As she approached him, he extended his hand, eager for that first contact after being without her familiar touch for too long.
"You're the most beautiful sight I've seen in three months," he told her, bringing her hand to his lips.
Victoria bowed. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Na pari i eychi, she was going to keep it formal and stiff. Like hell. He wasn't having any of that and in about two minutes she'd see just how serious he was about keeping things between them very, very personal.
She'd turned him down in L.A. because he'd been uncertain. Well, after three months of living without her, then finding those damning pictures from the beach and knowing he could indeed have all that was important, he was not going to end this day without getting the one thing in life he could not live without. And his revelation would no doubt shock her. Surprisingly, once he'd made the decision, he wasn't upset about it.
But for the first time in his life he was scared. A ball of nerves settled deep into his stomach. He couldn't lose her. Right now, nothing else mattered but his goal. And that was another first...this goal had absolutely nothing to do with his country.
"Are you ready?" he asked, looking into her blue eyes that never failed to captivate him.
For months he'd had a band around his chest, and seeing her in person only tightened it. The ache for her was unlike anything he'd ever known.
"Do I have a choice?" she whispered, holding his gaze.
Without a word, he wrapped her fingers around his arm and headed toward the closed set of double doors leading to the ballroom. On the other side, hundreds of very important diplomats, presidents and royalty waited to see the crowning of the next king and queen of Galini Isle.
Were they in for a surprise.
Two guards pulled open the tall, arched doors, revealing a ballroom adorned with royal silk the color of his vibrant sash and banners with the Alexander family crest suspended from the ceiling, the balcony and between the windows.
Everyone came to their feet as he and Victoria made their way down the blue satin stretched along the aisle before them, the Archbishop waiting at the end dressed in pristine white robes with a blue sash.
Even Mikos, who was still in a wheelchair but recovering nicely, waited at the end of the aisle. His brother knew exactly what was getting ready to take place. Mikos flashed a knowing smile and gave him a nod of approval.
Stefan swallowed the inkling of fear that kept trying to creep in. This was the right move to make, the only move to make. He had to take this leap and pray it paid off in the end. He wanted Victoria back and would do whatever it took.
Her fingers curled into his forearm and he knew she was nervous, angry, scared. Hopefully after today he could make her happy from here on out. He had to try, at least. What kind of man would he be if he didn't?
Once they reached the end of the aisle, the archbishop gestured for them to step up onto the stage, where two high-back thrones, centuries old, awaited them.
Stefan slid Victoria's hand from his arm and assisted her, careful not to step on the skirt of her gown. Once she was up and seated, he joined her. They faced the crowd, and Stefan knew it was go time.
He'd scaled the death defying rocks of Kalymnos, but that was nothing compared to the anxiety that slid through him, knowing his life and everything he loved was on the line. Every goal he'd ever wanted was within his reach...but he'd give it up in a flash for a lifetime with this woman.
When the archbishop opened his mouth, Stefan held up a hand, cutting the elderly man off.
"I do apologize," Stefan said. "But I have something to say before we proceed, if that's all right."
Obviously shocked, the archbishop stuttered a bit before bowing. "Of course, Your Majesty."
"What are you doing?" Victoria whispered beside him.
"Taking control of my life," he told her before coming to his feet.
Stefan glanced over the crowd, pulling up all his courage and strength. He'd need a great deal of both to get through the next several life-altering moments.
He glanced down to Mikos, who was still smiling. And Stefan knew that if Mikos could practically come back from near death, then Stefan could lay his heart on the line in front of millions of viewers.
"Sorry to interrupt the ceremony before it starts," he said to the crowd of suspicious onlookers. "But I have something important to say and this may change the outcome of today's festivities."
"Stefan," Victoria whispered from behind him. "Stop. Sit down."
Ignoring her, he moved to stand on the other side of her chair because all of this was for her benefit...not the spectators'. He looked down into her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Victoria Dane Alexander, you have been my best friend since we were teens. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you and I've come to learn there's nothing you wouldn't do for me."
Victoria bowed her head, clamping her hands tightly in her lap. He wanted to know what she was thinking, but he had to keep going, had to make her see this wasn't just about a title or a stupid movie.
"I've been using this beautiful woman," he admitted to the crowd. An audible gasp settled over the ballroom. "I needed her to keep this country in my family and become your king. She agreed to marry me, and I promised her after the coronation if she chose to end the marriage, I would step aside."
Stefan couldn't stand it anymore. He reached out, placing a hand over her shoulder and squeezed. She trembled beneath his touch.
"But I can't step aside."
Her head jerked up to meet his. Tears swam in her eyes, ready to fall down at the next blink.
"I can't step aside and let this woman out of my life," he continued. "I don't deserve her or her loyalty. I certainly don't deserve her love for the way I've treated her. But she fell in love with me."
His eyes locked on to hers. "And with no doubts of our future together, I fell in love with her."
Victoria's watery eyes searched his face and Stefan got down on one knee beside her chair. Taking her hand in his, he kissed her knuckles.
"I haven't been honest with Victoria, or all of you. This marriage was a fake, but I do love you, Victoria. And if I can't be your king, then so be it. I couldn't live with myself if I let this woman out of my life."
He took a deep breath as he continued to lay his heart on the line. "Victoria," he said, softer now because nothing else mattered except her response, "I wasn't respectful when I didn't tell you the full truth, but I swear on my life if you let me back into that loving heart of yours, I'll spend the rest of our lives making it up to you. Nothing else matters but you and us...if you'll have me."
She chewed on her bottom lip. "You don't mean this."
Stroking the back of her trembling hand, he smiled. "I've never meant anything more. I'm not sure when I fell in love with you. Maybe it was when I first met you or maybe it was when you were walking down the aisle to become my bride. Looking back, I think I've always been in love with you and I just couldn't admit it to myself. At least I didn't know the level of love I had. It's so much deeper than I ever could've imagined."
Victoria sighed, closed her eyes and let the tears fall.
"Can you say that again?" she asked, lifting her lids to meet his gaze.
Stefan searched her beautiful face. "Which part?"
"The part where you fell in love with me with no doubts of our future."
He chuckled. "I'm a fool not to have realized that I've loved you for years. All this time I wanted to get closer to you, wanted more than a friendship, but I didn't know what. Now I know that what I was searching for was love. And it was there all along."
Her head dipped to her chest as she sniffed. "I'm scared," she whispered. "What if you fall out of love?"
Tipping her chin up with his finger and thumb, he eased in for a gentle, simple kiss. "I've loved you most of my life, Tori. I just didn't have the courage to admit it to myself. There's no way I could ever fall out of love. I've been absolutely miserable without you. Nothing matters, not this title, crown or movie, if you aren't in my life. I'd give it all up for another chance."
"But if you step aside, Galini Isle will go back to Greece."
He smiled. "I found a loophole, finally. When it mattered most, I found a way out."
Her teary eyes searched his. "But how?"
"Mikos will step up if I need him to," he told her.
"I didn't think he could."
He took her hand, kissed it and smiled. "I'll explain later. Can you please put me out of my misery and tell me this marriage will be real from here on out?"