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“DEARLY BELOVED. WE are gathered here today to get through this thing called life. Electric word life—”
“Esme!” Payton screeched.
Both Lanta and Melis startled, as Esme giggled into her hand. Payton launched herself from her seat in the front row of chairs and marched to where Lanta and Melis stood in front of Huson.
“Am I not reading it right?” Huson asked, glancing from his tablet toward Payton.
Payton plucked Huson’s tablet from his hands. After a few seconds of reading she turned to glare at Esme. “You were supposed to double check to make sure I remembered the Bible passage correctly.”
“Uh-oh,” Melis said under his breath.
Lanta made a funny face at him. She and Melis had signed their bonding contract earlier in the morning so, officially, they were already a mated pair.
It had been a long day. And even longer week. When Payton said she was planning an American wedding ceremony, Lanta had been ecstatic. Payton and Esme were going to take care of all the details to make it as authentic as possible. The week had been fraught with many obstacles for Payton. So many that Lanta had told her they could skip the formal ceremony altogether. That had only earned Lanta a screech and a string of English curse words.
She thought Payton would’ve calmed down since the wedding ceremony was in progress, but Lanta was mistaken. Payton had been upset by everything from the setting of the chairs, which the staff had first arranged in a circle because they thought it would allow for better viewing of the couple by all guests, to the music that had played as the guests arrived. She’d wanted something soft and lovely, not the racket coming from Davi’s garage band (her words) that she got instead.
“I made some...tweaks,” Esme said. Payton growled and balled her fists. Esme ducked behind Xrez with a squeak.
“Oh, no you don’t.” Xrez moved one seat over. Despite the ballroom being completely filled with palace staff and other guests Melis had invited, Xrez and Esme had the entire front row of one side of the seating to themselves. It wasn’t that they hadn’t invited others to join them. No one had wanted to get near the arrancar who lay sprawled at Xrez and Esme’s feet.
Esme dropped her head back. “Payton,” she drawled out her name. “Seriously, what’s the difference between the Prince lyrics to what you had on this tablet? What you had written wasn’t a Bible passage. They’re both made up. One by you and one by Prince. I happen to like Prince’s lyrics better.”
Payton tore her glare from Esme and turned back to Huson. “Just...just ignore everything Esme added and stick to what I wrote.”
“Huson can read what’s there,” Lanta said, trying to keep the peace between Payton and Esme. “I don’t mind.”
“This is a very important part in the ceremony,” Payton told her, speaking slowly.
Esme leaned over and whispered to Xrez. “Says the person that keeps interrupting it,” she mumbled under her breath.
Payton glared at Esme again, as she stomped her way back to her seat. Themba, Chikondi and Aunt Varlah all had seats in the front row on the other side across from Esme and Xrez. Payton explained that the guests, depending on who invited them, bride or groom, were separated by sides. When Lanta had explained that she would only have two guests and one of them would be her maid of honor, Payton decided to let the guests sit anywhere they wanted.
“Can I continue now?” Huson asked.
“Please,” Payton said, exasperated.
“It means forever and that’s a mighty long time...”
Esme snickered.
“Read from the original file!” Payton yelled at Huson.
“This is much different than when I was the preacher for your wedding, Payton,” Maynara, Themba’s assistant, said too loudly.
Huson glared at Maynara. “I didn’t interrupt you when it was your turn to officiate. I’ll appreciate if you don’t while it’s mine.”
Maynara placed a hand on her chest and opened her eyes wide. “Oh, was I interrupting? I hadn’t noticed. Please. Proceed.”
“When will you announce me as the best man?” Mxolisi asked Huson. “Is it written there?”
“No one makes that announcement!” Payton said.
“Then how will people know that’s my title?” Mxolisi asked her.
“Because you entered with Melis. It’s assumed that you’re the best man.”
“But Melis was announced as the best man for Themba’s wedding. That’s not really fair.”
“No one announced Melis as the best man. He did that himself as he walked in.”
“Wait. Can we start over?” Mxolisi asked Melis. “I didn’t know I was supposed to do that.”
Melis turned toward the crowd. “Everyone, Mxolisi is my best man.” Then he turned back to Mxolisi. “There. Satisfied? Let’s get on with this. I’m supposed to kiss my bride soon.”
“I’m confused. I thought Prince Themba was the first heir?” someone from the back yelled.
“Has that changed?” Someone else said.
Huson looked at Melis. “Is that what ‘Best Man’ means? Should I begin the change over?”
“Oh! My! God!” Payton stood. “Huson, read what I gave you. Mxolisi be quiet or take a seat next to Esme. Melis and Lanta, stare lovingly into each other’s eyes.”
Payton sat back down with a huff and Elkah raised her hand.
“What?” Payton yelled.
“What am I to do?”
Payton frowned. “What are you to do? Oh, my God. Nothing. Just stand there and be happy, er, be yourself.”
Huson looked at his tablet. “The next part says I need to have rings. What did we decide to do with the ceremonial rings?”
Payton screeched. “Where is Jack?”
Everyone looked down and around.
“Mxolisi!” She screamed. “You were supposed to keep Jack by your side. He’s the ring bearer. The rings were tied to his collar.”
Mxolisi shrugged. “He needed to go outside.”
Payton groaned. They followed her gaze to the window. On the other side of it, digging a hole in the garden, was Jack.
“I tried so hard to make this her most memorable day ever,” Payton cried, as she buried her head on Themba’s shoulder.
“Can I point out this wouldn’t have happened if you would’ve let me be the ring bearer as I wanted?” Themba told her.
Melis took off one of the rings from his fingers and handed it to Lanta. “Proceed, Huson. My bride will have a ring.”
“Lanta, do you take Melis to be your husband?”
Although they were already mated and this was for ceremonial purposed only, emotion overwhelmed Lanta. “Yes.”
She held her finger out and Melis slipped the ring onto her thumb.
“Oh. My. God,” Payton cried.
Lanta turned toward Payton to find that Themba had his arms wrapped tightly around her.
Themba pat Payton’s back. “She’s emotional. Just so happy for you both. Continue.”
“Melis,” Huson said. “Do you take Lanta to be your bride?”
“Yes.” He held his thumb out and Lanta took off the ring he already had there and put it back on.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride!” Huson declared.
Melis grabbed Lanta into an embrace. “I love you.”
“I love you more.”
“Can someone at least help me catch Jack so I can get the rings from his collar?” Payton asked.
“Is this where she throws the bouquet?” Chikondi asked.
“It’s only for single females,” Aunt Varlah told her. “Lanta will throw it to me.”
After Melis broke the kiss, Lanta tossed the bouquet to Aunt Varlah.
“No! Not yet!” Payton yelled.
Melis pulled Lanta into another embrace and whispered into her ear, “Payton said we must attend a reception now, but can we skip it and get to the honeymoon? From what I understand there’s a lot of sex involved.”
Lanta glanced at Payton. She was trying to wrestle the bouquet away from Aunt Varlah and was losing. “Should we run or walk away calmly?”
Melis grabbed her hand and pulled her. “Run!”
Davi’s band began playing again, almost drowning out Payton’s curses.