I laughed hard. “My family? You obviously don’t know who my mother was.”
I glanced at his parents, and they all shook their heads. They weren’t being sarcastic; they genuinely didn’t know.
Poor people. They’d been willing to be dragged into a battle they hadn’t been prepared for. And this man... dragged into a marriage that he would have hated.
I looked straight at the puppet the Council had chosen to be my father’s successor. Cedric.
“My mother was Genevieve Melfi,” I announced, courage making my voice grow strong. “An incredible witch, but one who didn’t stick by anyone’s rules. So, believe me when I say you dodged a bullet today. I would not have been an easy wife to live with, and I was never giving up my right to be my father’s heir... so...”
I let the words hang in the air, to give the family some consolation so that they weren’t too devastated with the turn of events.
The mother, I assumed, by the age in her face and the close family resemblance to her son, stepped forward.
“But why fight so hard, and almost lose everything?” she asked. Clearly, she didn’t understand what it was like to have something to fight for. “Do you already have a man in mind that you wish to marry?”
I nodded and reached back, taking Tavlor’s hand and drawing him forward. “I do. I accepted Tavlor’s offer of marriage days ago. I love him, and I can’t imagine a better, nor more powerful warlock to guide me through this role.”
Disgust tainted their three faces.
The father spit on the floor. “That’s an abomination of the blood lines! The Council will never support it!”
“They already have,” I said with a shrug.
Before they could respond, I dragged my lover back to the door behind us that would lead us straight back to my bedroom where we could celebrate our victory.
“The Council can kiss my ass,” I muttered.
I turned my back on the future the Council had wanted for me, one of servitude and pain.
And made my way forward with the man of my dreams, and the support of everyone who was important to me.
Epilogue: A month later.
“THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR coming,” I said, gripping my sisters’ hands and staring into their strangely brown eyes. Despite everything we had gone through to get to this point, and the fear in my heart that they would be discovered today, I was still intensely glad they were here with me. I didn’t think I could do this without them.
“We wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” Bella said, squeezing my hand and smiling from behind a face I didn’t recognize.
Courtney ran her hand through her straight, dark hair. “I still don’t think we needed to come in full disguises like this.”
I rolled my eyes for what felt like the tenth time. “Court. Please. Things with the Council are still super prickly, and if they, even for a minute, realize I’m not Dad’s only heir...”
Then my life could be forfeit. Not to mention what they may do to my sisters.
Courtney sighed. “Yeah. I know. I’m sorry. This is your day. I’ll do whatever you ask.”
She forced a smile and I rolled my eyes.
“Thank you.” I said, grinning. It was my day.
My wedding day. I still couldn’t believe it. To think that I’d ever get married.
I’d asked both Bella and Courtney to come completely disguised. They were now both brunette’s with brown eyes and a few freckles spackled across their noses. Thanks to the fact that Tavlor and I were getting married in a Fae realm, the magic that my sisters had used to disguise themselves wouldn’t wash away as it would have in the Council magical realm.
“At least you get to meet our father for the first time,” I said, glancing at my sisters from beneath my eyelashes.
My hair was curled and styled up on top of my head, and I was wearing a tight, white dress. And for a bit of fancy, Abigail had created silk butterflies and flowers that decorated my waist.
“Yes. When do you think that will happen?” Bella asked.