A Royal Wedding(125)

So the two men left for the casino and she stayed where she was, enduring rehearsals and dress fittings and meetings with older royals who needed to be shown respect. And before she knew it the wedding day was dawning, bright and clear.

And she was in a panic. She hadn’t heard from Andre. She’d expected to see him back before now. And Alphonso … Where was he? What were the two of them up to? She had no way of knowing, and the hour of the ceremony was drawing closer all the time.

What was she to do? She was on a conveyor belt toward matrimony and she wasn’t sure if she would be able to jump off in time to save herself. Her only hope was that Alphonso would have cold feet. If he didn’t show up she would have a chance at stopping everything in its tracks and making her escape.

She went through all the preparations, feeling like a robot. Cousins and aunts and nieces all gathered round, chattering happily and helping her get ready for the biggest day of her life. She listened and answered and laughed along with them, but her mind was with Andre.

Where are you? was the refrain that kept screaming in her head. What are you doing? What have you done with Alphonso?

She didn’t understand why no one thought it strange that the groom—and the Crown Prince—were missing.

“Oh, they’ll show up,” people kept telling her. “You know Prince Andre. He always has something unusual up his sleeve.”

That was all well and good, but she would feel much better about it if she had some idea of what his unusual trick was going to be this time. Here she was, watching the driveway for Andre again, just as she’d been doing for the last three years every time there was a gathering of the clan. It gave her a very sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

“It’s time, Your Highness.”

It was time. She was standing in the prep room in a beautiful satin and lace gown, with flowers and seed pearls and everything else one would expect—and the groom hadn’t shown up. But it was time.

A wedding march began to swell through the ancient halls. She walked out into the foyer where King Harold was waiting, stepping very carefully. The King smiled at her and said, “Quite a situation, quite a day. I’m sure you’ll both be very happy.” She smiled back at him, assuming he was just talking pleasantries.

Meanwhile, she was shaking like a leaf and afraid she might faint. Her only hope was that there would be no one waiting for her at the end of the aisle. Then she could turn to the crowd and shrug and say, Oh, well! I guess we can’t have a wedding today.

But what would she do if Alphonso was waiting there? She needed an escape plan and she needed it fast.

There were too many people standing and waving and oohing as they passed. She couldn’t see clearly toward the altar. If he was there, she would run for it. What would all these people think when they saw the bride racing for the exit? Would anyone try to stop her?

She had Popov waiting at the side entrance, just in case. He didn’t know that she would be asking him to drive her all the way to the border. He no doubt thought it would be back to the convent. Would he rebel when she told him? She would have to deal with that when she came to it. Right now, her only goal was to make sure she and Alphonso never actually exchanged vows.

The crowd seemed awfully noisy. Weddings were usually quieter affairs, with the music and the minister making all the noise that needed to be made. But right now people were laughing and calling out to each other as though it were a sports event. She looked around, puzzled. What was going on?

There was someone waiting at the bottom of the long walk, waiting to marry her, but she couldn’t see clearly. Was it Alphonso? Or someone who was going to call the whole thing off? Her mind was abuzz with too much sound and color. She couldn’t think straight.

And then she came around the last bend and there was her groom, standing there for all the world to see. And now she saw why the room was in chaos and commotion.

She gasped, broke away from King Harold, and dashed forward, reaching out and throwing her arms around her husband to be—Prince Andre.

“What—? How—?” she babbled as she held him close, half laughing, half crying with relief.

He leaned down, smiling with all the love in the world in his eyes. The crowd was laughing and applauding, giving him cover to whisper in her ear.

“I’ve fixed everything,” he told her. “I’ve announced that your engagement to Alphonso was a ruse to pave the way for your wedding to me. Alphonso is happily ensconced at the casino, taking my place there. My father and all the other princes have signed off on the changes. We’re free to have a life together.”