Chapter 5: Trial (Ella's POV)
It was now the day after and we're currently driving to Meralith. Everything has to be planned before it can kick off into place. We're planning for my wedding. My wedding. I'm getting married.
What. The. Hell?
"Princess Ella," their butler greeted me while opening the door for us. I get a special greeting?
"Hello, Mr. Bruce," I grinned, walking past him behind my parents.
"Rebecca, the Smiths are here!" Mr. Williams called out from the bottom of the stairs. I take it his wife is upstairs.
Nicholas or Nick is what I should say. Nick came rushing out of a room with a large door from the right side of the palace. I glanced at him, then at the door, then the book in his hands.
A library.
He looked at me, confusion etched onto his face. I glanced at the book, then the door behind him then looked at him with an impressed expression etched onto my face. He rolled his eyes with a smile before asking Mr. Bruce to put the book back in the library. He then walked over to us, greeting my dad first, then introducing himself to my mom. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Smith."
"The pleasure is all mine, son," she smiled.
I glanced at her and resisted an eye roll.
She's probably picturing what our kids would look like.
He then turned to me, "Hello."
"Hello," I smiled.
He stood beside me, leaning down to my ear. "I notice you appreciate readers." He notices a lot of things about me. Don't you think?
I smiled, turning to him, going up on my toes to whisper in his ear. "I appreciate that you read. Otherwise, we'd have a problem."
He smiled, biting back a chuckle before bowing his head slightly and then standing beside his dad right in front of us as his mom descended the stairs. Oh, my God. She is beautiful.
"Dad," I whispered.
"Yes?" He turned to me.
"She's a little intimidating, what if she doesn't like me?"
"Then make her like you, sweetheart," my mom said, pushing me to the front.
I gritted my teeth in annoyance while walking over to Nick and his parents. I greeted his dad first and then turned to his mother. "Mrs. Williams, it's a pleasure to meet you," I smiled at her.
"The pleasure is all mine," she smiled back. Both of us curtseyed for formalities sake. I then stood there for a moment, while she scanned me head to toe. She then turned to Nick. "She's beautiful," she gushed.
I let out a breath in relief. I truly feel like I was here on trial. Literal trial. Like my fate was about to be determined by the jury that is Nick's parents.
"Oh, please. Let's skip the formalities, we're here to plan ceremonies and weddings, let's continue with that," she chuckled walking over to my parents. Our mothers talked while our fathers walked in silence and we all followed them out to the backyard. Our fathers led the way with our mothers trailing behind and Nick and me following at the very end.
"Still breathing?" he whispered.
"I'm trying," I nodded.
He chuckled, holding his arm out for me to link mine with. I raised my eyebrows at him with a smile. He shrugged at me with a small smirk and I linked my arm through his, walking alongside him. He looked down at my feet then back at me. "Wearing heels?" he smirked.
"Just for your mother," I whispered in a sing-song voice.
"It upsets me to know you're more intent on impressing my mother than impressing me," he mumbled.
"Well, I impressed you upon our first meeting," I retorted.
"Is that so, darling?"
I chuckled softly as we reached the setup table with two huge umbrellas creating shade on the tables. Our parents both sat across from us, just the two of us on the other side. Nick pulled my chair back for me and I sat down, kicking my heels off immediately. I looked under the table briefly to see if Mrs. Williams would be able to tell that my heels were off, but instead, I saw her doing the same. Kicking her heels off.
I looked up at her, my lips twitching up to a smile. She winked at me and I pressed my fingers to my lips, trying not to laugh. I smiled in response as everyone took their seats.
"I must say, Ella. You look gorgeous," Mrs. Williams complimented me.
"Thank you, as do you," I grinned.
"Let's get to planning, shall we?"
After long discussions of planning parties and ceremonies, we finally got to the wedding. Nicholas and I figured that it would be easier to let our parents plan the ceremonies and parties, all of them, while we get a say in what we want and don't want at the wedding.
"Where would you two like to get married?" his mom asked.
"The Church we got married in seems well suited, does it not?" Mr. Williams asked.
My dad looked at me. I was actually hoping to get married in our kingdom because I would be leaving for a while after that.
Nicholas cleared his throat, "Father, we were hoping to get married in Veralis." I stared at him in surprise. We didn't plan this.
"How come, Nicholas?" his dad questioned.
"Well, Ella would be leaving Veralis merely hours after all the wedding ceremonies and dining are over and she'll be coming here to Meralith for the next three months. We don't know how often she will be able to visit her kingdom after that, so it's more logical to get married in Veralis to honor their kingdom, is it not?" he explained practically.
"And what about honoring our kingdom?" his dad asked, seeming offended.
"She is honoring our kingdom, Benjamin," Mrs. William spoke up. "She's wedding our son and living in our kingdom for three whole months. Let's honor Velaris and hold their wedding in the church Richard and Lisa got married in, that seems well-suited," she nodded, glancing at me.
I mouthed her a silent 'thank you' and she nodded reassuringly. I'm glad me and my future mother-in-law get along. That's one pin down.
"What about the dress?" my mom asked.
"Oh god," I mumbled under my breath, straightening up in my seat.
"Do you still have your wedding dress, Mrs. Smith?" Nicholas asked.
She nodded slowly, slightly confused.
"It's a tradition in our family for the brides to wear either their mother's or their mother-in-law's wedding dress. That way, the dress can be passed down generations," Mrs. Williams explained.
"That's great," my dad said.
"We can have a fitting and she shall try out both of them. Whichever fits her best and she likes she can wear," his mom nodded. At least that's sorted. That was very crucial.
"What about the menu for the wedding?" I asked. I'm a foodie, the food is like the most important part. Apart from the, well, the wedding.
"We will handle the menu," my mom said. "Apart from your special requests," Mrs. Williams smiled.
Nick and I looked at each other. "Why don't we discuss that and let you know sometime soon?" Nicholas shrugged.
"Okay," his mom chuckled while tea was brought for all of us. That's one thing I need to make a list of.
"And the guests?" my dad inquired. Nobody had an answer. "Why don't we leave that up to them?" he asked.
"Do you want anyone specific to be there?" Nick whispered in my ear. I shook my head softly with a small shrug. I'm not that close to anyone here. "What about your friends from New York?" he mumbled.
"What about your friends from London?" I questioned.
He shook his head softly, "No one so special."
"Me neither," I replied.
Wow. Royalty has made us so... alone.
"One moment, I have one person," I said abruptly. Everyone turned to me but I was looking at my mom.
"Ella, no," she shook her head.
"I lived with her my whole life, mother. I want her there."
"May we ask whom?" Mr. Williams questioned.
"My aunt," I answered.
"Ella, she is not part of our family any more, nor does she live here. You left her when you came back to our kingdom from New York, have I made myself clear?" my mother asked sternly.
"Yes, mother," I sighed in defeat, leaning back in my seat, saying a big fuck you to the posture she's always demanded I keep. I stared down at the cup of tea in front of me, wanting to throw it.
Nicholas grabbed my hand under the table, giving it a squeeze. "On second thought, I too have a special guest," he said. I looked at him along with everyone else. "I'd like for her aunt to be there."
I opened my mouth to argue but he beat me to it.
"As our guest, mother. Will that do?" I stared at him, extremely shocked.
His mom nodded with a smile, "Of course, it will. We'll send her an invite, just give me the address."
Wow.
.
.
.
.
.
Chapter 5
I had too much fun looking at wedding dress pictures for Ella.
You guys don't get to see it until I write about their wedding ;)
next chapter: engaged