19 Numb

[Two Weeks Later]

[Celestian Palace]

"It's done."

"Thanks Lucy." Elsa thanked the hairdresser as she looked at herself in the mirror.

"You look beautiful."

Elsa smiled at her without saying anything. She ran her fingers down the white wedding dress she was wearing.

Yes, she did look beautiful but did she feel beautiful. No.

In fact, she felt nothing. No happiness, no sadness. She felt numb.

The wedding day is said to be one of the happiest days in a woman's life.

Why didn't she feel that way? Why wasn't she feeling even a tiny ounce of happiness?

Maybe because her would be husband hadn't bothered to contact her for the past two weeks.

Maybe because he hadn't bothered to show up for the rehearsal dinner that had taken place a couple of days before.

And now here she was getting ready, trying to make herself feel beautiful for a man who wasn't even willing to try to make things work.

Elsa took a deep breath to calm herself down. Her emotions were making her feel vulnerable and she wasn't liking it. She had to stay strong. There was no way she would show Desmond that his actions were bothering her.

"Are you okay?" Lucy placed her hand on her shoulder. "Should I call someone for you?"

"That's alright." Elsa sighed. "I am just missing my mom."

She was indeed missing her mother. Things would have definitely been different if she was still around.

Lucy gave her a side hug. "I'll let Mrs.Fedorov know that I have my best job on her daughter-in-law."

"Don't worry, I'll give you good feedback," Elsa assured her.

Lucy was sent by Olivia Fedorov, Desmond's mother to help Elsa with her hair and makeup for the big day.

"Thanks."

After Lucy left, someone knocked at the door.

Thinking it was her brothers or father, she asked whoever it was to come in.

"I don't think I am allowed to see you before the ceremony." Desmond waited for sometime to get a response but when he didn't, he continued, "I just wanted to make sure if you are okay."

"Does it matter if I am okay or not?" Elsa sighed. "If you are worried that I'll run away, leaving you stranded at the altar then you are worried for nothing. I'll be there on time."

"That's good to hear. I'll see you at the altar then." Without waiting for her reply, he walked away.

...

[Wedding hall]

When Desmond approached the entrance of the hall, Greg was waiting for him at the door.

"So did you see her?" When he ignored his question, Greg sighed, "You fucked up again, didn't you?"

"I don't wanna talk about it." Desmond frowned as he loosened his bowtie. He hated wearing neck and bow ties but his profession demanded it.

"Hey, don't ruin it." Greg slapped his hand away. "I heard your bride looks stunning and beautiful. If you don't want to look at a beast in front of her then quit touching the bow."

"You saw her?"

He shook his head. "No but the hairdresser is still talking about how stunning your bride looks in the white dress you selected for her."

Desmond kept quiet for a while. "She doesn't know I selected it, right?"

"No, I didn't say a word."

"Good," he sighed.

...