Sebastian was hoping nervous from one foot to the next, the bride and her family had just arrived at the church. So the ceremony would start soon, but he was not allowed to enter the hall. Because of reasons he did not understand, Adam was with him though, only that was not helping it all.

"Mister Colevile." A woman said, a young woman with golden blond hair, green eyes and in a light pink bridesmaid dress approached him. It was one of the girls for the jewelry store yesterday. "Congratulations, I am here with gifts. One from the bride and one from myself." She handed him a box. "Open this one first, because the ceremony is about to start and you want to wear these."

"Thank you, Gloria." He said, he was so glad that he remembered her name. He opened the box and saw two little cuff links. Both were made out of white gold with two little hearts engraved in it. "They look a lot like the ring." She nodded.

"They were made by the same designer, and they are in a match with the gift I am giving you. But you might not have time to open that one." She said, he nodded and started to change those old and boring links he got in now.

"Adam can you place these somewhere?" Sebastian asked, holding up his two old cuffs. But Adam shook his head.

"Sorry boss, but I am already babysitting those rings." He replied. Gloria looked at him and rolled her eyes.

"Are you not the best mam?" She asked, but Adam shook his head. "Then what are you?"

"The fall-in man." Adam replied. Sebastian already put the cuffs in his own pocket, and sighed. This man was maybe the only friend he got, but that those not mean that he would take all his crap. He wanted to open his mouth, but the pastor appeared in the doorway. Meaning the ceremony was starting and he needed to enter the room.

"I will see you later, I am the Maid of Honor and I do take my duties serious." Gloria said and she rushed off. Sebastian smiled, he was glad that his future wife had such good friends. Although he met two of them, but still two were more than what he got. He walked into the room and stood on the spot that was marked for him. Facing all the guests how bother to come, his family, his fiancée's family. So more rich people, that only loved the free food and the party that would take place after the fact. The wedding march started to play, the guest rose up, and the double door swung open. A man in his late fifties was guiding the other young woman from the jewelry store down the aisle. She gave him a large smile, and he was aware that his mouth was standing open. He quickly closed it, if this was Aemilia Quince she had fooled him greatly. And he thanked God that he had followed her list to the letter. Her father stopped right in front of him and gave him a smile.

"Sebastian Covile am I right about that?" The man asked, it was maybe wrong to assume it was her father. But who else was walking her down the aisle. So Sebastian said nothing and simply nodded. "I can understand the shock you are most in, finding out that you were going to marry my princess, so late in the game."

"That is an understatement sir. But I will do my best to do right by her." Sebastian said. He looked at Aemilia and she smiled. "She is treating me well this far." Her father nodded and sighed.

"I hope for you that you do. But I know that my daughter is not an easy person to deal with. She has, like most young women her age, her own mind." Her father said, while giving her hand to Sebastian. "Take care of her."

"All right this is my quo then." The pastor said, and he started the ceremony. Sebastian started to give Aemilia the vows and she did that in return. "Now it is time for the rings." Sebastian looked at Adam, who did the old-fashioned stunt of pretending that he did not have the rings. "Sir, we are at a wedding, not a comedy show." Sebastian thanked the man for saying this and Adam sighed.

"Tough crowed." He said under his breath, while giving Sebastian the rings. The rings Aemilia herself helped him pick them. He placed the ring on her finger and she again did the same for him.

"With this I pronounce you husband and wife. Alright you may kiss the bride." The pastor said, Sebastian looked at Aemilia.

"May I kiss you on the cheek, because we are not at the kiss on the lips stage." He asked and she nodded. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. The guests started to clap, he kept hanging there for a second. "I love the dress."

"Thank you, I hate it. But my mother... She will come for you during the reception." She said, coming for him, why? But he was not going to ask that here and now, He straightened his back and together with his new wife, strange to name her that way, they walked down the aisle. Gloria followed her and by the doors, Aemilia let go of his hand to hug her friend. "Can you help me out of this dress." He could hear Aemilia say to Gloria. Hid she hated it that much? But he remembered that she told him that she did not like big fancy stuff. So this all made sense.

"Are you sure, your mother is still on a war path. Do you want to make him deal with her on his own?" Gloria said. "I know he is a grown man, and he can take care of himself. But your mother is called the shark for goodness’s sake." Aemilia look at him and nodded.

"Then we need to take him with use." She said, he shook his head. He was not going to be with her in the same room when she was changing clothes. The kiss was as far as he was going to take it today.

"No I am fine, believe me I amused to sharks. My family is full of them." He said, she looked at him and he sighed. "Go change if this dress makes you uncomfortable." He said and he motioned for her to go. "I will be fine." She nodded and left with Gloria. This was indeed far from idle, but then again they might be married. But they did not know each other. He sighed and looked at the people who came out of the hall. Some of them wished him well, others congratulated him. Some membered of his family, specially the younger men were condoling him after he lost 'his freedom'. Newsflash to them, with a man like his father there was not such thing as freedom.

"He, you are married and it seemed to me that you already get along with your wife." His father said, his hand landed on his shoulder. "Adam told me that the reason you skipped work yesterday is to arrange a warm welcome for her inside your home."

"He is correct about that, father. She is going from her comfort place, to mine. All I can do is make her feel at home, that means have her favorite flowers in her bedroom. The bathroom items she is used to." Sebastian said.

"Really, her favorite flowers?" A woman, who looked a lot like Aemilia's older sister. But in her tone of her voice she made clear that she was much older then that.

"Pink roses, madam. I also have a rich collection of rose and jasmine soaps and at the home. Her favorite meal is authentic noodle soup and her favorite chocolate is filled the sweet cabinet inside the kitchen. My wife would sleep in a separate room, which has its own bathroom. Until we are both comfortable changing this agreement, she those not have to worry about her job. She can stay at my place, or keep on working. I am not the type of guy who is going to tell her what or what not to do." He was rambling, but her father was also standing next what he assumed be shark mom. And in his opinion it was a good thing to have this all out there.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"And what is her favorite chocolate?" Her mother asked.

"Milk, and I bought again different brands and varieties. All Fairtrade of course." He said with a nod. "I hope that you already have my address, and I hope you would be able to visit use after the honeymoon."

"Honeymoon?" Her father asked. "I was not aware of a honeymoon." Sebastian nodded.

"It is not much sir, the next three days in a spa hotel in the next town over." Sebastian said. "That was all I could do, on such a short notice." Her father nodded.

"But she those not like spa's" Her mother piped up. Sebastian frowned and got the list of things Aemilia liked out of his inside pocket. His new shark-in-law looked at it. Sebastian went over the list.

"You are right about that, but she likes a musical that is currently playing in the theater, in that set town and yes I got tickets." Sebastian said, that of the spa was a lie. She clearly wrote down that she loved a day inside the spa. He is never been into one, but he had heard that it was relaxing something he could use after all of this. "And it gives use some time to get to know each other. I have booked two separate books, sir." Her father, his new father-in-law nodded once again.

"Give the man some grace, darling." Her father said. "He just got married."

"That is no excuse to slack off." Her mother pipped up. "He got married into our family, to our only daughter. That means he needs to raise to a curtain level." Sebastian already knew that, although his family was not that high on the rich social ladder, it was also not all the way at the bottom. It was high enough to get this marriage, but that was with his brother not him. He reminded himself. "Our daughter was promised the firstborn, not the second-best version." This was indeed true.

"My son is a hard worker, madam. And I want to apologize for my eldest, it was also news to me. I did not even know that he had a girlfriend, but children what can you do?" His father said. Of course this was all about Albany, it was his wedding, but it was all about the golden child. "You can raise them, guide them. But at the end of the day they will make their own decisions." Aemilia's father nodded.

"My daughter is the same, although she did not bounce. She stayed true to the commitment." Her father said. He then looked at Sebastian, who was standing with his arms slumped. "But you have at least one son that is willing to try his best for our daughter. Did you know she fooled him yesterday, she is the owner of the jewelry store where he bought the rings. And she helped him picking out the rings of her favorite designer." Sebastian looked at his father. "She only did not tell him who she was, she even gave him the list with things she liked." His father narrowed his eyes.

"My son is indeed a gentleman, but he is also a fool."

********

They had traveled towards the location of the reception. Sebastian was not all surprised that it was inside a hotel that the Quince family owned, to safe costs and all of that. Rich people love only one thing more than their own status and that was free stuff. Sebastian had not seen his new wife, since she left him inside the church to change dresses. But Gloria, yes Gloria, assured him that she would be at his side. He hoped so it was almost time for their first dance, after that her father daughter dance, cutting of the cake and the rest of the buffet. The whole crowed looked at the double door which opened, and Aemilia entered the lobby, in a simple dress. Simple, but she looked stunning in it. It was so much different from the princess dress she wore during the ceremony. No large skirt, no little diamonds, nothing that would make it special, except for her in it. The music of their dance started to play, a number he did not know, but it did not matter it was a simple waltz right? She walked towards him and took his outstretched hand.

"May I have this dance?" He asks, she smiled and nodded.

"It is not a waltz, it is just a slow dance." She said quickly. He lowered his head. "But we can waltz if you like, it is also your wedding." He was relieved that she said that. After the ceremony his father had made it clear that this was supposed to be his brother's wedding. He was just the second-best son as his shark-in-law had named him, and there was nothing he could do about that. But she was willing to make it also his wedding.

"Thank you, I do not know how to slow dance." He said, and she giggled.

"Then we are going to waltz, my mother would have a fit, but who cares." She said. He guided her towards the dance floor and they started to waltz. One two three, one two three. Sebastian indeed could hear his shark-in-law's voice over the music, complaining about how this was not supposed to be a waltz and that she knew that this was a bad sign. The music died down and he let go of her. Her father stepped on the dance floor with a large grin on his face.

"Thank you for making my wife upset, but I need to say that I love this more. Sweetheart, are you also willing to waltz with your old man?" Her father said, Aemilia nodded. It was clear that she had a good relationship with her father. He was willing to take her side, even if it went against the mother of the bride. Another song started and Sebastian left the dance floor, for the father daughter dance. He looked at his new wife, she was beautiful, sweet, and so far she was being kind to him. But maybe this was all an act, she was the daughter of a rich man after all. He needs to be on his guard, and need to be care full to not give his heart to her before he was sure about her. The music died down once again and now it was time for the cake. Aemilia's father guided her towards, and she had a huge grin on her face. It was clear that she was having a blast. "I will give you your wife back."

"Sir, no matter what happened, she will be your daughter. Nothing that I can do that will change that." Sebastian said. Her father nodded, and went back to his own wife's side, where he got an ear full.

"That was sweet of you to say, my mother is the one who arranged this marriage. And my dad just went along with it to keep the peace." Aemilia said, it seems to him that she did not have a good relationship with her mother. "It will be easy to say that my mother and I do not seem eye to eye. She those not like that I work for my money, that I shared my apartment with Gloria until now." She stopped and looked at him. "Do you mind if I keep working?"

"It is 2023, it is not my place to tell you what to do. You do not have to work, I earn enough to support us both. But I heard from your father that you own the jewelry store." He said. She squeezed his hand softly. "I am only going to tell you, that you will not be working in that store for the next three weeks. I booked use a small honeymoon in the next town over. And for tomorrow evening I have a surprise." She looked confused.

"A honeymoon?" She asked and he nodded.

"Separate rooms, and into a spa hotel." He explained as if this was the reason why there was a honeymoon. "I already informed Gloria, and she even called the hotel. I do not know what she has done, but she assured me that she did nothing to the separate room thing. Because she believes that it is the right thing to do, take it slow." Aemilia wanted to say something, but got interrupted, by a large cake that entered the room. A large cake, that was an understatement. There was a much smaller cake next to it, which had an ornament of a couple on it. The waiter handed them a knife with a white sparkly ribbon on it. Aemilia sighed when she looked at the cake.

"I am going to bet that it has strawberries in it. I hate strawberries" Aemilia said under her breath. He looked at her and frowned. "Like I said, my mother and I do not see thing eye to eye." That much he did understand, but getting a cake with flavor the bride did not like. He motioned towards the waiter who gave them the knife.

"What for flavor is this?" he asked the man, as quietly as possible.

"Strawberry sir." The waiter replied. Sebastian looked at Aemilia.

"Do you have something else in the back, because I just heard that the bride those not like strawberries." Sebastian said. "I understand that I am not the one paying for this, but she is the bride." The waiter nodded.

"I have a small chocolate cakes, but those were meant for dessert." The waiter replied. "But you are right this is her day. I will grab one for her." He rushed away and came not much later back with a chocolate cake. Aemilia looked at it with hungry eyes. "Here you go." The waiter said. Aemilia wanted too huge him, but he stepped back.

"Sorry about that, but you were coming at me with a knife." He said with a smile. She giggled and cut the strawberry cake. But instead of giving her a piece of that cake, he gave her a bite of the chocolate cake.

"Thank you for that." She said.