Chereads / His Bride Not Mate / Chapter 13 - Chapter 12.

Chapter 13 - Chapter 12.

Nelson's POV

For the first time in my life, I was really looking forward to getting married. I was eager for them to get over and done with the entire process, and most importantly, I was scared she would change her mind at the very last minute, and then disappear. 

I looked towards the altar, her brother frowning at me as he disapproved of our marriage, the councilors looking as scheming as ever, and a few other guests they claimed to be important. The only person I  was interested in was the one whom everyone was waiting for to come in through those doors. 'Anytime now darling', I thought to myself.

"You look excited, mate." Matt elbowed me. He hit the nail right on the head. In fact, excitement does not cut it. I couldn't wait for the ceremony to start and end as soon as possible.

"You fancy her, don't you? I've never seen you this interested in someone." I couldn't deny that I was acting strangely, after all, I was trying my best to hide it, but I guess I failed in trying to achieve that. "The ceremony is starting." 

The entrance began with a slow hymn, everyone stood as the bride walked in, with a veil cascading over her face. She  was more beautiful than the stars in the sky combined, even the veil over her face could not hide her beauty. How could I not want to unveil her, now I can understand the eagerness of a man on his wedding day as he battled the urge to hurriedly get the annoying thing out of the way, and see her beautiful face once again. How would I not want to see her beautiful face, how would I not want to see how beautifully she smiles, how would I not want to see my goddess. 

Finally, while holding her father's hand, she makes her way to the altar. I could see through the veil that she did not look happy, and not just that, but her father was the reason. What the hell was this man doing to his daughter to make her this sad even on her wedding day. I quickly swept away her hand from his once they reached the altar, now that's one problem solved.

The vicar starts the process, but I really don't care about what he's saying, I had only one focus, and that was to get this over with. 

"May I have the rings?" Says the vicar.

Matt brought forward the Ivory and black velvet ring boxes containing our wedding bands. Both customized to fit royalty. I did that all for Lilian because she is a queen and deserves to be treated in the same vein.

"This beautifully crafted ring is an outward reminder of our inner unity, your worth in my eyes and a bond which is stronger than any obstacle." I say as I slide the ring down her finger. Our eyes locked on the others.

"Nelson, my alpha, take this ring as a symbol of my vow to you. I'll be your faithful partner forevermore." She said those words with so much conviction. It had me hooked. 

Our audience looked on in an emotion I couldn't explain because we all knew why we were here and I could hear faint whispers in the background 

"And now, you may exchange vows." 

Of course, experiencing your own wedding requires a lot of patience because I had to wait for an hour just to make her mine. It took every ounce of patience I had to stop myself from putting a stop to the protocols and just take my bride home. Away from the prying eyes of her father, the councilors and townspeople.

"Today I say, 'I do' but to me that means, 'I will'. As we are joined together today, I'll make sure to never leave your side. I dedicate myself to making sure that genuine  happiness,content, and laughter will never cease from your days. 

You are what dreams are made of and I cannot wait to see our reality unfold.

I promise to be your light in the darkness, a warm blanket in the cold, and a shoulder to lean on when life becomes too much to deal with. You will never be alone.

Give me your hand, and I will give you my heart forever.

You are loved more than any adjective can try to express. I vow to always protect you from harm, to stand with you against all troubles and protect you always".

I have no idea when those words came out of my mouth, it was not like I had written it down, but it sounded much better. I couldn't help myself and I was god that I didn't.

I might be wrong but she's been rubbing her palms with the bouquet subconsciously. It was time for her to say her vows. I'm a tad bit anxious to hear what she has to say. She looks like she's about to take off for a second, then like the warrior that I know she is, she lifts her head, looks me square in the eyes and starts talking. 

"As they say, there is no remedy for love, but to love more. Today and forever I have decided to go by his words and seek my remedy in your arms.

You make me laugh without reason, you make me see life differently and above all, you make me appreciate life.

I promise to be your best friend, wife and confidant, my alpha. I promise to honor, love, and cherish you and be obedient through all life's adventures. I'll follow your lead while you navigate us through destiny". 

She said all those words with her eyes boring into mine. For a split second, I could have sworn that she felt the same way I did. For publicity, this is good. For us, I'm not sure. But I will revel in it while it lasts.

My vows pushed her. She must have seen it as a competition. If only she knew how true those words were to me.

"You may now kiss the bride." The moment I reached her, she flinched and as if she had been scalded by fire. She took a step back. The entire crowd gasped and she bowed her head in embarrassment, there's absolutely no way I was going to blame her for this, she was going to kiss a man she hardly knew, I too would be angry if I came and saw another man in my place if she was forced to marry someone else just like she's doing with me.

I could only make an attempt to try to calm her down. "Lilian." I calmly called out to her, she continued to avoid my eyes and each time I made an attempt to reach for her she would back away again. In time, the number of murmurs grew and the people began to mock both of us. Her father looked more nervous than anyone else, he was glaring at her all the way from his seat which by the way was very far from the altar on my orders. He couldn't even give her any respect, not even on the day of her wedding. Damn, just what did you have to go through living with that bastard of a father. 

"Nelson" 

Matt said, holding me back by the shoulder. 

"We have to do something about this otherwise we would turn into a laughing stock." 

For a while I stopped, considering what Matt had said. This could cause a scratch on my reputation and worse tarnish it. If I walk away right now, no one would blame me and I would be able to save my reputation and shift the blame to the council for picking the wrong woman and stall a while before I marry however… The woman in front of me was not just anybody. 

I push down Matt's hand and make my way to Lilian, as she once again tries to back away I quickly grab her by the hand, right behind her were curious eyes fixated on knowing what we're going to do next. 

"I...I…. am sorry." She cried. 

Her tears made me feel helpless and I didn't know what to do. Myriads of reasons as to why she suddenly became weak and sad went through my mind. I didn't like this one bit.

I might be terrible at comforting people but I hope my true feelings might reach you. I brace myself and kiss her before she could reject me once again. She had probably seen it coming but could only struggle to break free for a short time, and before I knew it, she had wrapped her arms around my neck. 

Her lips were so soft and I could taste like rosemary, even her scent enchanted me that I could almost lose my mind. This moment, I want to savor it, and treasure every second we spend. If I could I would pause time just so we can stay this way. Once our lips separated, I found her touching her upper lip. The sound of applause surrounded us, even if most of it was certainly feigned, I didn't mind, because now I have the one I wanted by my side. 

My dear mystery woman.