Mi Princesa

Part One - Chapter Fourteen: The Wedding Venue

Vanessa chewed on her lip as she flipped through the morning paper, it had been a week since they had announced their engagement and she wasn’t surprised with some of the headlines that were being used by the international press.

Fernando sipped on his morning coffee, he was adjusting to his new life and it was taking some getting used to; he wasn’t used to have people watching over him constantly.

“It could have been worse,” Fernando mused setting down his coffee, he eyed one of the English newspapers that they had been given that morning.

Fernando rolled his eyes at the headline, he wished they could have been a little more inventive when it came to headlines; he pushed the papers away knowing that he didn’t care what other people thought.

Vanessa’s chef set his breakfast in front of him before she left the dining room, Fernando watched her leave recalling when he had tried to cook his own breakfast one morning; he had been cursed in French until he left the kitchen.

“True,” Vanessa mused nibbling on her toast, she was having a little trouble with morning sickness and she hoped that it wouldn’t be too bad.

Fernando watched her, he did worry that someone would let slip that Vanessa was pregnant before the set time; they were happy and at nine weeks, they still had a very long way to go before their baby was due.

“My padre called… he wants to know if we have made a decision on the wedding venue yet,” Vanessa mused aloud, she knew that her father hoped that she would marry at the St. Andrew’s Cathedral where he had married her mother.

The couple needed to set a venue and quickly because of the arrangements that needed to be made for their wedding day.

***

Fernando groaned looking at another brochure that the couple had been given for possible wedding venues; the reception would be hosted at Bruckstone Palace so it was one thing that they didn’t have to worry about.

Vanessa chewed on her lips setting down the brochure, she peeked at Fernando knowing that this wasn’t easy but they had to make a decision; there were so many arrangements that needed to be made.

“Where do you want to get married?” Fernando asked, he felt that Vanessa was trying to force herself into choosing a venue that she didn’t like.

Fernando didn’t care where they would be getting married, only that he would get to marry Vanessa; he could cope with everything else.

Vanessa stared at her fiancé, she had no idea what to say making her wonder why he was doing this; she wanted him to feel included since they didn’t get to make many decisions about the wedding.

“I don’t care where we get married Nessa… as long as I am marrying you,” Fernando said taking Vanessa’s hand and kissing it, he smiled at her wanting her to be happy wherever they got married.

It didn’t matter to Fernando where they got married only that they did, he would happily marry Vanessa in any of these churches and in front of thousands of people.

Vanessa sat quietly, staring at Fernando trying to think of how she had managed to find someone so wonderful; she chewed on her lip and prepared to open her mouth before Fernando stopped her.

“I want to hear what you want, not what anyone else wants,” Fernando said knowing that his fiancée would try to make her family happy with her choose in wedding venue and not herself.

Fernando wanted her to be happy and that was it, he wanted to get married in the church that she had always pictured herself getting married in; not somewhere where her family would be happy.

“Windsor Abbey,” Vanessa said carefully, she had always had wanted to marry at the abbey since she had been a little girl; she hadn’t thought that it would be an option for them.

Fernando nodded his head trying to recall the place that she was talking about, he had been shown around the capital during the week and he could quite remember the abbey that she was talking about.

Vanessa picked up the brochure that they had for Windsor Abbey, she had put it under several others since she didn’t want to get her hopes up about marrying there.

Fernando carefully flipped through the brochure, he was surprised that Vanessa wanted to get married somewhere like this; he hadn’t thought that she wanted want to get married somewhere so important.

“My grandparents got married there,” Vanessa explained softly, she watched Fernando wondering what he thought about the abbey; she was a little nervous that he would think it was too much.

Fernando took a deep breath, he set down the brochure and looked at his fiancée, he could see how much this meant to her; he wanted to make her happy since it didn’t matter where they got married to him.

“I remember when I was little and seeing their wedding photographs… it all just looked so magical,” Vanessa mused smiling a little, her grandparents wedding had been the last royal wedding to he held there with everyone else holding theirs elsewhere.

Fernando nodded his head, he kissed Vanessa sure that this would be perfect for them and he wanted her to be happy no matter what happened.

“Then that’s where we’ll get married,” Fernando said making Vanessa stare at him surprised, he wanted her to have the wedding that she wanted; he wanted her to be happy.

***

“Okay I spoke to the dean of the abbey,” Anoushka said walking into the living room, she brushed some hair from her face knowing that this was the start of a busy time for the couple.

Fernando looked at Anoushka, he was sure that she had news about their chosen venue; he was relaxing on the couch with Vanessa, he wanted her to take it easy during this time in her pregnancy.

“The abbey is pretty busy in June… but he can fit in a royal wedding on the 26th,” Anoushka said smiling at the couple, it would finally allow them to start making preparations for the wedding if a date was chosen.

Fernando and Vanessa shared a look, the 26th of June would be perfect and it would allow them time to adjust after their baby was born in the second week of April.

“We’ll take it,” Fernando confirmed, he wanted to share the news with his parents when they came to visit; the original plans had changed after the engagement announcement because it wouldn’t be safe for Vanessa to travel.

Flori and José had been understanding about why the couple couldn’t come and see them in Madrid and had insisted that they come to Andorra; it would be the perfect time for the two families to meet.

Anoushka nodded her head, she smiled pleased that the couple had settled on a date and venue for their wedding; they could finally start settling on other details now.

“So the 26th of June?” Vanessa teased giving Fernando a kiss, she was thrilled that they had a venue and date but she hoped that he was okay with that.

Fernando nodded his head, it would be a great day and he doubted that it clashed with anything important football-wise; he wanted a couple of his old team-mates to attend their wedding.