Tris climbed out of the car - her new car according to what Tobias had said on the drive from the airport. The sporty silver Audi was his wedding gift to her.
She saw Edon bounding toward her with his hands full of poppies - the bold red blooms associated with Albania - and couldn't help but smile. Celebratory gunfire blasted out in the lawn, and Tris was thankful that she had been warned. She still startled, but not as bad as some of the others did. Edon must have been warned, because he was unphased as he ran toward Tris.
"Zonjushë Anglisht!" the little boy crowed, and Tris heard her friends and family laugh.
"Edon!" she called back as he ran toward her.
"Unë kam lule për ju!" (I have flowers for you!) the little boy said.
Tris took the poppies from him and greeted him with a hug. "Faleminderit për lulet e bukura (Thank you for the beautiful flowers), she said. "Ju jeni aq i gjatë." (You are getting so tall.)
"Big!" Edon replied in English, practicing a word he remembered from his cartoon show.
"Po! Shume mire!" (Yes! Very good!) Tris said.
Edon took Tris' hand and walked her up the stairs to where his grandmother waited. People began singing a festive tune in Albanian. Those who didn't know the words clapped and danced along.
On the way to the main entrance, Tris waved and greeted other guests around the yard, including the housekeeping staff, Lauren, and several women she didn't know. Roza gave Tris a long hug, then presented her with a plate of bread and honey while Tobias helped Edon remove Tris' sandals.
"Gjyshe!" (Grandma!) Edon called to Roza, holding up the money he found when he removed Tris' shoes. "Faleminderit, Zonjushë Prior!" (Thank you, Miss Prior!).
Roza led the way into the house, and Tris took a seat on one of the living room sofas with Edon perched on her lap as everyone else filed in.
"He has to sit with her to ensure a male child for us," Tobias explained to the foreign visitors.
"Go Four!" Zeke and Uriah cheered loudly, making Tris blush.
"I think we should tour the house," she said, happy to change the subject.
.
For the next hour or so, Tris and Tobias showed her family and friends around their house, and answered last minute questions from the wedding planner and the other staff. Every room in the house was freshly painted and immaculately clean. The dining room chairs were gone, and the big table was pushed against a wall and covered in the dowry gifts that Tris and her parents sent to Tobias' household. The women admired Roza's big modern kitchen, and Rebekah showed them the workroom, and up the back staircase to the servants' quarters. She even showed everyone her personal apartment, which still looked pretty bare.
They passed through the door into the family portion of the house, and Tobias explained who would be staying where. The two guest suites overlooking the front driveway would be divided between Tris' friends, with the boys in one and the girls in the other. The other room in the family wing, Tobias' former bedroom, was for Natalie and Andrew. Evelyn's unfinished room was turned into a prep room for Tris and the girls for the weekend, and it was filled with all the costume changes and accessories they would need for the wedding festivities.
The others in their group would be staying at the inn in town. Tobias had invested in the locally-owned business by funding some fresh paint and other updates that would benefit the owners long after their guests returned home. He also rented the shuttle van and put Jorik at their guests' disposal so they could go back and forth as they desired.
While everyone settled in, Tris and Tobias enjoyed a few stolen moments on the balcony of their master suite.
"I've missed this place," Tris said as she took in the view of the Adriatic.
"And I've missed having you here," Tobias said. "Your boxes are in my mother's dressing room, so if you need something, that's where you should look. I know the next two days are going to be a lot, but I'll be right by your side, okay? And next week we'll be on our own island with nothing to do but rest and enjoy one another's… company."
"Stop," Tris giggled, pushing at the hands that were working their way up her sides.
She planted a kiss on Tobias' cheek, and he trapped her in his strong arms. They held one another and exchanged a few kisses until they were disturbed by a knock on the bedroom door.
"Come in," Tobias called, sticking his head into the room so he would be heard.
Amar entered, looking relieved to see the bride and groom, and to find them fully dressed. "Lunch is ready on the back terrace," he said.
Tobias thanked him, and Tris pulled out her phone to group text their guests.
.
Lunch was a lively affair. Tris was introduced to Leo's wife, Annika, and their two little girls, and Leka's wife, Elia. She introduced everyone to Lauren, also. The house was abuzz with guests, staff, and additional help brought in for the wedding weekend.
After lunch Rarman and Jorik took some of the guests to the inn, and the others retired to their rooms to rest and get ready for the groom's day reception. Tobias made Tris lay down for a bit, and when she fell asleep he snuck out to see how everything was going.
Tris wasn't allowed to sleep for long. The stylists soon arrived to get her dressed and prepped for the next round of festivities. She wore her "Mrs. Eaton" spa robe for the primping session. Rebekah joined her, ostensibly so the two girls could catch up, but Tris knew she was probably working as well, making sure the bride could communicate with her prep team.
Tris sat quietly while a stylist worked on her hair and makeup. She wasn't sure how to look at Rebekah anymore. Was she her friend? The help? Tris expected the transition to be more natural. They'd been friends at school, and equals. Rebekah helped Tris with Albanian, and Tris taught her to drive. Even once Tobias hired her to do more extensive tutoring Tris had been able to separate their friendship from the sessions where they worked on language. Here on the estate things felt different. Tris found herself wondering if Rebekah was on the clock, or being her friend.
"Is something bothering you?" Rebekah asked when the stylist left to get something she'd forgotten in her car.
"Sorry, no," Tris said. "I'm just overwhelmed, maybe. Adjusting. Everything seems so different now."
"In what way?" Rebekah asked, then laughed at her own question. "I mean other than the fact that there are a million people in the house, including the Crown Prince and his wife."
"The what?" Tris asked, startled by the comment.
"The Crown Prince," Rebekah said. "Remember when we talked about the Albanian royals?"
"The pretender?" Tris asked.
Rebekah nodded. "His Royal Highness Crown Prince Leka the Second of Albania and his wife Crown Princess Elia, formerly known as Albanian actress and singer Elia Zaharia."
"Tobias' cousin?" Tris asked. "Why wouldn't he tell me about that?"
"I don't know," Rebekah said. "Prince Leka isn't really an active royal. I mean, he works in government and loves Albania, but we're not a monarchy anymore. His wife does a lot of charitable work for children and families, so you'll probably get to know each other that way, too. Maybe he just didn't think about it. Or maybe he didn't want to distract you right now."
Tris lapsed into silence. The stylist returned and finished her work. Sasha stopped in to check on schedules. Roza brought snacks, and Tris' mom and Aunt Danielle came in at the same time. Christina, Marlene, Lynn, and Shauna found their way to the dressing room, bringing a lighter atmosphere and a lot of chatter. Still Tris sat, quietly observing and wondering if any of it was even real.
"Tris?" A soft voice got her attention, and Tris looked up to realize that the room was cleared out and she was alone with her mother. "Sweetheart, you're crying. What's wrong?"
Tris reached up and felt the wetness on her cheeks. She didn't even know she'd been crying. "Mama," she whispered. "I want to go home."
Natalie smiled indulgently. "It's a wedding times ten and pumped full of steroids, isn't it?"
Tris nodded and tried to swallow around the lump in her throat. "I don't think I can do this."
"What part?" Natalie asked, taking her daughter's hands.
Tris shrugged, unsure where to even begin. "The staff?" she said, and the words came out like a question. "The people? The expectations? Everyone looking at me? Did you know that Tobias' cousin Leka is royalty? Why didn't he tell me that? What else don't I know? I think this wedding is costing more than my entire life from birth to the day I met Tobias. Any why? I'm not worth all this fuss. Is it just some expectations he has to meet? We could be doing so much more with all this money; it just feels wasteful."
"First of all," Natalie said, squeezing Tris' hands, "you are worth everything, and since Tobias has the means to give it to you, he's going to. He loves you. And for another thing, this wedding is actually doing a lot of good in the community. Tobias paid for updates to the local inn. He hired a lot of people for the event and put a lot of people to work. And it's not just the work and a weekend of pay. The people working here for the wedding will be able to claim this experience. The bakers, caterers, stylists - everyone will be able to say that they worked this event, and that will help them get more work down the line. The people in the community are going to be here tonight to party and eat. It's bringing them a lot of opportunity and joy."
Tris nodded, processing what her mom said. "What about Rebekah?" she asked.
"What's the matter with Rebekah?" Natalie asked, confused and a bit alarmed. "I thought you got along well?"
"We do," Tris said. "I just don't know how to have a staff. Is she on the clock? Is she my friend? Is she only hanging out with me because she's being paid to?"
"Well…" Natalie stopped to think for a minute. "That's a complicated question, I guess. How does it work with Tobias and Amar?"
"Amar told me that he's Tobias' personal assistant, like any business man's assistant, but that Tobias' life is his business, so Amar helps with all of it. I think it's different, too, because they're not the same age. Amar was Tobias' driver when he was just a little kid, and the rest of their relationship sort of grew up with Tobias. Rebekah and I are the same age. She's not used to being household staff, and I'm not used to having staff. Every time she walks into the room I wonder if she's being my friend or my employee."
"What about Roza?" Natalie asked. "Or the other staff?"
"They have more defined responsibilities," Tris explained. "They feel like employees who are friendly - kind of like coworkers. They're probably not your best friends, but you're friendly as you work together. With Rebekah it's different. She works here because of me. She works for me. But she was my friend first. It's strange, like Tobias is paying her to be my friend."
"You're probably overthinking it," Natalie said gently. "Why don't you try to forget about it for now. Focus on the wedding this weekend. Once you're back from your honeymoon and settled into your life here, you can evaluate things then. It's really not fair to decide how you feel when things are all abnormal anyway."
"I guess," Tris agreed.
"Now let's get you in your dress for this evening and powder your nose a bit. Okay?" Natalie said.
Tris nodded and let her mother help her into the white cocktail dress with the twist and drape side detail that she bought for the groom's day reception.
.
Just like at New Year's, the reception was a whirlwind of faces and conversations. It seemed that everyone from the village came to see the bride and groom. Tris introduced people to one another, hugged and greeted those she knew, and stayed close to Tobias as much as possible.
Tris' friends from home ended up congregating in the den, where a bartender served drinks and waiters stopped in regularly with trays of snacks. Others milled about the main level of the house and out onto the terrace, or walked through the dining room to view the bride's dowry.
Natalie checked on her daughter regularly, and Tris seemed to be doing better after her emotional breakdown earlier in the day. Amar made sure that the bridal couple had a chance to sit down now and then, and that they ate something and had water to drink.
Tris was actually grateful that Leka and Elia were there as they attracted a lot of attention, which took the pressure off of her. The royal couple left for their home in Tirana before it got very late.
The Americans staying at the local inn also left early. The kids needed to go to bed, and the adults were jetlagged as well.
When the party tapered down, Tris and Tobias found themselves in the den with Tris' friends. Natalie and Andrew excused themselves for bed. Rebekah, George, and Amar were busy helping Sasha direct the caterers and workers as they cleaned up from the first party and prepared for the even bigger day to come.
"I can't believe that was only the pre-wedding!" Christina declared.
"We should have gone to Vegas and eloped," Tris said with a groan.
Tobias laughed and dragged Tris onto his lap. "I'm rather enjoying showing you off."
"Tell us about tomorrow," Marlene said.
"Coffee and a light breakfast here at the house in the morning," Tobias said, ticking off the steps on his fingers. "Photos, then the wedding ceremony at the county administration building. After that we come back here for lunch and cake, then the wedding reception with music and dancing. It's going to be a long, full day, so I recommend getting some sleep."
"I'm tired just thinking about it," Lynn chimed in. "Or that could be the jetlag."
"Yeah," Tobias agreed. "Albanian weddings are crazy. Ours is probably worse because of all the international travel, mixed American and Albanian customs, the lack of relatives on my side, the attention that the Eaton name gets over here - it's a lot. I'm really looking forward to a week on a private island in Zanzibar."
"A week on the beach, alone with my husband," Tris said in a dreamy voice. "That sounds amazing."
"Let's get you to bed so you can wake up and become my wife tomorrow," Tobias said. He stood up, taking Tris with him, and carried her out of the den.
"Such a caveman," Christina said as everyone laughed.
.
Tris was up with the sun the next morning and back in the chair with the hairdresser. Roza brought up breakfast while the stylists worked on Natalie, Christina, Marlene, Shauna, Lynn, and Tori. They had photos while breakfast was served on the terrace for the visitors staying with them and those who had come from far away and were staying in the local inn.
Christina, Marlene, Shauna, Lynn, and Tori were dressed in pink strapless Dolce and Gabbana dresses with a twisted knot design on the side, and Natalie wore a gorgeous pink and silver knee-length lace dress that was made just for her by the same designer who made Tris' wedding dress.
Tris was in her traditional formal wedding gown. It was white, with a deep v-neckline. The off-the-shoulder straps and daring opening between her breasts were covered in white lacy flocking, making the dress appear more modest and innocent. The skirt was big and full, heavy white silk over layers of tulle and fabric, with more flocked details. She looked like Cinderella with her blonde hair up in a loose-looking updo. The crown of her head was adorned with a jeweled comb holding the layers of veil that streamed down her back. The pink sapphire earrings that Tobias gave her for her birthday were the perfect accompaniment to the dress.
"Wow," Marlene breathed when Tris turned to face them and they saw her finished look for the first time.
"No kidding," Christina said. "You look amazing, Tris."
Natalie wiped at her tears. "Beautiful," she breathed. "Can someone go get Andrew, please?"
Lynn hurried to get the father of the bride while Tris moved to see herself in the full-length mirror.
"Oh my," she said to her own reflection. "This is wonderful. Faleminderit - thank you," she said to the styling crew.
"You are welcome," one of the stylists said in accented English. "You look very beautiful. I'm sure Zoti Eaton is going to be very happy."
"I think he'd be happy no matter what," Shauna said, "but you look stunning. Just beautiful."
Natalie asked Tris' friends to go clear out the living room and get the assembled guests out to the terrace where breakfast was being served. As they hurried to obey, Andrew arrived at the door, and Natalie let him in.
"Oh my," Tris' dad said when he saw his daughter. "Beatrice…"
"Hi Daddy," Tris said shyly.
Tris and her parents spent a few private moments together, then Sasha took Natalie and went to check that everything was ready for the next part of the day. When she came back a moment later to assure them that it was, Andrew and Tris stepped out into the hall. Sasha hurried away, and they watched her disappear down the stairs.
"Someday," Andrew said to his daughter in a voice thick with emotion. "Someday you'll know how surreal it is to see your baby all grown up on her wedding day. In my mind you're still that little four-year-old in a pink tutu at your first dance recital."
Tris smiled and wiped at her tears.
"Let's go," Andrew said. "I can't wait to see the look on Tobias' face when he sees how stunningly beautiful you are."
Tris took her dad's arm, and they walked to the top of the stairs. She saw Tobias first, turned with his back to them. Natalie sat on a sofa near him. Two photographers were stationed in the living room, and another on the balcony, cameras at the ready. Through the windows to the terrace Tris could see her friends and family assembled and trying to sneak a peek of the groom's reaction to the bride.
Natalie nodded at Tobias, and he turned toward Tris.
Tobias exhaled hard and choked on a sob. Tris and Andrew descended the stairs toward the emotional groom. Two steps from the bottom, Tris and Tobias were face-to-face. Andrew shook hands with his son-in-law, kissed his daughter on the cheek, then joined his wife on the couch.
Everything else in the room, in the crazy wedding weekend, and in the whole world disappeared when Tris looked into Tobias' deep blue eyes. He leaned in and pressed his forehead to hers as he put his hands on her hips. Tris responded in kind by putting her arms around his neck.
"Zemra ime," Tobias said quietly.
"Tobias," Tris replied.
"You look so beautiful," he whispered.
"I had to try," Tris said with a smile, "because you deserve the best of everything."
"You are the best thing that has ever happened to me," Tobias said. "I love you, Beatrice Prior."
"I love you, too, Tobias Marcus Eaton the fourth."