Chapter 186 - A Castle Fit for the King and Queen

During the helicopter ride, Damien kept Katherine entertained through their headsets and microphones by telling her some facts about famous spots that they passed by, promising her that they would tour those places on their next visit. 

At some point, he had to check on his emails and that gave her mind some time to wander back to her thoughts about gaining back her memories. Learning that she was capable of speaking another language made her question her identity again. At what part of growing up did she learn how to speak it? Had she always spoken the language? Had she visited France before?

All of the questions in her head didn't make sense to her because for the past five years, she had believed that she didn't have any relatives and she had been alone. She even visited the orphanage that was listed in one of the documents that she had back in her old apartment but when she got there, it had been shut down for many years. 

Her past was such a mystery that all of the questions she had about herself back then caused her depression. Her frequent visits to the hospital to see her doctor wasn't much of a help either which was why she sort of lived her life in auto-pilot for five years. Having Emma and Adam by her side during those trying times helped her a lot. She made a mental note to see her friends again once they get back home.

Her head turned towards Damien and she saw him tapping on his phone. She had the urge to feel his warmth and so she hooked her arm in his and laid her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes to relish the very nice feeling of having him next to her. Ever since she met him, her world turned upside down. 

For the past five years, she had almost given up living when her frustration got to her. But because of this wonderful man beside her, she found a new reason to live… and it was not just for herself, but also for him.

Feeling her touch, Damien looked at her and put his phone away, raising his hand to touch her face. "Are you okay?"

With her eyes still closed, she nodded. She felt him unhook his arm from hers before pulling her closer and placing his arm around her so she could rest more comfortably. "Take a nap, we'll arrive soon." He kissed the top of her head. 

Fifteen minutes later, he woke her up and the first thing she saw was his finger pointing at something outside. She sat up straight and followed the direction where he was pointing at and her jaw dropped. Below them, there was a vast land of green grass and in the middle of it was a castle. 

Château Chastain was built in the 1800s. It sat on a 75-acre piece of land with beautiful gardens filled with lovely and colorful wildflowers and surrounded by many chestnut trees. There were a couple of lakes behind the castle and a forestry area just next to a vineyard. Katherine was in awe seeing the entire land from a bird's eye view. 

"Oh my god… that's so beautiful!" she exclaimed.

"Do you like it?" he asked, kissing her temple. She nodded, unable to utter more words to describe how much she loved it. "How do you feel about getting married here?" he probed.

Katherine snapped her head towards him. There was a mixture of confusion and excitement in her expression. "What?"

Damien leaned in and kissed the corner of her mouth. "You can answer me later. Let's check it out first when we land."

Soon, the helicopter landed and the two of them were greeted by a caretaker of the chateau. They were ushered inside the castle where Katherine got to see the luxurious gothic interior. It was as though they were in a different time and place, whisked away by the exquisite details of every decoration, furniture, wall, and part of the huge castle.

There were eight suites inside the chateau, each uniquely and beautifully designed. One would feel like they were in the 18th century if they opt to stay there. Katherine wondered how Damien even thought about the place because he was more fond of modern structures. Admiring the castle, she could imagine her wedding… wearing the wedding dress that she tried on the day before.

After touring around the magnificent place, Katherine and Damien decided to stay by the lake for a little while longer. Everything was surreal and the girl inside her felt like she was in a fairy tale. She scanned her surroundings and looked at him, her eyes beaming with pure joy as she said, "I love it here, Damien… It's very… magical… enchanting… I don't know what else to say. I really love it here. But what about you?"

He cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers. "It is indeed a lovely place. But honestly, it doesn't matter where our wedding is. Church… beach… a garden somewhere… heck—I will marry you in the city hall. I just want to give you the wedding of your dreams and because you couldn't decide where you want it to be, I thought I'd show you this place to help you."

Hooking her arms around his neck, she sighed and gave him a sweet smile. "You know… I also think the same. I don't care where we get married. But… I could already hear Nana's voice in my head if we choose to elope in the city hall and not give her a chance to boast about her favorite grandchild's wedding." Damien laughed at her statement and she added, "I think it would be nice to have it here."

"Alright then. All we have to do next is to choose a date and we'll book this place." 

Damien held both of her hands and brought them to his lips, gently kissing each of them. "I can't wait for you to be my wife."

"Me too, I can't wait to marry you." Katherine tiptoed and kissed him back. "Let's go see the front garden."

"After you, my Queen," Damien said as he genuflected. 

Softly chuckling, Katherine also did a curtsey, "Why thank you, my King." 

Hand in hand, they strolled towards the front of the chateau and roamed for a few minutes before they decided to leave for Lyon which was less than an hour's journey by car. 

Damien truly surprised Katherine today and she was glad that she got to see the striking structure in person instead of only in pictures. It gave her a better vision of how she wanted her wedding to be like in the future. It still amazes her how he always managed to understand what she wanted even without telling him. She was almost convinced that he could read minds. 

"T'es d'humeur à manger des escargots?" he asked as they sped off towards the city, wondering if she wanted to eat some snails.

"Eww! No! I'm craving for some meat." Katherine laughed and shook her head. Okay… maybe not always.