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Sera froze. There was an offer in her father’s outstretched hand, but the weight of a choice hung heavily over her.

She cast a hesitant glance between him and Alex—her past and her future.

Stilling herself, she tightened her grip on Alex’s hand and turned back to her father.

She met his gaze with a determined smile, tilting her chin just slightly in a gesture of quiet defiance.

“I think I’ll stay right here.”

*

The murmurs of curious onlookers faded to a distant hum as Alex looked down at Sera. Her small hand, velvet-soft in his own, now rested alongside her father’s larger, steadier grasp. Father’s expression was a tumult of resignation and grief, his gaze flickering between Alex and his daughter.

“Let go, love,” Mr. Lyndon said, his voice quieter now, weary. “I’m sorry you won’t be a princess, but I’d rather have my daughter alive than titled.”

Alex’s pulse quickened. He stepped forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Sera. The earl’s hand might have rested on hers, but Alex wasn’t relinquishing his place. His voice, low but certain, filled the taut air between them.

“She’s already my princess. Whether she carries the title officially or not, she holds my heart. And I will not stop until I can share my life with her.”

Mr. Lyndon drew back slightly, his brow furrowed, but Sera, with a strength that never failed to stagger Alex, tightened her grip, linking the three of them more firmly.

In the background, Alex saw his brother and sister.

Thea’s brow was furrowed as she whispered to Stan, “Wait—Miss Lyndon? The girl from Cornwall?”

Alex nodded.

But her father tried to tug her away. “He said he didn’t want you. Now he’s missed his chance.”

“It was a misunderstanding,” Alex said.

Mr. Lyndon squared his shoulders, his voice cutting through the tension like the crack of a whip.

“Mis—” He paused to clear his throat, his tone tightening into something sharp and unyielding.

“With all due respect, Your Royal Highness, this is my daughter. I only have two. There are no misunderstandings. Take as many ships as you wish from my fleet, but Sera is going home with me.”

Alex’s jaw tightened, and his free hand curled into a fist at his side.

The words struck like a deliberate blow, but he forced himself to remain steady.

He felt Sera’s slender fingers still clasped in his, her touch like an anchor tethering him to this moment.

If her father thought he could simply command her life, dictate her destiny, he had clearly underestimated the strength she had shown Alex time and time again.

And then she proved it again.

“Enough,” Sera said, her voice carrying effortlessly through the ballroom.

Alex’s focus snapped to her, startled by the light, almost teasing quality in her tone.

Before Mr. Lyndon could respond, she yanked them both closer together, her hand holding firm between Alex’s and her father’s. “I’ll decide for myself.”

Alex couldn’t help the faint tug at the corner of his mouth, admiration flickering in his chest as a ripple of murmurs passed through the room. Even now, even here, she was her own force of nature, pulling every ounce of attention toward her.

Sera turned her face toward her mother, a small, serene smile gracing her lips. “It was him I had chosen all along,” she stated. “Even before I realized he was the prince.”

The room crackled with barely contained whispers and gasps, yet Alex hardly noticed.

His world had narrowed to the woman beside him, standing there as if she wielded all the power in the universe in the palm of her hand.

He felt it too—that undeniable pull she had, that determination that had shaken his carefully ordered life.

If the crowd judged them, it didn’t matter.

He cared about only one thing—Sera. His grip on her hand remained steady, his thumb brushing lightly over her knuckles, a silent promise meant for her alone.

Whatever came next, whoever stood before them, Alex wouldn’t falter—not for a second.

She had chosen him, and that unwavering truth filled his chest until there was no space left for doubt.

Her father stiffened, clearly prepared to argue again, but Alex’s resolve surged stronger with every beat of his heart. Sera had already spoken for herself—and whether Mr. Lyndon was ready to accept it or not, she was no longer standing alone.

Alex felt his chest swell, a rare and foolish giddiness threading through the moment’s tension. His fingers wrapped more firmly around hers, his love for her too fierce to temper.

“I meant what I said,” Alex added plainly, his gaze locking with the Earl’s. “I would never—will never—allow anything to happen to her. Sera’s safety and happiness will always come first.”

Before Mr. Lyndon could respond, Stan and Thea stepped forward, their presence solid, grounding. It was Stan who spoke first, his deep and steady tone punctuating the charged atmosphere. “When someone joins our family, she doesn’t stand alone. We all protect her.”

Thea’s hand rested lightly on Alex’s arm as she nodded. “We take care of our own, Mr. Lyndon—always.”

Mr. Lyndon looked unconvinced, his expression tightening. “No thanks,” he muttered, his tone laced with wary sarcasm. “I’d rather not put her in this danger to begin with.”

But Sera, true to form, refused to back down. “It’s too late,” she said briskly, drawing all eyes to her. A rare flash of hesitation crossed her face, but then she pressed onward. “I may already be carrying the prince’s child.”

Alex’s breath hitched. The words hung in the air, shocking and irrevocable. A gasp rose from across the room, followed by the faint flutter of a dropped handkerchief. Mr. Lyndon groaned loudly, dragging both hands over his face.

“I hope,” he muttered, his voice filled with wry misery, “you mean a by-blow he foisted upon you.”

“No, Father,” Sera replied evenly, placing her hand deliberately over her abdomen.

A much louder groan followed, and Alex resisted the urge to laugh— Draci ! He couldn’t reveal how much he admired her audacity in this moment. Instead, his gaze softened, and he reached out to rest a hand over hers.

“I’ll go wherever you go,” he told her, his voice steady, the words low and meant only for her. “Whatever comes, I’ll stay by your side.”

Sera’s expression broke into a small, uncertain smile before her father interrupted them with a sharp clearing of his throat. “Be that as it may,” he began, clearly poised to continue his protest.

But Alex wasn’t finished. He turned fully to Mr. Lyndon, shoulders back, voice unwavering.

“There will never be by-blows,” he said firmly.

“There will never be anyone else. I love your daughter, Mr. Lyndon. Whether she’s the girl from the beach, Miss Lyndon, or Seraphina, I’ll spend my life proving it.

If she’ll have me, I’ll be her servant, her partner, whatever she needs—and above all, I vow to keep her safe for as long as I live. ”

Stan stepped up beside him, his expression fierce with approval. “You’ve my word as well. We’ll all protect her.”

Thomas joined them next, a quiet but steadfast presence. “And mine,” he said simply.

With a nod, the Earl of Langley and his countess stepped forward too, placing themselves firmly at Alex and Sera’s side right next to Ashley and Linsey.

Mr. Lyndon hesitated, visibly outnumbered, visibly overwhelmed by the display of unity.

And then Ashley appeared, threading her arm through Sera’s and pulling her into a warm hug. “Well,” she said lightly, offering a pointed glance at her father. “It seems the decision has already been made.”

Alex exhaled, a quiet relief washing over him as he turned to Sera.

But just as he reached for her hand again, a servant appeared with a flourish, a grand bouquet of roses in hand.

The vibrant red blooms stood in stark contrast with the quiet tension of the moment, and for the first time, Alex truly smiled.

Taking the flowers, he knelt before Sera, his voice soft but clear as he spoke.

“Oh, the Viennese tradition!” Thea squealed and clapped her hands together.

“Miss Lyndon, Seraphina—” He looked up at her with a love he didn’t bother to hide. “Will you grant me the honor of your hand in marriage?”

Sera froze for a moment, her wide, luminous gaze meeting his. Then, with a smile that outmatched even the roses in brilliance, she took his hand. “Yes,” she said simply, the word carrying all the weight and joy of the moment.

The music resumed then, a joyous overture that swept through the ballroom as murmurs turned to cheers. Sera’s mother grasped her shoulders gently, though her voice carried its usual commanding tone. “You, my dear,” she said firmly, “need to change into a fresh dress before your first waltz.”

The room buzzed around them, the tension breaking like a dam as Alex remained where he was, his eyes still on Sera. Whatever trials awaited them, here, in this moment, she was his—and he would face them all for her.