After the announcement of the engagement, the entire population of the Lost Cities went wild. Sophie was so overwhelmed she shut herself in her room for a week and only let Fitz come in. Letters were being sent to her house, hundreds and hundreds, every single day, saying their congratulations and suggestions for the wedding and asking in a not-so-subtle way for an invite to the wedding. She received gifts before anything was cemented, saying that things like baby bonnets and a carriage would be "needed" once she and Fitz started a family.

Sophie shuddered to think of it.

It's not that she didn't want kids. It's just that she wanted them some time in the VERY far off future, maybe in a couple hundred years? She wasn't ready for that.

And she told Fitz so the next day he came over.

"I'm just not ready."

Mistaking it for being not ready for the wedding, Fitz closed off and announced that the wedding wouldn't be for a couple of years. After hashing it out with Fitz, Sophie finally convinced Fitz that that wasn't what she was talking about and that no, she wasn't having second thoughts, but she just wanted to take things slow. She thanked Fitz when their argument was over for postponing the wedding.

Being engaged was hard enough.

*****

TWO YEARS LATER

"Sophie Elizabeth Foster, soon to be Sophie Elizabeth Vacker, I still cannot believe you're getting married! To my brother!" Biana yelled as soon as Sophie graced her doorstep. Sophie sighed, though she had prepared herself for the inevitable yelling that always welcomed her when she went to Everglen. 

"Biana, you've known this for two years. And frankly, I'm hoping I can get my name hyphenated," Sophie responded, rolling her eyes. "Sophie Vacker just doesn't sound complete."

"What's that, Sophie?" Fitz asked, strolling into the room and sweeping her off her feet into his arms. Sophie giggled and swatted at Fitz.

"I'll tell you later," Sophie said and launched into a kiss that two years ago, would have made her blush to have Biana watching.

"Gross, I am so not watching this," Biana grumbled and turned the other way. "I'm out of here."

"Biana, wait!" Sophie called. She wanted to talk to her best friend. "Fitz, let me down!" She struggled to get out of his arms but his strong arms held her tightly and firmly to his chest. She gave up and waited patiently for Fitz to let her down. 

"First tell me what you were talking about with Biana," Fitz coaxed, or rather blackmailed. "Then I'll let you down."

Sophie groaned. "Ugh, fine. Why do you wanna know so bad? Wait, don't answer that," said Sophie. Fitz grinned, glad that he had gotten his way. "Basically, when we get married," she looked down and blushed as Fitz smiled wider, flashing his perfect white teeth, "I want to hyphenate my last names."

"What do you mean?" Fitz asked. "I've never heard of such things," he said, his eyebrows pulling together in a way that Sophie found cute. "Is that some human thing or something?"

"Well, yeah. Come to think of it, I've never seen an elf hyphenate their last name..." Sophie trailed off, thinking until Fitz nudged her to continue. "Well, what happens is, I get to keep my maiden name, which would be Foster, and just add a hyphen in between my original last name and my new last name. So I would be Sophie Elizabeth Foster-Vacker."

"Why would you wanna do that?" Fitz asked, furrowing his brow. Then a thought struck him and his face wrinkled up. "Would I have to do that?"

Sophie laughed. "No, only the women do it because it's their last name that's being taken," she explained.

"How is that fair?" Fitz asked.

Sophie shrugged. "It really isn't, but that's just how humans work, I guess. Now will you put me down?" asked Sophie. Fitz slowly lowered her to the ground, but not before kissing her again.

"I can't believe we're getting married in three weeks. It seems so far away, but yet so close," said Fitz.

"Why?" teased Sophie. "Having second thoughts?"

"Never!" said Fitz, smiling devilishly. He kissed her one last time and went off to wherever he wanted to go, probably to his bedroom to do whatever he had to do.

"Biana!" Sophie yelled. "Where are you?"

"Over here!" shouted Biana. "Kitchen!" Sophie made her way to the Vacker's kitchen and sat down on a stool at the counter that they had recently installed—it was the new Elvin trend. 

"What are you doing?" asked Sophie, staring at Biana.

"Waiting for you. And texting Tam," Biana said. Recently, the elves had come out with texting, saying that humans had some good ideas and all the elves were into it, old and young.

"Cool. So... I was thinking... do elves have bridesmaids?" asked Sophie casually. She had been waiting to pop the question and now that it was here, she couldn't help but smile a bit.

"Yeah. Why?" Biana asked, smiling just a tiny bit, mirroring Sophie's expression as Biana's brain churned.

"Well... I was thinking that you could be one of them. Or maybe my maid of honor..." Sophie couldn't go on without Biana interrupting rather loudly.

"WHAT? YES! DEFINITELY! Why didn't you say so before?!" Biana yelled, right in Sophie's ear. A smile widened and her eyes looked positively ecstatic.

"Shhhh, breathe, Biana, breathe. I only thought of it yesterday which is basically why I came to see you today. So, maid of honor?"

"YES, definitely!" Biana said, rolling her eyes. "Of course!"

"Well, my other bridesmaid will have to be Linh. And maybe I'll ask Marella or Dina." Dex was still after Dina and they had had several romantic dates, according to Keefe, who was, of course, spying on them, in complete Keefe-style.

"Who are you inviting?" Biana asked casually.

"Well, Fitz knows everyone, so basically everyone," Sophie said, groaning at the thought.

"Even Stina Heks?" Biana asked slyly.

"Well, maybe not her. But I'm not sure. We can't just invite everybody in the whole world and not invite the Heks." Sophie grimaced at the thought of Stina sneering and leering at her wedding, saying things like Sophie didn't deserve Fitz and Fitz could have done better. 

"Sophie, what about your human family?" Biana asked, a bit quieter.

Sophie sighed. "Probably not them. I mean, they're not going to want to go to some random person's wedding that they've never even heard of," Sophie said, her eyes fogging over a little bit at the thought of her family not knowing who she was anymore. "Besides, it's elves only, I think."

"Okay..." Biana said. "Okay, anyway, what are you wearing?" She changed the subject skilfully and Sophie had to hand it to her: Biana was great at easing tension and changing subjects.

"Umm, a dress? A white dress, maybe?" Sophie guessed. "Humans always wear white and I wanted to have something of my old life in the wedding."

"Oooh, pretty! Have you picked one out yet?" Biana squealed.

Sophie had, as a matter of fact. It was a white tulle dress with a scoop neck and lace bodice. It was extremely puffy and had a lace hem and long lace sleeves. It was very modest but gorgeous. There was a very small train in the back. The dress was long and Sophie was just praying that she wouldn't trip over it in the aisle in her three-inch white heels that the woman at the store had insisted her to get. 

She told this to Biana who laughed. "And what shoes? Makeup? Hair?"

"Just some curls and it'll hang down my back in waves, Biana. Nothing too fancy. And I have some elixirs from Dex to make me look 'pretty' or something. And I have heels," Sophie mused. "Say, Biana, you cannot tell Fitz what I'm wearing. It's bad luck in the human world."

Biana rolled her eye in a 'duh' expression. "It's bad luck here too. And of course not. I would not miss the awed open-mouthed look on his face in three weeks for anything."

"Do you know what Fitz is wearing?" Sophie asked casually.

"Nope, not a clue. He won't tell me and he's being very secretive about it," Biana shrugged.

"Okay..." Sophie said. "Well, gotta head out. I'm picking up the dress today," she whispered.

"Oooh, can I come with you? I have nothing else to do? If you don't mind of course," Biana said hastily.

"Of course, Biana. I need your master opinion," Sophie said. She walked to the front door with Biana. "Wait, are we going to use the Leapmaster?"

"No, it's upstairs and we don't want Fitz to know—"

"Biana, it's fine," Sophie cut in, rolling her eyes. "I have to say goodbye anyway."

They walked up the stairs. Sophie knocked on Fitz's bedroom door. "Bye, Fitz." He opened it and leaned against the doorframe, blocking Sophie's view of inside.

"Leaving so soon?" he asked wistfully.

"Yeah, gotta go do... something," Sophie said after Biana's painful nudge. "You know, girl stuff." She cringed as Fitz grinned. What was he thinking?

"Okay, then. Bye, Sophie. Miss ya already." He leaned down to kiss her and Biana groaned.

"You guys are so cheesy and cringey and YUCK," Biana gagged. Sophie and Fitz rolled their eyes simultaneously. "I'm here too, you know," Biana went on, though she knew she was fighting a losing battle. Sophie and Fitz laughed and Sophie followed Biana to the Leapmaster, waving goodbye to Fitz as she walked with Biana.

"I wish Tam would be more like that," Biana sighed as it was revving up.

"What do you mean?" Sophie asked quizzically. It was the first time Biana had complained about Tam in Sophie's presence.

"I mean, I wish he would be more, I don't know, cheesy."

"I don't understand," Sophie said, completely confused. 

"Well, I wish he would kiss me in public and say nice things. Say goodbye and that he misses me and look like he really means it."

"Of course he will. He's just shy around you, Biana," Sophie said as comfortingly as she could.

"Shy around me? We've been dating for two years, Sophie," Biana said, crossing her arms. "Anyways, I'm going to shut up now. You don't need to listen to my problems."

"But I do, Biana!" Sophie said. "That's what best friends are for."

"Have you heard anything about Keefe and Linh?" asked Biana abruptly, changing the subject.

"I don't know. Are they even a thing? They've never gone exclusive and I can tell Linh is angry about that," Sophie said. "Keefe is just like that," she sighed.

"I know, but have you heard anything?" Biana asked.

"Nope. I just said that. Why?" Sophie pressed.

"No reason," Biana evaded the question.

"Okay... anyways, why don't you ask him yourself?" Sophie asked. "You can text him, right?"

"Yeah, but that's weird. I wouldn't do that. Anyways, let's just go."

They lightleaped to the dress shop.