There was a knock on the door, and I smiled. “How about now?”
The door opened and my father stepped into the room, looking dashing in a black and silver suit and cloak.
“Are you ready, Ava?” he asked, wiping his hands on his slacks.
&nbs
p; “Yes, Dad,” I said. I wanted to ask if he was ready, if he was prepared to walk me down the aisle and give me away so soon after getting me, but I bit my tongue. I didn’t believe in that crap and needling him right now probably wasn’t the best idea. “But I wanted to introduce you to my bridesmaids first.” I stepped towards my father and motioned to my sisters. “This is Bella, and this is Courtney.”
He stared at me, then slowly pivoted to look at my sisters. There was a moment where nothing happened. He just stared. I wasn’t sure if he was in shock or if he was just trying to take the moment in. My sisters waited, which I was grateful for.
Finally, my father cleared his throat. “It’s... wonderful to meet you. But... you don’t look the same as I expected you to.”
He was trying to be funny, I could tell, the tension in the room could be cut with a razor.
Courtney crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin.
“Well, Ava told us to magic up a disguise so that none of the Council recognized us,” she said, almost defensively. “We all have mother’s eyes and some would say we look quite alike.”
That wasn’t quite true. We were distinctly different, but I just couldn’t take the risk. Not when the consequences were so severe. Not when I couldn’t imagine what those consequences could be.
He nodded, obviously not able to formulate the next words.
I couldn’t stand it. There would be time for them to get to know each other after the ceremony.
“Is it time to go, Dad?” I asked, breaking the silence. I didn’t want to interrupt them, but at the same time, I couldn’t be late.
I’d thought of this moment for the past four weeks, the moment when my baby sisters would finally meet their father. A man we’d all dreamt of for decades. I wasn’t sure they would appreciate the gesture since I had been the only one so insistent on going out and finding him, but I didn’t care. We were all together, and that was all that mattered.
But now that the moment was finally here, there was no joyous hugging. No happy cries of relief to finally have found him. The man our mother should have married. If anything, my sisters weren’t quite sure how to respond to him. And I didn’t know if that was a good thing or not.
It had taken me time to accept, and love my father. It would take my sisters time too. I respected that. I understood it. I just hoped my father felt the same way.
Our father dragged his gaze back to me and shook himself. “Ah, yes. They’re all waiting. Tavlor’s practically pacing.”
He chuckled. The sound was forced, but there was some humor in it.
I grinned at the image his words evoked and took the arm my father offered me. He would be conducting the ceremony today, but he was also the one to ‘give’ me away.
I waved my hand at my sisters.
“Courtney, go first. I’ll meet you both at the top of the aisle,” I instructed. I had never seen a real wedding before, but all of Bella’s book were enough for me to go on. And since today was my day anyway...
Bella gave me a quick smile before she headed out the door and towards the ‘aisle’ they’d made for us, leading up to the place where Tavlor would be waiting for me.
My father grinned as we walked out the door. I clung to him as we moved together, towards the sounds of a crowd up ahead.
Abigail and some of her beautiful Fae people had thrown together a lavish feast with decorations and music, all for Tavlor and myself.
As we turned a corner and stepped deeper into the forest, I saw the wedding party.
They were standing amongst a cleared area. There were shifters, and Fae and witches and warlocks. Some of the people I’d grown incredibly close to over the past month of hard work.
I’d been able to change a little so far, but what I had achieved, had been to see to the comfort of the people in the realms I’d already visited.
The shifters had more food, more clothing, better housing.
The Fae had the same. My father and I had also managed to channel some of the king’s magic into the rest of his kingdom.