The Kings IV I

1

three years later

Fred

"No, Alesia, I didn't ask for sunflowers. Who the hell wants sunflowers at their wedding?"

I leaned against the threshold, cracking a small smile. I was marrying a firecracker in just three days.

"Well, this should've been finalized months ago. And why it wasn't is beyond my knowledge."

I clenched my jaw in order to fight my smile. She turned to face me and rolled her eyes, holding up her pointer finger.

"Well, Alesia, it's also nine o'clock. Let's do this in the morning over caffeine."

She slammed her phone down, closing her eyes with a sigh.

"Ah, my pleasant wife," I said, walking further into my office.

"Your pleasant wife is pissed off," she muttered, shaking her head.

"You didn't make that blatantly obvious before," I said, wrapping my arms around her neck. I pulled her into me for a comforting hug and she relaxed in my arms.

"Three days, Fred. Three days. This-"

"Shh," I whispered, pressing a kiss to her head.

"Did you just shush me?"

"I did, bridezilla," I joked, looking down at her.

She cracked a contagious grin, pushing herself away from me. "Come on, I feel like terrible hosts."

She walked out of my office and I turned off my light, walking back into the dining area.

Dad smiled up at us. "Complications?"

"To say the least," Lex muttered, "b-but it's going to be settled. Hopefully."

"It will be," I said.

"What's the problem?" Adora asked, taking a bite of her salmon.

"Alesia, she apparently ordered sunflowers."

"Ouch," Adora whispered, taking a sip of her wine.

"What's wrong with sunflowers?" Dad asked, "nice and pleasant?"

Adora and Alexis were both looking at him with a look on their faces that only we could detect.

"I've just got a hard to please bride," I joked, rubbing Alexis's thigh.

She looked over at me and plastered on a fake smile, but I could see tears clouding up her eyes.

"Lex?"

She stood up, shaking her head before walking away from the table.

I stood up but Adora held up a hand. "I've got her."

"Oh, my God, what did I do?" I asked, my eyes the size of saucers.

"She's just under a lot of stress, Fred," Dad said, still shoveling food into his mouth, "you know us men do nothing for the wedding."

"W-well, that's not true. I dropped off-"

Dad held a hand up. "Does that amount to anything she's done?"

I sighed and bit down on my lip. "No."

"Exactly."

"Why's Alexis crying?" Arabella sweetly asked, her hands in front of her stomach.

"Freddy made her cry," Dad said.

Arabella tilted her head over. "Why?"

I sighed, resting my chin in my palm. "I didn't do it on purpose."