Royal Date(91)

“What are you doing?”

“Hush, wife. I’m carrying you across the threshold.”

“What’s the rush?” I asked him.

“We have to go out on the main balcony and greet the public. Then we have a dinner and reception to get through. The faster we do that, the faster I will have you all to myself.”

“Hmm. What if I turn out to be really bad at it?”

He gave me a quick kiss. “Impossibilie. And even if it were possible, I am an excellent teacher.”

I didn’t doubt it. That made my pulse quicken and my stomach throb. A year ago I would have been terrified at the idea of being intimate with a man. But thanks to the counseling and Nico’s love and patience, I had healed. I was ready. I was more than ready. I was looking forward to it just as much as he was.

He put me down so that we could quickly climb the stairs. I could barely keep up in my stupid shoes, and I just kept laughing.

Giacomo was waiting outside the balcony doors, talking on a headset. “Not quite yet, Your Highness.”

Nico groaned and looked so frustrated that I laughed again. “I suppose I might as well make use of the time. I have a wedding gift for you.”

He pulled out an envelope from inside his pants pocket. I opened it, curious. Inside there was a check for one million euros to the Queen’s Charity for Children. “The funding for your children’s charity. You will help every child that you want to help.”

“Thank you,” I said. I kissed him hard, not knowing it was possible to love him even more with each passing minute. He put his arm around my waist, kissing me with everything he had, and we only broke apart because Giacomo cleared his throat.

“I got you a wedding present too. I don’t have it with me, but I bought you a bunch of rock climbing equipment so you could start climbing again. I know your mom doesn’t want you to take unnecessary risks, but I think we just took the biggest risk of all. What’s a little rock climbing?”

“Grazie, cuore mio,” he said. He smiled and looked like he was going to go in for another kiss, but I put a hand on his chest. I had just heard the crowd, and it gave me an anxious feeling.

I was really doing this. I had really married him, and I was really a princess. I had a wave of insecurity.

“This is kind of overwhelming,” I told him.

“We’ll get through this. You will always have me by your side to face every obstacle in your way.”

“Promise?” I knew he would, but I liked hearing it.

“In case you were distracted, I just made some very serious vows back there, promising just that.”

“Speaking of which, I am so not obeying you.”

He laughed and planted a kiss on the tip of my nose. “I didn’t expect you would.”

Giacomo looked at us. “Security has made sure the courtyard is safe. You may now go out onto the balcony.”

“Ready to see your people, Princess?”

“Only if we’re together.”

“Always together.”

He kissed the back of my hand as the doors swung open. This time I didn’t mind him kissing my hand. The roar of the crowd was deafening as we smiled and waved, and walked out onto the balcony, hand in hand, in our first official appearance as a royal couple.

A royal couple who had every intention of living very, very happily ever after.