Heart of Mine

by Lindsay Bergman

  I had plans to spend the morning with Arianna and Mackenzie at a bridal boutique in town for our final gown fittings. In addition to the wedding dress and bridesmaid dress, Arianna had thoughtfully purchased a designer evening gown for Mackenzie to wear as an unofficial bridesmaid. As I reached for the door knob, I noticed a piece of paper on the floor near my feet. It must have been slipped under the door when I was sleeping. Unfolding it, I recognized Alexander’s handwriting.

  Tu sei la mia vita. You are my life.

  It was short and sweet, and oh so romantic. I smiled softly and carefully tucked the note into my purse. I felt like a fairytale princess being romanced by my very own Prince Charming. Except mine was ten times hotter and made of flesh and bone.

  I dug through my purse in search of my cellphone and tried not to panic when I couldn’t find it. My cellphone was my lifeline. I was usually very careful not to misplace it. Although, I had been undeniably distracted by a certain handsome prince. After searching around my room, I was relieved when I finally found it sitting on the dresser and quickly looked up romantic phrases in Italian. Finding the perfect one, I wrote it down on a piece of stationary paper and took a detour past Alexander’s office in order to slip it under his door.

  In the late afternoon, I was lounging poolside with Mackenzie when Alexander appeared, wearing a gray cashmere Armani suit and blue pinstriped tie. He strolled down to the gazebo near our lounge chairs and leaned a shoulder against the pillar, his mouth curved in an amused smile. “I found an interesting note in my office this morning.”

  “Oh, really?” Grinning playfully, I looked up at him from under my lashes. “What did this interesting note say?”

  “Ho bisogno di te. Ti desidero,” Alexander answered, his eyes flashing with heat. I felt physically burned by the desire I could see in those blue depths.

  I need you. I want you.

  He pushed away from the pillar and sat down on the edge of my chair, slowly scanning me from my toes up to my face with a look that sizzled. Alexander glanced briefly at my sister, who had fallen asleep sunbathing, then leaned down to give me a very thorough kiss. When he eased back, I could see him forcibly trying to stem the desire that still burned in his eyes.

  After a moment, he spoke with a note of wry humor in his voice. “Come on, la mia bella tentazione. My parents would like to speak with us.”

  My heart lurched in my chest with sudden nerves. I hadn’t seen the king or queen since before Alexander’s proposal last night. I knew that Queen Gabriella had given him her blessing when she gave him her mother’s ring. But the last I was aware, King Mathis was not happy about Alexander’s decision to marry me and abdicate. I was terrified of facing Coradova’s ruling monarch and suffering his disapproval.

  “Don’t worry,” Alexander encouraged, loosening my grip and helping me up to stand. “It’s going to be fine. My father is not happy about my decision, but he’ll come around eventually. This afternoon, I asked Sam for his permission to marry you, which he gave me. Almost everyone is happy about our engagement.”

  “But not your decision to abdicate.”

  Alexander shrugged, brushing aside my comment, though I could see the flash of remorse in his eyes. “They’ll get over it. Eventually.”

  “But will you? You’ve always wanted to be the king. Can you honestly walk away from the throne without any regrets, without resenting me for the rest of our lives?”

  To be with him, I was willing to face any challenge that came our way, as long as I knew he would never resent me for the choices we made now. In giving up the throne, he was giving up a part of himself. He was willing to give up everything for me, and I wanted to be sure that he would never regret his decision.

  Alexander studied me for a long moment, his expression thoughtful. “Can you marry me without regrets? Can you marry the man if I no longer wear the title?”

  My temper flared, and I struggled to contain my irritation before responding. I wanted to rage against his audacity in questioning whether I wanted to marry him or his title. But then I saw the flicker of vulnerability that he wasn’t quite able to hide, and my expression softened, my anger diffusing instantly.

  As crown prince, Alexander had reason to wonder if people only wanted to befriend him because of his wealth and title, not because of the man underneath. I had known and loved him for thirteen years. While I was dazzled by the prince, I was unconditionally in love with the man. I twined my hands around his neck and pulled him close, showing him with my eyes all the love that my heart possessed.

  “Yes,” I said with resounding certainty. “I love you, Alexander. Prince or pauper. I want to marry you because I am in love with the man behind the title. Alex. My Alex.”

  “Then my answer is yes, dolcezza,” Alexander said confidently as his arms wrapped around my waist, holding me tight. “Being a prince has always required tough decisions and sacrifices. Giving up my birthright is a sacrifice. It will be hard, and this choice will weigh on me for the rest of our lives. But as long as I have you, I will have no regrets.”

  “Then let’s go speak with my future in-laws,” I said with a reluctant sigh.

  Alexander shot me a wide smile, bent his head to kiss me, and sent me to my room to change out of my swimsuit. He met me in the hall when I was dressed. After tucking my hand through his arm, he escorted me through the palace to the king’s personal study on the third floor.

  It was a large room, dark and masculine, the walls covered with a chestnut paneling that matched the high coffered ceiling. Across from the tall windows overlooking the sea was a row of four alcove bookshelves, overflowing with classic novels and collectibles. The stone fireplace, designed after 15th century French Provence style, was the heart of the room.

  From the queen, we were greeted with hugs and genuine well wishes as she welcomed me into her family. From the king, our reception was significantly colder than usual. His smile was forced, and I caught flashes of disapproval in his eyes as Alexander steered me toward the brown tufted leather couch. Queen Gabriella sat in the armchair across from us, while King Mathis stood behind her, his shoulders stiff and expression grim. I swallowed nervously, afraid to face the sovereign’s ire.

  After an awkward moment of silence, King Mathis spoke, his voice carefully controlled. “Madison, I want you to understand that I am not upset because I disapprove of you personally. I am upset because I don’t agree with Alexander’s decision to renounce his claim to the throne.” His cobalt blue eyes turned on the prince, flashing with displeasure. “As the firstborn son, it is your duty to put your country’s well-being above your own. Being the heir requires sacrifice, Alexander, and you cannot walk away from your birthright simply because you don’t like your choices.”

  “Mathis,” Queen Gabriella warned, turning a stern eye on the king. He glanced down at her. The look they exchanged was stiff. I could sense the tension that rippled beneath the surface.

  They were upset, and it was clear that their opinions on this matter differed. By choosing to marry me, Alexander was choosing to abandon his birthright. It was a decision that weighed heavily on the prince’s shoulders, and had clearly disappointed both of his parents. It must have been difficult for them to genuinely embrace our engagement when this choice had turned their plans for the future upside down. Not just for their family, but their country as well. For the first time I felt the true consequences of Alexander’s decision. It didn’t just affect our families, but all of Coradova.

  I let out a breath of frustration and blurted, “I’m so sorry. I’ve messed up all of your lives, and everyone else in Coradova.” My face burned with shame. I was angry with myself for wanting to have Alexander even at the expense of the country that I loved.

  Alexander slipped a protective arm around my shoulders, his expression tender. “No, dolcezza. You’ve given me a life worth living.” He firmly kissed my forehead and gazed down at me with reassuring blue eyes. “Our families will be fine, and Coradova will be fine. We’re
simply going in a new direction.” He shot a meaningful glance at his father. The king’s face darkened infinitesimally.

  “Alex is right, cara mia,” the queen said quickly, before King Mathis could speak. “I’ve been worried about him since you moved to America. I could see how hard it was on him, but there was nothing we could do to help. As the queen, I’m not particularly accustomed to feeling helpless—and when it’s your child in pain, it’s even worse.” Her lips pressed into a hard line as her gaze flicked briefly over her husband.

  “We wish that it didn’t have to come to abdication,” Queen Gabriella continued. “But I personally respect our son’s decision. I’m grateful that he has you in his life because you make him happy, and I want Alexander’s happiness more than I want him to be king.”

  I could see King Mathis’ eyes flashing angrily with his disapproval, and I pressed myself closer into Alexander’s side. Growing up, I had rarely been on the king’s bad side. I found his quietly controlled fury to be intimidating.

  The queen smiled apologetically at us, her blue eyes filled with a sad resignation. “As you can see, we are not on the same page with this decision. We’ve asked you both here this afternoon so that we can discuss our options, and hopefully, we will all be able to come to a mutual agreement. Everyone else should be joining us soon.”

  I shifted nervously as we waited, my thoughts drifting to the marriage law Alexander had told me had been established in 1906 as the Royal Marriage Act. This archaic marriage law stipulated that a successor to the throne could only marry another royal, or a person with noble blood; otherwise they would be disqualified from the line of succession. Prince Alexander was the first royal in over a century to want to wed a commoner, so there had been no previous objections to the law until now.

  It was a few minutes later when my parents and sister arrived, followed by Arianna, Bennett and Ashton. We spent the next hour in a semi-heated discussion about our possible options. My dad had been silent during the entire conversation so far. I anxiously glanced at his stoic face. He had given Alexander permission to marry me, but we’d yet to speak personally, and I desperately wanted to know if we had his approval as well.

  As of now, it seemed as if both sets of parents were divided on this issue of our engagement. Queen Gabriella and my mom were both genuinely pleased, my dad’s opinion was unknown, and the king’s disapproval was all too clear. King Mathis was currently trying to press upon Alexander the importance of putting his country before his heart, though Alexander was stubbornly holding his ground. As I half-listened to them argue, my thoughts drifted over the political challenges before us.

  The government of Coradova was a constitutional monarchy, which meant that the power of the king was limited by the country’s written constitution. King Mathis held more executive power than most modern day monarchs and continued to play an important political role within the government as more than just a public figure head. But the members of Parliament and the Cabinet held the most control. This was the main source of our trouble. Because of the limits to the king’s powers, we could not change the marriage law without first gaining Parliament’s approval.

  Alexander’s words drew my attention back into the conversation. “I’ve already petitioned a bill that would allow us to abolish the Royal Marriage Act.” He leaned forward and braced his elbows on his knees, his expression grim. “It was two years ago.”

  “And they still haven’t made a decision?” Ashton asked, sounding surprised. He was sitting in the sturdy wingback chair that he had dragged over from the window.

  My parents and Mackenzie were seated next to us on the long couch, and Bennett was braced on the edge of Arianna’s armchair.

  Alexander shook his head in response to his brother’s question and sighed in frustration. “They’re still debating, but it doesn’t look good. Many of them think that marriage to a commoner would diminish the status of the royal house. I’ve been struggling to change their minds.” He flicked an apologetic glance at me and caught sight of my indignant expression. “I know it’s outdated—”

  “It’s ancient,” I grumbled, crossing my arms.

  His lips twitched into a smile. “We’ve been trying to change some of the more ancient laws for years, but it’s been a challenge. Most of the current members of Parliament are set in their ways and they’ve been resisting us.”

  “So what happens if they don’t approve the bill?” I asked, looking at each person around the room. “Is that it? Is getting rid of the Royal Marriage Act the only way Alex can still become king?”

  King Mathis was the first to speak. “If you two are committed to getting married, then yes, it is our only option.”

  I exchanged a glance with Alexander, wondering if he was truly willing to make this kind of sacrifice. The firm resolve in his blue eyes was undeniable. He squeezed my hand and nodded, his unshakeable commitment strengthening my own. I straightened my shoulders and slid closer to Alexander, wanting the king to see us as a united front.

  “Yes,” Alexander affirmed, meeting his father’s gaze. “We are committed to getting married.”

  King Mathis’ cobalt blue eyes studied us for a long moment. “Then we need to make sure that this bill is passed,” he commanded. I could detect a subtle hint of resignation, though his expression still showed his disapproval.

  I felt relieved. The king wasn’t happy with our decision, but I knew he would put aside his disapproval in an effort to help us get the marriage law abolished. If we didn’t succeed and Alexander was forced to renounce his claim to the throne ... then King Mathis might very well resent me for the rest of our lives.

  We remained in the king’s study for another hour while the men went over their plans to gain Parliament’s approval, and the ladies tried to prepare me for what I could expect to face as the future Princess of Coradova. We knew that the announcement of our engagement was likely to cause political outrage and scandal, but we also hoped that there would be enough love and loyalty to the Royal Family for it to blow over quickly.

  I was worried about the country’s reaction to me. I didn’t meet the typical standards for a wife of royalty. I wasn’t Coradovan, an aristocrat by birth, outrageously wealthy, well-bred, or well-educated. It wouldn’t matter that we were in love. It wouldn’t matter that I was bold, confident or loyal. Most people wouldn’t bother to look past the surface, and would likely brush aside the fact that the Royal Family held me in high regard.

  To the common folk of Coradova, my engagement to Prince Alexander would probably seem like a true Cinderella story. To the elite of Coradova, however, it would be an outrage. I didn’t always take criticism well, and feared how difficult the upcoming days might be.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The sunlight on my face was warm and inviting. Out on the terrace, Mackenzie and I were relaxing in lounge chairs and my mom was seated on a plush deck chair with her feet propped up comfortably on the edge of mine. From beneath the tray of lemonade on the table, the barely visible edge of a bridal magazine was peeking out; an excited Mackenzie had purchased it this morning.

  At the lull of clashing blades, I glanced out across the lawn to see the two men taking a short break before their next match. Dressed in their white uniforms and protective armor, Alexander and his Fencing Master, Gerard, had been training on the lawn for the last forty-five minutes. The prince was a master of Épée Fencing, having started the sport when he was seven-years-old. He practiced regularly, meeting three to four times a week with Gerard, who was also one of his royal guards and a close personal friend. His love for fencing was the reason Alexander was in such peak physical shape, despite spending so much of his time behind a desk or in meetings.

  Alexander tugged off his mask and shot me a grin. I waved to him, shaking my head at the delighted giggles coming from my mom and sister.

  “I can't believe my daughter’s going to marry a prince,” Mom said, nudging me playfully with her foot. “Princess Madison.”

 
“I can’t believe it either,” I admitted. It still seemed too good to be true.

  “Arianna told me that you’ll be the first American to marry into the Coradovan Royal Family. Talk about pressure,” Mackenzie said wryly, looking at me from over the top of her sunglasses.

  “I know,” I agreed, letting out a sigh. “It’s tough enough that I’m an American, but because I’m a commoner it’s going to be even harder to win over the country’s approval. I’ll probably be the least popular princess in Coradovan history.”

  Mom leaned forward to pat my knee. “Don’t worry about what others say, Madison. You are strong and beautiful, and Alexander loves you. He’s chosen you to be his princess. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.” She shrugged a shoulder and smiled. “I might be biased because I’m your mother, but I know you’ll win their hearts eventually. It’s impossible not to love you.”

  “Thanks, Mama.” I smiled gratefully.

  The people of Coradova were going to have a difficult time accepting me as their princess, but I was fortunate to have such a supportive group of family and friends. With them by my side, I knew I could face any challenge.

  “Here are my girls,” my dad greeted us jovially. His sandy-blond hair appeared golden in the sunlight, and his dark brown eyes were filled with love as he looked at the three women in his life.

  Resting his hands on Mom’s shoulders, he bent down to kiss her cheek. Her eyes softened with love, and she reached up to touch one of his hands. My parents had been married for twenty-three years and were more in love today than they’d been on their wedding day. I had grown up admiring their close and loving relationship, and hoped that Alexander and I would have a marriage as happy as theirs.