It was 5:00 p.m. when the beautiful, radiant bride walked arm in arm with Anthony Moriarty—the formidable man who, today, was giving Amanda Hayward away at the altar. She was the love and dream of Lucius's life.
After Lucius had spoken with Moriarty, the man didn't even wait a full month before bringing him back to Valentia.
Those memories ran through Lucius's mind as he watched her walk toward him down the aisle, smiling brightly—an enormous, breathtaking smile just for him.
There was something about pregnancy that made her glow even more. The woman who would soon be his wife looked absolutely stunning. Her face had a special kind of light to it.
Lucius could swear she looked like a fairy. Yes, a fairy. She had chosen a white dress with floral details and a flower-themed wedding that gave her an almost magical aura.
Magnus, thrilled as ever, had offered his home once more to host the wedding of another of his grandchildren.
Amanda, of course, had refused any contact with her father—the man who'd forgotten her as a child had no right to show up in her adult life.
The wedding was organized by none other than Angela Moriarty, Anthony's wife and Lucius's not-quite-sister.
She had personally taken on the task. She adored Lucius and wasn't going to miss the chance to show it.
That woman could be intense, but the kind of attention to detail that used to make Lucius uncomfortable now felt perfectly normal.
"How're you holding up?" Maximus asked, standing next to his son.
"Nervous… I know Amanda. She's totally capable of running off," Lucius whispered.
"Don't worry. I've got all the exits covered," Maximus replied, trying to calm him down.
"So… this is what it feels like?"
"What do you mean?"
"Getting married. Is this what it feels like?"
"Well… I only married your mother, and honestly, it was kind of rushed. You were already born—you showed up a bit early."
"So, having kids before marriage runs in the family?"
Once Moriarty handed Amanda off and stepped down from the altar, Maximus hugged Lucius and whispered, "You're going to be an amazing husband. Go now, and be the best one you can be."
Then he turned to his new daughter-in-law and said warmly, "Welcome to the family, little Amanda."
"Thank you, Mr. Maximus!" she replied with a bright smile.
After that, Maximus made his way down and sat next to Diana, who was watching the ceremony, captivated by the whole thing.
There was no doubt—Angela Moriarty had done a stunning job with the decorations. The whole place looked like a dream—flowers everywhere, a fairytale come to life.
Diana couldn't help but imagine her own wedding day. She dreamed of having something just like this. But for one reason or another, that day kept getting pushed further and further away.
After a beautiful ceremony where the couple promised to love each other for life, and where Maximus, for the first time in a long while, saw the most human, open version of his son—
Everyone headed to the reception, held in the same garden where Serenity and Alden's wedding had taken place.
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