“This is really happening,” I mutter to myself as she clasps the new necklace on me.
“Yes, it is.” A honeysuckle bouquet is shoved into my hands, and then Isla grasps my shoulders, turning me so I can see myself in a full-length mirror.
Well. I’m stunning. Shimmery stardust acts as my eyeshadow. My lashes are coated with mascara. I chose a dusky rose pink for my lips. My freckles aren’t covered, and I wear them proudly now.
“Beautiful and ready,” Isla announces, partly for me but mostly for the guards standing outside the tent. She gives my shoulder a pat. “Smash a leg.”
Biting my lip to hide a smile, I don’t tell her the saying is actually “break a leg” and it’s meant for show business, not weddings.
The canvas flaps part to reveal my entourage of a dozen soldiers, including Torius and Kai. They all have their backs turned and their eyes averted, because Kirian’s walking toward me to get the first look.
And boy, does he look.
His heated gaze roams my body from head to toe as he licks his lips.
My nipples pucker beneath the smooth fabric, and I know he can see them because I’m not wearing a bra. As his eyes zero in on that part of me, his pupils dilate until the lavender is almost completely black.
I like that he’s out of his battle clothes. With his white button-up shirt and light-colored pants, it reminds me of what he used to wear when he’d come visit me in my forest. His hair is still short on the sides, and he has tight braids along his scalp. Probably Astrid’s doing. I wouldn’t be surprised if she coaxed him in to playing beauty salon.
“Are you ready?” He offers his elbow, and I slide my hand through the crook of his arm.
“Never been readier.”
The music changes when he leads me out of the tent, but the new melody isn’t coming from the instruments. As the insects join in with our song, I give Kirian a knowing smile.
Of course he’d play our own music.
We pass the serious soldiers, and I can’t help but give Kai a little crap. He might look grumpy as fuck, but he’s actually pretty cool. “Hey, Kai. Ever heard of resting bitch face?”
A thoughtful expression replaces his frown. “No, I don’t know this bitch. Who is she?”
I laugh. “Never mind.”
We’ll have to work on his human lingo another time.
Smirking, Kirian covers my hand and draws me closer. I rest my head on his bicep while we walk on a deserted path between rows of trees blooming with turquoise flowers.
This part is just for us. Our quiet moment. Aside from Isla and the soldiers standing back at the tent, we’re alone.
Up ahead, there’s a stone staircase built into the incline of the ground. It’s tradition for fated couples to climb it together, and I swear I can feel some kind of power in the air as we place our feet on the first step.
“Is Dawn and Dusk as beautiful as you remember it to be?” I ask, looking up at the sky through the trees above.
Half of it is day and half is night. The place down the middle where the two merge is a clash of light and color, making it look like a rainbow Aurora Borealis.
The light here has a pinkish hue, casting a warm glow over everything.
Mist floats in the forest around us, and Kirian already told me it comes from one of the many waterfalls. The air has a sweet smell to it, and unique colorful flowers I’ve never seen before are sprouting up everywhere—from the ground, out of the tree bark, even the rocks.
Later, we’ll be staying in a special cave. It’s a place just for the royals on their honeymoon. Since it’s behind a waterfall, we’ll have mist to drink. Exotic fruit and leafy vegetables grow from the rocks, so we’ll have plenty to eat. We won’t have to leave for days.
No visitors. No servants. Just us, uninterrupted.
“Yes.” Kirian’s gaze darts around us, unable to stay focused on one thing for long. “I was worried this place wouldn’t look the same. Maybe I’d built it up in my mind to be something it isn’t. But it’s actually better this time around. I appreciate it more because you’re here with me.”
Grinning, I press a kiss to his arm. A silent thanks for loving me. For always coming back to me. For just being him.
When we get to the top of the stairs, I see a trellis at the end of the aisle. The archway is covered in ivy and midnight roses—a wedding gift from the gnomes. Speaking of my little friends, they’re among our guests, along with our family and friends.
When everyone notices us, they get up from their chairs and I’m incredibly happy to see all the familiar faces.
Even Zander decided to come as a show of peace between our kingdoms. It’s selfless of him, considering the turmoil going on in the Day Realm. He’s taking time away from his people to be here for us.
Although, his problems are our problems, too.
The Glow addiction is getting out of control. Just last week, Kirian’s soldiers busted a distillery in the Night Realm, and there’ve been reports of volatile incidents involving amplified fae powers in Delaveria and Aelustria.
For the first time in thousands of years, there’s actually a shortage of soldiers. They’re just spread too thin.
Damon even mentioned putting his mission to find his mate on hold. Poor guy. He’s standing at the front, fulfilling his role as Kirian’s best man, and Astrid is on the other side as my maid of honor. I’ve never seen her look so happy. Or colorful. There’s a big smile on her face and she’s traded out her drab gray dress for a neon pink gown with bright yellow trim. I don’t know if she’s trying to upstage me—I wouldn’t put it past
