ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗜𝗙𝗧𝗬-𝗘𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧
─◌✰್ 𝖽𝗈𝗐𝗇𝖿𝖺𝗅𝗅.

One month later...

Minho couldn't breathe.

Okay, that wasn't exactly true. He felt like he couldn't breathe. And it wasn't just because he was wearing a suit, newly-designed by Eun-Ji, one of Moonstone kingdom's best seamstresses. Oh yeah, and he was sweaty as all hell.

Things really hadn't changed since his time in the mansion, had they? He was still a nervous wreck over anything and everything involving you. Because you were the real reason that he felt like he was suffocating, as he stood staring helplessly at his own reflection in the mirror.

He was getting married to you. Again. For real this time. And while he was exceptionally excited to see you walk down the aisle towards him with a look other than absolute disgust on your face, he was also petrified that he would mess up, or something not completely perfect would happen, and it would ruin your special day. Because lord knew that the first wedding had been far from perfect, or special.

Getting married for a second time was not a necessity, Minho knew that. You and he would have been just as happy staying the way you were, officially married. But for him, reproposing and remarrying was more about the principle than anything else. He wanted you to know that he chose you, and he would continue choosing you for the rest of his life. Your marriage wasn't just a result of your parents' will. It was because he actually loved you, and wanted to be with you. This was a proper demonstration of his love. And he knew you felt the exact same way.

"It's time."

Minho faced the door of his room, took a deep breath, and nodded. He settled his thoughts, preparing for this moment. His mom stood by the door. She was going to be one of the three people standing behind him, as you walked down the aisle.

"Are you ready?" she asked, as they walked towards the Moonstone ceremony room.

"Yeah, I am," he said, more sure of this decision than any he'd made up until this point. He knew the depth of his love for you like he knew his own name. Marrying you again was so easy and natural.

His mom, now the queen dowager rather than the queen, smiled at him. "I can tell. You've loved that girl for longer than you've realized. I was going crazy watching you pursue Duchess Hwang, when Tessa — Queen Lee — clearly knew you more than you knew yourself. But you've finally come to your senses, thank god."

Minho laughed, pulling her in for an affectionate hug. His mom didn't usually give her opinion on his life in the moment, but after the fact, she would admit her true feelings. Your and his love was meant to happen this way, but it was nice to hear that his feelings for you had been so obvious, even from afar.

As the two of them climbed the stairs and came to stand on-stage, his mom pecked him on the cheek.

"You're going to be with Tessa for the rest of your life," she said with a smile. "You two really belong together. You have, ever since you were kids."

Minho smiled, watching her take her spot behind him, next to Christopher and Jisung, his two best men. They both grinned cheekily at him, pumping their fists and waving. He rolled his eyes, but waved back. Only today would he entertain their antics.

JJ and Lanhua stood on the other side of the altar, behind where you would stand when you finally arrived. They both wore coordinating green dresses, and held bouquets of flowers in their hands. They were chosen as your two maids of honor. They both grinned and nodded in approval at his outfit. This was the first time they were getting to see it.

The whole ceremony room was decorated so lavishly, he took a moment to properly absorb it all. White, black, and green flowers coated the walls, petals scattered across the floor where you would walk. Green was a special color to your relationship, and white and black symbolized the joining of Moonstone and Obsidian into the Light kingdom. A huge arch with a large matcha green bow across the top stood at the foot of the stage for you to walk through. A couple dozen chairs were positioned behind it, where the rest of your close friends and family would sit, with a private piano player to the right, getting set up. This was a private wedding, no civilians or cameras allowed. You and Minho had planned every detail of this wedding, and both agreed whole-heartedly on the guest list. You both had always wanted an intimate, but beautiful wedding.

Finally, the rest of his and your friends and family began filtering through the door. A few of your other relatives joined the crowd. Changbin, Renee, Seungmin, and Robin walked in and took seats next to one another, shortly followed by Felix and Alaska, who were holding hands. White, black, and green were the dress code, so Alaska wore a gauzy pastel green dress and white strappy heels, and Felix wore a black suit with a green flower in his pocket to match her. Robin wore a dark green dress with small white daisy accents, and Changbin and Seungmin wore sleek black suits like Felix's. Renee's dress was cream-toned, paired with apple-green sandals, which matched the flower in Seungmin's pocket. All of the guys had gone together to get flowers that coordinated with their girls' dresses.

Mya and Jeongin walked in together, along with Riley and Hyunjin. Mya wore a cute sage-green dress with simple black sandals, and Riley wore a silk black dress and white heels. Hyunjin donned a white suit, and Jeongin's was a classy black like the others.

Once everyone was seated, the pianist began a slow, sweet melody. Just the sound made Minho's eyes burn with unexpected tears, but he held them in. He hadn't even seen you, and he was already getting emotional. But those beautiful notes just made him think of you. Of course, you had picked the exact right list of songs.

After a few minutes of Minho just drinking in the lovely music, the crowd let out a collective gasp, followed by oohs and ahhs that echoed throughout the room. Even your mom, and the bridesmaids and groomsmen all took deep inhales from behind him.

Minho looked up from the floor, where he had been staring ever since the music started. And there you were, entering through the door, looking so heart-destroyingly stunning, he was left breathless, once again.

——————————————

You felt like you were about to have a heart attack. But before that, you had to make it down the aisle, at your do-over wedding.

Even after an entire month of painstaking planning, everything from the music to the outfits to the food and guest list, you still couldn't believe the day was finally here. You were getting married, really married this time. It felt like a fever dream of sorts, but one that you hoped would never end.

You clutched your dad's arm even tighter, and he smiled back at you, as he led you down the aisle and towards your husband. The crowd stared at you, eyes wide with wonder at your appearance, and at the magic of today.

But, per usual, you couldn't focus on the crowd, or even the absolute perfection that was your wedding dress. All you could do was gaze into Minho's gorgeous brown eyes, that were boring down upon you from his spot on the stage in front of the altar.

He was devastatingly handsome in that custom-tailored suit. Eun-Ji had really outdone herself this time, the black fabric perfectly accentuating his biceps and thighs, without being too tight, making your mouth water. It was classy, yet understated, just how he wanted it. It wasn't a suit that tried to draw too much attention, and yet he stole the show, just like Minho himself. His eyes shined bright, hair perfectly styled as he stared at you like you were a priceless painting that he wanted to purchase immediately.

You finally tore your eyes away from him to smile at your friends, marvel at the decor that you and Minho had planned top to bottom, and listen to the music that you had picked out entirely yourself. This day was your and Minho's personal vision, and you could actually feel the love emanating from the walls.

After what felt like years, you arrived before the altar, and stood across from Minho, who instantly reached out and gripped your hands in his. They were a little sweaty, but you knew yours were too. Strangely, it calmed you to know that he was just as nervous.

Your dad, who was also the officiant of your wedding, came to stand before you both. The piano instantly silenced, as the crowd prepared to hear what he had to say.

Your dad nodded to you both. "We've gathered here today to celebrate the joining of King and Queen Lee. Although they are already married by law, today they will be married by hearts, and spirits. They have both written their own vows for each other. Minho, would you like to read yours first?" He addressed Minho by first name.

Minho nodded, rummaging around in his pocket and grabbing a small slip of paper. You had both decided writing your own vows would add that extra personal touch to your wedding that your previous one lacked.

He cleared his throat, and you could see that his hands were shaking, causing the paper to flutter in the air. "From the day I met you, I knew you were someone special," he began, glancing up from his paper, a nervous smile lighting his face. You grinned back encouragingly, and he continued, gaining confidence. "When I saw you sitting at the lunch table beating every kid in a soba eating contest, I was in awe. You were so daring and badass, I didn't think you would give me the time of day. But you always made time for me, when you could have ignored me and spent time with your cooler friends. You were always there for me when I had no one else, and you understood me even better than I understood myself. I've always been a little bit slower at understanding my feelings, but I've known what I've wanted for a while now. I vow to you that I will be the person you've always been for me. I vow to understand you and listen to you, and trust you. And I promise to love you so hard, you'll never be able to get rid of me. I love you Princess, and I can't wait to be married to you for the rest of our lives."

The entire time Minho spoke, you listened rapturously, drinking in those words that you'd always wanted to hear. He'd been exceptionally good with expressing himself over the past month since Yeonjun left, but knowing that he felt comfortable enough to share those feelings in front of everyone like this meant more than he would ever know. Tears threatened to spill down your cheeks, as you barely held them back.

Your dad turned to you, a tender smile of pride on his face. "And how about you, Tessa?"

You laughed nervously, pulling your vows out of the pocket in your dress. You had tried to write your vows over and over ever since Minho had proposed to you, but of course nothing had come. It all felt lacking, like it didn't fully encompass the depth of your love for him. "Since I wrote these last night, I don't think mine will be nearly as good as that masterpiece!" you joked, as your friends laughed in kind amusement.

Minho shook his head, just a small jerk, as he reached out and squeezed your free hand, a silent sign of encouragement, just like you had given him earlier. That filled you with enough courage to start reading.

"I've always been a decisive person, some say a little too much." You laughed again, a sure sign you were nervous. Hopefully you wouldn't start rambling. "So you might call it cheesy, but that's how I knew that I loved you, the minute we met. People told me that I was silly, that you would never feel the same way. But I just knew. I knew because you are the only person who makes me laugh when I'm angry or upset. I knew because even when we fought, when I was mad at you, I felt safe with you. I knew you would always be there for me, even when we weren't talking. And now, we've gotten all of our arguments over with early, and I know that I can love you without shame, and with full confidence in what we have. I vow to support you even when things get rough. I vow to communicate with you with respect and honesty. I vow to never go to sleep angry. And most importantly, I vow to love you unconditionally, unapologetically, forever. I can't wait to be married to you again, Lee Minho."

After you placed the paper back into your pocket, you finally looked up at your husband. You realized you'd averted your eyes for most of your speech, being nervous for his reaction. But when you met his gaze, it was more than worth it.

He was wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, trying to covertly clear his tears. But you saw them sliding down his face, those soft emotions making you fall even further in love with him. When he saw you staring, he smiled, but his bottom lip was a little wobbly. Had you ever seen Minho cry before??

You reached out and grabbed his other hand, one of them having been holding his throughout your entire speech. Squeezing them tight, you both shared a soft smile, as you tried to communicate all of your feelings that you couldn't put into words. You could feel him doing the same, and his tears just further proved it.

"Wow, those were some wonderfully written vows." Your dad spoke. He was also all choked up, as he tried to wipe his eyes, too. What was up with both these men today? You peeked behind you, and saw that Lanhua and JJ were dabbing their eyes with handkerchiefs, and even Christopher and Jisung were a little sniffly. Queen Dowager Lee had given up completely, and was bawling into her hands. Clearly, the waterworks were out in full force. "It's clear that you both love each other very much. Now... I pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss, right after I avert my eyes."

You rolled your eyes at him. "Are we really still doing that, dad?" You sighed, allowing him a moment to cover his eyes dramatically, before practically leaping into Minho's awaiting arms, and pressing your lips to his, not holding back. Because when had you ever been modest?

Minho wrapped his arms around your waist, hoisting you up and gripping you securely, reciprocating your kiss with such passion, even your face warmed. When he finally set you back on the ground, still holding you around the waist, everyone in the crowd began cheering, and the piano player started an upbeat tune.

"Congratulations, you two!" Riley called, grinning and waving from her seat.

Alaska was whooping, waving her and Felix's joined hands around in the air. Mya was jumping up and down, while Jeongin fixed her wrinkled dress.

"You look beautiful!" Renee gushed, eyes sparkling with happiness, as she rested her head on Seungmin's shoulder.

While everyone was cheering and congratulating you, Minho's mom reached out towards the altar and grabbed a cushion, which held both of your rings on it. There was no paperwork like there had been at your first wedding. Just the ceremonial pieces. And this, aside from the vows, was one of the most important pieces to you. Something to symbolize your love, not your obligation like the first one had.

Minho reached out, and placed the ring on your finger. You did the same to him, before sharing yet another kiss. You had taken many hours to decide on which ring most fit you. Minho had been a real trooper, trying on every single matching ring with you, with very minimal complaints. You had finally decided on an emerald gemstone with a cluster of smaller emeralds around it, on a gold band. You wanted something lavish yet being unique, and as the queen, the entire kingdom made sure you got it. And you couldn't be more happy.

After you exchanged your rings, you turned back to the crowd, who was now waiting patiently to know what happened next.

"Now that all the niceties are done with..." you joked, raising your voice for the second part of your announcement, "IT'S TIME TO PARTY!!!"

Your father facepalmed. Minho laughed out loud. All your friends fist pumped. Oh, you thought with satisfaction, the night was just beginning...

——————————————

What else did a perfect wedding need? A perfect afterparty.

You hadn't gotten any sort of afterparty during your first wedding, and you, as someone who certainly enjoyed an imbibement of sorts, were never one to turn down a night of partying. But of course, Minho and your dad had stopped you from holding a full-on rager on the night of your official wedding. So, after many days of squabbling, you had settled on an expensive, yet fun and semi-casual party, where you could open your wedding presents, eat food and cut the cake, and drink and dance the night away.

Now, you stood by the food table, piling your plate high, just like you always did. While many things had changed, your appetite certainly hadn't, and since you were in charge of the menu, all of your favorite foods were featured. One entire plate was dedicated to Minho's egg rolls, made by the amazing chef, Min-Jun.

Speaking of things that had changed. The last time you'd had a party in this ballroom, it had been the courting ball and dinner, and you had been so pissed off at Minho, you tried your best to stay away from him. Now, he was standing right next to you, helping you carry your third plate, while he served himself some pigs in a blanket.

"Oh my gosh, there are pizza bites???" Robin gasped from next to you. She was also filling her plate with a bit of everything from the table, throwing a scoop of pizza bites on her plate, before moving on to the charcuterie board. Jisung, whose plate was already crammed full, followed behind her like a puppy dog.

"I don't know if I've ever seen so much food," Renee marveled. She had taken some of the more healthy items, like kale salad and a caprese sandwich.

"It's all so Tessa," Seungmin agreed. "I have to admit, I'm really vibing with the Buldak ramen, even though it's gonna kill my stomach."

Off to the side, Christopher and Riley had forgone dinner entirely, and were helping themselves to the chocolate fountain. Alaska and Felix were shoving brownies into each other's mouths.

Happy that your friends were enjoying the food, you made your way to your shared table, where a few of the couples were already sitting.

Lanhua and Changbin were sharing a plate of appetizers. Changbin was feeding her grapes off his fork, while she used both hands to play with his hair. JJ was peeling cocktail shrimp with her fingers, setting them back onto the plate for Hyunjin to eat with a fork. When they saw you and Minho, they immediately motioned you over to sit with them.

The rest of the group joined you in one huge circle, and everyone enjoyed themselves immensely over the delicious food and lovely vibes. With Minho by your side, everything felt right in the world.

"Are we ready for the couple to open presents?" Queen Dowager Lee, who was seated at a separate table with your dad, called.

You and Minho nodded, standing up and approaching the table at the far left of the room. Tonight, you would only be opening gifts from your friends and close family. They had each paired up with their partner to buy you a gift. It felt more special that way.

"Would you like to pick?" Minho offered, pressing a kiss to your temple.

Nodding, you chose one with white wrapping paper and an elegant silver bow, with an origami swan on the top.

"I wonder who this ones from!" you chuckled as you tore the wrapping paper off, catching Lanhua's eye. She practically glowed with excitement.

It was a beautiful picture book, hand decorated, with a picture of you and Minho from when you were kids on the front. You were both hugging each other. When you opened it, it was filled with pictures from your childhood, and even some from the mansion. There were personal notes, stickers, and more that you hadn't even remembered until now.

"Oh my gosh Hua, this is beautiful!" you breathed, moving closer to Minho so he could see. "This is so thoughtful, I can't believe you were able to find all of this!"

"You two were just meant to be." She shrugged. But she looked incredibly proud of herself, and ecstatic that you loved it. "Bin helped me find some of the extra memorabilia, since his job is with the government and stuff."

"Thank you both, so much," you said sincerely.

Next went Alaska and Felix, who got you a beautiful gold-inlaid mirror, with lovely quotes from the both of you engraved around the edges, and your names inlaid in the top. Felix had even welded horseshoes to the outside. Riley and Christopher got you both handmade coffee mugs, with pictures of the two of you all around it. Mya and Jeongin got you handmade Christmas ornaments, "for your future Christmas tree!" Mya had claimed. Renee and Seungmin had made you a lovely cookbook with all of the recipes that Renee knew that you loved, from your time over at JJ's house. Hyunjin and JJ had made you both a signature couple's champagne, for you to drink together on your wedding night. And lastly, Robin and Jisung had gotten you an egg roll making machine, that Robin had imbued with a potion so the recipe would always turn out perfect.

When you finally finished opening your friends' and family's presents, you smiled at them all. "Thank you all for these incredible gifts," you gushed. "I don't know how to properly express just how much these all mean to me, each and every one of them. I love you guys so much, and I can't wait to give you all gifts at your weddings, whenever those happen!"

"Wow, very smooth," Minho teased, and you nudged him in the side, and he continued. "Really, thank you all so much. Having you here on our special day means the world. I hope you all continue to have fun tonight. So go get a drink, dance, eat more food, whatever you want. We'll be cutting the cake here soon!"

As everyone began buzzing about excitedly, Hyunjin, JJ, Alaska, and Riley hurrying off to get drinks, Jisung, Robin, Christopher, and Felix snagging another plate of food, and Mya, Jeongin, Renee, Seungmin, Changbin, and Lanhua running to the dance floor, you turned to Minho.

But Minho wasn't looking at you. Instead, he was staring at the gift table, behind you. You twisted around to look. "What is it-" You stopped short. "Oh!"

There, on the gift table, was one final package. But it wasn't from any of your friends, and you certainly would have known if it was from your dad, Minho's mom, or another civilian. So it must be from someone else.

"You wanna open it?" Minho asked, gazing at you tenderly.

You nodded, having a sneaking suspicion that you knew who it was from. But... could it be? Was that even possible?

You unwrapped the mystery package, heart pounding hard in your chest. And when you finally saw what it was, your breath caught, as you were stunned into shock.

Two beautiful necklaces sat before you, both inlaid with a white and black stone, fused together, in the center. And beneath the necklaces sat a note. You picked it up, and read it aloud.

"My Dear Daughter and Son-in-Law,
These necklaces are imbued with moonstone and obsidian, just like the kingdoms you came from. They are joined together, just as you are now. And just like these necklaces, your love with last forever. I am so proud of you, my daughter. I love you, and I am always with you.
-Yeonjun"

You set the letter down, and faced Minho, whose expression mirrored the way you felt. Your heart was brimming with emotion, but you weren't sad. You could feel the love from your second father, and even if he wasn't here physically, he was in spirit. This day was truly complete.

Wordlessly, Minho wrapped you up in his arms, giving you a tight embrace. You buried your face in his chest, not caring about the state of your makeup. The voices of your friends echoed around you, alongside your dad's booming laugh as he talked with Minho's mom.

Minho reached down, lifting your chin up so he could gaze at you once more. "So, how was getting married a second time?" he asked. "Did it live up to your expectations?"

You reached up, placing a gentle kiss to his lips, before whispering, "it was everything I could have wanted, and more."

laska's note —
wow wow wow, that was the last chapter of fairytale! 🥹 all we have left is the epilogue, and an ending note. and of course, we had to finish with tessa and minho's second wedding, because let's be real, their first one was kind of a dud. getting to see how much they love each other, and what amazing friends they have, is just so special. and we even got to see yeonjun, and his wedding gift for her. he's there for her in spirit, and he will be forever. can you believe this book is actually almost done?? it's been such a long journey, and i'm just so glad i could give tessho their happy ending, which was sorely deserved. send them all the love in the comments! 🩵

𝖭𝖤𝖷𝖳 𝖴𝖯：
𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲
┊ ⇄ ◁◁ II ▷▷ ↻ ┊