As of typing this AN and publishing this chapter, I have finished the medley. I sort of lied in my past AN about ignoring all other stories to finish the medley but whoops.

Chapter 142: Times Are Changing

James's Penthouse - Upper East Side - 19:40 PM

Angela bursts through the door with Freya following close. They rush in and see James and Apollo preparing dinner (aka sorting through the takeout containers). Upon seeing their girls, they notice the excitement on their faces and wonder if they'll have to sit through hours of sweetheart necklines and veils. (James would but Apollo would fall asleep the moment Angela opened her mouth.)

"James, James, James!" Angela exclaims as she runs over to him.

"Before you start," James says, "I meant to text you this earlier but didn't want to distract you from browsing wedding dresses. Before Merida went to the appointment, she stopped by here and took something from the bathroom. I can't figure out what it was."

Angela doesn't respond but runs over to the bathroom. James look at Freya and she's about to explain but gets cut off by Angela screaming. She runs back out with an opened box while happy dancing in the kitchen. James and Apollo look at Freya again but she shrugs, not knowing what that scene's about.

"She took a slot of my morning after pills!" Angela screams. "A whole slot!"

James pauses. That can't be right. "Are you sure? I thought she put hair removal in my shampoo so I used yours. That's why I smell like lilacs in case you were wondering."

"I thought you always smelled like lilacs," Apollo says. James gives him a strange look before questioning everything about himself.

"Look!" Angela shows him the box but James doesn't know what he's looking for.

"What happened?" Apollo asks.

Freya leans on the kitchen island. "Merida has a lover."

Apollo laughs loudly. "Are you sure? Am I going crazy again? James, say something."

James looks at the box of pills and Angela who can't stop smiling. "No, I think I'm losing it too."

-o-

Rogers House - Brooklyn - 17:56 PM

"Dad," Xavier says, "I don't know what to do now that Sigyn's back. We've talked and she's skeptical but I think she wants something. I can't be sure."

Steve looks up at Xavier, happy to talk with his son since he was in the middle of trying to fix the lawnmower. They've been in the backyard for hours trying to figure this out. Xavier was on his phone, looking at several websites and watching videos, but neither of them could understand. And like hell they would call Stark or even James for help. They won't stoop there. Now, Steve's glad Xavier wants to talk about a pressing issue in his life.

"Son, you know how I feel about her," Steve says. Out of every girl that Xavier could've gone out with, it was Britney Braun born Sigyn Lokisdottir. Did Steve like her at first? He didn't hate her but he was doubtful about certain things involving her, eventually getting over them when he got to know her and see how happy she made his son.

"You know that stopping me wouldn't have done anything back then," Xavier responds. "What about now?"

"I'm still doing nothing."

"Why?"

"Aside from you being an adult, you're doing a pretty good job at that yourself."

Xavier doesn't respond because his dad was right. If there was anyone stopping him, it was himself. Sigyn explained herself but he didn't fight for it more. He should've.

Steve and Xavier turn when they hear someone coming. They see Sigyn walk up to the fence bordering the backyard. The men know she came back from Emily's wedding dress appointment but it was a coincidence she popped in when they started talking about her. She smiles as she waves at them.

"It's like she lives here now," Steve mutters as he waves back.

"Yeah, we're working on that," Xavier says. "I would bring her back to my place but she likes it here better because it's comforting."

"So I take it that you and her will be staying here for a while?"

"It looks like that."

"Are either of you going to pay rent?"

Xavier laughs as Sigyn walks up to them. She doesn't ask what's so funny or what they're talking about. Instead, she looks at the broken lawnmower. Sigyn twirls her hands, lighting them up as she points at the machine. Suddenly, it whirrs to life and she grins at their surprised faces.

"She can stay forever," Steve states.

-o-

The Peninsula Suite - Manhattan - 18:10 PM

Iqadi came back to her hotel room seeing Imanu making himself at home. He's sitting in their bed with a bowl of room service pasta on his lap as he's engrossed in American television. Iqadi walks over and stands beside their bed, exchanging looks at Imanu's choice of a gaudy Western reality show and how he's so entranced by it. He's on vacation and enjoying every moment of it. Iqadi can't help but smile at him being so relaxed. She knows that he's wondering about how people find this genre entertaining but he himself seems into it. If she had to guess, he was in the middle of a marathon. That is, until Iqadi clears her throat and he notices that she walked in.

"This is the best day of my life," Imanu tells her.

"Really?" Iqadi asks, raising a brow.

She watches as Imanu look at her, watching his face shift from realizing he put himself in a trap. He opens his mouth to say something but stops, biting down on his lips.

"It's in the top ten," Imanu states.

"Sure," Iqadi responds. She takes off her shoes and climbs into the bed to sit next to him as Imanu mutes the television.

"So, did Emily find a dress? I'm assuming she did since you're here and you told me she was determined."

"She did."

"And…?"

"It got me thinking. What would happen if we planned our wedding? No advisors, no traditions, just us."

Imanu never wondered what it would be like if he planned his wedding. He barely got a word in the first time since his royal wedding was heavily set in Wakandan tradition so most of it was already pre-determined. Not to mention that he was very intimidated by everyone and everything, including his fiancée at the time even if he was in love with her (it was a confusing time. He still couldn't believe she asked him to marry her). Now his wife is sitting next to him on the bed in jeans, taking his fork, and eating from his plate.

"What would you like?" Imanu asks her. She brought it up so she should have some ideas, and she had more time to think. "A different dress?"

"I had a say in my dress and I loved it so that can stay," Iqadi responds.

"A different suitor?"

Iqadi nudges him as he laughs. "Stop that."

"What? You brought this up and asked me on our wedding day if I wanted to leave."

"You're never letting that one go, are you?"

"Never." He takes his fork back and eats another bite.

"Fine, I deserve that. What would you change?"

"Nothing, really. Before I met you, I didn't even think I'd get married let alone have Wakanda's wedding of the century with the princess as my bride. It was the perfect wedding." Imanu glances at Iqadi, expecting a loving glance or a kiss on the cheek, maybe both, but she's glaring daggers at him. "What?"

"You're truly something else," Iqadi says.

Imanu kisses her cheek, feeling her cheek twinge because she's trying not to crack a smile. "You married this something else."

-o-

Merida's Apartment - Manhattan - 18:16 PM

If Merida was given the chance to redo today, she'd take it in a heartbeat. She would make sure that she woke up and got to the wedding dress appointment not only on time, but early. Merida was so happy when Emily found a dress and she almost cried. Almost. Her best friend was wearing a wedding dress that she picked to be hers in a few days. It was different than reading Emily's texts to their group chat during the Academy days where she would send pictures of dresses and ask what they thought. Today was real. It wasn't a we're not thinking about the wedding because seeing Emily in that dress made everything real.

Merida walks into her apartment and sees Blake smiling at her from the couch. Oh, and the girls sort of know he exists so she would redo the day to prevent that too. Merida wants to narrow her eyes because he looks so cheerful to see her back but she can't find it in her to do it. She blames all the champagne she had today despite not feeling drunk.

"I was wondering where that shirt went," Blake says.

Merida looks down and sees herself in his shirt. "You left it on top of mine."

"Is that the story you're going to tell yourself? Did your friends buy that?"

Merida glares at him. "You're just as bad as them."

-o-

Stark Towers - 19:26 PM

Emily can't believe it. She's sitting in her closet, looking at her covered-up wedding dress hanging in the front and centre. She can't believe it's right there. Right there. In the boutique, after she made up her mind and cried over it with the others, she didn't want to take it off. She wanted to wear it home, spin around the tower, and have Daniel fall in love with her wearing it. For the first time since she got engaged, she felt like a bride. It was this joyous sensation in her bones and she couldn't control how giddy it made her. For a moment, she thought she was glowing.

"So, that's it?"

Emily turns around and sees Daniel pointing at the dress sleeve she's been staring at. "It is."

Daniel walks behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders as he looks at it. "This is really happening. Can I see it?"

Emily whacks him and he laughs. "Nice try. Oh, I told the girls this and texted the boys. Solid pastel and hair down. I mean, you guys are wearing black but just in case they wanted a pocket square to match or a tie."

"I guarantee that only James knows what a pocket square is. Maybe Imanu."

Emily can't argue that. Xavier only knows what a suit and tie are and Emily isn't sure what Apollo knows anymore, but at least Apollo's crashing with James. Xavier's been a lost cause since they graduated high school but, thank god, Sigyn's back in town.

"Have you picked a suit?" Emily asks him.

"I did. I'm picking it up tomorrow."

Emily smiles, feeling the giddiness from the bridal boutique returning to her bones. "We're really getting married."

*coughs* in about seven chapters *coughs*