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CHAPTER 28

AMELIA

Every little girl’s dream is what they’ll be wearing on their wedding day. At least for me, I’ve thought about it since I was at least four. From the time I watched the Hollywood starlets get married, other royal couples get married, I’ve thought about what my dress would look like.

When it came time for me to pick my dress, I wasn’t sure if I could trust myself. There was a part of me that wanted to look like a princess, but there was another part of me that wanted to look like a mature woman. One the country would be proud to call their queen.

I communicated all of those thoughts with the designer, giving her carte blanche to do what she thought was right, after speaking with me. It was a lot of trust to give someone I’d only met a handful of times, but this is it.

My heart is pounding as I wait to turn and look in the mirror. So far they’ve kept me away from one. I’m trying to decide if that’s good or bad .

“Okay, Amelia.” Shannon puts her hands on my shoulders. “You can take a look.”

As I turn to face the mirror, I’m not expecting how amazing it actually looks. An off-the-shoulder white number with crystal and lace details, along with the puffiest skirt I’ve ever seen. The back cinches in my waist until it’s small enough to make me look like a doll.

“What do you think?” Shannon asks as she bends down, fluffing out the ends of the skirt.

“I’m speechless,” I admit. The woman in the mirror standing back at me can’t be me. She just can’t. The reflection staring back at me shows a woman with her shoulders squared, her chin held high, and she’s beautiful. I’ve never felt beautiful before, not like this. I feel beautiful from the inside out. Is this what Tristan is doing to me? For me? There’s a glow I’m not sure I’ve ever had before.

“You’re like a fairy princess, Amelia.” She giggles as she walks around me. Her eyes are wide, her hands are held under her chin, and the smile on her face is bright enough to light up the world at night. “Like when I was little and I thought about Cinderella, this is what she looked like.”

Our eyes meet, and both of us have tears in them. We’re sharing a moment, one I never truly thought I would ever have. I’m so happy she’s here, she’s been with me through a lot of firsts in the past few months. There’s no one else who deserves to see this through other than her. “You’re right. I can’t believe this is me.”

“It is, Amelia, it is. This is your real life.”

Immediately I wonder what Tristan looks like. I bet he’s handsome, I wonder what kind of tux he’s wearing, or if he’s wearing his military jacket. Part of me hopes it’s his tux, because I remember what he looked like that night in the limo.

That night was a turning point for us, now that I look back at it. It was where we stopped tiptoeing around each other, and started being ourselves.

Pressing my hands down the skirt, I take a deep breath, trying to get my nerves to calm. “Three weeks.”

“Three weeks,” Shannon echoes, an excited grin on her face. “Are you ready?”

Back when I first met him a few months ago, I wasn’t ready. Truth be told I was scared, scared I wouldn’t meet his expectations and halfway scared he wouldn’t meet mine. But this time here, away from the city, was the best thing we could have ever done for one another.

“Yeah, I’m ready. I’m worried,” I admit, even as I second-guess the utterance. “Worried that things will change once we get back into the city, back to the palace. There will be a different set of rules and expectations. What if we don’t mesh as well there? What if this is one of those instances where we only get along well in a controlled environment? It’s been keeping me up at night the last few days.”

“Trust me.” Shannon winks. “I’ve heard how well the two of you mesh.”

My face burns bright. It must be the color of a tomato, but I don’t refute her claim. Tristan and I enjoy each other very much.

“You know what I mean. There will be a whole new set of rules there, ones I don’t know as well as I do here.” The logical part of my brain tells me I didn’t know the rules here either, but I got along fine after I learned them. The palace, it just seems so much bigger.

“Then you’ll learn them, Amelia. You’re a great judge of character, and you’re going to be an asset to the monarchy. Don’t second-guess yourself. I know it’s nerve-racking, but you’ll be fine. There’s never been a queen like you, and I, for one, can’t wait.”

Fine. I’ve never hated a word so much in my life. I don’t want to be just fine. I want to thrive. To make a family I can be proud of, to make a difference in how the rest of the world views our country. Instead, I give her a weak smile, slightly frustrated she isn’t seeing this like I am. “I know I will.”

“Let’s get this off of you so we can make the last few adjustments before we head back. Do you know how you’re going to wear your hair?”

“I’ve thought about it a lot. I’m thinking half up and half down.” Tristan likes my hair up, but custom says I wear some of it down.

“Have you picked which tiara you’re going to wear?”

“No.” I hold up my arms so that I can be taken out of the dress. “I don’t want to pick it without seeing them. Something tells me I’ll have a feeling when I see the right one.”

Shannon hums in agreement as she zips my dress up in a protective case. “That’s a good idea. I don’t know how you’re okay with wearing something that expensive though. I would more than likely screw it up by dropping it.”

“I’m terrified,” I admit. “This will be the one time in my life when I have butter fingers and I’m going to ruin one of the priceless treasures of Haldonia. The tabloids will give me a dreadful name. One that rhymes, and I’ll never be able to look at myself in the mirror again.”

We look at each other before cracking up. It’s exactly what I need to make the moment less serious.

“Do you want me to come with you?” she asks, helping me step out of the skirt .

“Would you?”

“I mean I’ll do whatever you ask me to, Your Highness.”

“Stop.” I wave her off. “You know you’re my friend.”

“I know, but there are still customs I must abide by. Meaning, I can’t go where you don’t ask me to.”

I grab her hand in mine. “Please come with me. I have this horrible feeling once we get to the palace things are going to change, Shannon, and I’m not sure if they’re going to change for the better.”

“Did you get your tux situated?” I ask Tristan later on as we sit down for our evening meal.

“I did.” He grins, the slight beard covering his face giving him an illusion of it being slightly sinister. “Did you get your dress situated?”

I grin back at him. “I did.”

Deciding to flirt with him a little, I lean in over my plate so that we’re in whispering distance of one another.

“The top is so tight I don’t have to wear underthings.”

He groans deep in his throat. “You tell me these things at the most inopportune of times.”

I bite my lip, giving him a wink. “I know.”

“I’m convinced you want to make me walk around in a state of uncomfortableness twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.”

“Not me.” I put a hand to my chest.

“Yes, you.”

Our exchange is halted when Parker comes into the room. “My apologies, but I just wanted to let you know you’ll see many people around the area in the coming days. We’re preparing to move you back to the palace. Which means we’re taking extra precautions. You were to move at the beginning of next week, but I’d like you both to be ready to go tomorrow.”

My world slightly comes crashing down. I wasn’t prepared to go back this soon. It’s too soon, honestly. I enjoy my time here, and I’m not ready for it to change. I know without a doubt it will as soon as we go back.

“Is there a problem?” Tristan asks, looking at his friend. These two don’t lie to each other, but I can tell Parker isn’t being completely truthful when he says. “Nothing we haven’t faced before.”

Which makes me wonder exactly what we’re facing. When Parker leaves, I look at Tristan.

“I don’t like being kept in the dark.”

He throws his napkin on the table. “Neither do I, Lia, but we have to trust Parker knows what he’s doing. I trust him with my life, and even more so I trust him with yours.”

It’s unspoken I should leave well enough alone. It’s hard, but I realize this is the first of many times I’ll be expected to sit back and believe other people know what’s best for me. And honestly, that’s not something I can do.