by Jenna Brandt
Lily moved forward, along with the chairman of the board and Sue. They each took a shovel, pushed it into the dirt on the far side of the orphanage, and lifted it up. The cameras snapped away, catching every moment.
Afterward, Lily and Max talked with everyone for another half hour before they went inside and greeted the children. They spent an hour reading to them and playing a couple of games.
As they climbed into the car, Lily let out a yawn as she leaned her head back. “That was wonderful, but I’m exhausted.”
“Does that mean you’re not up for anything more?”
Lily turned her head to Max and asked, “What did you have in mind?”
“I was hoping you would want to go to dinner with me before we head back to Triola.”
“I think I can spare the energy for that,” she said with a smile. “But we probably shouldn’t go anywhere too fancy. I’m pretty dirty from today’s activities.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ve got it covered.”
They headed to a luxurious downtown hotel where Max escorted Lily inside. The hotel manager was waiting anxiously by the door, with two key cards in his hand. “Here you are, your Royal Highness. We have both your suites ready for you.”
“Thank you,” he said, taking the key cards. “Have the items for tonight been delivered to both rooms?”
“They have, your Royal Highness,” the manager said with a nod.
Max turned to Lily and handed her a card. “Meet me down here in an hour?”
Lily nodded and made her way towards the elevators. Though the first part of the day was wonderful, Max couldn’t wait for the second part of the night where he would get to spend alone time with his future wife.
Even though she shouldn’t have been, Lily was surprised to find a beautiful formal, red dress waiting for her in her room, complete with all the accessories.
After taking a quick shower, she slipped the dress on, pulled on the red heels, and added the jewelry. She took a final look in the mirror and decided she was ready.
Max was waiting in the lobby. As she moved towards him, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her.
When she reached his side, Max extended his hand to her, which she took.
“You look amazing tonight,” he stated with awe.
“Thank you. It rather surprised me when I found all of this waiting for me in the room.” Then glancing at him, she smiled, “but seeing how handsome you look in that tuxedo again, I have to say, I’m rather glad you did all of this.”
“It should tell you how special you are to me,” he said with a smirk as he guided her from the hotel lobby into the waiting limo. “I don’t go around wearing one of these things for just anyone.”
They made their way into the elegant restaurant that was on the top floor of the multi-level building. As the waiter seated them by the window in a private room, Lily looked out at the glittering lights of the city.
“The view is breathtaking,” Lily said in awe. “I knew this hotel had a wonderful restaurant, but I never had a chance to try it out.”
“Well, now you get to,” Max said with a grin. “I’m glad I picked the right place.”
The server came and took their orders. Once he was gone, Lily turned her attention to Max. “I want to thank you again for today. I can’t tell you how grateful I am. Today was one of the best days I’ve had in a long time.”
“You don’t have to keep thanking me. You’ve been so supportive and encouraging to me, that was the least I could do.”
The waiter arrived with their appetizers—a salad for Lily and crab cakes for Max. They ate them while conversing about the day. Next, their main course came. Both of them ordered the steak and lobster, which was exquisite. The final course was dessert in which they shared the restaurant’s famous custard tart.
As they stood from the table, Lily said, “This has been a wonderful night.”
“It’s not over yet,” Max corrected. “I still have one more surprise before we retire to our separate rooms for the evening.
“What’s that?” Lily asked with excitement. “I can’t believe there’s more.”
Max led Lily up to the top of the hotel where there was a roof deck with a view of the whole city.
“I’m surprised there isn’t anyone else up here right now,” Lily noted as she looked around.
“I reserved the whole place for us this evening.” He pulled her over to the edge of the building and pointed out over the mountains. “Wait for it,” he whispered, before pulling her close to his side.
Suddenly, fireworks burst into the air, lighting up the night sky. The pops of color were brilliant. Lily felt like she was a kid again, celebrating Triola’s independence, but this time, she was standing next to the man she was falling in love with all over again.
After a few moments of watching the fireworks, Max turned to Lily and bent down on one knee. He pulled out a ring box, opened it, and held it out to her. “I know we already have an agreement, but I want this to be more than just a relationship on paper. I love you, Lady Liliana Lockhart, and I want to be your husband in every way possible. Will you marry me?”
Lily nodded, tears in her eyes, as she gave him her hand. He slipped the emerald and diamond engagement ring on her finger. “I’m glad it fits. It was my grandmother’s ring.”
She looked down at it with appreciation. “It’s gorgeous. I love it.” Then her eyes flickered up to meet his as she added, “And I love you.”
“You don’t know how happy it makes me to hear you say that,” Max said, as he pulled her into his arms. He placed a kiss upon her lips before spinning her around, the fireworks still glowing around them.
Max placed her back on the ground, as he said, “I know, given our history and how we ended up together again wasn’t the best of circumstances. It’s why I pulled out all the stops to make tonight extra special.”
“I can see that. It’s not every day a prince takes a knee for you,” Lily said with a smile. “I should keep that locked away in my vault of secret memories.”
“You can tell the entire world for all I care. I would go down on one knee for you a million times to keep you happy.”
“It will never come to that. Just being with you is all I need,” Lily said as she placed her hands on his chest, knowing she was exactly where she should be with the man she loved.
Lily’s phone dinged in her purse, disrupting the perfect moment. She pulled out her phone and looked at the screen. It was a Google alert that Max was in the news, but what was more interesting was the fact she was in the news as well. She clicked the button that took her to a link where a video only moments before had been posted.
“What is that?” Max asked.
“I think it’s a video about us,” Lily said, clicking the button to play it.
“This just in, the Crown Prince of Triola, Maxwell Gerard Beaumont, was in Karamay, China, today,” a gray-haired man in a suit stated. “What most would assume was a standard goodwill trip, was anything but, when pictures surfaced that the prince was accompanied by Lady Liliana Lockhart. The two have been rumored to be seen socializing together several times over the past couple of months, but nothing surfaced to substantiate that it was more than royal duties. At least, until today, when it was confirmed they flew in together on his private jet. How did we confirm this? There is the old saying, a picture is worth a thousand words. Here is an exclusive photo of the two of them kissing just as they disembarked from his plane.”
Lily gasped as she saw a picture of them kissing earlier in the day pop up. It remained on the screen while the news reporter continued to speak in the background.
“With this new information, we wonder is this the reason for the sudden change in Prince Maxwell? His patterns of partying and womanizing have taken a sudden decline over the past couple months, and just recently, we were sent these two videos showing the prince in a new light.”
First, the video Lily recorded of Max at the children’s wing dedication a
nd then again at the war memorial played on the screen.
“Does that mean playboy Crown Prince Maxwell is gone for good? Or is Lady Liliana just a passing fancy like Starla Stone was a couple months back? Only time will tell, so if you want to be the first to know, make sure to watch our show daily for your royal updates.”
As soon as the video ended, Lily’s eyes snapped up to meet Max’s. “I promise I didn’t leak those videos. I have no idea how they got out.”
Max nodded. “I believe you.” Pointing to the comments, he added, “At least the responses are positive. People seem to approve of you and I as a couple and they think the videos show I’ve changed for the better.”
“Well, I guess we should be grateful for that.” Clicking through her phone, she went to the videos to see if they were gone. They were still there. Next, she looked in her messages and didn’t find them sent to anyone. Her last idea was to check her email. She went to her "sent” folder, and about five messages down, she saw an outgoing message to her mother with both videos attached.
“Mystery solved,” Lily said, showing the email to Max. “I’m sorry she did this.” Then realizing it was too odd it all came out at the same time, she stated, “I think she arranged for that photographer to snap the photo. I wouldn’t put it past my mother to have one follow me, waiting for the chance to snap a photo to release with these videos.”
He shrugged. “It sounds about right. The countess is a formidable woman.”
“You could have her banished from the royal court for this,” Lily said, “and part of me wouldn’t blame you.”
“That won’t be necessary. I’m not about to do that to the mother of the woman I love. I don’t like how it happened, but honestly, I’m glad everyone finally knows we are together. I love you, Lily, and I don’t want to hide it anymore.”
He reached out and kissed her firmly on the lips, pushing out any worries that still remained in Lily’s mind. For now, all that mattered was that they were together openly for the first time.
Chapter Ten
The day for the royal wedding had finally arrived. The St. James Cathedral was bustling with tons of people. In the thick of it, Max watched the wedding planner put the final touches on the aisle runner and bouquets of flowers that lined the center walkway. She was fussing to make sure all the decorations were centered correctly and lined up the way she planned.
“Don’t forget that the series of candelabras on each side need to be tilted so the guests can still see everything,” the blonde woman stated, pushing a loose wisp of hair out of her face. “Everything needs to be perfect. This is a royal wedding after all.”
Max wondered if his own wedding would be this chaotic. Then remembering that because he was Crown Prince, and it was his job to display his wedding for his whole country (and world), it would be even worse than all of this.
A quick glance at his watch confirmed they were just over an hour away from show time. Max hurried out of the ceremony area, knowing they would seat guests shortly. It was time for him to check in on Richard anyway.
Max found his best friend in the groom’s room, where he was nervously pacing back and forth. “Are you okay?” Max asked with concern.
“I’m fine. I want to get married already, and this is taking bloody forever,” Richard’s British accent from growing up abroad came out when he got upset.
“I understand but be patient. It’s almost time,” Max said, coming up to Richard, and putting his hands on either side of his shoulders. “Just take a deep breath and focus on the fact that in less than an hour you will be married to the woman of your dreams.”
“Or, on the other hand, you could reflect on the fact you’ll be tied down to the same woman for the rest of your life,” Benji stated snidely. “Are you ready for that?”
“Be quiet,” Max demanded, glaring at Benji. “We don’t need you trying to tease him right now. Can’t you see he’s nervous enough?”
Benji shrugged. “I was just trying to make a joke.”
“It wasn’t funny,” Richard corrected, “And Max is right, I sure don’t need that type of help. Why don’t you find something else to do?”
He must have known he had overstepped, because Benji shrunk away without another word. Max figured he would probably go bother the bridesmaids, but as long as he wasn’t bothering Richard, Max didn’t much care what Benji did.
“Let me look at your bow tie,” Max said, straightening it by slightly pulling on both sides. “There you go. You look great.”
Richard looked every bit the royal groom in his custom white tuxedo. Though Max had fixed his cousin’s outer appearance, it didn’t seem to help calm his spirits. Wanting to help him, Max offered, “Do you want me to say a quick prayer?”
Richard stopped pacing and raised his eyebrows in shock. “Never did I think I would hear those words come from your lips.”
“What can I say, I’m a changed man,” Max explained with a roll of his shoulders. “So, what do you say?”
“I would welcome it,” Richard said, closing his eyes.
Max closed his own eyes before he prayed. “Dear Lord, right now we come to You and ask that You bless this special day. Help my cousin to put everything in Your hands and trust that You will help everything go smoothly.”
“Thanks, cousin, I appreciate your support,” Richard stated as he opened his eyes and smiled. “You always know how to keep me calm.”
“That’s what family is for. And for the record, it’s not me, it’s God. I’ve realized the more I pray, the better off I am.”
A little while later, the wedding planner knocked on the door, telling them it was time to enter the ceremony area. They made their way in to the crowded venue where over a thousand guests were seated to watch the royal wedding.
“You got this,” Max whispered reassuringly to Richard as they took their spots at the front of the room under the massive arch adorned with pastel flowers and ribbon.
A few moments later, the orchestra played, quieting the crowd and turning everyone’s attention towards the back as they stood to their feet. The doors opened to reveal Margo standing in a white satin gown with a long train and a beautiful tiara that glistened against her golden hair. She also had a veil draped over her face that flowed out and around her.
Behind her stood her two bridesmaids, four flower girls, two page boys and Lily, her Maid of Honor. The rest of the bridal party was wearing cream-colored outfits.
As they made their way down the aisle, Max knew he should be focused on the bride, but he couldn’t keep his eyes from drifting to Lily. She looked like perfection in her gown, and Max could only imagine how much more beautiful she would look on their own day down the road.
The ceremony passed quickly, with the traditional vows, rings, and prayers. By the end, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room, as it was clear that Margo and Richard truly loved each other.
The bridal party, along with the royal family, exited the cathedral and prepared to go by carriages to the wedding reception at the Rivera Club. Hordes of people were out for the event, waving and cheering on the royal family. Max was grateful there were no hecklers in the crowd, and the day could go by in peace.
As they rode through the streets waving to everyone, Max leaned over and whispered to Lily. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you,” she whispered back. “You look handsome as well.”
“I can’t wait to dance with you at the royal ball.”
“I know, I’ve been looking forward to it myself. Margo and I have worked so hard on everything. I hope you think we did a good job.”
“If you helped, it will amaze everyone,” he said with admiration. “Everything you do is phenomenal.”
They arrived at the club, climbed out of the carriage, and made their way inside for the reception.
The reception passed by like a blur. Before Lily knew what was happening, the toasts, the meal, and the cake cutting had already taken place.
“They really look ha
ppy,” Lily stated as the bride and groom took to the dance floor for their first dance.
“They do,” Max agreed. “And by the way, you and Margo did a terrific job with everything. Everyone will talk about this wedding for years to come.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Lily stated with pleasure. “I was really nervous.”
“There’s only one problem.”
“What’s that? What did I miss?”
“Nothing,” he said, shaking his head. “The problem is you’re going to have a hard time topping this wedding with our own by year’s end.”
Lily let out a laugh, causing several heads to turn towards them. Quickly, she placed her gloved hand over her face to muffle the sound. “Stop it. You’re going to get me into trouble,” she whispered against his ear.
“Oh, you should probably get used to that,” he whispered back, his breath tickling the skin of her cheek.
“Not surprising,” she said in a hushed tone, “but somehow I think I will love the type of trouble you get me into.”
Taking her hand, he pulled her towards the exit. “Let’s sneak out for a few minutes. No one will miss us while all eyes are on the bride and groom.”
Once outside and in a dark hallway, Max pushed Lily against the wall. He leaned towards her, then pressed his lips against hers, searing her mouth with a red-hot kiss.
Though she liked kissing Max, she knew the dance wouldn’t last forever. Gently, she placed her hands on his chest and said, “We should get back.”
Max nodded, stepping back with a regretful look. “Not that I want to, but you’re probably right.” Glancing down the hall he added, “I need to go to the restroom first. Are you all right heading back in on your own?”
“Of course. I’ll see you in a few minutes,” Lily said, placing a peck on his cheek before heading back into the ballroom.
She was about halfway back to the dance floor when Joseph stopped her.