Chapter 253 - Bound By Blood (1/2)

Not far from the dock where the wedding took place was a feast was waiting for the entourage. Since it was only her who hadn't seen the set-up, Olivia could not help but be amazed at how they transformed the place.

Dried leaves crunched with Olivia's every step, amplifying her senses. The closer they got to the long table that awaited them, the more ethereal the experience was.

She drank in the intimate reception right before her eyes and felt as if she was an elf princess, stepping into a different realm after wandering off in the mortal's world.

Fairy lights and suspended paper butterflies adorned earthen branches bent into an arch. Beneath it was a long table, enough to seat everyone.

Dozens of candles flickered, its flames danced and flared on the table, and the aroma of woodsy cedarwood, spicy frankincense, and sweet orange wafted in the air.

The group chatted along as they made their way to the table, exchanging stories how they managed to surprise Olivia, especially Emily who did her best to hold her tongue no matter how giddy and excited she was when Oliver told them he wanted to throw a wedding dinner for his sister.

”Ava! I almost missed thanking you,” Olivia let go of Maxen's arm and hooked it to Ava. She was now sandwiched between her two gal pals.

”It was Ollie's idea. He was upset about your elopement, but you know him. He just wanted to be in control with everything and the surprise threw him off. It doesn't mean he's not happy about you and Maxen's getting married.”

”I know.” Olivia swallowed, her eyes fleeting to her brother who was walking ahead of them and was chatting with Queen Isla.

”Trust me. All Ollie wanted for you was to be happy. He exhausted all his power just to bring Mom here, but you know.” Ava paused. She didn't want to divulge the nasty argument Oliver had that morning with Henry Lin when the loathsome man refused to attend the wedding and even denied signing the travel consent for Amelia to fly in separately with her own medical team.

Olivia read between Ava's lines and just shrugged it off as if she was used to it. To Olivia, what matters most were the people present that evening, and she didn't want to waste her time thinking about the man who kept denying her of her happiness. Out of sight, out of mind.

She let Maxen lead the way, pulling out a chair for her to sit on in the center of the longer side of the table.

Looking for her sweet friend, she found Emily sitting across from her. She peeked through the centerpiece of freshly picked flowers and twigs. ”Is this why you were insisting that I join the boys the other day, Emily?”

Emily's hand flew to her mouth. ”Oopsie. I got caught,” she murmured with a shrug of her shoulders. Olivia gave her friend a side hug and thanked her for all the labor she did for the occasion.

Soon, everyone was seated, kicking off the start of an evening where plates were never empty and wine poured ceaselessly like a river.

Queen Isla sat next to Olivia and next to her was King Alistair, while Grandma Lin and Auntie Maria flanked beside Maxen.

Across the bride and groom where the youngins were, Oliver stood from his seat as the first course of the night was being served. He dipped his free hand inside his pants pocket while the other held a half-filled wineglass.