Kiss Me Not

A few weeks passed, and the day of the royal wedding finally arrived. The already married couple had planned long and hard on how to best go about repeating their vows. But eventually, they settled with simply having a repeat of their first wedding, only this time it would be grander and more fitting of their royal status.

Then again, the two actually didn't have much of an idea on how to upscale their own first wedding.

"Can't we just scale everything up?" Cain sighed. "It'd be simple enough, right?"

"Cain, it doesn't work like that," Kimmy shook her head in exasperation. "As much as I'd like to do that, we can't. And why are you even stressing about this now? We're pretty much at the point of no return."

Looking around, Cain couldn't help but let off another sigh at the truth in front of him. Why did he even bother stressing himself like this when everything was pretty much ready to go? Already, the wedding hall was dressed to the nines, chandeliers and laces lined the walls, glinting against the warm lights around it as the guests waited patiently for their arrival.

"Also, why are you still here?" Kimmy couldn't help but chuckle at her worried husband. "Shouldn't you be waiting for me out there already?"

"O-oh right," Cain nervously chuckled. "I guess I just want this wedding to be as perfect as it possibly can."

"And it will be," Kimmy reassured him, her smile complimenting her wedding dress. "Just relax. We've been here before."

"Yeah," he chuckled. "See you on the altar then."

Giving her one last wave, Cain straightened his suit and tie one last time before making his way out into the main hall.

"What took you so long?" Cedric greeted him at the start of the aisle. "You really kept your best man waiting?"

"You're not the one getting married here, Cedric," Cain scoffed. "I just met up with Kimberly one last time before the big event."

"What?" his best man gasped. "Isn't that considered bad luck?"

"We already did it once before, and nothing happened so far," Cain waved off his concern. "So what's the harm in that?"

"Wait, you're already married?" Cedric startlingly asked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because we'll be getting married right now anyway?" Cain chuckled right as the wedding march music started to play. "Oh, that's our cue. See you later."

"Okay, Cain. But don't think this conversation's over," Cedric teasingly threatened as he watched his best friend leave. "Seriously, not even telling anyone they got married..."

With a shrug, Cedric went off to find his seat by the crowd. As much as it was their second wedding, it was still a wedding regardless.

"Now where do I sit..."

***

Kimmy let off a heavy sigh of anticipation as she found herself facing down the aisle once more. It wasn't her first time getting married, but the grandeur and the spectacle of it all made it feel all the more important as both guests and cameras all turned to look at her. The earlier confidence she had while talking to Cain was gone, replaced only by gnawing anxiety as all eyes seemed to be scrutinizing her every move.

"It's not your first wedding, Kimmy," she whispered to herself. "Get it together…"

Taking a deep breath, she gripped the hand she was holding onto tighter for support. She didn't know why, but knowing that she wasn't walking alone gave her all the emotional support she needed to get through her own wedding.

"Everything okay?"

Looking up, Kimmy half-expected her father to appear and see her through. Instead, it was Uncle Lucas that took up the mantle. She didn't want to bother Uncle Sean to walk her down the aisle again. And besides, the man himself suggested that she took someone else this time. Someone that wasn't there for her first wedding.

"Yeah," Kimmy nodded. "Just wedding jitters is all."

"You'll be fine," her uncle reassured her. "Someone told me this isn't your first wedding."

She blinked in surprise, "Who told you?"

Instead of giving her a straight answer, her Uncle Lucas cryptically replied, "Who do you think?"

Kimmy frowned. Who could possibly spill the beans like this? She was sure that they told what few guests they had to not spread the news…

"Relax, Kimmy. Sean told me," Uncle Lucas chuckled beside her. "Told me to take care of you and all that."

Her eyes widened, a well of gratitude swelling within her as she looked her chaperone in the eyes. "R-Really?"

"As if he even needed to tell me too," Uncle Lucas chuckled. "I'll walk you down regardless of the situation. It's an honor, even."

"T-thank you…" she meekly responded, tears starting to form in her eyes just as the music began playing. "This means so much to me…"

"It's your moment, after all," he smiled, the lights beginning to shine upon them as the aisle showed itself. "Now, let's get you married again. Cain's waiting for you."

"R-right…"

Walking down the aisle, Kimmy couldn't help but feel more tears welling up within her. She was already married to the man waiting for her by the altar, but for some reason, it still felt as if she was just about to get married for the first time in her life.

"Hey, Kimberly," Cain greeted her, her Uncle Lucas having warmly smiled at her as he passed her hand off to her husband. "Shall we?"

"Y-Yeah…" she smiled, tears freely falling from her face. "Let's do this…"

Returning her smile, Cain led her up to the altar. Like last time, she didn't even know what the officiator said to them. The only thing she knew she had to do was to end the ceremony with a kiss, and-

"Kimberly."

Her eyes widened as her attention was brought down to reality. "C-Cain?"

"Last time we did this, we didn't even realize that we got married until we reached the reception," her husband lovingly smiled at her. "This time, I want to make things different."

"D-Different?"

Her husband smirked at his own words. "Waiting here gave me a bit of time, so I thought we should have some actual vows this time around."