Prince Albert(96)

“Don’t get any ideas.”

“All of my ideas right now involve you wearing considerably fewer articles of clothing.”

“You’re incorrigible.”

“And I’m all yours, luv.”

“Lucky me,” she says, sarcastically.

I spin her around, my hand on her back, pulling her tightly against me. “No,” I say. “Lucky us.”

“That is the cheesiest thing I’ve ever heard.”





CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

Belle

One Year Later



I’m standing at the altar in Protrovia’s most historic and lavish church, in front of fifteen hundred people. There are throngs of people outside in the streets.

I should be practically doubled over now, crippled with panic doing this in front of everyone.

But Albie stands beside me, and I can’t keep my eyes off of him. He’s wearing full military dress, Navy blue with gold trim, saber at his side. He’s never looked more like a true royal than right now.

Classy, distinguished, mature.

He squeezes my hand, and leans over to whisper to me. “I just want you to remember that I love you,” he says.

“What did you do?” I whisper back.

“Quiet,” he says. “We’re at an important event.”

I glance to the side to see Alex, my maid of honor, smiling. Then I hear the titters of people in the crowd, white noise that ripples through the church.

I look up.

They’re laughing because Albie has done something totally unprecedented. I can’t imagine this has ever happened, in the history of royal weddings, around the world. I don’t know how many people he had to bribe to make it happen.

It’s not the priest standing in front of us right now, the one who was supposed to officiate the ceremony – the one who officially marries members of the royal family, important people.

Nope.

It’s Fake Elvis.

Fake Elvis is standing in the middle of this church, ready to marry Prince Albert and Princess Isabella of Protrovia.

Wearing a white and gold jumpsuit with so much bling it rivals any of the wedding party.

I turn to Albie, my eyes wide. “You did not get fake Elvis to officiate,” I whisper in disbelief.

King Leopold is probably going to have a coronary.

I try to stifle my giggle, covering my mouth with my hand, but wind up snorting, which makes it worse. It’s terrible, and awful, and the most ridiculous thing imaginable.

And so incredibly inappropriate.

But it’s somehow just right.

Albie takes my hands, and the murmurs from the crowd begin to quiet. It’s not even time for the vows, but he speaks. “I know this is off script,” he says. “But I’d like to say my vows now, if that’s okay.”

He’s asking permission from Fake Elvis to go off-script at our wedding.

The thought sends a ripple of laughter through me again, and when I try to hold it in, my eyes water.

“I know you’re all shook up by this grand gesture,” Albie says. And I snort. Out loud.

I try to glare at him, but find it impossible to be angry.

“On a serious note,” Albie says, clearing his throat. “People have an idea about how relationships should be. Boy meets girl, they fall in love, get married, and live happily ever after. Nothing about our relationship has happened the way it’s supposed to. We got married first. And you couldn’t stand me.”

“I can’t imagine why,” I say, and the crowd laughs.

“But then we fell in love,” Albie says. “And here we are, getting married for real this time. But that night in Las Vegas, when it was just the two of us – and Fake Elvis – that was the night I first fell in love with you. And as ridiculous as it might be, that’s where we began. And I never want to forget it.”

Albie pulls me forward, his lips close to mine, and now we’re really off-script, but I don’t care.

Fake Elvis says, “Well, you may kiss this hunk of –“

And I do.

Before Elvis even finishes, Albie pulls me against him and brings his lips down on mine. And when I close my eyes, it’s like kissing him again for the first time – butterflies in my stomach and the world spinning around me. Except this time, that’s not because I’ve had five shots of tequila in the back of a limo in Vegas.

This time, it’s because I’m undeniably, head-over-heels, irresistibly in love.

And I’m not the least bit nervous about showing it.

In front of God and all of these witnesses.

Including Fake Elvis.





THE END

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AUTHOR’S NOTE