Chapter 11: Dress Rehearsal

We held the war council in the bridal suite at five o'clock, with Elsa's wedding dress hanging on the closet door.

Elsa sat cross-legged on the bed in a silk robe.

Kaspar stood by the window cleaning his glasses on his sleeve, which he did when he was panicking.

Henrik leaned on the wall with his arms crossed, and I sat on the floor with my back against his shin.

I hadn't planned that.

My body just did it, and neither of us commented.

"Option one," Elsa said.

She counted on her fingers.

"We turn off the microphone."

"Calla will stand on a chair," said Kaspar.

"Option two, we cancel the toasts."

"Mother already said no."

"Option three, I disown her."

"You can't disown my sister," said Kaspar.

"Option three has my vote," I said.

"Not helping," said Elsa.

Henrik pushed off the wall.

"Option four," he said.

"I tell them first."

Everyone turned.

"I'm the man of honor," he said.

"I go before Calla, and I stand up in front of all of them and I say it."

"Say what?" asked Kaspar.

"That it started as a lie."

"That I said Astrid was my girlfriend because Calla humiliated me in front of my family."

"And that Astrid stood up for me because she's the best person I know."

"And that it stopped being a lie sometime Monday."

I looked up at him.

His face was serious, with a small muscle jumping in his jaw.

"You'd tell the truth," I said.

"I'd tell all of it."

"Henrik, your whole family..."

"My whole family has known you since you were in diapers," he said.

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