Another way (Young Royals)

Forever

He was standing at the end of the aisle, waiting for me. I couldn't help but smile big as I saw him. He was so pretty, wearing a dark blue suit. Next to his brother, it almost made him look like a prince. He was not a prince. Not anymore. Not the royal kind, anyways. He was my prince, however. He had been since we were sixteen. We had never left each other's side. I knew it was us, for the rest of our lives. It was him. It had always been him. Erik, who was Wille's best man, was already crying. I knew they were tears of joy. Joy that his little brother lived his life as he wanted to, because he could. Not everyone had that freedom in this cruel world. Love was nothing to take for granted. Freedom was nothing to take for granted. Therefore we would honour it the way we could, by loving each other fully. By promising to love each other to the day we died, and beyond that.

"Hey, should we do this thing now?" Ayoub asked.

"I think we should, or what do you say Simon?" Rosh replied. I could not choose just one best man or best woman for my wedding. Rosh and Ayoub had always been my best friends. It would not feel right to only choose one of them, when both of them held important places in my heart. In my life.

"Yeah," I said. "Let's do this." I felt like I was dreaming, as I walked down the aisle. As if I was walking on fluffy clouds. Clouds of happiness. It was finally happening. I was getting married to the love of my life. I walked up to Wille alone, with Ayoub and Rosh following close behind. They stood by the side, both grinning big as I pulled Wille into a big hug. I took it all in. Within a few minutes we would be married. The scent of his perfume filled my lungs. That scent made me feel safe. It made me feel at home.

"Having second thoughts?" Wille asked me, teasingly. I shook my head.

"Never," I replied. That made him smile.

"Good," he replied. I smiled and I felt a tear fall down my cheek. I took his hand in mine. His toasty warm hand, that I had held maybe a thousand times before. It still made my heart skip a beat. The butterflies fly around in my stomach. The wedding officiant smiled as we went up to the altar.

"We have gathered here today to celebrate the love between Wilhelm and Simon," she said. "I have been told that your love has endured challenges that would have made others give up. I want to encourage you to always choose love, every day. Marriage comes with its challenges, just like a teenage romance handling a royal abdication and a pop star dream. But it is worth fighting for. It is worth fighting for each other, whatever life has to give you. Love like this is rare, and therefore I encourage you to love fiercely and courageously." Her speech made me tear up. I looked at Wille, who was already crying.

"I now ask you Wilhelm if you want to take Simon to be your husband?" the wedding officiant asked. Wille nodded.

"I do," he said. My heart almost jumped out of my chest.

"And I ask you Simon, will you take Wilhelm to be your husband?" she continued.

"I do," I replied. There was nothing I wanted more than this. The wedding officiant asked Rosh, whom we had trusted with our wedding bands, to step forward. She smiled as we took the golden wedding bands from the velvet box. I put the wedding band on Wille's finger and kissed his knuckles, right over his newest piece of jewellery. Wille put my wedding band on my finger. It looked right. It felt like the most natural thing ever. I knew I would never feel whole without that piece of jewellery on my finger now. It was a symbol of my love for him. That we belonged together. That he was my husband.

"You are now husbands and you can now share your first kiss as a married couple," the wedding officiant said. We did not have to be told twice. We pulled each other close and our lips met. Our friends and family cheered for us.

"I love you," I said.

"I love you too," he replied. We started to walk down the aisle together. Hand in hand. I just wanted to kiss him again. That kiss by the altar did not stop the hunger for him, that was screaming inside of me. I had to kiss him again. We would be forever. I knew that. Forever.