The Bride He Hates-Chapter 65: Third Wedding

Lyanna hardly slept that night her mind was buzzing with possibilities about what Azrael wanted to show her. She had read the letter so many times that she had every word memorized.

You’re not my second choice. You’re my everything.

The next day at dawn, she dressed up casually and went towards the south garden. The garden was one of Thornfield’s oldest corners, a beautiful space with stone paths, flowers, fountains and benches.

When Lyanna reached the garden, she saw Azrael already standing in the centre, surrounded by flowers. He looked exhausted, like he was up all night working on something.

Lyanna looked around. The entire garden had been transformed overnight. White roses and blue forget-me-nots, her favourite flowers, were everywhere. String lights hung from the tree, and a small altar stood nearby. At the other side, a band of human musicians waited.

"What is this?" Lyanna asked, stepping closer.

"Your wedding. The one you deserved." He said, gesturing to the garden around them. "Every detail is according to your preference. Morgana helped me. She told me about your favourite flowers and music. She told me you wanted a wedding at dawn instead of midnight."

Lyanna remembered Morgana asking her about her favourite things, about her dream wedding while they were planning for the wedding. She had no idea that she was helping Azrael in planning all this.

"I can’t change the past." He continued. "But I can give you the wedding you deserve. I can try to be a man who deserves you and your love."

Tears pricked at Lyanna’s eyes.

"You did all this overnight?"

"Adrian, Helena, Morgana, and I worked together." He smiled tiredly. "Vampires don’t need sleep when they’re determined to do something, and I was very determined to do this right." He took a step forward and extended his hand.

"This isn’t about grand gestures or trying to erase what I did. I just want to show you that I learned what you wanted, what you dreamed of, and what was taken from you. And I’m trying to give some of it back.

I know this can’t fix what I did. I know one ceremony can’t compete with months of cruelty. But I wanted you to have this moment, if you’ll accept it, of course,"

"You want to marry me again?" Lyanna asked in her shaking voice. "Here? Now?"

"Only if you want to." Azrael replied immediately. "It isn’t about me or what I want anymore. I’m giving you the choice I didn’t give you before. You can either agree to have a wedding or walk away from this garden and forget I even tried. It’s upto you completely."

He then took out a small velvet box from his pocket. Inside, were two beautiful rings. She recognized the one ring immediately. It was the same ring Azrael had shown her before their wedding and told her later she wasn’t worthy of that ring.

"These are safe. I got them checked." He laughed.

Lyanna stared at the rings, then looked at the garden, and then at his vulnerable face. He had spent the night creating the wedding she wanted, and now he was giving her the power to choose.

She smiled and felt her remaining doubts vanish.

"Who would perform the ceremony?" She asked.

"Lady Morgana offered to officiate but if you want, it can be just us, speaking the vows privately."

"Just us." She said.

"Fine. Just us." Azrael smiled.

He led her to the altar, and musicians began to play a soft romantic melody. They stood facing each other under the dawn sky, surrounded by her favourite flowers.

"I choose you." Azrael said. "Because I want to. I promise to stand beside you as an equal partner, to respect your voice and your choices, to support your dreams and celebrate your victories.

I promise to choose you every day, when it’s both easy and difficult. I promise to build a relationship with you based on trust, respect, and genuine care. I promise to be worthy of your love."

Hearing Azrael speak his vows, with such sincerity, made her heart ache with happiness.

"Your turn now."

She took a moment to calm herself, then spoke from her heart.

"I choose you despite knowing what we both did in the past and what we survived together. I choose you despite our broken beginning because of who we’ve become through it.

I promise to stand beside you not as the girl who was forced into this marriage, but as the woman who chooses to stay. I promise to see your flaws and your virtues, your cruelty and your kindness. I promise to love you completely, not just the easy parts."

Azrael’s eyes glistened with tears.

"I promise to transform revenge into partnership, fear into trust, and obligation into choice. I promise to choose you every day." She reached up and cupped his face.

"You’re not perfect. Neither am I. Our beginning was terrible, then it became painful and our future is not perfect either. But still I choose you." She finished.

Azrael immediately pulled her close and kissed her gently. When they broke apart, he put his forehead on hers, and both closed their eyes.

"Thank you, for giving me this. For choosing me despite everything."

Then, he pulled back and took Lyanna’s left hand.

"May I?"

Lyanna nodded, and he slid the ring onto her finger. Lyanna took the second ring and slid it onto his finger also. Then suddenly Morgana, Adrian, Helena and Victor approached them.

"Congratulations, Your Majesties." Morgana said with a smile.

"About damn time you two actually chose each other." Adrian said, grinning. "Maybe now the rest of us can stop walking on eggshells around your relationship drama."

Helena swatted his arm but she was smiling too.

"Ignore him. This was honestly very beautiful. Congratulations."

Even Victor who is usually cold smiled.

"Congratulations."

As the musicians began playing again, the castle seemed to wake up with them. Lyanna felt a weight she had been carrying for months finally drop away. She looked at Azrael. His face was still wet with tears that he didn’t bother to wipe away.

Azrael then hugged her, burying his face in her hair.

"I don’t know how to be the husband you deserve. But I’m trying and I’ll keep trying."

"I know." Lyanna replied. "And that’s what matters."

They stood there holding each other tightly, and for the first time since this marriage, Lyanna felt truly at peace.

That afternoon, Sylvia knocked at their door, looking uncomfortable.

"Your Majesties. May I speak with both of you?"

"If this is another attempt to..."

"It’s not." Sylvia interrupted him immediately and looked at Lyanna.

"I’ve been cruel to you since the day we first met. I tried to take your husband, implied you weren’t good enough, and said things to hurt you. But I saw what he did for you in the garden today.

I’ve known Azrael for a long time. I’ve spent decades with him. He never did anything like that for me. He never chose me the way he’s choosing you." She looked at both of them and smiled sadly.

"So I’m apologizing. Because I was wrong. You’re not his second choice. You’re the woman he loves the most in this world."

Lyanna glanced at Azrael and saw him waiting for her response, letting her decide how to handle it.

"Thank you, for being honest. I hope you and Adrian can build something nice too."

Sylvia smiled.

"I’m going to try. He deserves better than a wife who’s still hung up on her ex." She smiled.

After she left, Azrael looked at Lyanna.

"You didn’t have to forgive her."

"I didn’t forgive her. I just acknowledged her apology." She smiled. "And it’s nice to have one less person trying to make me doubt us." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

They both laughed at her response, tightly hugging each other again.