Darkbloom

Chapter Two - Chateau de Tourreau

The next morning, I woke up early enough to shower before making my way to the airport in time to make Sebastian's flight. Stark, my bodyguard, got me to the airport by seven thirty. Just in time to meet Sebastian's landing plane. I waited with Stark in the terminal with a fresh cup of coffee in hand as other passengers bustled around us.

It wasn't long before I spotted him; he stood out through the crowd. His russet skin and short black curls looked polished against his perfectly sculpted face. He walked with a confident strut, dressed in a pale blue sweater, dark jeans and a cognac leather bomber jacket. His leather weekend bag was slung over his shoulder so casually as he approached us with Domino, his bodyguard, at his flank.

"Hello, beautiful." He beamed a smirk as he craned his neck down to kiss me.

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as his lips brushed mine and I couldn't help the pure bliss that washed over me.

"Hello, Handsome." I said, breathily as I slowly opened my honey brown eyes to his coal black ones.

"I missed you." He said, snaking his arm around my waist and pulling me to his side as Domino and Stark escorted us out of the terminal.

"Not as much as I've missed you." I said, still tingling from his dreamy kiss.

"Oh, I truly doubt that, Miss Kelly...Who, after tomorrow night, I'll forever be calling, Mrs. Darkbloom." He gently squeezed my waist and I instantly felt like a light bulb, glowing the brightest throughout the airport.

"That you will." I giggled.

"I also saw this." He smiled widely as he flashed the Vogue cover that I was on. If not for my honey, brown skin, I'd be beet red.

"Isn't it bad luck to see the bride in her gown before the wedding?" I rose a brow at him.

"So you admit it?! One of these is your actual dress?" He was more excited than I'd ever seen him and it made me genuinely laugh.

"No. None of those are, babe. Sorry to disappoint you." I said through laughs.

"Damn. I have to be honest though. I tried to picture you walking down the aisle in each of these and it just didn't really feel like you." He sighed.

"You know me so well." I beamed a cheesy grin.

The rest of the morning was pretty hectic. We'd arrived back at the apartment, where we ate a quick breakfast before grabbing our bags and heading to the Chateau de Tourreau, the magnificent estate where the wedding would be held. We arrived to the estate by four o'clock that evening, just a couple hours before the rehearsal dinner. I gave Sebastian a hug and kiss before heading to the east wing of the chateau.

I walked into my suite and I was impressed. It was definitely luxurious, everything was white, glossy, polished interior and accented in gold. I checked myself out in the floor length mirror, the woman starring back at me was happiest she'd been in a long time. It still tripped me out that she had let her curls grow so long past her shoulders. Corkscrew curls cascaded to her waist and she definitely looked like a cheery bride to be. I smiled at her and she returned the same smile.

The ceremony rehearsal went beautifully. Larsa and Asha were my bridesmaids. Veronica was my maid of honor. Sebastian's two favorite cousins, Titus and Aaron, were his groomsmen. Grams and Jason walked me down the aisle. Everything around us was as perfect as it could be. Meeting Titus and Aaron was definitely an experience. Sebastian and them were more like brothers than cousins. And it was so good to see him genuinely happy with his family.

Victor and Wilhelmina, Sebastian's parents weren't present. They'd be here tomorrow for the actual wedding. To even get them to be there had taken a lot of begging and persuading on my end to Sebastian. After our engagement party a few months ago, Sebastian's father had humiliated me by exposing some past secrets from my family that I wasn't aware of. That caused Sebastian to estrange them. He hasn't seen or spoken to them since then. I however, was very close with Wilhelmina and promised her that I'd get them in the wedding.

"So, Serena, tell us how you and Sebastian met?" Titus Darkbloom asked me when we all were seated out on the estate's terrace overlooking the grandeur for dinner. "Our good 'ol cousin here won't spill much."

Titus and Aaron were identical twins and so handsome. They favored Sebastian in a way, though both of them had green eyes and were a couple shades lighter than him. Titus had a goatee, where Aaron didn't. I began telling them the origin of Sebastian and I's meeting. Feeling nostalgic of the whole thing.

The conversation then drifted into future children. Sebastian instantly informed he'd like to have two, a boy and girl. This I already knew, of course, but for some reason I didn't feel comfortable with the conversation. We were getting married tomorrow, I didn't really want to think of kids right now. Or ever, my subconscious bellowed.

"How crazy would it be if you two had twins?" Aaron Darkbloom snorted. "Twins definitely run in our family."

"Come on, mate. Don't overwhelm the girl. She's getting married tomorrow for Christ sake." Titus nudged his brother.

I gave Titus a thankful grin before wrapping my arm around Sebastian's and resting my head on his shoulder.

"You look beautiful by the way." Sebastian said to me. I thanked him and looked down at myself, dressed in a pastel green, sleeveless silk cocktail dress with silver sandals. I'd twisted my hair to one side of my neck so my curls would fall over one shoulder. I wasn't sure how to style my hair now since it was much longer than I was use to, but Sebastian liked it.

"You look amazing yourself." I said as my eyes glanced over his white suit and halfway buttoned white shirt. My eyes caught his exposed skin and I could make out the lines of his tattoo on his chest.

"Thank you." He mimicked with a playful grin.

After dinner, Sebastian and I said our goodnights before taking a walk through the courtyard. I looked up at the sunset sky, amazed by the faint oranges and pinks and violet streaks. The clouds here were so massive and majestic it was astonishing. My eyes then moved to the endless acres of land around us. Even in the evening, everything was so bright with color. The perfectly manicured grass and hedges were such a bold green. The canopy of tree just across from a gigantic water fountain was probably one of my favorite sights thus far. Sebastian waited for us to reach the water fountain before speaking.

"So, we're doing this. I mean we're actually doing this." He sighed as I sat on the edge of the fountain, looking up at him.

"Yea. We are." I said, scrunching my nose into a grin.

He knelt down in front of me, taking both of my hands into his, "Serena, you've made me the happiest man in the world. To have this day become a reality for me..." He paused for a brief moment to move his other hand to cup my cheek. "I just can't picture any aspect of my life where you're not a part of it."

The butterflies in my stomach went wild and I think if I were any happier, I might've combusted.

"Ditto." Was all I could say. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

"You've turned me into a big softee." He chuckled as he kissed my forehead. I laughed just as my phone alarm went off in my clutch bag. I fished it out to turn it off. I'd forgotten that I'd set it before the dinner to remind me what time to head to bed. I knew tomorrow would be a long day and I definitely wanted to be well rested.

"What's that?" Sebastian jerked his chin towards my phone.

"That would be my bed time signal." I informed and laughed at the way his eyebrows pulled together in confusion. "I just don't want to miss a single thing tomorrow."

"I get it." He sighed. "I just thought we could check out the club scene before the big day."

"As fun as that sounds, I think I'll save my club wear for the honeymoon."

He nodded at that before leaning into kiss me. His lips were warm against mine. By the end of the kiss I was swooning and a little eager for more, but I reluctantly took a step back. Sebastian's brows pulled together in question.

"I have to go to bed." I said with a smirk. He laughed lightly as I turned to walk back towards the Chateau.

"I'll see you at the end of the aisle, Miss Kelly." He called behind me.

"I can't wait, Mr. Darkbloom." I called back over my shoulder before walking back up to my suite.