Page 31 of The Lynx and the Llama
“Nothing. It’s stupid to even think about it. I’m sure Quinn is doing fine back home and not thinking about me.”
Treasure blinked twice before responding.
“Something tells me he’s thinking about you.”
“You weren’t there when I made a fool of myself. God, I was so dang stupid! I ran out of the hotel room like a teenager. No. He has every right to ghost me.”
“Don’t you get it, Erika? The man’s in love with you!”
“Well, I don’t know about that,” Erika said, huffing and crossing her arms.
“Well, if you don’t believe me, that’s on you. But you must admit to yourself that you’re in love with him.”
“What’s the point? It’s not like we will ride off into the sunset together. He’s literally an ocean apart from me. Plus, the whole royalty thing is crazy, too. I’m not Cinderella.”
“Carol doesn’t exactly own glass combat boots, Erika.” Treasure made a clucking sound with her tongue before continuing. “All I’m saying is give him a chance if he calls. You never know!”
“You’re right. I will—if he calls.”
Erika didn’t want to admit defeat, but arguing with her was futile. She was adamant that she was right. But all Erika had was a mere flicker of hope that she desperately tried to put out so the flames wouldn’t consume her.
* * *
The day had finally come. King Rayan and Carol and King Mateo and Treasure decided on a double wedding. Erika was ecstatic for her friends, but her heart wasn’t happy. How could it be?
As she’d predicted, her heart shattered, and she hadn’t even had a real relationship with the guy! How pathetic was that? It split into a thousand pieces all on its own. It had been four days since Quinn left for British Columbia, and he hadn’t called or texted her. Not even once. She knew she’d really screwed things up with Quinn and all, but all so she wouldn’t get a broken heart!
The sad part about her stupid plan was that it didn’t work. She hated to admit it to Treasure the other day, but Treasure was right. Somehow, in the few days that she was with Quinn, she fell for him. She just wished she’d known it then and wished she said something to him. Maybe then he wouldn’t have ghosted her.
Erika walked down the long staircase from King Lear’s palace and out the patio doors to the altar. She made brief eye contact with the guests in their white wooden chairs on the outdoor lawn and garden that overlooked the ocean. Erika had little choice but to look up at the photographer and videographer. She could not ruin her friends’ weddings because of how heartbroken she was. So when she was halfway down the aisle, she looked up at everyone, including who was at the altar, and nearly tripped over her own two feet.
Standing at the altar with King Rayan and King Mateo, and dressed in a ceremonial minister stole, was Quinn. She tried to regain her composure, but her heart was now caught in her throat. Quinn’s smile broadened, making her practically run to the altar to meet him. Once she got there, she tossed her bouquet to her boss, King Rayan, and rushed into Quinn’s arms.
“You’re here! You’re really here! I can’t believe this.”
“I am, my kitten. I wanted to surprise you, but from now on, I’m never letting you go. These past few days have been sheer hell not being able to talk to you,” he said to her, and then he planted his lips on her mouth. The wedding guests fell silent.
Rayan cleared his throat. “Um, Quinn? Shouldn’t you wait to be doing that—you know, like after marrying us off?”
The guests began to laugh and clap. Erika broke from the kiss first and fixed her dress, smoothing out invisible wrinkles.
“Right. Sorry about that. I’ll just”—her voice broke briefly as she motioned to the flowers in Rayan’s hands—“take those from you now.”
“I’m just kidding with you, Erika! I knew Stan had it right—you two make a cute couple. It’s too bad he couldn’t make it today. Damned extradition paperwork is a bitch. It stalled the arraignment.”
“Yeah, it’s too bad, but I’m sure we will see him soon enough.”
Erika looked back at Quinn as she got into her place for the ceremony. “We’ll talk after?”
“You can count on that, kitten. Okay, shall we get this show on the road?”
The processional music came through the speakers, and King Lear escorted both Carol and Treasure down the aisle. Each of their dresses was stunning, with beaded crystals, lace, and long trains. Their soon-to-be husbands couldn’t take their eyes off of their brides. But Quinn wasn’t looking at them. His eyes were on Erika and Erika alone. Sure he had one more task to do—marry off some royals—but he didn’t have to focus on this too hard. Zagan was in custody, and Erika was safe. That was all that mattered to him. A long pause of silence grew, and Quinn realized he needed to start. He cleared his throat and began reading from his notes he’d printed off the website minutes before the wedding.
“Dearly beloved, we meet here today to witness a sacred ceremony: the union of His Royal Highness King Rayan and Her Royal Highness Carol, as well as the union of His Royal Highness King Mateo Abara and Her Royal Highness Treasure. With great reverence, we come together to celebrate the love and devotion shared by these four children of God that stand before us. We are especially blessed to be joined today by family and friends. The grooms and the brides are honored you could be here to take part in this momentous occasion.
“As the Bible reminds us in Corinthians, ‘If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.’
“Over the course of their relationships, our couples, King Rayan and Carol, and King Mateo and Treasure, have developed strong bonds. These are based on shared values and mutual respect. With a solid foundation from which to grow, they have decided to take the oath of marriage and spend the rest of their lives together.
