arms. "Stay away from her!"

An assassin grabbed her before she'd even had a chance to turn around, pressing a white cloth to her mouth and nose. Myers thrashed and kicked around, but I watched as her eyes quickly became unfocused, and her body became heavier.

"What are you doing?! You said you only wanted to speak with th-"

Gladys' yell was stopped when another assassin backhanded her, and she tumbled to the ground. The man quickly gagged her, and tied her hands behind her back.

I tore my eyes away from Gladys to find Myers' eyes closed, and her body was slumped down, only held upward by the thug that had her. He dropped her carelessly to the floor, before kneeling to place a black sack over her head.

"Don't touch her! Let me go!" I growled, until suddenly, I heard it.

The sharp click of a safety being unlocked.

I felt the gun on my temple, and a terrible chill ran down my spine.

It completely paralyzed me.

I couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't breathe. For some reason, pain flared in my shoulder, and in an instant, I was taken back to that night.

And it was all made worse when another assassin stepped out of the shadows and pointed another gun at Myers' prone figure on the ground. "One more word and I shoot."

I forced myself to remember to breathe.

"Got it, Your Grace?" The assassin asked.

I nodded.

"Good. Bag him."

I couldn't even fight back, terrified out of my mind, as someone placed a sack over my head, turning the world to black.