Chapter 7

“So how was it?”, Orianne asked Hiraya when she entered the room holding the bride’s bouquet.

Hiraya placed the bouquet in front of Orianne before proceeding to her back to help her with her hair. “I’m still alive and that’s all that matters. By the way, who will preside your wedding? I haven’t seen the priest.”

“Oh, it’s a civil wedding. A judge will preside.”

“A level two civil wedding then. All the preparations and just a small number of people are attending. A pin, please.”

Orianne handed her the pin. “It’s just for formality’s sake. I need to be a Hachatrjan as soon as possible to end this show.”

Hiraya didn’t say anything and just finished fixing her hair. “You better not fvck things up and end everything smoothly. You don’t want running away for the rest of your life. Ugh, you’re making me anxious.”

“Thank you, and maybe start worrying more. Amos is starting to make my heart skip a beat”, she jokingly said and chuckled after. Hiraya shook her head and helped Orianne stand up in front of the mirror.

“All ready, Mrs. Hachatrjan.”

“You make it sound a big deal, Hiraya. My bouquet, please.”

Hiraya handed her the bouquet and she looked at the mirror once more. “Let’s go.”

Orianne’s smile grew wider as they neared the venue. It was really serene, just her staff and Amos’ men witnessing their union. Amos was already at the altar, in his uniform instead of a suit. She was just in her simple white dress, instead of a fancy gown and now heading towards her groom barefoot.

She saw how Amos’ Adam’s apple moved up and down as she went closer to him. He held out his gloved hand and Orianne took it with a smile. Together, they faced the judge.

“Today, we are gathered to witness the union of…”

The ceremony carried on until the sun has fully set and the lights were turned on. Everybody were enjoying themselves while the newly weds were on their own table.

“The pictures are here. Want to take a look at them? We looked great”, Orianne said as she looked through their freshly developed photos. She hired a team of three private photographers to have the honor of documenting their wedding and paid them a fair amount not to leak those in public, and of course a death threat.

Amos leaned closer to have a better look. He squinted his eyes and his forehead creased. Orianne did look great but he looked like he was forced to do the wedding. She was all smiles while he couldn’t even lift a muscle to smile back.

Orianne noticed his reaction. “You don’t like it?”

She continued scanning through the photos until she reached a certain picture. 

“I should have worn heels. I look so short here.”

It was a picture of them while she was saying her vows and holding Amos’ hand. He was staring down at her while she was focused on putting the ring on his finger. 

“You have beautiful toes so it doesn’t matter.”

Orianne looked at him and laughed.

“So you were looking at them?”

“While you were walking towards me, yes.”

They continued looking at the pictures when Andros came forward. He whispered something to Amos and handed him his cellphone. Andros nodded before leaving.

“You’re not going with him?”

“For what?”

“Privacy? I think…”

“No, you’re a Hachatrjan now and this is family business.” Orianne just smiled and listened to him as he talks with someone on the phone. She feels proud that Amos is truly acknowledging her as his wife.

“Is that so?... I’m with my wife right now, dad…”

Alaric Hachatrjan, huh? Orianne simply smiled when Amos faced her, still on the phone. “You want to talk to him?”

“It’s not about her wanting to talk to me, it’s about me wanting to talk to her”, Orianne heard her father-in-law replied.

“I’m warning you father. You are talking to the person who will create the future for me”, Amos replied back. Orianne felt a tinglish feeling inside her before nodding at her husband. He sighed before giving her the cellphone. 

“Civilian wedding? Why?”, Alaric immediately asked when Orianne held the phone to her ear. “Are you underestimating my family’s riches, Miss de Asis?”

“Good evening, Mr. Hachatrjan”, she greeted and heard Amos mumble something. “Now he gets to be called what I’m called.”

Orianne held the phone a bit away before whispering “What?” to Amos.

“Nothing.”

“As for your question, no. I am very much aware of the Hachtrjan’s wealth and my family’s wealth but I simply hoped to get married to my fiancé before he embarks for his next journey”, she replied and felt the disgust for saying something so romantic.

“I gave him special consideration because of the supposed-to-be grand wedding, Miss de Asis. But it seems that this consideration won’t be longer considered.” Orianne could tell how Alaric considers time as diamond, instead of gold.

“I believe in my husband’s capabilities, Mr. Hachatrjan. A grand wedding takes time to prepare and that would mean taking the time that should be allocated for work.”

“We value weddings as much as we value our work, Miss de Asis. This is a one-time experience so I’m just wondering why a rush civil wedding.”

Orianne took a deep breath before answering. She almost ran out of reasons and saying the next words were her greatest nightmare. 

“Mr Hachatrjan, I want to have a child before the year ends.”

Amos looked so shock beside her while Mr. Alaric went silent on the other end of the phone. 

“And conceiving one without getting married is just… wrong… for me”, she continued. 

She heard Mr. Alaric clear his throat.

“I still believe that my son is capable of giving you a baby with just a night.” Alaric is still not convinced as to why Orianne had decided to have a civil wedding. It was an insult to him, to their ancestors, and to their clan.

Orianne stood up and went a decent distance away because she cannot imagine saying the next words while Amos was beside her. She looked over at Amos to make sure he was still on his seat and truly he was there, just staring at her.

“I’m sorry, father-in-law, but a single night won’t be enough, maybe for the baby to come, yes, but what about what I want?” She could literally twist her body in impossible ways after saying that.

Alaric now burst into laughter.

“I see, Miss de Asis. Can I talk to my son now?”

Orianne could finally breath in relief. She went back to Amos before handing him the phone. He took it without looking at her and faced the other way to answer his father. She could clearly see how red his ears were and his neck.

“Fine, dad.”

Amos stood up without facing her or anything and walked straight to where Andros and the others were drinking. They talked a bit and Orianne watched how Andros threw her a look and faced Amos again. 

“Well, that was an embarrassing thing to admit, isn’t it?”, she muttered to herself, imagining what Amos is telling Andros.

She forced herself to drink the lemon juice when she saw Amos now coming back to their table. She kept her eyes straight when she heard the chair beside her getting pulled and Amos sitting on it. She doesn’t even know what to say next and her cool façade collapsed. 

“Hmm”… 

Orianne flinched a little when Amos cleared his throat. She remained silent, anticipating some words from him. Seconds passed by and the air reeked of awkwardness. 

“How many?” 

Orianne immediately faced him, visible shock plastered on her face. 

“What?”

“Children. How many?”

Amos was looking ahead while asking her, afraid that looking into her eyes might cause him to do a very regretful action.

“One is enough.”

“Just one?”

Just one? Orianne regained her composure and grinned at him. 

“For now, of course. We can have the other one after I recover from the first one.”

“O-okay. Do we start tonight?”

“No.”

“Okay. When then?”

“You’re not asking why?”

“Why?”

She was being entertained with how Amos is being patient and obedient to her. The more reasons to…

“I’m in charge of a huge event in Italy. The de Santis are my clients so I’ll be hands on most of the time, including tonight.”

“The de Santis? For the heiress, is it?”

Orianne raised her eyebrow. “Yes, and how do you know that when invitations are not even sent out?”

Amos decided to tell her since there was no harm in saying it at all. “My brother is in Italy, working under the de Santis group.”

“Oh, sorry to pry but under is his decision or your father’s or maybe yours?”

Amos sighed. “Mine at first, but now he’s working there even after my order for him to come back.”

“I see.”

The night was getting deeper and the celebration was getting wilder. Some tourists were now joining because of the booze and loud music. Amos was sitting with his men while Orianne was sitting with Hiraya and some of her staffs. She noticed that her workers kept whispering to each other.

“What is it?”, she asked since she has a hunch of what they’re talking about.

“Uhmm, young miss, we didn’t see madam and sir attend the wedding. We were just wondering if… you know… they’re okay or perhaps, something came up?”, a female staff answered after mustering the courage to do so.

“Oh, that. They are fine and this wad just a simple wedding. They’re going to attend the grand one.”

They seemed satisfied with her answer and didn’t ask anything further.

“Your husband is coming”, Hiraya said without looking at Orianne. She was busy eating the slice of lemon that came with her drink.

Orianne waited until Amos was on her side. 

“Miss, uhm, it’s already past midnight. I want to rest and wondering if we could, together.” He still doesn’t have the guts to say it while making eye contact and his mannerism of putting his hand on his nape while looking sideways is still there.

Hiraya nudged at Orianne who just smiled. 

“Yes, this day had been long.” She stood up and nodded to the people on her table and her husband’s table. 

Both of them are now walking towards the hotel, side by side. 

“You’re not really going to spend the rest of the time with your colleagues?”, Orianne asked.

“I don’t want to be shot again.”

Orianne chuckled when she realized what his answer meant and was reminded again that she shot him. It totally slipped her mind.

“Another reason for not starting tonight. You won’t function well with your shoulder hurt.”

Amos eyes widened before looking at her. She felt his stare but focused on looking forward.

“I could still lift you, moya missis, even with a broken arm.”

She looked at him with questioning eyes. LIFT ME? Is he actually…