Kapitel 188: The Wedding
I stared at myself in a white vanity in a white and cream-colored old room. I looked around at the calla lilies and various other types of white flowers, thinking it was entirely too much for me. If things had gone my way, it would've been less of a spectacle, but that's what I get for letting flashy people and a 30-year-old theatre kid do whatever they wanted.
Hindsight is 20/20.
Mr. and Mrs. Azure, along with Mike and Sam, Elizabeth, Mario and his family, and Chloe and Jean-Luke, were all at the family home after we got back from picking out the suits. This was the first time they told me that this wedding was the talk of the town. Many people had objected to it because I hadn't taken a look at their kid, or they were pissed Jasper wasn't French, but not for any valid reasons. So we would celebrate today with nothing to stop us.
Basically, the entire town was going to be watching us today, so there could be no mistakes.
I took my mind off the obligation and just looked at myself again. Travis and Lollipop had been incredibly diligent in making me look almost ethereal. I could barely see my scar at all, and my skin looked perfect. My hair was slicked back in a 60/40 split and looked more brown than I'd ever seen it before. Don't even get me started on the garter Lollipop said would be a nice surprise for Jasper later, just so I would put it on. But all in all, I looked incredibly good.
No, I looked perfect. I swallowed hard. This is going to be my happy day with Jasper. I will smile all day today because Jasper will be there with me.
A knock on the door alerted me to a visitor. "Come in."
"Oh, Alexander..." I heard Mrs. Azure's voice.
"Look how adorable you are!" Chloe came behind her and hugged me.
"This suit! Chloe! You were right, it is perfect on him." Mrs. Azure took me in her arms when Chloe was finished. She whispered softly so I was the only one to hear, "He won't be able to take his eyes off of you."
"I hope so," I said.
"You look great."
I looked up to see Mr. Azure after hearing his voice. He had tears in his eyes. I wasn't sure if they were tears of regret or normal father-seeing-his-child-on-their-wedding-day tears. Either way, I wasn't expecting them from him of all people. Although I'm probably crossing off a lot from their bucket list.
"Thanks, Dad," I said.
"Everything's ready. Are you?" Mrs. Azure asked me with a grin.
"I don't know," I said.
"Come on, Jasper will meet us at the Mairie," Chloe pulled me from my seat. "Jean-Pierre, stop crying!"
"I'm not crying; there's just so much pollen," Mr. Azure said. Geez, this guy was just a giant softie in his regular life. "It's normal to want to run away from all the eyes, but this is cementing your place in your homeland."
"I'm from America," I pointed out.
"Well, now your homeland is France," Mr. Azure declared. "As I was saying, thank you for going along with this. This wedding makes us all so happy."
"Ok, let's go," I understood why it was so big to him. It wouldn't look good if I wasn't married in France, because it wouldn't make me look like an heir. "Where's everyone else?"
"With Jasper. His family wants nothing to do with the wedding, so they're rallying around him," Mrs. Azure said. "His parents also didn't come. We did send the invitations and offered the funds, but his mother refused for both of them."
I'll make sure to be nice then. "I didn't expect them to come after our lunch."
"Parents are parents. Now, let's go," Mr. Azure said.
"Did you write the vows?" Chloe asked.
"I put an outline in his pocket!" Mr. Azure rushed us out. We all got hurdled out into the car and drove for about five minutes.
As we approached the beautiful town hall, I was struck by the picturesque scenery. The elegant building stood proudly, its architecture a blend of classical and modern styles. The cobblestone streets were lined with well-dressed townspeople, their eyes filled with curiosity and excitement as they watched us pull up.
I got out of the car and was immediately grabbed up by Jasper. "You showed up."
"Why wouldn't I?" I asked.
"I don't know. I just really love you, and I'm glad you're here," Jasper said. "We can show off some proper wedding photos this time."
"Fuck, I'm nervous. Why'd you guys have to make it this big thing?" I whined.
The mayor, a distinguished man with a friendly smile, greeted us warmly. "Ah, bonjour! Welcome, welcome," he said, his English heavily accented. "Please, come inside."
Jasper squeezed my hand, his eyes shining with anticipation. Lollipop, Travis, and Elizabeth followed closely behind, their expressions a mix of excitement and amusement.
Inside the town hall, the room was elegantly decorated, with flowers adorning every surface. Our family and friends were gathered, their faces lit up with smiles.
The mayor cleared his throat and began the ceremony, switching between English and French. "Mesdames et Messieurs, nous sommes réunis ici aujourd'hui pour célébrer l'union de Alexander Azure et Jasper McNeil en mariage."
I couldn't help but chuckle at the mayor's attempts to switch between languages without being noticed. Jasper shot me a knowing glance, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
When it was time for our vows, I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves and spoke the outline Mr Azore wrote for me. "Jasper, when I think about our relationship, I think about how much you mean to me. You're not just my partner; you're my best friend. I promise to always be there for you, to support you, to love you unconditionally."
Jasper's vows were more emotional, filled with declarations of love and promises of forever. "Alexander, from the moment I met you, I knew you were the one. You're my everything, and I promise to spend the rest of my life making you happy. I promise to always be there for you, to cherish you, to make you laugh when you're feeling down. I love you more than words can say."
As we exchanged rings, sealing our vows, I felt a surge of emotion. This was it. We were married in the eyes of high society, and there were pictures of it all now to prove it. I'm just surprised at how quick it was.
It should occupy the media for a few days.
When we emerged from the town hall, the sun broke through the clouds, casting a warm glow over the scene. A bunch of people had gathered outside, holding handfuls of rice and confetti, ready to shower us with blessings and good wishes.
The air was filled with laughter and joy as the rice and confetti rained down on us. Jasper and I laughed, trying to shield ourselves from the onslaught of grains and paper.
Lollipop and Travis were in high spirits, pelting us with rice and confetti with gusto. "Congratulations, you two!" Lollipop exclaimed, his voice filled with excitement. "Here's to a lifetime of love and happiness!"
Travis joined in, throwing handfuls of confetti right at Jasper's face as hard as he could. "You guys are going to be the best husbands ever!" he shouted, his enthusiasm infectious.
"I'm going to kick your ass, Travis!" Jasper threatened just as another handful of rice hit him in the face.
"You can get him back later," I chuckled, squeezing his hand.
Everyone headed back to the oversized mansion for the reception. Unlike the formal ceremony, which had been limited to their closest friends and family, almost everyone in the town was coming to the reception. Most of them were only there to gossip about it, and many came to seek business connections, but I couldn't have cared less.
When we arrived at the venue for the vin d'honneur, I found it to be very festively decorated. There were elegant red and green bows, wreaths, and garlands adorning the walls and railings of the town hall. A large tree decorated with golden ornaments and candles stood in the corner, as well as candles in the center of each table.
"It's pretty well put together," I said breathlessly.
"Just like you," Jasper nudged my arm gently.
"Come on, we're supposed to spend the first hour greeting everyone," I said.
"Everyone?" Jasper looked at the packed place. "Can't we just skip right to the honeymoon?"
"No, you agreed to this, so do it right."
"How do we do it right?"
"How the fuck should I know? I'm not French," I said. "From what I was told, we have to finish this part, and there's still the after-party that runs into the next day. Didn't you plan this? Why do I know more than you?"
"I only helped plan to keep it a secret and trick you, and I succeeded," Jasper said. "It was hard enough to hide because once you're suspicious, you don't drop things."
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein