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Galahad and Guinevere stopped their game of chase to observe the sprites and fairies scurrying about. Max barked at the added commotion. They fluttered and flew about the area above. They spoke in gibberish and excitement.

“Fairies of the woods, listen to me,” the Oaken King commanded, his arms raised in the sky. “Go forth and send word. We shall have a wedding between this witch and this vampire. Now go. Tell the palace to prepare.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. I just got back, and there are a lot more preparations that need to occur,” Hugo said.

“Right, for example, I don’t have a dress. I don’t have invitations sent out. I—I want my friends and my parents to be here. I haven’t seen them since I went into hiding. I don’t want them to miss it,” Alice added. She turned to Hugo. “What about you?”

“The Raskins are family to me,” Hugo said, smiling at Oliver and Carol.

The Raskins held each other close together.

“They’re all I need there.” Hugo turned to face the Oaken King. “We appreciate the offer, but this isn’t exactly what?—”

“We had in mind,” Alice finished.

“Nonsense,” the Oaken King said. He clapped his hands, and the woodland fairies and sprites dissipated. “I insist. We have the finest tailors who will build you the most beautiful dress you’ve ever seen. We have the finest food and wines . . .”

“Debatable,” Hugo said.

All eyes focused on him.

He pointed to Alice. “Did you really expect me to say hers isn’t the best?”

Alice smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, dear.”

Alice and Hugo gazed into each other’s eyes. They shrugged and smiled before nodding. Not a word needed to be spoken. They both knew. They were going to get married here.

“Oaken King, your highness, I have one request. Can it be a night wedding under the moon?” Alice said.

The Oaken King clapped his hands, and the bright sunny sky changed to a beautiful night with a glowing full moon. Stars dotted the sky and twinkled with a brilliance not seen before by human eyes. Shadows of blue and red and yellow and orange flickered in the bright white light of the stars.

“You may use these trees to travel and gather your wedding party. The wedding shall commence in one night hence,” the Oaken King said.

He turned and meandered back to his palace, zigzagging in the fields. He stopped to observe the occasional plant bathed in the light of the full moon.

“Looks like we’re getting married,” Hugo said.

“I’ll have my people start working on this right away,” Ez said.

“I always wanted a wedding at Christmas time,” Alice said. “I imagined more . . . snow.”

Hugo turned to Alice. “It’s Christmas time? So, I haven’t missed it?”

“Christmas is a week away,” Alice said as she winked at him. “At least, it was when we entered here. This place is a little strange. I mean, it should still be a week away. Time moves differently here.”

Hugo chuckled. “Talk about a Christmas miracle. I haven’t missed it.”

Chapter 27

All Dressed in Black

Alice stood in front of the double doors, waiting for them to open. She held a bouquet of purple and white flowers, a stark contrast to her elegant black wedding dress. Sleeveless and squared with a square neckline and open back. Black sleeves up her arms. The dress trailed into a pleated bodice and waist snug against her frame. It descended into the finest silk as the train circled behind her: smooth, soft, and shimmery.

The wedding dress was made by the finest tailors of the Oaken King—fairies who masterfully crafted designer clothing. They wove intricate patterns into the dress, almost vine like. Moving in the flickering candlelight, the black silk shimmered with a mesmerizing array of colors, resembling twinkling diamonds.

Her purple hair was pulled back behind her shoulders. A few flowers had been plucked from the surrounding forests by sprites and woven into her hair. She insisted on wearing her black, curved, pointy witch’s hat, but the fairies wouldn’t allow it. They were the artists, and she was their art. Elegant. Poised. Magnificent. Beautiful.

Alice allowed herself to smile. This wasn’t the wedding she had imagined, but given the circumstances of the past fewweeks, she allowed it. She had risked her life and her soul for the man she was about to marry. Her best friend. Her confidant. Her soulmate.