Chapter 251 - Million Kisses

The cardinal of Nisia's voice, ever so charismatic, echoed as he gave his final blessings to the holy matrimony of Maxen and Olivia, however, there was one person amongst the crowd who was not paying attention to any of it, the bride herself—Olivia.

The entire time, she was spacing out, her eyes zeroing in at the emerald stone engagement ring on her finger, which Maxen slipped earlier during the exchange of vows and rings.

The shade of green akin to sea kelp swaying against the current of the sea called Olivia's name, hypnotizing her to stare at it longer.

She let the oval-shaped emerald stone sitting in the center of the ring with two baguette diamonds on each side suck her soul in.

Goosebumps dotted her skin as she shivered at how she felt the same way the first time Maxen gave it to her after their elopement in New York.

As funny as it was, she got her engagement ring after the wedding band since she and Maxen got married on a whim, but it didn't bother her.

She loved the drama-free wedding they had, just her and Maxen, enjoying themselves on their special day.

Wiggling her ring finger, she let the stone catch light from the incandescent bulbs which illuminated the dock they were sitting on, and a smile ghosted her lips when the emerald stone winked back at her.

She wasn't supposed to be wearing this ring until the announcement of their engagement, although Maxen told her she could wear it anytime she pleased because it was hers anyway.

Olivia tried wearing it for a day, but after hours of working on her laptop, her ring finger bore the brunt of the stone's weight and she swore to wear the ring on special occasions lest she wanted to lose her senses on her extremities.

Everything felt surreal to her until she felt the tip of Maxen's nose brushed on the shell of her ear. His hot breath fanned against her s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e skin, goosebumps scattered all over her body.

"Baby, we're waiting for you," Maxen whispered in her ear. She looked over her shoulders and to her surprise, everyone was standing except her.

Olivia's eyes widened, and she shot up from her seat. "I do, Father!" she squeaked. And the horror of her action dawned on her when everyone laughed and clapped at her ditziness.

She hid her face that painted nothing but shame in the comfort of Maxen's c.h.e.s.t.

"Maxen and Olivia," the cardinal started, keeping the ceremony rolling. "You have expressed your love and commitment to each other through the promises you made today. By the eyes of men and the eyes of our Creator, you are now husband and wiiiiife," the cardinal dragged his last syllable, halting Maxen from his track.

The cardinal tried to suppress his smile but failed, smiling broadly. He'd never seen a groom as eager to kiss his bride as Maxen did.

"Your Highness, you cannot kiss the bride yet," the cardinal warned as Maxen dipped his head, ready to seal his vows with a kiss. The groom straightened his posture and scratched the skin above his brows.

"Maxen, Olivia, you might have shared a million kisses before, and no doubt you will share a million more in the years to come. But always remember the kiss you share today, as it is one that sealed your vows in front of your loved ones and with our Creator above as your witness.

"Today, your kiss is a covenant on each other to always remain faithful—semper fidelis."

"Your Highness," the cardinal paused and raised a brow on Maxen. "I will not stop you this time. You may now kiss the bride."

The crowd cheered as Maxen whisked Olivia off her feet, lifting her by the b.u.t.t.o.c.k.s. Cupping Maxen's face, Olivia bowed a little, brushing the tips of their nose before sealing their vows with a kiss.

Maxen released Olivia from his grip, and together, they faced their guests with Maxen beaming while waving Olivia's arm in the air as if he had in his hand the winning ticket to the lottery.

All the ladies and Eli were teary-eyed as they cheered for the couple. Queen Isla pivoted on her heel and sent Eli a flying kiss of approval over Olivia's gown.

The fine silk celebrated every curve and dip in Olivia's body, and the cowl neckline hanging by a thin strap showed a tease of her femininity. It's simple and chic, more importantly, it screamed Olivia's sophistication.

Suddenly, everyone started to wonder why Maxen was pantomiming on stage, and a light-bulb moment struck Eli. He quickly got up on his feet, bringing with him a pink fur coat to warm Olivia.

Eli paused on the stage, wary for his own life when Olivia shot him a glare. But Maxen didn't even blinked and grabbed the coat from Eli, thanking the designer before slinging the fluffy fur on Olivia's broad shoulders.

Queen Isla shook her head. The temperature wasn't even cold, and there was no use for a fur coat.

Perhaps an umbrella or raincoat later would be more needed when the sky would release its tears. However, as of that moment, it was humid, as the rain refused to shower, granting them the surprise wedding of the year.

While Queen Isla appreciated the kind gesture and her son's possessive streak, he should have asked Olivia first if she wanted to be cloaked with a pink feather ostrich before doing so.

She could see from her periphery how Olivia's brow knotted when Maxen covered her with the coat.

Queen Isla smiled when Olivia didn't protest, but she saw how Maxen's left eye squinted while he forced out a grin.

It was then that her mother's instincts kicked in and saw for herself that while Olivia accepted Maxen taking control of her wardrobe, the wife didn't forget to remind the husband to never do that again as she stabbed her stiletto on his shoe.