~ 6 weeks later ~
"Come on! It's almost time!" cried Rachel as she zipped Ariana's dress from behind. She felt her stomach tighten against the smooth fabric. Her curled hair rested on her chest. Her dress was as white and soft as a dove. Two other servants helped with her makeup and veil.
Her eyes stared into the mirror. She had never seen herself like this before. Who was this girl? She had never seen herself so... so beautiful. It was almost as if a different person was standing in front of that mirror. She had been made anew.
A sharp tingling sensation shot through her body when she thought of Justin. She wondered what he was thinking about at that very moment. This was really happening. She was getting married. To the king. Over a year ago, not once would she ever imagine something like this ever happening. It would have been a nightmare. But now. Now, it was all she could ever ask for.
"Alright, it's time," one of the servants said. Rachel looked at the bride.
"You look great."
Ariana smiled at her.
"Thanks." A knocking came from the door.
"Are we ready yet in there?" a muffled voice asked. Ariana adjusted her dress and set her hair in a comfortable position.
"Coming!" she called. One of the servants opened the door for her. She strode out, feeling more confident than ever. Her heels clapped on the marble floor as she passed through the hall. Every step became longer and faster. She was so eager to marry the love of her life. Her king.
The servant stopped in front of another door leading outside. And beside that was her father. The one who used to hate the king with a great passion. The one who almost declined his request. Almost. Yet he was the reason this was possible. He stood in a nice suit Justin had given him, since none of the villagers owned any fancy clothes.
"Wow," he said covering his mouth with his hand. "I- I can't believe my little girl is getting married." Ariana blushed. Her father reached his arm out to her and she gladly wrapped her arm around his.
"Are you sure your ready for this?" he asked her sincerely. Although he had finally come to accept Justin as a person, he still wanted to make sure this was really what his daughter wanted. She looked at him in the eyes.
"I've never been more sure in my whole life," replied she without hesitation. Dimples formed at the sides of his mouth as he smiled. And just then, she saw a happiness in his eyes she had never seen before. His eyes slowly turned a light pink as they started to water up. She had always viewed her father as a tough man who never cried. And here he was now, about to walk his daughter down the aisle with tears in his eyes.
One of the servants opened the strong door and light immediately spilled into the hallway where she was standing. When her eyes fell upon the sight in front of her, she could not help but smile from ear to ear.
Villagers from the town had put on their most clean-looking clothes. They filled rows of seats, some sitting on the grass. King and queens of different kingdoms sat elegantly in their expensive outfits. A silence overcame them and as the music started to play, everyone rose from their eats.
Walking out, Ariana felt a gust of fresh air hit her face. The sun gleamed in the clear-blue sky. The grass looked greener than it ever had before. The flowers gave the scene a splash of different colors. Birds flew in the air, chirping away, as if they too were celebrating. It seemed like something out of a fairytale. It was all so real yet unreal at the same time.
The wedding music rang proudly in her ears. Everyone stared at her with bright smiles on their faces. She was never used to being the center of attention. As her eyes danced along the crowd, she spotted her mother and brother who looked happier than they had ever been. She noticed the beautifully-layered wedding cake which had a bride and groom at the top. She had never imagined her wedding to be like this. Usually, villagers had small weddings, but this... This was just incredible. Everything was perfect.
She took slow, careful steps down the aisle and held onto her father tightly. And then she saw him.
Justin.
His eyes locked on her's. Those sparkling hazel eyes of his. How they dazzled in morning light so brightly. His smooth, shiny hair was like silk. He wore all white with a dash of gold. He secured his hands in front of him, his tattoos just slightly visible. She had never seen him this handsome before.
The expression on his face told all. His jaw fell as he gazed at Ariana in her beautiful, long white dress. His lips formed into a bright smile, revealing his perfectly white teeth. Water began to gather in his eyes. He brought his wrist up to wipe away the tears that had started to form.
Time slowed down.
He was beautiful. She was beautiful.
Closer.
A feeling of adrenaline shot up through her body. This was the big moment. She let the smell of the flowers enter her nostrils. The gentle breeze blew through her hair and onto her bare neck.
Closer.
Her eyes only focused on the man who was now standing only a few feet away from her. The world around her seemed to blur out, and it was just them. Just them in their own paradise.
Closer.
Ariana's cheeks started to hurt from smiling so much but she did not care. As she approached Justin, he gave her a wink, his lips curved into the biggest smile. She thought her heart would melt right then and there.
Once her father departed from her and the music faded away, the people sat back down in their chairs. Ariana reached out to hold Justin's hands. A shock of electricity shot through her body just as their hands touched. By the look on Justin's face, she knew he felt it too.
"You look incredibly beautiful," he whispered in her ear, his lips gently grazing her skin, sending a chill down her back.
"And you," she said eyeing him. "You look incredibly handsome." His eyes brightened with joy.
I love you, she mouthed.
I love you too, he mouthed back. She grinned, not taking her eyes off of him for even one moment.
And in what seemed like only a matter of seconds, they had to say their vows. The atmosphere became completely quiet as Justin cleared his throat. It was obvious he was trying not to break down in tears.
"My dear Ariana. You are the light of my life." He started with sureness and doubtless love.
"I will be by your side every single step of the way. I will protect and keep you safe from any danger that comes up in our lives. And," he paused for a moment as his voice cracked, "although there will be ups and downs to this long journey, I promise to never ever leave you." A tear trickled down Ariana's face. His voice sounded like music to her ears. His eyes were lost in her's.
"Finally, I vow to love and be with you forever and always."
Ariana smiled and wiped her eyes to clear her blurry vision. Justin rubbed his thumb against the top of her hand. He looked at her like no one ever had. With love. With passion. It was all she ever wanted.
"Justin Bieber," she started. I vow to love you no matter what. What ever happens in our lives, I promise to always stay loyal to you. Justin, you are the first man I ever loved and will be the last." His grin grew even wider.
"You are my one true love and I will do anything for your happiness. I won't let anyone get in the way of what we have. Because what we have is stronger than anything else in the world." He gave her tiny hands a squeeze.
"I vow to never stop loving you."
And that was that. All she wanted was to just kiss him right at that moment and be married already. She could not wait to finally be his wife. To be the queen. But before she even knew it, she heard those words. Those last final words.
"Do you, King Justin Bieber, take Ariana Grande as your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do," he said right away with eagerness and excitement.
"And do you, Ariana Grande, take Justin Bieber as your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do."
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the-"
But before the sentence could even be finished, Justin's soft lips were already on her's. She smiled in the kiss, loving the feeling of it. She wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss before he pulled away. Everyone stood up from their seats and clapped.
He rested his forehead on her's, cupping her face in his hands. He looked into her eyes with a grin on his face.
"We're married!" she squealed with delight. He laughed, showing off his white teeth.
"We sure are baby," he whispered before planting a kiss on her forehead. What she was feeling at that moment was inexplicable.
Pure happiness. Pure joy. Pure love. She was married! People were clapping for her, for Justin.
She grabbed his hand as they walked back down the aisle. Pink flower petals were thrown in the air. Smiles were plastered on every person's face. Her lustrous eyes gazed at her husband who was smiling proudly at the crowd. A flower petal was stuck in his hair. She laughed as she picked it off.
Justin looked up at the blue sky and closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in the air. He then turned his head towards his wife. The queen. The luminous sun beat down on them as if it were a spot light.
Cheers filled the atmosphere with great joy. Adrenaline and happiness pumped through the veins under Ariana's skin. A king and a servant. Who would have thought?
Now, love is inexplicable. It is the worst and the best thing that will ever happen to you. Ariana still had a lot to learn and so did Justin. But as long as they had each other, everything was going to be okay.
She knew they were in a big world. But in her mind, they were bigger.
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Awwww I just loved this chapter so much ❤️
I seriously cannot believe this story is coming to an end. I started this two or three years ago only starting off with 5k views. This book has come so far and I thank all of you for supporting my work.
Epilogue is next and then that will be it. (Except I might do "Ask the King" but still deciding)
Anyway tell me your thoughts on this chapter and please don't forget to vote, comment, and share!