Charmed By The Mountain Prince(7)

My shoulders are broad, and my muscles pull at the seams of my shirt. My boots are big enough for her to practically crawl into.

Her eyes are wide and I see her catch her breath.

Damn it, I look at her, and a hundred things flash through my mind. Her perfectly proportioned body, her blonde hair hanging in soft waves to her waist. Her pink lips pressed together, her long white dress. All of it mine.

“Prince Garrick,” the priest, who has known me since infancy, begins, “and Princess Iris, we are gathered here today to unite in holy matrimony....”

I can’t even make out his words. My mind races, thinking about how badly I want to get Iris out of that dress that’s clinging to her body so perfectly. I want to see all of her, take all of her. One look at her, and I’m ready to get to a wedding night I never planned on enjoying.

“Do you, Prince Garrick of Alpinweiss, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold....” At that bit I think, hell yeah, she’s mine to hold. She’s mine to do plenty of things to. “Until death do you part?”

“I do.” Behind me, I hear my parents exhale. This is everything that they’ve been waiting for. Dreaming of. Planning for me.

“And do you, Princess Iris of Elexia, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold until death do you part?” Her white lace dress touches the floor; I’m sure she must be frigid in the thin dress, considering it’s the end of fall and the temperatures are dropping below forty each night. But right now she doesn’t give away anything besides hope.

Then she takes a deep breath and I see that it isn’t just hope brimming in her eyes—there’s an equal measure of fear, in the form of tears.

“I do,” she exhales, filling the room with a gentle, warm voice. A voice much softer than any of the women who live in Alpinweiss. The women here are solid, and their voices boom in the rough mountain air.

The priest tells us to exchange rings, and the moment I take her hand in mine an electric charge passes between us.

There’s no reason I should think this princess with glittering cheeks and sun-kissed skin will be able to hack it in Alpinweiss, but right now I’m mighty glad she’s here.

Because maybe she won’t be able to hack it outside under the snow of the mountain, but the truth is, I don’t need her hacking it out there. By the looks of things, she’ll do just fine inside on her back.





5





I slip the ring onto Prince Garrick’s finger, and everything within me suppresses the desire to get up and run. My eyes are filled with tears, because I was not expecting my royal wedding to go like this. Not in the least. I was just grateful I’d worn a floor-length, lacy white sundress on the plane, hoping I’d look the part of a bride-to-be.

Little did I know, the moment I stepped off the plane I’d be whisked straight to a ceremony as lackluster as this chapel.

This morning as I packed my suitcase with Dahlia, I tossed in my bras and panties thinking I could conquer the world. I truly thought nothing could get in the way of this moment. This destiny.

But then, I stepped off the plane here in Alpinweiss, and I literally walked into a field.

No limousine was waiting for me. No grand trumpet parade regaled me.

Instead, the king and queen of Alpinweiss were waiting for me as I exited the plane, reaching out their hands and wrapping me in warm hugs.

That part was nice—being greeted so warmly—and they were in velvet and satin, a brocade coat on the king, and crowns on both of their heads. They were royalty, clearly, and they came with a horse-drawn carriage to deliver me to my prince.

Even though he wasn’t here, I assumed they were going to make some grand spectacle of my arrival. Especially considering they were dressed in such finery.

But that never happened.

Queen Julia and King VonTrap explained that behind us stood the castle, which was actually quite obvious. Large turrets with banners waved in the breeze, looking historic and regal, just as I’d seen in the images on the internet. Still, seeing it in person I grinned. I was certainly far from the open air castle of Elexia.

It seemed I had gotten exactly what I asked for: an adventure, that was for sure.

This morning, as I boarded the plane, Father kissed me on both cheeks and told me he thought I was so brave and so strong, and that I could do anything if I put my mind to it, and that everything would be okay in the end.

I remember thinking his words of affirmation seemed odd—strange, even. I expected my father to tell me something along the lines of I love you, darling daughter, and I’ll miss you ever so very much.

But warning me to stick with it?

I wondered if it was truly going to be that big of a challenge.