Macee's long dark brown hair was curled then tucked up. At the front, the hair was parted at the side with a light fringe. Macee was adamant that she did not want an uptight hairstyle. Her diamond earrings and matching necklace were a wedding present from the prince. Her wedding dress was beautifully decorated with golden embroidery and fit snugly against her torso enhancing all her natural assets. The bottom half of the dress billowed out in a long train.
“You look gorgeous,” Liane said to her sister with a smile on her face. She could not believe her baby sister had grown up this much.
“Thanks, Annie,” Macee replied.
One of the maids announced the princess' arrival. She had come to make sure things were going smoothly without any mishaps. Liane and Macee bowed to her as she entered the room.
“Wow, Macee, you looked amazing,” Princess Katherine said as soon as she laid eyes on her.
“Thank you,” Macee replied.
“I cannot wait to see my brother's face when he sees you.”
That made Macee feel nervous. It was not like she wanted his approval but since she was going to be his wife; he had to be attracted to her right? He had never mentioned anything about her looks and Macee wasn’t sure what he thought of her. There were times when she caught him looking at her, but he was difficult to read. Macee shook her thoughts away.
The princess left Macee after she made sure everything was moving along accordingly. Liane pinned the veil onto Macee's hair and helped her into her shoes before they headed out to the Bentley limousine to take them to the cathedral. Their father was already waiting, as the car pulled up. Dressed in uniform, he looked dashing as he embraced his youngest before her big moment. He kissed both his daughters before Liane excused herself to be seated with the rest of their family.
As the wedding march began, everyone stood and turned to see Macee and her father standing at the entrance. They gasped as Macee walked in with her father; she looked beautiful. As he presented his daughter to the Crown Prince, he kissed her on the cheek before sitting down.
As Macee looked at the prince, she admired how good he looked. Dressed in a white suit patterned after formal military dress with gold buttons and epaulettes, he cut the dashing figure as he watched Macee walk down the aisle. Both Princess Katherine and Francesca saw how the prince and Macee looked at each other. Katherine was pleased for her brother, as she finally understood why he chose Macee. Francesca had mixed feelings. Her baby sister looked beautiful but she was still plagued with jealousy. It should have been her up there today, but she couldn’t ignore the way the prince was looking at her sister.
Chapter 10
As the Bishop began, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God…” Macee’s mind wandered. She had a thousand things on her mind and while she realized that this was supposed to be her big day, she couldn’t concentrate.
Prince Louis could see that she was far away and whispered, “Are you looking forward to the wedding night that much that you are daydreaming of it?”
Macee blushed deeply as she hissed, “Louis, we are in church!” That was the first time she ever referred to him by his name and he decided that he liked it.
When it was Macee's turn to say “I do”, she felt tempted to say that she did not, as it was her last opportunity to gain her freedom back, but she found herself saying, “I do”.
That dreaded moment came after exchanging their vows and rings; it was time to kiss the bride. Prince Louis smiled at her. He knew that Macee would have something to say about it but she had no choice, since they had an audience.
Macee stood still looking at the prince, well now her husband, with fear in her eyes. Prince Louis walked toward her and held her face with one hand. He wrapped the other arm around her waist. They locked gazes as he leaned in to kiss her. She let out a small squeak. “Relax,” he whispered right before his lips touched hers.
To Macee's surprise, Prince Louis' lips were soft. He only planted a small kiss on her lips. She had half expected him to stick his tongue down her throat. Macee gave him an awkward smile. “Was that your first kiss?” Prince Louis asked.
As Macee blushed again, she found herself nodding yes. Prince Louis laughed softly, as he cupped the side of her face. As the Bishop blessed the new couple and presented them to the attendees, everyone clapped.
Macee was now officially married to the Crown Prince of Monaco and was now the crown princess. While she was pleased that the ceremony was finally over, the reality of what was happening made her nervous.
The two of them linked arms together as they walked down the aisle heading out of the cathedral. A trumpet sounded as they walked outside and the crowd that waited for them outside all cheered and clapped. The paparazzi were busy taking pictures when the new couple walked out. Prince Louis was well in his element. He loved the attention he was receiving and he had a smile on his face as he waved to the public. Macee had never enjoyed being the centre of attention and felt completely overwhelmed. Clutching tightly to the prince’s arm, she followed his lead and hoped that her smile didn’t look too strained. Someone from the crowd was shouting for them to kiss.