Antonio and Lucio followed Marco's lead and put their glasses down. A moment later, their parents entered the church. His father leaned on his mother for support now that they were inside, because the march in must havedrainedhim.
Antonio saw how much his father had improved and prayed for continued good health. He opened the door wider for his parents to join him in theprivateroom.
The moment they walked inside, his mother placed her hand on his cheek and did the same to his brothers. "My handsome sons." She then focused on him again and music played in the church, as if on cue. "Antonio, let's go take yourplace."
Antonio stayed still for a moment and then asked, "Mother what happens if we lost the vote and people want us toleave?"
She shrugged. "Then we leave for England and you're free to live a life with your Kristin, but I wouldn't hold any hope for that. This has been our home since your father's ancestors left Rome and founded this church and our kingdom. We never belonged in that English estate. We belong here and we were granted this from land as our destiny. There weremiracles."
"Yes, when Mary made it snow here. We know the story." History was an easy subject to fall back on as Antonio thought that perhaps their mother was right. Maybe the intrigue was all because of jealous peers and now the people of their kingdom could beheard.
She nudged hisshoulder. "Go."
Antonio nodded and crooked his elbow. "We're going." It was time to ensure everyone was in place by the altar. "Walk with me, Father. Lucio, getMother."
Lucio held out his arm for their mother who asked, “Lucio, before we go, why did you suspectSophia?”
Antonio stopped andlistened.
“In England?” Lucio spoke cooly. “She helped you end things withSabrina.”
Their mother’s face went white. “She wasn’t right foryou,son.”
Lucio met Antonio’s curious gaze then looked away. “Mother, let’s not get into this. You never saw Sophia for who she truly was—Idid.”
Now was not the time for Antonio to ask more. Antonio and his father waited at the door for their cue. "Father, when did you know that Mother would be the “right” one tomarry?"
"After working with her for twenty-four hours." His father's laugh made him look twenty years younger. "No one had ever dared speak to me like she had and everything she said about me was right. I knew I needed her honest and lovely face in my life, more than I needed waterorfood."
Right. In his gut Antonio had known Kristin was the one for him as soon as she’d kept her cool after dropping her purse. The wedding planner, Maria, held up her hand. Ten seconds. Antonio quickly said, "If Kristin and I are as happy as you both are then I'm trulyblessed."
"Goodluck,son."
The musicstarted.
They marched down the aisle as monarch and futuremonarch.
Cameras were on them both the entire time, and Antonio held his breath and tried to smile for the camera as best hecould.
His father sat with his mother in thefrontpew.
Then Marco walked Renee, demure and pretty in soft pink, down the aisle tothedais.
Finally Kristin, dressed all in white, appeared like an angel in the distance. His skin grew goosebumps and his heart raced. Her dark hair piled on top of her hair, a curl looping over her shoulder, her essence radiant. She walked herself down the aisle and held his eyes the entire way. Confident. Once she joined him, he brushed his hand against hers. "You take my breath away,Kristin."
"I made it to you." She smiled, her breaths short as if she’d run amarathon.
The priest performed the ceremony, and Antonio couldn't keep his eyes off Kristin. She truly was the one. He felt a tear form in his eye but he wipedthataway.
The priest then said, "If anyone has any just cause why these two should not be wed, let them speak now or forever hold theirpeace."
Silence clung to the room. The priest then said another prayer and Kristin whispered, "I was afraid someone was going tospeak."
"I'd not let them." He brushed his hand against hers. If she wasn't holding those flowers, he'd have heldherhand.
She whispered, "Now that Ibelieve."
The priest looked at Antonio like he was an errant school boy. "Repeat after me. I, His Royal Highness, Prince Antonio Cosimo Francesco Gastone Giuliano Piero Lorenzo Aussa of the House of Lukceva, take you, Kristin Wells, for my lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death douspart."
