Page 94 of The Reluctant Wife

After completing the homily, the archbishop turns to me. "Do you, Ryot Abraham Arthur Davenport, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto do you pledge yourself to her?”

“I do.” I nod.

He turns to her. "Do you, Aurelia Isabelle Verenza, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto do you pledge yourself to him.”

"I do," she says softly.

Her blue eyes appear luminous, a tremulous smile playing around her lips.

I didn’t think I believed in wedding vows. When I married Jane, we dispensed with vows. These are the same words we used during the rehearsal. But they take on a much deeper meaning, now that we’re standing here in front of God, our family, our friends, and millions of people I don't even know.

Her hand trembles in mine.

Tyler hands the rings to the bishop, who blesses them. I take the simple wedding band I bought for her and slide it onto her ring finger.

She does the same.

The bishop then folds a scarf over our joined palms. "As these hands are bound together, so may your lives be boundtogether in love and harmony." The bishop removes the scarf and declares us husband and wife. "You may now kiss the bride."

It’s not traditional for the Royal Family of Verenza to have the bride and groom kiss at the end of the ceremony, but I insisted on it. Arthur took my side during the debate that ensued during the wedding rehearsal, and the king gave in.

I lean in, and she tips up her chin. I gaze into her eyes for a few seconds, and when her lips part, I bend and fit my mouth over hers. I kiss her tenderly, softly, gently, yet deeply enough to taste her mouth. The sweetness shivers through my veins, arrowing straight to my groin.

My cock twitches, and I realize I need to pull back or be seen sporting a chub on television screens around the world, and while I don’t give a shit, I don’t want my Empress to be embarrassed. I pull back. Her eyelids flutter open, the smile she gives me shy and dazed, and her gaze is tinged with lust. Good.

Applause breaks out from the audience. I take her hand in mine, and we turn to face the crowd who are on their feet. As we begin the walk back up the aisle, the orchestra plays Taylor Swift’s Enchanted.

Surprise ripples through the audience. I arch an eyebrow at my Empress, and she laughs. This woman? She knows how to surprise me. Zoey picks up her train and Tyler joins her to follow my wife and me as we walk back down the aisle. The audience continues to applaud and smile. And as we reach the grand entrance of the cathedral, the bells ring out.

When we step out, Tyler walks past me. He takes his position next to the line of men who hold up their swords to form an arch for us to walk through.

"That wasn’t in the rehearsal," my Empress muses.

I did it to differentiate this ceremony further from my last one. And because I wanted my Empress to be accorded that respect.

"You’re not the only one who can surprise, Wife." I savor the word as it rolls off my tongue. It feels incredible to call her my wife. With Jane? She never wanted to be called that. She preferred we not refer to each other as husband and wife because it made her feel like a possession.

Tyler nods in my direction, and I acknowledge it. Then I lead my wife through the sword-arch. Familiar faces grin back at me: Brody, Nathan, Quentin, and other team-mates from my platoon who’ve flown here to attend the wedding. We emerge on the other side to more cheering from the crowds who’ve lined the square in front of the cathedral.

A gleaming carriage pulled by stately white stallions draws up.

I cringe at the thought of having to ride in it, but my Empress wanted to stick to tradition. She wanted to recreate the exact journey her mother and father made after they got married here, and her grandparents before that. She insisted that it makes for a better PR spectacle, and I realize, she’s right.

Besides, I aim to please her. And while it’s a security nightmare to ride through the streets of the city so exposed, I’ll be there to protect her. I pull on my gloves, take my bride’s bouquet, and help her in before following.

Another of my security team, doubling as a footman, shuts the door. I recognize the driver, too, as one of my men. Good. I also insisted on snipers being placed on the rooftops surrounding the square and along the route we’re going to take. I hand the bouquet to my wife, take her hand in mine, and the carriage sets off.

"That might have been the most stressful hour of my life." Tyler sighs as he shrugs off his jacket and places it over the back of his chair.

"You and me both, brother." I pour water from the jug and hand him a glass before taking one for myself. The crowds lining the streets seemed to number in the millions. Every inch of the sidewalks was overrun with people waving the flag of the country, with many shouting out congratulations as we passed them by. Tyler drove in the lead security car ahead of us, and Quentin followed in the car behind. Despite that, even knowing I had my personnel stationed along the route, I was unable to rest. The fact that my internal radar didn’t alert me told me that, likely, the person who targeted her saw the security and decided to pull back. Which made me more anxious. I refill my empty glass with water and toss it back before placing it on the counter with a thunk.

We are in the study in the cottage on the palace grounds which my wife and I will now share. Her father offered to lend it to us, but I insisted on buying it from him.

I wanted us to have a place that belongs to us, a space my wife could go to escape the influence of her father. Where she wouldn’t have to feel beholden to the people of this country. Where she could be herself, with me.

Of course, with the amount of money the Davenports are investing in the country, I could point out that I already own part of the Royal Palace itself, but I chose not to highlight that.

"So, the Duke of Verenza, huh?" Tyler sinks his bulk into the chair.

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