Chapter 5: Wedding day

Antonio

Yesterday was spent waiting for confirmation that Daisy had picked her dress and at the very last minute she had picked a dress.

She barely spoke to me on the way to the manor and once we did arrive, she asked where she was sleeping and then made her way over there. I didn't see him at all yesterday which was fine by me.

She must be expecting to be sleeping in her own room but as of tonight, my wife will be with me. In our room in bed with me.

"You ready?" My dad asks me as I stand at the chapel waiting for my bride to head down here to me.

"It's arranged. It means nothing"

"Me and your mother were in an arranged marriage and look at us" he says while smirking at me. At his age, he's still a handsome chap and I would say that because I look exactly like him.

"Jesus. Fuck I didn't know that" I say as I look at the door again.

"My only bit of advice is to be faithful son. Arranged or not she wasn't in the wrong. It was her father's doing and she's paying a hefty price for it"

"Yeah I get that" and I do. I get that she hates me and doesn't want anything to do with me but this is now her fate as much as it is mine.

When the music starts playing and the small number of people we have here stand, I look to the back of the church to find my bride standing there on her own.

I would have thought her useless father would want to see her get married to the ruthless, heartless bastard everyone claims me to be and he was told to be here so where the fuck is he?

I've learnt how to hold all emotions in, to become expressionless and not show anything on the outside but on the inside, I’m fucked.

She is pure beauty. Everything about her is beautiful and everything I have expected her to be is completely off topic.

She’s feisty but she’s also scared.

She has the balls and guts to stand up to a man like myself but she doesn’t like to use them.

Maybe this marriage won't be a sham after all.

She walks slowly toward me, her veil covering most of her face but I can still see her beauty underneath it as she gets closer to me.

Her figure fits perfectly in her dress, it hugs each curve in the right place. She’s not like the women in our usual circle who don’t eat and spend hours on end in the gym to be super skinny. She's got plenty of curves that I cannot wait to grab onto in bed.

Her dress is pure white and trails along the floor behind her.

My brother nudges me from behind but I can’t even look at him which earns me a chuckle from behind. I have my brothers and best friend as my best men and everyone else in the family is seated up front and throughout the chapel.

"Here's me thinking you stood me up" I whisper when I lift her veil and look down at her.

"I thought about it" she mutters not making eye contact with me. Instead, she keeps a closer look at my chest.

"I don't bite Princess. Unless you want me to"

This gets her attention. Her cheeks flush a beautiful shade of pink but she doesn't look at me for long as her gaze sweeps over the guests sitting and watching.

It's probably terrifying for her seems how she's never been in my world. Probably doesn't know how to use a gun and most likely can't defend herself in a certain situation seems that her height puts her at a disadvantage and by my records she prefers to read and relax.

I know most of her school history, she was valedictorian, a straight A student, and had a select few friends and by the looks of her, she must have been the quiet and timid one so that makes our training heavier and so that will change starting tomorrow.

The vicar begins the ceremony and goes through his usual routine and rituals about love and faithfulness and then goes on to the one part where I feel Daisy tense up.

Do you, Daisy Harrison, take, Antonio Alexander Rosa to be your husband? To have and to hold in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer for the remainder of your life?" He asks Daisy and I watch as her eyes look defeated and pained.

"I do," she says just loud enough to get the priest to continue.

"And do you, Antonio Alexander Rosa take Daisy Harrison, to be your wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer for the remainder of your life?"

"I do," I say without any emotion or any hesitation.

It's supposed to be a contract marriage. Loveless. Completely physical and I must be a fool to want to give this ago. I barely know the woman yet I can't wait to find out her strengths and weaknesses and what turns her on mostly.

"In the power of god and the bible, I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may kiss the bride" he says and I don't hesitate to look at my dashing bride who doesn't know where to look and I place my lips softly on her.

"At least pretend to want me for a moment" I whisper in her ear feeling amused and slightly annoyed.

She leans into the kiss and holds onto my sides as if she wants to squeeze me to death which makes me laugh because her grip isn't even all that hard.

"What's so funny" she asks as we break off to the roaring and cheering of my family and men.

"You."

"What's about me?"

"You gripped hold of me so tightly that I'm surprised you didn't try to pierce your nails into my insides" I chuckle but there isn't much humour to it.

After a beat, she releases my body and brushes her hand down my jacket as if it’s an instinct for her to do.

"I hate wearing heels" she whispers while trying to balance on each foot.

I look down to see she's wearing silver heels which are quite tall but even in heels she only comes up to my chest.

"So why have you?"

"Because it's apparently felt tradition" she says but we're interrupted by my mother who rushes up and hugs Daisy tight.

Not even giving her firstborn a hug.

"Okay, Ma. Don't kill her. At least I know that you prefer my wife to me” I say with laughter trying to pry my mother's arms off Daisy.

"I'm sorry. I just couldn't wait any longer! You need to get your bride to the reception area now Antonio. We will all meet you there" she says as she wanders back over my father and sister.

"Shall we go, Mrs Rosa?" I ask with a smirk.

She holds onto my arm as we walk back down the aisle and to the party that's being hosted at our family's resort house 10 minutes away from our home.

"This could work Daisy," I say as I hold her thigh in the car. Her dress covers all of her legs so I can't have skin on skin but it’s better than what I could imagine. I don't usually like touching people or being touched but her nimble fingers hold onto my hand and that's when I notice a little scar there.

"What happened to your hand?"