Charmed By The Mountain Prince(26)
When I hear that last one, I can’t help but snort. If only he thought he was lucky to have me.
Of course, he didn’t want to be married. I’m an inconvenience.
Still, everyone is friendly, and it brightens my heart to feel accepted by the people of Alpinweiss.
As I walk down the street, I poke my head into several little boutiques. I smile, remembering my conversation with my younger sister Dahlia. She told me that this wasn’t going to be some massive metropolis, with a shopping complex.
And I remember how just yesterday I had told her I didn’t need anything massive, that small shops and independent sellers were enough. I wasn’t looking for fancy; I was looking for adventure.
Walking into a shop with winter coats in the display window, I’m greeted by a silver-haired woman with bright eyes.
“Oh, Princess Iris, you came to shop here, at my little store?”
“I suppose so. I was charged with getting some winter apparel, and thought you might have some boots in my size? I’m a seven and a half.”
“Okay,” she says laughing. “Straight to the point. That’s good. No nonsense, just like Prince Garrick.” The woman takes my hand. “I’m Lindy.”
“I’m surprised, to be honest, that you know my name,” I admit. “I didn’t know the wedding was announced. But as I walked here this morning, so many people seemed to know about it.”
“Oh, I think little birdies were talking. Apparently the reception yesterday was quite lovely—not that anyone in town was invited, of course. But we’re not royalty.”
“Royalty, right.” Growing up in Elexia, royalty was a pretty much a joke. Yes, I’ve always had this title of Princess, but it’s not the way people imagine.
Whereas Cinderella married Prince Charming and danced the night away, that was never my life—and doesn’t seem like that’s what Garrick wants for his life, either.
That part, I can handle. I don’t need people fawning over me, or a personal assistant scheduling my hair appointments. Heck, I grew up with my older sister giving me a trim every six weeks. Hairdressers in Elexia? Out of the question.
“It’s surprising to see a princess walk around; the queen herself would never do such a thing. Not that I’m talking poorly about our Royal Highness. Of course not,” Lindy says.
“No? Where do they shop? Where does the Queen get her clothes?”
“Ordered from Paris, of course. She travels frequently. Going to royal courts is her favorite pastime. Though the castle is historic, she’s retrofitted every square inch, at least that’s what everyone says. I’ve never been inside the castle myself.”
“Right. I’ve only just been here a day, so I can’t speak to the Queen, but the castle was quite beautiful. And yes, the outside does appear rustic, but inside it was beautiful. Not overwhelmingly gaudy by any means, but definitely not... say, the place Prince Garrick lives.”
“You mean the cabin? Did he really take you there last night?” Lindy laughs. She looks through a rack of coats, and pulls out a few.
“He did.” I try on a tan coat and button it. The first one is too big and I try on a second, which fits better and is warmer too.
“You think Garrick would like this one?” I asked Lindy.
“I do. Garrick is comfortable, not one to put on airs. And I can’t imagine a wife of his flying to Paris for clothes.”
“I’ve never been to Paris,” I tell her.
She pulls out a pair of boots, and kneels down to help me put them on. They lace up, and are sturdy and practical.
I pull out my phone and take a picture in my new boots. I immediately think of Instagramming them with the hashtag #notexactlyglassslippers before remembering I deleted that app from my phone.
Oddly, I don’t miss it. I put my phone away and look back at Lindy.
“You know,” she says. “Garrick built that cabin when he was just a teenager. The thing about that boy is, he never seemed to care about what anyone thought. Especially his parents.”
“And the people of Alpinweiss?” I ask. “They think highly of him, even though he isn’t exactly a traditional Prince?” In my new boots, I walk to another shelf and pick out a few scarves, adding them to my growing pile
“Who needs a traditional Prince?” Lindy shrugs. “Garrick can always be found helping someone who lives here in town. Whether it’s joining in a game of kickball in the schoolyard, or helping at harvest in a local farmer’s fields. Garrick does things his own way. It may rub some people wrong, but no one who lives and works here has ever been offended by the way Garrick chooses to live his life.”