Chapter 18- Final Decisions Cont.

Asterion made his way into my room after closing the door behind himself.

"Fanariel, he said as he took both my hands in his, "I came as soon as your father informed me of your decision. I wanted to let you know that my feelings for you are true and I know one day we could have a family of our own together. That's why my answer is yes, even if I have to wait longer than I originally thought. I would be honored to be your husband and start a family with you. You bring me joy and I vow to make it my mission every day to give you that support you can depend on during even the most difficult of times."

"Thank you Asterion, your words make me happy already. I look forward to our future together and have no doubt in my decision of choosing you." We both smiled as he hugged me spinning me around. I now had four husbands and my heart felt so full already. I wasn't sure if I could ever be happier than I was now.

As if on cue, another knock on my door. With only one suitor left it made sense why the time between the two was cut shorter.

"I will see you soon Fanariel," Asterion said as he made his exit. This left only one more suitor to inform me of his answer.

"Jiao-Long, you've come." I said still feeling giddy from the spinning.

"Of course, Fanariel, how could I not. When your father informed me of your decision, I must admit I was taken aback. But after some thought I realized true love was worth any hardship one might face to obtain it. Back home there aren't many options for me. A chance with you is worth any trail I must endure. I feel good aura with you Fanariel and I know with time our feelings will only blossom."

"So, you agreed then?" I asked in disbelief. Did all five truly agree?

"Yes, I would be honored to be your husband Fanariel. I look forward to spending the rest of our life's together getting to know each other and making fond memories." He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before saying his farewells and leaving me to my thoughts.

That really just happened then. Five incredibly handsome, intelligent, and passionate men of high rank and noble birth truly agreed to marry me. To make it crazier, I believe in my heart that they each have real and genuine feelings for me as I have the same for them. My life seemed like I was living in the clouds. My heart overflowing with happiness. To think this was really my life...

As my head was still in shock, I didn't fully have the mental focus to think this all through. What it meant to have five husbands and take on the title of Emperor all within a short time frame. May Mother Earth guide me as I embark on this incredible journey to regain the strength of my father's empire and to discover for myself what true love feels like.

WEDDING PREPARATIONS BEGIN

Time was flying by as the final preparations were made for my wedding. Cake testing with all of my grooms was harder than anticipated. Matching the tastebuds of men from very different backgrounds... easier said than done. We opted on one larger cake with the flavor Fraren and I had chosen. Then four smaller grooms' cakes each with the flavor of choice for Asmodeus, Sabasmus, Asterion and Jiao-Long.

Then there was finding the right dress of course. Only the dress of my dreams had not yet been made into existence. So many long hours of sitting for measurements and alterations ensued.

Then the florist had to come shortly after insisting on so many flowers to cover every inch of open space.

Father dearest, had musicians from far and wide come to audition for the after-ceremony celebrations. Again, many different family traditions and preferred music genres from each of my fiancés. The choices and decisions seemed endless and the amount of time to come to any one conclusion amongst the six of us... well at this rate there wasn't going to be any wedding.

My head hurt from all the chaos, I thought this was meant to be the happiest moment of my life but turns out wedding planning was harder than fighting a war! Because that's what it felt like with my five very handsome and very hardheaded grooms. I threw my hands up in defeat, if I had to present tea with two lotus seeds to Jiao-Long's parents so be it! If I have to watch belly dancers and drummers then I can do that for Sabasmus. But I would not be wearing black no matter how much Asterion and Asmodeus begged.

That just left Fraren, he had been silent through the whole process of choosing where the others would mostly speak up. I waited until we had a moment alone to speak with him to see if there was anything I could do to make this moment more special for him.

"Fraren, do you have a moment?" I asked walking up to him.

"For you, always." He replied with a small smile.

"I've been thinking, is there anything I can do for you to make our wedding day more special? Anything in particular you think we should add?"

"Fanariel, all that matters to me is that I'm married to you. And after that our first night together as husband and wife." He said with a slight blush to his face.

I too blushed at the mention of it. Making me realize that I was about to have five wedding nights in the span of one? That didn't seem possible. Surely, we could arrange something differently for that.

"I don't mean to make you nervous," he said taking my lack of words as hesitation to be with him on the most intimate level.

"No, I'm sorry, it's not that. I'm just thinking I might need to spread the "wedding night" situation out to serval nights. I don't think it's fair to any of us to have fractions of a night. Plus, I will want to sleep mostly after the wedding." I blabbed on nervously as I said my inner thoughts out loud. My face felt scorching from the embarrassment of discussing such matters with Fraren.

"I understand, I will make sure of it, don't worry. I see that you have been looking quite tired lately, why don't I escort you to your room so you can take a nap." Fraren suggested.

"I appreciate the offer and really wish I could take it but unfortunately you guys can't agree on much of anything. We have to make some decisions or this wedding will never happen." I said in aggravation. I tried to massage my own forehead to relieve the pressure. Only one more day until the BIG day.

Fraren stepped behind me and massaged my shoulders pressing his thumbs into the knotted spots. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back. "Fanariel, don't worry, I promise you by the time you come back down we will have a final decision on the rest of the to do list." He said reassuringly before placing a soft kiss between my eyes.

I let him soothe me to sleep before he carried me up to bed. Upon his return he gathered the other grooms, and they finally peacefully came to a decision for the remaining factors of our wedding. This was the first time they got a taste of what working together like a team could accomplish. Something that later down the road they would have much more time to practice together on.

I awoke to my dress being complete, flowers and decor being chosen, the cake flavors and design picked, and the music finalized. Everything was being put together creating a lively and bustling scene. I was grateful for the rest I got and for all the help my men had given me. I was proud of them for pulling together.

In just 24 hours we would all be married. I decided to share one last dinner with them all before biding them goodnight. I wanted to create a little buzz between now and the moment I walked down the aisle. To ensure this I locked my door, both the balcony and main entrance. I closed my curtains tight so no peeking could happen.

Sylvia helped me take a warm scented bath before bed. My skin was scrubbed and lathered with the most expensive fragrances. My hair combed and covered with silk before I slept to ensure it didn't frizz overnight. My body was smooth and soft, but most importantly completely relaxed for a good night of sleep.

Tucked into bed I closed my eyes and allowed myself to drift off to a place free of any worry. Tomorrow would be the happiest day of my life but also for all the people of my father's empire. With my marriage, promises of many future heirs were made. After the people heard of not one, but five grooms they celebrated the excitement of becoming the strongest empire once again.