“Fine. We’ll skip the wedding part and go straight to the honeymoon.” He pulls back the covers and begins to slide in next to me. I yelp and jump out of bed.

The king steps away and sticks his hands into his pockets. He’s wearing a uniform with a sash, and it takes me a minute to realize that’s what he’ll be wearing today when we get married.

I rub the sleep from my eyes and give him my best glare.

“Just so you know, you’re not frightening at all in the morning,” he says, smirking. “You look like a pissed-off kitten.”

“Say that again, and I’ll castrate you with a butter knife.”

His lips quirk. “Ah, lucky me to have such a blushing bride.”

“Isn’t it bad luck to see me before the wedding?” I ask, folding my arms over my chest.

“What, you think our luck can get any worse?” the king says, raising an eyebrow. He has a point.

Before I can formulate a response, he walks to the door and ushers in a group of women who carry bags of makeup and hair supplies. I grimace at the sight.

“I’ll see you in a couple of hours, Serenity,” the king says, and then he’s gone.

By the time I’m sitting in a small room waiting to be ushered down the aisle, a cold emptiness has settled in me. I’m wearing a dress I didn’t pick out, holding flowers I don’t care for, wearing makeup and hair someone else has styled, and I’m waiting to be married to a man I don’t love because of orders someone else gave.

There’s a rap on the door, and it opens after a moment. A young guard sticks his head in. “We’re ready for you.”

I shake out my arms and crack my neck. I’m supposed to be gathering my courage, not falling apart. I nod and follow him out, bringing the bouquet up to my chest.

Flashes go off, and cameras pan in on me. The photographers press against the velvet rope they’re prohibited from crossing.

All I need to do is march down this hallway, then the aisle.

Easy, I tell myself.

I’m a horrible liar. I might as well be walking the plank. I’m just as frightened as I would be if my life were on the line. I have no one to hold my arm, and even though I don’t believe in giving someone away (my current situation case in point), it’d be nice to not face this alone. That thought makes me think of my father and how unhappy he’d be if he could see me now.