Royal (A Selection Fan Fiction) (Book One in my Selection Series)

Chapter 61

I remember when I first came to the palace and could barely stomach the food, now I don't think I could go back to my town and eat the boring bread.

"What do you want with the wedding?" Alex asks me as we eat on my bed.

"It's already too cold to do anything outside." I think aloud. "But I don't want to invite loads of people just people who we want to see it. I've seen some in the past where the prince invites what seems like all the two's and three's in the entire country."

"Okay I'll show you our room choices for the setting tonight and who all should be invited?" He asks me.

"Our families will be there for sure and any friends. Don't the rest of the Elite  get to come?" I ask. It was required every time.

"Yes." Alex nods. "That'll be awkward."

I laugh just a little and eat a little before I talked again.

"Our families, any friends you want to invite, the elite, and just anyone to make it special for us." I shrug.

"Of course." He nods. "When?"

"Definitely before Christmas. The rest is up to you." I say to him.

"What if we made it winter themed?" He suggests. I imagined Paisley and the other girls that were bridesmaids wearing dresses with diamonds that looked like snowflakes.

"Perfect." And as it would be. "Who are your best men going to be?"

"Two of my friends from New Asia. They're both brothers. One of my cousins too. He's the only cousin I've ever met. We keep in touch a bit little and I was thinking Jason if you don't think he'd mind." 

"That would be great."

•••

That night I sat against one of my pillows while Alex laid on the other. I leaned my head on his shoulder and breathed. I couldn't control the shake of my hands.

"Did the doctors say why it wouldn't stop?" I ask quietly.

"They just said it was probably anxiety. Everything coming so quickly to you. They said it might go away but it might not." Alex says taking both my hands. "And whenever you're nervous it'll be even worse."

"How am I supposed to hold your hands as we get married if I can't even hold them still." The perfect wedding imagine was burned into my mind and I couldn't ignore it.

"Just like this." He says in a low voice and squeezes both my hands. "And then we can both read our vows and then we say 'I do' and then we kiss like this." Alex presses his lips to mine and smiles into them. "I can hold them tight enough and hide the tremble."

"Promise?" I ask.

"Promise." He tells me. "I'll make sure it's perfect, okay?"

"Alex? This might be overstepping– never mind." I shake my head. "It's a bad idea."

"No tell me. It's whatever you want to make this better. Please just tell me." Alex begs me.

"Does there have to be cameras?" I've never heard of the prince's wedding that wasn't aired live to every tv in the country.

"I'll make it happen." I celebrate silently and kiss his cheek. He still held onto both my hands when a knock came at my door.

"Come in." I say.

"Hi." Addy says coming in. "I heard something. Mum came to my room and told me it was just one of the washing machines blowing downstairs, but it sounded like a gunshot. It reminded me..." she drifted off.

"Come here." I tell her. She runs up to my bed and crawls beside me. I pick her up and move her in between me and Alex. "Just don't think about it." I stroke her hair and even over Addy's petite body I still can lay my head on Alex's shoulder.

"Where's mother?" Alex asks her.

"She went back to her room." Addy tells him.

"I'm going to go make sure everything's okay, okay? I'll be back in just a minute." He whispers, kissing the top of Addy's head and then mine.

When he shuts the door I pull the covers out from under us and pull them on us.

"Are you okay?" I ask her.

"I don't know if I've just made up gunshots from that night or it actually happened. Sometimes I feel his hand grabbing my wrist still and..." I pull her as tight as I possibly can to me.

"It's okay." She gripped the sheets and pushed her face into my stomach. "It's okay. It's okay. You're safe."

The next few minutes I lay there as Addy cries until Alex gets there.

"I checked everything out myself and it's okay." Alex says and crawls into the bed. He scoops Addy in his arms and reaches his arms out far enough to bring me closer too. "I love you guys."

"I love you too." Addy mutters.

"I love you both." I say and lean my head on Alex's arm. "Go to sleep, Addy, when you wake up I'll be here." But I think she was already snoring.

"Goodnight, love."Alex whispers near my ear.

"Good night." I smile and close my eyes.