Welcome to the wedding of Prince Darien, Prince Aaron, and Princess Malaya Mikowski.

Finally, the day had come for mine and my brother's wedding to Malaya. It was a day we had eagerly anticipated and prepared for, despite our mother's refusal to accept our marriage to a hybrid and someone with more than one husband. Our father was on our side and told our mother to return to her own mother's home if she could not accept our mate.

Mom had left, and her absence was more alarming to me than her refusal to participate in our marriage. Being a fae—and an entitled one at that—I feared she might cause trouble for us. However, Darien told me to relax, and so I did, focusing on preparing the new bed, a gift for my soon-to-be wife. I also enlisted the best herbalist and magical product maker to create a delightful array of shampoos, conditioners, soaps, and more for my beautiful bride-to-be.

The herbalist consented, promptly gathered the ingredients, and began the preparation. I observed her work and patiently awaited the completion of my beautiful bride's items. Once done, I placed them in an enchanted bathroom accessible only to myself, my brother, and my wife. With everything in place, I donned my finest wedding attire and proceeded to the marriage hall. There, I greeted my brother's friends and noticed that all four wore their wedding bands, which made me ponder about my own. Darien and I had agreed to hold our weddings separately at different times to avoid any confusion among our guests.

When the decision was made, Darien suggested I go first since he favored evening weddings. We agreed to consummate our marriage together with our wife. I waited at the altar, and as the wedding march began, I looked up to see my bride in her father's arms, walking down the aisle. Malaya looked stunning; she was clad in a cherry blossom dress crafted from the softest fabric, and her veil was woven from the silk of a fae spider Her face was adorned with makeup, and she looked stunning with or without it. Her father handed her over to me, and as the priest commenced the prayers and asked me to recite my vows, I obliged and began to speak.

"Malaya, my sweet doe, how beautiful you are. Your beauty captured my attention when we first met, though it was unintentional. My luggage carriers did me a huge favor by leaving the bags scattered on the floor, allowing you to trip over them. Without that incident, I might never have seen the beauty who won my heart. You are the sunlight that brightens a summer day, the flower whose fragrance, once inhaled, lingers forever. And today, I am overjoyed to be standing here, marrying you."

Her beautiful doe eyes glistened with tears as she recited her vows.

"Aaron, my fae prince, our meeting was unplanned, a chance encounter that caught my attention while playing with my cousin. I could not have predicted what was to come, nor the embarrassing fall that led me into your arms. Upon seeing you, I was captivated and fell in love. I never thought I could love more than one, but standing here with you today as we wed, I am thankful for everything that happened. I promise to be the best queen I can be, encouraging others not to fear love, to feel like I am their best friend, and to be a devoted wife to you."

We were then prompted to exchange rings and share a kiss. As we kissed, we reveled in the night and savored the food. I frequently flaunted my ring to anyone who would look, and we relished the dances. However, I knew this bliss was fleeting when my mother arrived, proclaiming herself the queen of fairies and denouncing the marriage.

Mother ranted about the impropriety of a woman marrying more than once, then turned to attack my wife. I stepped in front and demanded that Mother leave, but she summoned her nature magic, using a tree vine to strike my bride. Rage filled me as I warned her to depart or face my fury. Yet, she persisted, assaulting my wife once more. That's when Father intervened, and for the first time in my life, I witnessed him slap her.

The slap sent me reeling, and I stood there, stunned by his actions. My mother lay on the ground weeping, while my father faced the guests and offered an apology. He stated he could never justify any fae striking their spouse, yet he admitted to acting out of desperation for his sons and their wife. He detailed how my mother had behaved this way for years, never considering the consequences of her actions or the impact on those affected Then, my father publicly disowned my mother before retreating to his seat, vowing to punish himself. For the first time in a long while, I saw my dad appear defeated. I felt anger towards my mother for causing him such distress, and I began to wonder if this was an aspect of my parents' seemingly perfect life that I had never noticed before.