Chapter 19

It was strange to think that the last person to technically kidnap Sorrel was the one he'd wanted to be stolen by the entire time.

A small, nervous, and broken smile curled his lips.

Facing the altar, where a fairy officiant was patiently standing in long pastel-blue robes, Sorrel fidgeted with one of the buttons of his white suit coat. Beneath his coat was a black button-up shirt he constantly pulled down from the cuffs when he felt as though it was constricting his torso – despite it being a perfect fit.

On the right side of his coat was a stitched flower that looked similar to the one he'd woken up in almost a year ago to the day. He'd never thought when he emerged from his flower that he would be standing where he was a year later, filled with nervous butterflies.

He will come, right?

He looked up at the white flowers that had been encouraged to bloom fully, acting as a canopy over the area. Then, his gaze drifted downward to the tiny pebbles that covered the dirt to hide it. Behind him were rows of bench chairs with the flower fairies he didn't know a single name of seated upon them, and he darted his head forward.

There were many others sitting on spotted mushrooms, tree branches, tall rocks, or even hovering in the air. They were doing everything they could to witness this spectacular day.

He realised he shouldn't have looked, not when it made his stomach churn with nerves.

The longer he stood there, and Cypress didn't arrive, the more he felt uneasy. This wasn't a joke, was it? He worried his feelings were being played with. That eventually everyone would start laughing at him for foolishly thinking the prince would want to marry him.

I wish Greta could have been here.Although Cypress had revealed himself, and they'd both told her of their coming union, she was still a human. The king and queen thought it too much of a risk to have her at their wedding, and it would have unnerved the other fairies.

Laws needed to be rewritten, adding her as an exception, but it'd take time.

However, Cypress planned to move from the kingdom's tree palace. He and Sorrel were going to partially occupy a corner of Greta's farm that had a small number of trees so Sorrel could be with her.

He wanted to be close to her, but he also wanted to be with the person he loved.

Thankfully, at least Sunny was here. The swallow sprite was the only guest who he knew. Despite his offer to take Sorrel far away, he seemed genuinely happy he and the prince were getting married.

He was also Sorrel's best man. "You'll be fine. Don't look so nervous," Sunny stated with a small laugh, pulling down on the black suit vest that sat over a white shirt. Black slacks covered his strange, bird-like legs.

Sorrel gave a broken smile at his comforting words. His lips quivered as he attempted to hold it before he once more looked towards the officiant in front of him.

Given how Sorrel had no one to walk him down the aisle, and he'd felt even more uncomfortable with doing it by himself, the plan was that he'd wait for Cypress to walk it.

This waiting is excruciating.

What if he didn't show? Sorrel shook his head. N-no. He will come. He was the one who asked me. And he had searched all winter for him. Why would he have done that if he didn't love him?

Just when his stress was reaching its pinnacle, and he was about to twist one of the buttons of his coat until the thread snapped, horns blared.

His back stiffened as his heart threatened to stop.

Gentle music played and all the chattering went silent in a sudden hush.

He's coming... Sorrel, who had his back to the people of the fairy court because they made him anxious, finally turned around. He did it slowly.

His breath was nearly knocked out of him at the sight.

Cypress was wearing a dark-red tuxedo that had floral patterns of black stitching all over it. His bow tie was black, as were his shoes, while his shirt was crisp white.

His hair, usually messy, boyish, and windblown looking, was now slick and gelled back. His golden spiked crown glittered on his head, and it made Sorrel flush.

It was the first time he'd seen him wear it, reminding him of his royal status.

His beard was trimmed to its medium stubble, since he'd let it go in his haste to find Sorrel. A part of him itched to rub his cheek against those spiky strands.

Then Sorrel's insides melted when his eyes met Cypress' molten maple-coloured ones and the twinkle of happiness reflected in them. His smile at seeing Sorrel at the altar was wide, but he noticed a cheeky hint in it – probably because he knew what was to come afterwards.

After returning home, Sorrel had given his attention to Greta to make up for being gone. He hadn't had much time to spend with Cypress during the past week, so they hadn't been able to thoroughly touch each other.

They had also wanted to wait until they were married for Sorrel's first time, so Cypress could take his time with him.

He was both excited and nervous. He knew having Cypress' hands on him was very different to having the prince inside him. And today they would be taking that leap, as well as the one to get married.

Spring had come, and although it was cold, the snowflakes had stopped falling.

That cheeky smile Cypress wore sent a thrill through Sorrel.

The prince's mother, the queen, grabbed Sorrel's attention when her much softer expression met his gaze. Her arm was threaded through Cypress' as she led him down the aisle. Sorrel had only met her once, and though she had come across as stern and domineering, she had been lovely towards him.

She approved of whoever had captured her son's heart because she just wanted him to be happy, as did his father. Just as Greta wanted the best for him.

Sorrel's stomach fluttered when they made their way up the stairs of the podium, the sound of pebbles crunching under their steps.

Then Cypress was beside him, kissing his mother's cheek before she walked away. She went to sit next to the king, where they would watch the wedding ceremony off to the side, from their thrones made of pink flower petals.

He barely registered the sweet fragrance in the air now that he could smell the hint of basil and lemongrass coming from Cypress.

A million words flitted through Cypress' gaze as the officiant began the ceremony that Sorrel had stopped listening to. He just read Cypress' expression and its meaning, took in all the warmth in the emotions behind it, and felt them wash over him.

He didn't need to focus on anything else. It felt as though Cypress was doing the same thing, as his eyes never left him.

Their I do's were followed with a vow of loving and protecting each other for all time, then they were to seal their bond.

Before he could even feel nervous about the next part, and doing it in front of hundreds of strangers, Cypress' hands shot forward.

Cypress gently clasped his hands over the corners of Sorrel's jaw and drew him in to mesh their lips together. The world disappeared. Sorrel's heart flooded with warmth, and he kissed back, drawing his lips over Cypress' repeatedly. Sorrel clutched at the front of his prince's coat, almost moaning into his mouth as he tried to get their tongues to tangle.

Cypress chuckled against his lips as he pulled back. "Later," he promised, making Sorrel flush when he realised he'd been getting carried away.

His cheeks grew hotter and darker when he peeked over at the people who were cheering and throwing coloured confetti in the air.

A second later, Sorrel recoiled when a crown was placed on his head, and he attempted to dart away from it.

"What is happening?" he asked Cypress, whose grin of humour was cheekier than it should have been.

"You're my husband." He helped to steady Sorrel, so he'd stop fleeing as the crown was fixed to his head. "One day I will be king, and you'll be by my side as my prince consort. I should have told you your coronation would happen at the same time."

This was not how he'd seen it happen in movies!

Sorrel touched the cold metal on his head. He'd noticed it had sparkled silver with a reddish-orange jewel in the centre. It weighed heavily on his head, almost as though it was going to crush him beneath it.

"You'll be fine, Sorrel." The assurance in Cypress' voice was soothing enough to delay his apprehension about this for the moment.

Now was a time for celebration. He could think of this worrisome part of his future later. It was far better than being Mr Toad's dancer or Miss Mole's husband, anyway.

"I chose you mainly for myself, but I also know you will make the kingdom just as happy."

The king came forward, holding a glowing light which floated above his cupped hands like a hovering pebble. Sorrel looked to Cypress for answers, but his lips appeared sealed.

"Since you are not a flower fairy," the king began, "we will give you the magic of our people so you can contribute as a royal. You will have a duty to uphold, to help the people and bring the coming changes of seasons. To bring prosperity."

He brought the glowing, ethereal light to Sorrel's face. A coldness came from it, and yet it felt unbelievably warm at the same time.

"In drinking this, you will be able to use magic and will officially be one of our kind."

He dipped his hands forward and encouraged Sorrel to consume the glowing light.

It tasted sweet, but he couldn't define what the flavour was. It was warm as it entered his stomach and settled in him like a comfortable ball.

Oddly enough, Sorrel waited. When too long passed, and the warmth in his stomach faded, he let out a defeated sigh. Cypress' brow drew in tightly at him, obviously confused by Sorrel's reaction.

"I thought it might magically give me wings," Sorrel quietly admitted.

A warm and tender smile lifted the corners of Cypress' lips, making his beard curl against them. "It doesn't matter that you don't have them. You're perfect as you are."

Sorrel's heart practically soared at his words, and he returned his husband's sweet expression with one that mirrored it.

"Now that everything is complete," Cypress said as he grabbed Sorrel's hand and turned him towards the people fully, "let's get the celebration over with so we can be alone."

The tingle in his cock already told Sorrel he was semi-hard from the kiss, and he clenched his eyes shut when just the mention of what was to come tonight made it harden further. He surely hoped no one noticed as they began to walk down the aisle together so they could go to the function.

There they would eat, dance, and show their new bond off to the people of the fairy court.

The idea of meeting strangers, nobles, and other fairies sounded overwhelming, especially since he wasn't quite sure how he was supposed to behave. Cypress already told him to just be himself and the people would come to love him as he did. It still felt like an uncomfortable burden.

"I just want to go to our room," Sorrel admitted with a whisper.

Cypress visibly shuddered with want. His freckled nose even crinkled on one side and his hand squeezed Sorrel's tightly. "You can't tease me right now, Sorrel. I'm barely containing my will to cart you over my shoulder and take you there now."

"I'm not trying to tease you," he murmured. He was just being truthful.

Cypress grasped at his stomach. Sorrel had a feeling he actually wanted to grasp his cock, but couldn't because of the people around them.

"It makes it so much worse that you don't even know you're doing it."

Then Cypress looked from the corner of his eyes at him. Sorrel saw the depth of his heated desire, his desperate need, the way his gaze raked over Sorrel like his new husband wanted to eat him alive right there and then.

His heart fluttered in his chest. Now I really want to go to our room.