Chapter 159 EPILOGUE....HAPPILY EVER AFTER....
EPILOGUE…HAPPILY EVER AFTER AND A WEDDING.
SEVEN YEARS AFTER.
LUCIEN’S POINT OF VIEW.
I always knew I would marry Sloane. Or rather, the thought was always engraved in my soul from the very moment I saw her walk through the golden doors of Ravenscroft High; I guess I just needed to fall in love with her first to fully realize it. We weren’t before a large crowd or extravagant décor, filled with the press breathing down on us with every moment.
We didn’t need it. I wanted it, I wanted to show the world how beautiful a bride Sloane would make, but she was shy; she didn’t want it. So I respected it.
Gathered around was only family. Sloane’s family, mine, the horsemen, and the girls. We’d lived together throughout college, even though Sloane objected at first. There was no point fighting it; I wouldn’t live anywhere she wasn’t. The reason I chose the college she went to was that she was going to be there.
Studying business was a breeze; there was nothing taught that I didn’t already know, so it felt like time just folded over, while I got to spend time with the one person who mirrored my soul.
“Big day,” Theo whispered beside me with a chuckle. He was my best man, along with the guys who stood in a straight line beside him. They all looked dapper in their black, sleek suits as they stared ahead, waiting for the star of the day to walk forward… my future wife. Well, my future is in a couple of seconds.
“Yeah…” I released a slow exhale.
“Nervous?” Cassian teased, making me release a pfft as if he’d told the craziest joke.
“I'm never nervous.”
“So why is your leg shaking?” Cassian chuckled, making me turn to him. His green eyes glinted with sick joy as he smiled at me. I stared at my leg to see that it was indeed shaking.
“Mind your damn business, you fucker.” I hissed. “This isn’t out of nervousness. It's because I'm excited.” I scoffed, turning to stare ahead instead of the toad-faced fucker.
“Well, nervousness might be a form of excitement….so I'm right.” He added.
“Can you guys stop bickering for once?” Kai hissed, and Ace nodded, but I didn’t trust them. I clearly saw the mirth in their eyes, and it made me think something was up.
“Don’t you dare.” I hissed.
“I mean, if Lucien is such a baby waiting to see his Sloane, let's leave him to be nervous. After all, none of us ever thought he would work up the balls to ask her to be his girlfriend in the first place.” He added, and cue in the snickers as the guys desperately tried to hide their laughter. The priest hissed beside us, casting a mean side eye towards us.
“Oh, please, you’re one to talk. Everyone thought you would be the last one to be married, Ace. But look, you’re also a father.” I countered, and we glanced over at baby Jules sucking on his pacifier in his grandmother's hold. He and Amara didn’t wait like Sloane made us do. He married her the week before we left for college in a secret getaway before they had the full ceremony two weeks ago.
I was beside myself with shock when I found out, because a part of me thought Sloane and I would be the first to do it, but it turns out, we’re the last, because even Theo’s married to Seraphina. He also let go of his duke status because he didn't want to be burdened with the darkness his father harbored in the position.
The decision came with a lot of backlash, especially because the royal family blamed Seraphina, accusing her of being a witch, and put statements out in the press that would have caused Sera to be attacked by angry fans. But Theo shut it down by exposing every single detail about his father, along with the evidence he had, and the royal family’s involvement in hiding the evil Phillip Kingswell did.
That made all of them much calmer as they regarded Seraphina as the light that saved Theo from a possible life of hell, and coined the massive fan movement for their love. They were also parents. Besides baby Jules were their twins, Ashley and Aaron, who were not more than eight months old.
My mother held onto them with a joyous gaze as she played with them as gently as possible. She’d made an amazing recovery after the horror Eldric had inflicted on her. I’d made sure to spend as much time with her, especially every Thursday of the week, so we could make up for lost time.
She’d also met a guy, Arnan, who sat beside her with a shy expression full of love as he stared only at her. Before either of us could give a retort to each other, the bride’s music came in, and it was a cue for everyone except the people holding babies to rise as we all watched my perpetual happiness walk into the garden.
My Sloane….My forever.
SLOANE’S POINT OF VIEW.
I was getting married, and it was to the love of my life. It felt like everything in the world made sense again. I’d just finished college and returned from a successful tour, rounding off that chapter of my life so I could finally be tied to the one guy I have loved since we were teenagers.
The girls giggled all around me as Seraphina did my makeup, while Amara focused on my dress. Aliana and Amira, the two girlfriends I made in college, focused on my hair. I could have had the most professional team doing all this, but I specifically wanted only those I made a connection with to handle my big day.
Amara was a professional in her own right, though. Now a world-class designer, she’d made sure my dress was something only dreams could speak about. I still hadnt seen it, but I knew it would be perfect. She didn’t let anyone get a glimpse of it, not even the man she’d run away to marry years ago, my brother Ace.
“Ahh…it’s dress time.” She said excitedly, clapping her hands as she shooed Seraphina away.
“Just a moment, I need to add the glitter.” Sera giggled too, her dark hair perfectly styled in a cute bob now. She’d cut it short a couple of weeks ago on a whim one day. She’s an amazing boss at what she did; it made me very pleased to see her shine in the life she’d always wanted, especially in the fact that I left it for her……
“Ugh, Sera,” Amara whined. “You’ve been at it for hours now, let Sloane see my masterpiece.” We giggled in unison at her antics, and Sera added the finishing touches before stepping away. My nerves felt like they were on fire, and I knew why.
It wasn’t just because of the wedding, or that I was about be tied to the love of my life….it was also that we were going to be a family. I’d felt sick a couple of weeks ago, but waved off heading to the hospital because I thought it was wedding planning stress. But my body had other plans.
One too many missed appointments with the doctor over my birth control implants here and there, added to a missed period, and I discovered I was two months pregnant…..Lucien doesn’t know; not yet.
I plan on letting him know later tonight on our way to the honeymoon.
“Come on, Sloane…….let’s get you married!”