POV: KAELIS DRAYDEN
Timeline: Two days before the wedding
Location: Crystal Amphitheater
The Crystal Amphitheater looks INCREDIBLE.
Cordelia and her team have transformed it. Silver and blue decorations on one side. Black and gold on the other. Flowers (exactly twenty-five arrangements). Chairs for 500 guests. Two altars. Perfect.
"This is really happening," I breathe.
Kieran stands beside me. "We're really getting married."
"Both of us. Same day. Same place."
"Together."
"Always together."
The rehearsal is... chaos.
Good chaos. But chaos.
"No, you walk from THAT side," Cordelia directs. "Prince Kieran from the EAST. Prince Kaelis from the WEST. You meet in the MIDDLE."
"Why can't we walk together?" I ask.
"Because it's TRADITIONAL—"
"We're having a double simultaneous wedding," Kieran points out. "Tradition is already out the window."
"Fine. FINE. Walk together. Do whatever you want." She's given up on controlling us. Smart woman.
We practice the processional. The vows (we're not sharing those yet—saving them for the actual ceremony). The ring exchange. The final kiss.
"Wait," Nyx interrupts. "Do we kiss simultaneously? Or one couple then the other?"
Everyone stops.
"...We didn't plan that," Ravion says slowly.
"Simultaneous," Kieran and I say together.
"Of course you'd say that," Nyx mutters. But he's smiling.
We practice the simultaneous kiss. It's awkward. Then perfect. Then we all start laughing.
"This is insane," Elder Marina—the sea priestess—observes. "In my three hundred years, I've never officiated anything like this."
"First time for everything," I say cheerfully.
The rehearsal continues. We walk through every step. Every moment. Every transition.
By the end, it's smooth. Beautiful. PERFECT.
"We're ready," Thelonius announces. "Two days from now, this will be the wedding of the century."
"No pressure," Kieran mutters.
That night, I'm in my chambers in Arventis. Alone. Last night as a non-married person.
Tomorrow night: bachelor obligations. Day after: WEDDING.
I'm nervous. Excited. Terrified. EVERYTHING.
A knock on the door.
"Come in."
Kieran enters. "Can't sleep either?"
"Too much brain activity." I gesture to the chair. "What's up?"
He sits. Quiet for a moment.
"Are we doing the right thing?" he asks finally. "Getting married this young? We're twenty-two. In my timeline, people wait until their thirties. Sometimes forties."
"This isn't your timeline."
"I know. But still." He looks at me. "Are we ready for this?"
I think about it. Really think.
"I don't know," I admit. "I've never been married. Never planned to be. Spent most of my life running from commitment." I pause. "But Nyx... he makes me want to STOP running. Want to build something. Want FOREVER."
"Same," Kieran says softly. "Ravion terrified me at first. Then annoyed me. Then... then he became the best thing in my life. And I can't imagine existing without him."
"So we're doing this," I finish. "Because we're ready. Maybe not perfectly ready. But ready enough."
"Ready enough," Kieran echoes. He smiles. "We're really grown up now, huh? Kings. Getting married. Responsible."
"Speak for yourself. I'm still a disaster."
"We're BOTH disasters. Just married disasters."
We sit in comfortable silence. The twin bond humming peacefully between us.
"Kaelis?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you." His voice is thick with emotion. "For finding me. For accepting me. For being the family I never knew I needed."
"You make it sound like I had a choice." I reach over. Take his hand. "The bond brought us together. Prophecy. Fate. Whatever. But I would have chosen you anyway. Even without magic forcing it. You're my BEST thing, Kier. My twin. My brother. My family."
He's crying. Quietly. Happy tears.
"I love you," he says. "Brother love. Twin love. The 'I'd die for you' kind of love."
"I love you too." I'm crying now too. "The 'I already almost died for you multiple times' kind of love."
"Please stop almost dying."
"You first."
We laugh through the tears. Hug. Just brothers being brothers.
"We should sleep," Kieran finally says. "Big day in two days."
"HUGE day."
"The biggest."
He stands. Heads for the door. Pauses.
"Kaelis?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm glad the Night Forest sent me here. Glad I got to know you. Glad we get to do this together."
"Me too."
He leaves. I'm alone again.
But not REALLY alone. Because I can feel him through the bond.
Two days until we're both married.
I can't wait.