the arrangement | ethma

11

Emma

Rehearsal dinner was coordinated by my mother and Queen Lisa.

The actual rehearsal part was just for everyone in the wedding party to know where to walk and when. We ran through what will happen in the ceremony, and then everyone was off to eat dinner.

"Why are you nervous?" Ethan asked, talking so only I could hear him as we ate dinner.

"Nervous? I'm not—"

"Emma," he said. "I know you."

"There's just a lot of stirred up emotions right now," I said. "That's all."

"Well, would you like to talk about it? We could go to the conservatory?"

"Okay," I said.

-

"So, are you going to tell me what's going on?" Ethan asked as we walked the corridors of the palace.

"I'm just trying to mentally prepare myself for everything I'm leaving behind. My home, my island, even my guards."

"That's understandable. It's a big adjustment moving into a new palace on a completely different island."

"And I'm a little nervous about tomorrow," I said, Ethan slipping his hand into mine as we sat down.

"Tell me," he said. "What has you worried?"

"Getting married in front of a lot of guests makes me feel a bit under pressure."

Ethan leaned towards my ear. "Just pretend they're all naked. It helps."

My eyes widened as Ethan pulled away from my ear, a rosy blush spreading across my face.

He laughed. "You are quite adorable."

"And I'm a little nervous about what happens behind closed doors," I admitted.

Ethan put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer so my head rested on his shoulder.

"Emma, you don't have to worry. I'll take good care of you, okay? You're my number one priority now," he said, leaning closer to my ear. "You have nothing to be nervous about. I'll be easy on you."

"Can I tell you a secret?"

Ethan chuckled. "Emma, I'm going to be your husband tomorrow. Of course you can tell me a secret."

"I was terrified of you when we met. I thought you'd never like someone like me."

"Emma, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Not to mention the sweetest soul I've ever known. Of course I like you. I admire you more than any woman I've ever met."

"I'm really lucky that you're the one I get to marry," I whispered, closing my eyes as our heads landed against each other's. "I can't wait to know everything about you."

"I'll make sure our life together is as beautiful as you are," he said, kissing my knuckles.

-

Although my sisters kept me up nearly all night, I was woken up at sunrise to start getting ready for the big day.

Besides the hair on the top of my head, the rest of my body was completely hairless, and smooth like a baby's soft skin. My eyebrows were even waxed into perfection. 

Two hours spent on my hair, and an hour for makeup before I finally stepped into my wedding dress, the seamstresses lacing the buttons on the back as I studied myself in the mirror.

I felt as beautiful as a woman should on her wedding day. 

The venue was on the property of the palace, but it was a different building. Still, it was too far to walk there, so I was driven.

Twenty minutes from that moment, I would be Ethan's wife. A Princess bound to be Queen while her husband takes the future throne.

I remember everything about those twenty minutes. Twenty minutes I had left to feel like I was a part of my own family. Now it was my honor and duty to create a family of my own with Ethan. 

To carry the line to the throne for another generation.

My father only wished me a blessed union before he handed my hand to Ethan, and that was it. This was officially the rest of my life.

"You look beautiful," Ethan whispered, so only I could hear. 

I gave him a small smile as we faced each other, hand in hand as the reverend minister spoke about Holy Matrimony. 

The rest of the ceremony was pretty straight to the point, leaving me almost no time to mentally prepare for my first kiss with my now husband. As the reverend pronounced us, Ethan gently pulled my body against him, and then softly kissed me on the lips. 

Nothing too complicated, but I still felt too inexperienced for Ethan. 

And I honestly would've preferred to kiss him for the first time in private rather than in front of a thousand guests at our wedding. 

But I have to admit that it did feel nice. I was at least thankful that he didn't try to shove his tongue down my throat or anything. It was a simple, sweet kiss. 

He took my hand as we walked back down the aisle and out the door, Ethan opening the car door for me before we both got into the car, heading to the reception. 

His hand felt a little sweaty in mine, and for the first time I realized that he was a bit nervous too. 

I wondered how someone like Ethan could be nervous. He was raised to make fear scare itself.

When we got back to the palace, we were led to a small room that we'd get to stay in for half an hour until all of the guests arrived to the reception hall. 

It was a tradition for the newlywed couple to have some alone time before the big celebration.

"Hard part's over," Ethan said. "Now we can just relax and enjoy ourselves. It is our wedding after all," he said, pulling me closer again.

My eyes fell to his lips, and he got the hint. I wanted him to kiss me again. This kiss was soft, but it was longer than the first, and there was more rhythm to it. Without words, I somehow knew just to follow Ethan's lead, and that second kiss was a hundred times better than the first one we shared. 

I felt myself get more used to his lips as we kept sharing kisses, and I almost didn't want to leave that room when it was time for us to make our entrance into the reception.

Suddenly feeling new, I wasn't too nervous anymore.