Pause Rewind Play

8. The Moon

I looked some more and came across a sponsored ad. A palace-turned-hotel that offered a one-of-a-kind royal experience.

I had an epiphany. I could host my own event, invite all my friends and make sure all of us got visas as quickly as possible. And I knew exactly what I had to do to make it happen.

I pocketed my phone and walked into the dining room. I filled up a glass with water and raised it. I really wished this was champagne right now. "I'd like to make a toast." This was a joyous occasion after all.

Everyone paused to look at me.

"You can use wine if you want," I said to hurry them up.

Without another word, they filled their glasses.

Convincing them to change everything at my whim was going to be a piece of cake. I knew exactly what to say to make everyone happy.

"I'm going to marry the love of my life in four months," I started. My eyes met Louise's and she looked quite surprised by my statement. Eat it up, bitch. "And when you know who you want to spend the rest of your life with, you want it to start as soon as possible." I gave Felix a loving smile. He grinned at me. "So I do not want to wait for four months. I want to marry him as soon as possible. And I do not want to keep it quiet and have a small ceremony. I want a grand wedding. I want the whole world to know that I am marrying such a great man!"

Felix stood up to give me a kiss on the cheek. I gave him another smile.

"I'm sorry mother, I know that you and Pepper have worked really hard on all the preparations for the wedding I thought I wanted to have. But I realized that I don't want to settle for a mediocre wedding. I want something grand. Something straight out of a fairy tale," I said the golden words, and Mother's eyes sparkled with joy and pride. Because her daughter having a grand wedding was something she could brag about to her friends for a long, long time.

"And I have found the perfect place to get married. The Palace of Ovzdusia in the Soare Luna Kingdom. I want to feel like I'm a Princess who is marrying her fairy-tale Prince," I said and looked at Felix with a smile.

He looked at me like he couldn't believe what I was saying. He knew that, unlike most brides, I wasn't very enthusiastic about the wedding preparations and that I didn't care what it turned out like. And I knew that he was disappointed by that. This made him visibly happy.

"And I want to get married as soon as possible."

"Of course, darling! Whatever my dear daughter wants," Mother said with a broad smile, clearly excited. If she would have added 'as long as I want it too', her statement would have held more weight. "I'll talk to Pepper and we will make a few calls. I'm sure he would love that you had a change of heart. You will marry in a palace. Nothing but the best for my daughter, after all."

"Not a palace. I want it to be in the Palace of Ovzduisa in the Soare Luna Kingdom only," I reminded her. There was no point in doing all of this otherwise.

"Of course." She nodded quickly.

"To my and Felix's wedding," I raised the glass and everyone followed.

I took a sip and watched everyone drink to it. I couldn't help but smile at them lapping up all the lies I told them and drinking happily to it like the big, happy family we were not. It felt fantastic.

"I loved your toast," Felix smiled and pressed a kiss on my lips.

I smiled. "I'm glad you did."

After the toast, we moved to the living room and everyone continued the conversations they were having with each other before I oh so rudely disturbed them. Felix was yapping my ear off about how excited he was about our wedding and I nodded along like a good wife-to-be.