Chapter 169: The Wedding Part I

Chapter 169: The Wedding Part I
Kenneth’s POV
Amidst all the emotions flying around the room, there was a renewed hope that life was not lost after all. The family everyone had feared was completely gone—leaving behind only revenge—was actually alive, well, and restored to power.
With the restoration ceremony and our mating ceremony out of the way, there was only one thing left to do before we returned to write our examinations and settle fully into ruling.
Two months later, the Northern Kingdom beckoned to us once again. I stood nervously, waiting for my bride as we conducted the civil marriage required by the human government. We did not need it, but we had to comply with human law.
We were left with a month before our examinations, and everyone was on their toes. The one struggling the most was Lucy. We found out a month ago that we were going to be parents. She had already been pregnant when we went to war—three and a half months along. The tricky part was that we had not been able to detect it.
The little guy was already a master of disguise. A smile graced my lips as I imagined a little one running around the house, me chasing them up and down—exhausted, with no choice but to love every second of it. I imagined how Lucy would be with our little cub. She was a disciplinarian, while I was the soft one when it came to cubs. I was certain she would be the one to straighten out our children.
The wedding song began to play, and I turned to face the entrance, my breath hitching as I saw her—my Queen, the love of my life, the Queen of my kingdom—adorned in her elegant wedding regalia.
I stood there, stunned and speechless, her beauty radiating and capturing my heart all over again. She was the epitome of beauty. Her flawless light complexion complemented my dark one as I took her hand in mine, her father—King Lemot Foster the Fourth—handing her over to me.
“I hand my little princess over to you today, knowing with full assurance that you will treat her like the Queen she is. Otherwise, I will drag you to hell and back if you do otherwise!” Mr. Foster whispered in my ear.
Well, not really whispered—because everyone present burst into laughter while I cringed at the threat, clearly indicating they had heard his words.
I smiled back and assured him that I would never give him reason to drag me to hell—that I would willingly go there myself if I ever allowed anything to happen to her without doing everything in my power to stop it.
With vows spoken and rings exchanged, we were officially husband and wife.
“I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Paige!” the officiator announced.
“You may kiss the bride!” Cheers rang out as I proudly—and hungrily—smooched her, caring not that her bright lipstick smeared all over my face. I was the happiest man alive and didn’t care about anything else.
I lifted my bride into my arms and carried her to the room where she had to change. It was time for the couple’s dance, and there was no way she could dance in such a massive gown.
I waited outside while my mother and her mother helped her change. Once they were done, her mom opened the door and beckoned me inside.
“Omalicha! You are the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen—no, the only beautiful bride as radiant and elegant as you look right now,” my mother cooed in her lovely Nigerian accent as she hugged Lucy tightly. I feared for my little seed in her womb until she finally let go.
My breath hitched instantly.
Lucy looked exactly like a Nigerian bride—adorned in a traditional, body-hugging wedding dress, complete with a dramatically elegant head wrap. I had no idea how my mother arranged all of this. Lucy looked like a model straight out of a bridal magazine, her small bump already visible. Her smile captivated me as she flashed her white teeth.
My mother rushed over, grabbed my hand, and pulled me aside. “Come, Nkem!” She pointed at a traditional matching shirt and told me to change into it. It fit perfectly, as if whoever made it had measured me beforehand. I looked at her gratefully. I knew she had gone to great lengths to make our day special.