So added A/N: I wrote this at 1 a.m., so I corrected some stuff (HikariTheNormaller you're a savior). I also put the comments to the reviews now. I also added a section/scene because I need to address something else. Thanks!
Tess's POV
Silvia drops a yard-high stack of books and folders on the table. Matt and I jump, and Silvia clicks her tongue.
"There are two weddings to plan, so you two must do your best to keep up," she says briskly, sitting down across from us. Silvia clicks her ballpoint pen. "First things first, is there a color scheme?" she says.
"We discussed it," I say, "but I have a feeling Matthew doesn't want it to be blue."
He frowns, looking surprised and amused at the same time. "How'd you know?"
"I know how your color-coordinated brain works," I say nonchalantly. "The leaves will be red, and you don't want the blue to clash with the red, yeah?"
He laughs at me. "Yeah."
"So, is it red?" Silvia says.
"Yes," I say.
I actually think red suits Matthew more than blue. He's daring and adventurous. He's passionate about everything he loves. Most importantly, nothing he does is halfhearted. He puts all of his effort into every single thing that matters in his Life. What he loves all share a first priority in his mind. Like red, things are primary, principal and first.
I'm clearly better at thinking my thoughts on someone rather than telling it to their face. I'm not the most eloquent when it comes to emotional speeches.
When we talked on the balcony, I was struggling a bit trying to find a way to tell him what I think of him.
"Red is a dazzling color," Silvia says, jotting it down. "Besides, your mother's theme was blue already. Red is very symbolic, passionate, a very popular color in New Asia; good choice."
"It also represents good luck and happiness in New Asia," I add.
"Love," Matt says, bumping his shoulder into mine, "stop being so smart and shut up."
I stick my tongue out at him, and Silvia clears her throat.
"Okay, flowers," she says. "Those are also very symbolic."
"Tess, what was your province flower again?" he asks. "Do you remember it?"
"Midston's province flower is a red camellia," Silvia says. "Camellias are perfect for you two. To some parts in New Asia, the petals mirror the spirit of a lady, and the holder of the petals represents the young man entrusted by the lady as her protector."
Matt nudges me again. "I feel like she's the protector," he tells Silvia.
I laugh. "Shut—Actually, you're right." We both laugh, and Silvia glares at our repartee. "I'm kidding," I say.
"So red camellias?" Silvia says.
"Make it white," Matt says. "That way it's not overdose on the red. As much as I don't like colors clashing, I don't like monotony."
"Now for bridesmaids and groomsmen," she says.
"I'll need a few minutes to think of mine," I say. "Matthew, you go first."
"Okay," he says immediately. "Best Man is Jerome de Illéa de Monpezat—"
"Wait," I say. "De Illéa? You guys are related?"
"Yep," he says. "His grandmother is my grandfather Clarkson's second cousin, so Jerome's my...I don't know, we're just related."
"Okay."
"Okay, so," Matt continues, "my groomsmen will include Xander, Angelo—"
"My older brother?" I say.
"Yeah, he's a good guy. Um, Alexander because he's not so bad either..."
As Matthew continues his list of groomsmen, that consist mostly of cousins, it occurs to me how Matthew always sees the good in people. I'm not sure if that's a true fact for everyone, but for the most part it's correct. Even with Marian Leger from all those months ago. He sees people for who and what they are without bias, and I think that's totally unparalleled.
"Tess?" Matt waves a hand in my face and snaps his fingers.
I fake a scowl. "I'm here."
"It's your turn."
"I want my Maid of Honor to be Maria, if that's okay," I add. Silvia just notes it down, so I assume age is really just a number. "Bridesmaids include Isabelle Day, Olivia Semancik, and as far as I remember, I have a cousin named Natalia in Italy. Um, let's see...Rilane and Alexandra, that is, if the latter is available and not away for the honeymoon. And maybe my friends from the Selection, like Perris Conner, Sierra Ridley, Annabel Paisley."
This woman really amazes me. Silvia scrawls everything I say and keeps up. I'm suddenly hit by a tsunami of sadness when I realize Eva can't be my bridesmaid.
"Flower girl and ring bearer?" she says.
I turn to Matthew. "I remember your telling me you wanted your Aunt Kenna's youngest daughter, Anneliese."
"And I believe you have a younger cousin named Antonio," he says.
"I'm starting to think you know me better than I know myself," I reply.
"I may."
"Who are you inviting to the wedding?" Silvia interrupts.
Matthew lists a bunch of foreign dignitaries that need to be there, and I list some royals that deserve to be invited. My foster family, as well as my biological family, are invited of course. International VIPs are all invited, and once we're done with the list, Silvia hands it to the maid to send it to the printing offices for invitations.
There's a knock on the door as we're discussing entertainment. It turns out to be Maxon, and he smiles at us. Silvia hastens to curtsy, while Matthew and I simply smile in return.
"Wedding planning, I presume?" he says.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Silvia says perkily. "We're just discussing entertainment."
"Ah, really?" Maxon says. "Well, if you need a photographer, you know where to find me."
Silvia looks as if she's been insulted. "No, Your Majesty, I refuse to let a One do the work of a Five."
"Silvia, the castes are dead and gone remember?" he replies smoothly. "Besides, it's their decision. I'm just suggesting that I'm a decent photographer."
"Excuse me, " I say, "did you just say decent?"
"Father, we'd love it if you were the wedding photographer," Matt says. "Do you want to be?"
"Of course!" he says happily. "Anything for my children."
It warms me knowing that he thinks of me as his child.
"On one condition," I say. He looks stricken for a moment, and I almost laugh. "You have to be in at least half of the pictures you take."
Maxon grins. "Deal. Silvia, don't include me in the budget. This is strictly family, and I refuse to be paid."
I can't help but smile. "Maxon, you're the best."
"Call me Dad, Father, Old Pop if you'd like." I laugh, and he leaves the room.
"Well," Silvia says with finality, "that's one less thing to take care of."
After nineteen minutes, we have most of the wedding planned. Now we have to deal with our features. Matt wants my wedding gown to be a surprise, and I want his attire to be anonymous as well. Matthew suggests to keep my makeup light, and I finally realize why he hates clowns.
"We'll discuss that separately then," Silvia says. "Now the rings."
For some reason, Matthew shudders.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
"No, you're going to make fun of me for another irrational fear," he says, crossing his arms.
I gasp. "You're afraid of rings?"
"What if they get stuck on my finger?" he asks, outraged and horrified.
"Prince Matthew, with all due respect," Silvia says, "they won't get stuck unless the ring size isn't correct or your wearing Princess Teresa's ring. You'll be fine."
I have to laugh at that.
"You'll have an appointment to the jewelers tomorrow," she says, scribbling another note. "Now for the wedding cake. We have a list of bakers that are well-known for making wedding cakes. I think your parents' baker is here somewhere..." She takes out several papers from a folder and gives it to us. We decide on Piper Jennings, a world-renowned chef and baker. Her entire team will be doing the meals as well as the cake, which Matt and I will be discussing with her on a different day.
"Okay, I think that settles everything that needs to be settled at the moment," Silvia says, clicking her pen. "The wedding will be at Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome, correct? The reception will be at the Grand Armani. Your honeymoon...Oh, yes, that's a surprise from Matthew. Your vows will be written and shown to me for revision. You have the readings already. The notice is being sent to the Pope. Fittings will be sometime next month. The papers are being processed as we speak. The bachelor party is being hosted by Jerome, while Maria will be hosting the bachelorette party."
Silvia looks up at me. "Are you sure that she will be able to handle that?"
"Maria's capable of a lot," I say. "I trust her."
"Alright," Silvia stands up. "It was a pleasure working with you two. Enjoy the rest of your day."
"Thank you," Matt and I say.
When she exits the room, Matthew abruptly picks me up and spins me around. I squeal in his arms.
"We're getting married!" he says, finally setting me down.
"Matthew!"
He sets me down and kisses my cheek.
"Matthew," I say, more serious now. "I don't want to dampen the mood, and I'm really excited too, but you promised me you'd tell them."
"Who's them?" he says, taking my hands. "Or should it be who's they? English is so weird sometimes. I mean, grammar is all funky."
"Stop stalling, or else I'll them myself," I say. "I don't like telling people what to do, so please just do this. For me."
He sighs with finality. "Fine."
We rally up the entire family into the common room.
"So I have news to tell you," Matt says, standing in the middle of the room. "Um, Mother and Father know, of course, and so does Tess, Aunt Marlee, and Alex."
"Is Tess pregnant too?" Jerome calls out.
I turn to him and punch his shoulder.
"God, Jer," Matt says, laughing because the news is in no way, shape, or form hilarious. "Um, okay. So you know Grandfather Shalom? He died because of a, uh, genetic heart disease. And I happen to have that heart disease."
Gasps of shock fill the room. Alexandra starts crying, and Riley, who's sitting next to me, looks so shattered and heartbroken I put my arms around her. She holds on tight, as if every reality she knows actually isn't true. Jerome looks stricken, his elbows on his knees and his eyes focused on the floor. Mom's face is crestfallen and downcast, now that Matthew's admitted it to the entire family.
"That's why Father and I were in France for so long," Matt continues. "I was in the hospital wing after I blacked out. I was asleep for a week." He lowers the neckline of his shirt to show the pacemaker buried beneath his flesh. "This is a pacemaker. This gives me—I don't know—three to four more years to live? Scientists are looking for a cure now, but it doesn't seem like they're getting closer."
Riley's tears slip down my cheek along with my own. Hearing it a second time doesn't make the pain hurt any less.
"Another alternative is a heart transplant, but that hasn't been done since pre-Illéa. Even then, it would give me only fifteen more years to live, give or take a few." Matt smiles sadly. "I guess that's it."
Everyone runs to him and gives him a hug, crying and talking to him, saying how sorry they are. However, Jerome stays planted in his seat, staring at the floor. He stands up and leaves the room.
Matthew catches my eye, then disbands from the group before leaving to find Jerome.
A maid soon knocks on the door. "Your Majesty," she says to Mom. "She's here."
I frown. "Wait, who's here?"
Mom turns to me and says, "Go get Francesca, please, and bring her to the foyer."
I just nod, because I feel like more questions will just bother her. I bound up the stairs to Francesca's room. She's sitting in front of the vanity fixing her hair. She's wearing a dark green sundress and white flats. At least the palace staff is treating her nicely.
"Mom—I mean, America asked me to bring you to the foyer," I say.
Francesca nods and follows me. "I'm sorry for the whole 'I'm the real princess' thing."
As much as I hate to say it, I'm more of a forgive but never forget person. "It's fine," I say. "Just don't do it again."
"Yeah, it won't happen." She turns to me. "Who do you think my new mother will be?"
I shrug. "One way to find out."
We reach the foyer and find Mom embracing a woman. When they separate, they turn to look at us. The woman has jet-black hair and kind pointed eyes. She's New Asian. It's not even a guess.
Wait. Mom's friend? I recognize the woman now.
"Francesca, meet Elise Whisks," Mom says. "A former Selection candidate and one of my closest friends."
"America, I feel the same way," Elise replies. "Thank you for giving me a call." She turns to Francesca and me. "Now, who's Francesca? I almost can't tell the difference."
Francesca laughs (a little too smugly for me). "I am, Miss Whisks."
"What's your name?" Elise asks.
"Um, Francesca, miss."
"Enough with the miss," Elise says, waving the formality off. "As soon as we get the papers complete, you can call me mom."
Francesca smiles, and she looks like she's on the verge of either crying or jumping up and down. "Thank you so much."
Elise turns to me next and curtsies. "You must be Princess Teresa. I've heard so much about you."
"It's so nice to meet you," I say. "The last Selection candidate I encountered wasn't as...genuine."
Elise smiles sympathetically. "I assume Celeste Newsome is in town."
I nod, and she turns to her long-time friend. "I wanted to thank you again for this opportunity."
Mom smiles. "I'm sure you'll take good care of her."
Elise smiles and leads Francesca to the car. Both girls eave goodbye and drive away.
"Is Elise married?" I ask.
Mom shakes her head. "When she didn't win the Selection, her parents thought if her as a disgrace. She didn't get 'the best', so to speak, and her parents denied every suitor who came to her. It was upsetting really. There were so many men who wanted to marry a former Selection candidate."
"So is Francesca her first child?"
"Oh, no. Elise apparently always wanted children of her own, so she began adopting children that aren't quite as fortunate as she. I believe she has four. Well, five now."
That's awfully inspiring. "How does she manage all of them?"
Mom grins. "She doesn't 'manage' them. Children aren't animals, Tess, or a business. They're not something you're supposed to invest in."
"You still didn't answer my question," I persist.
She chuckles. "She has maids at home. She actually owns a very successful medical company whose current research is..." Mom suddenly looks fazed, like a revelation just presented itself at this moment.
"Get Matthew. Now."
I hope that was somewhat of an improvement from last night.
Question of the Day: (I remember having a really good one, but I forgot T_T) Which Disney princess are you most like? (Personality and/or physically)
Answer to previous QOTD: I feel like I want Lucy Hale to play me.
selectionprincess59- Yup, it's Elise! Thanks for reviewing!
LovableL101- I'm not so different from Spencer, but I feel like she's too intense. :P Thank you so much!
winterprincess- Aw thank you! I'm so glad you liked it! I was trying to make it poetic and inspirational. I'm glad it worked :) Thank you so much!
theoneforever- I love Shailene Woodley :) Aw dying peacefully? It won't be the same for Matthew...Ummmm I mean, what? I like pickles. Thank you so much!
lilythemermaid- I totally pegged you as Lily Collins too (absolute girl-crush too). Yeah, your sarcasm kinda seeps in the messages :P If I Stay...the title itself is poetic. I'm expecting it to be really good. Haha too much fluff. I guess it doesn't exist? Thank you so much! LALOL
Kiren- I'm using my phone, and you're right; autocorrect sucks. Anyways. More action? I might be able to make something happen. Thanks so much!
agb1700- I love reading anyways, just not something I'm forced to read. I hate being told what to do and being forced to do something I don't want. Oh well. I believe I reviewed your story? I'll check again, but I read it. It's off to a good start! I'll PM you more about the thrill of being a fanfic writer, because I totally get what you mean :) Thanks so much! Lurve ya!
LittleMissTori- It makes me happy you're actually reading my responses :P Haha yeah I'm not a very good actor so I don't even think I can do myself :P sigh. Guys are enigmas. Even Sherlock Holmes couldn't solve those mysteries. I started re-watching PLL. The 100th episode had me like :O I'll PM you about it. Thanks so much!
bubble4life- Trust me, there is not a person in this world weird enough to harness the personality of AcademicGirl :P That's a good question. I'm not sure I'm this passionate about any other books. You know, passionate enough to write a story for it. Idk. We'll see. Thank you!
SJWrites2014- OMG that's so perf. I had to look up SO *facepalm* Allison Hannigan? You must be pretty then :) Thanks so much!
KhrystineR- I might need a reminder, so PM me any time you want! Ask and you shall receive :) I'm glad you liked the chapter! Wait, Jessica Sanchez...are you Filipino? That would be a helluva coincidence :) Sort of. Thanks so much!
Guest- Glad you liked the fluffness :P Thanks so much!
PokemonLuver151- I love it so much. I always get super hyper when I know someone who watches it ;) Thank you!
miaforevez- Lol late-nighters. I hope you caught up and enjoyed my story :) Thanks so much!
prnamber3909- Glad you love the fluff :) Thanks so much!
ReadLikeYouMeanIt- Long reviews are the best. I love Chloë Grace Moretz. I stereotype too. Shay Mitchell is part Filipino, sooo yeah. Thanks so much!
Athenachild101- Haha duh. Thanks
Love ya!- AcademicGirl
