by Caroline Lee
Warmth. Light. Perfection.
The kiss lasted a lifetime, but was over far too soon. They were both breathing heavily when he placed one more kiss against the corner of her lips, then straightened. The way he was staring down at her, the look in his eyes…
It made her shiver.
“I love you, Nova.” He took a deep breath. “I’ve never said that before to a woman—besides my mum and Perla. I love you.”
She smiled, her fingers playing with the hair on the back of his neck. “Oh good. That’s nice.”
“Nice?” His lips—his beautiful, perfect lips, bruised from their kisses—turned downwards. “Nice? That’s all you’re going to say?”
She shrugged, feeling impish. “I suppose I should tell you I love you as well?”
“You should.” His voice managed to be caramel-smooth, even when grumpy.
“Fine then.” She tugged him closer once more, and right before their lips met, she whispered, “I love you too.”
And when they pulled apart, the world was full of stars.
Nova caught her breath the same time she heard his startled gasp, and knew she wasn’t alone in what she was seeing. The two of them rotated slowly, taking in the hundreds of points of golden light all around them.
They were all eight-pointed.
Neither of them spoke; it seemed a sin to ruin this moment. But she tightened her hold on Enzio as they moved, content to bask in the glory of the stars.
The logical part of her brain whispered: It’s just the reflections from the Christmas trees! They’re set up all over the antechamber, and they’re covered in golden stars!
But her heart knew it was Magnus and Ljós, granting their approval on their great-great-umpteenth-grandson’s union.
With her.
A prince was in love with her, and Nova knew with all her heart and soul that she loved him. He was everything she wanted in a partner, and more.
When she glanced back at him, he was staring down at her. The golden stars reflected in his eyes and made his skin glow from within.
“I love you, my luminous doctor,” he said, his sexy voice making even that corny line sound romantic, as he dropped his forehead to hers.
She had to laugh from sheer joy as her heart filled with certainty. “And I love you, my Prince Charming!”
And when they kissed, the stars themselves rejoiced.
EPILOGUE
The stars were tiny, sharp, distant silver twinkles against the black velvet of the sky.
Enzio stood at the rail of the yacht, his arms around Nova as they peered upwards, and he wondered if she was remembering the golden eight-pointed stars from a week ago.
He shook his head ruefully. Out here in the frigid air of the Baltic Sea, it was difficult to remember the feeling of amazement and warmth they’d been surrounded by the night of the ball. But with her in his arms, the joy was still there.
She stirred. “They’re beautiful,” she whispered, her breath puffing in front of them.
He shifted her in his arms so they were facing one another. “Not as beautiful as you, my love.”
Shivering, she snuggled against his chest. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing you call me that.”
“Hmm.” Pressing his cheek against the top of her head, he had to smile. She was an American, unused to the cold like this. How would she react to the Alpine winters of his homeland? One day, he’d find out.
The best part of being fifth in line to the throne, and a useless charmer was that he wasn’t expected home any time soon.
“How’s your book coming?” he asked nonchalantly.
She startled, then peered up at him suspiciously from under the fur lining of the cloak she’d borrowed from Princess Marcia for their evening cruise. “You know good and well I put it on hold to complete the documentary. And someone’s been distracting me for the last week.” Her fingers dug playfully into his side. “Not that I mind, really.”
“I was just wondering if you needed some help to get it done on time.”
When she hummed, he felt it in his chest.
“Why?” She sounded suspicious. “Do you know of anyone?”
He shrugged. “I’ve been told I’m a bit intelligent. And I like to ask questions. And read. And collect stories.”
“You might be a good folklorist then, do you think?”
Dropping a kiss on her forehead, he hid his smile. “I don’t know. I could ask the one I know.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
He cleared his throat. “Nova, do you think I might make a good folklorist? I don’t have a lot of responsibilities, but being with you, helping you… Well, it made me feel fulfilled. I thought maybe I could help you collect your stories, help you with your books, if you’d like.”
“Enzio…” she murmured. Under her cloak, her hands clenched around the lapels of his coat. “I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have as my research assistant and co-author.”
Co-author? He hadn’t even considered that. What would it feel like, to see his name on the cover of a book? Pride?
Perhaps, but not nearly as proud as he was of calling this woman his own.
“And maybe when your book on Aegiria is complete, we could go someplace else for a while.”
She hummed again. “And did you have any specific place in mind?”
“It just so happens I have some ins with the customs and immigration people in Velarno.”
“Really?” Her wide-eyed response was adorable. “And could these ‘people’ get me a visa, as an author?”
“Maybe.” He stepped back, away from her, and fumbled for the pocket of his jacket. “Maybe they’d be more amiable to granting you one if you had an arrangement with the country’s prince?”
As he pulled out the ring box, he noted the shocked expression on her face, and ran back over what he’d just said.
And burst into laughter. “I can’t believe I just said that! I’m supposed to be smooth! Look what you do to me, Nova!” He ran his gloved hand—the one not currently clutching the stupid ring box—through his hair. “I totally bumbled that proposal, didn’t I?”
“Is that what you were doing?” she asked in a faraway voice. “Proposing to me?”
“Yes!” Then he blew out a breath. “Yes,” he repeated in a softer voice. “I know it’s fast, but I love you, Nova, and I know you’re the one I want to be with. We don’t have to get married right away, we don’t even have to tell anyone right now if you don’t want to, but I want to prove to you I’m not like I used to be. I haven’t had any interest in flirting with anyone else since I saw you in that courtyard.” He looked down at the ring box. “As far as I’m concerned, I’m a one-woman-man now.”
“So you proposing to me is your way of salving your conscience? Of holding yourself accountable?”
He winced. “It doesn’t sound great when you say it like that, you know.”
“Listen, I’m standing out in the freezing cold on New Year’s Eve, wearing a gown and a cloak, and I’m trying to make sense of this while waiting for my nose to fall off from frostbite.”
His lips twitched right before he bent down to kiss said nose. “I’ll warm you up, I promise,” he murmured.
“Very well.” She gestured imperiously. “Get on with it.”
“With what?”
“With the proposal. You haven’t actually said the words, you know.”
With a nod, he backed up once more. “Nova Willetts, by law and by tradition, as a prince of Velarno, I don’t have to bow to anyone. But…”
His Highness Prince Marc Enzio lowered himself to both knees on the deck in front of her, his arms spread out by his side. Nova sucked in a breath when he tipped his head back and met her eyes.
“This is me, Nova,” he said softly. “The man, Enzio, not the prince. I’m asking you if there’s any way someone as wonderful and accomplished as you, would ever consider marrying me? Just say the word, and I’ll wait as long as you need. I love you mo
re than I ever thought I’d be able to love someone, and I want to spend the rest of my life going on adventures and learning new things and collecting stories with you. Please.”
His heart hammered in his chest: part excitement, part terror.
Please say yes. I’m kneeling in front of you, not as a prince, but as a man. Accept me, please!
The silence stretched as she cocked her head and peered down at him, and Enzio thought he might have a heart attack, waiting on her answer.
“You know,” she finally murmured thoughtfully, “tonight’s the start of the new year in the modern calendar. The time for new starts and new rulers and new traditions.”
Such a folklorist! “Nova, my knees are freezing. Please make sense.”
Her lips lifted as she reached one arm down out of her warm cocoon and caressed his cheek, her blue eyes sparkling with the reflection of the stars. “I just mean, it’s a fitting time to change the direction of our lives.”
He sucked in a frigid breath. “Does that mean yes?”
“I love you, Enzio. So much. I love you as Prince Marc Enzio and as Enzio, the man who eats popcorn and creates straw sculptures and sings naughty songs—don’t think I didn’t hear that. I love both parts of you, and I even love it when you’re charming.”
“Really?”
He tried Number Nine, The Smolder, but the effect was ruined by the fact he was still kneeling on the deck. She chuckled.
“I would consider myself lucky to spend the rest of my life with you by my side.”
“Collecting stories?”
“Being my husband.”
He might’ve been too old and dignified to whoop, but that didn’t stop him as he scrambled to his feet. “That’s a yes, isn’t it?”
“I guess it is.” Her grin grew.
“But you haven’t even seen the ring.” He popped the box open and held it out. “I had it made last week. I was going to wait to ask, because I know it’s a short time, but…” He shrugged. “I wanted you to know you were mine. That wager was dumb, but I knew from that moment I wanted to belong to you, and you to me. So…”
As he slipped the ring on her finger, Nova’s breath caught and she stared down at it. It was gold, and nine diamonds of various sizes had been picked out in the shape of an eight-pointed star.
He closed his hands around her fingers and the ring and pressed her hand to his chest. Staring into her eyes, his lips lifted.
“This way, no matter where we go, we’ll always have the Star of Aegiria with us.”
He knew he’d never forget the way it felt, to be standing there with her in his arms that Christmas Eve, the warmth and light of the golden stars sparkling around them. There might’ve been a mundane explanation for the effect, but to him, it’d felt as if Magnus and Ljós were giving him their blessing.
“It’s perfect, Enzio.”
“It’s our own little bit of folklore.”
She pressed herself against him. “If I asked you to kiss me right now, what would you say?”
God, how he loved this woman. “I’d probably agree, if there wasn’t any money riding on it.”
“Just my heart, my prince.”
He grinned as he lowered his head. “I love you, Nova.”
“Happy New Year, my love,” she murmured, right before she pulled him down to meet her lips.
New year, new beginnings, new adventures!
I hope you enjoyed re-visiting Aegiria and catching up with our princes! I need to note that the Aegirian tradition of the Konungyr is made up, although it was based heavily on quite a few ancient traditions. It’s well-known that burning straw men is a modern alternative to actual sacrifice in many cultures, but the choosing of a new king based on the old “who got the bean in the pot of porridge” trick comes from many traditions. You can bet it’s going to be relevant in future Aegiria books. Stay tuned for The Step-Royals, coming in 2019!
You can find all The Royal Wedding books here.
The Royal Wedding books:
THE BODYGUARD’S PRINCE (Alek and Toni), by Caroline Lee
THE ROCK STAR’S PRINCE (Arne and Emma), by Merry Farmer
THE STEPSISTER’S PRINCE (Kristoff and Cassie), by Caroline Lee
THE PILOT’S PRINCE (Mack and Gloria), by Merry Farmer
THE INTROVERT’S PRINCE (Viggo and Marcia), by Caroline Lee
THE JOURNALIST’S PRINCE (Johan and Tracy), by Merry Farmer
THE PRINCE’S CHRISTMAS WAGER (Enzio and Nova), by Caroline Lee
If you’ve enjoyed Nova and Enzio’s romance, I urge you to friend me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter. I frequently post fun stories, links to great books, and cute animal pictures.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Every morning, Merry Farmer and I start a conversation—about how we slept, her cats, my kids, or what we’re planning for lunch—and we don’t stop. Writing is a lonely profession, and I’m lucky to have someone who’s willing to chat with me, even if it’s online. Our historical romance worlds overlap (my Everland Ever After series and her Brides of Paradise series are constantly sharing characters and locations), so it was only a matter of time before we finally decided to write together. I’m grateful to her as a critique partner, a writing partner, and a friend.
And thank you to Alyssa, who is an incredible developmental editor, to my beta readers and Cohort members, to my editor CM Wright, and to Pam, who won my Christmas Character Contest, and thus got to choose names for half the characters in this book!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Caroline Lee has been reading romance for so long that her fourth-grade teacher used to make her cover her books with paper jackets. But it wasn't until she (mostly) grew up that she realized she could write it too. So she did.
Caroline is living her own little Happily Ever After in NC with her husband, sons, and brand-new daughter, Princess Wiggles. And while she doesn't so much "suffer" from Pittakionophobia as think that all you people who enjoy touching Band-Aids and stickers are the real weirdos, she does adore rodents, and never met a wine she didn't like. Caroline was named Time Magazine's Person of the Year in 2006 and is really quite funny in person. Promise.
You can find her at www.CarolineLeeRomance.com.
Other works by Caroline Lee
River’s End Ranch:
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YOU’RE INVITED TO THE ROYAL WEDDING!
The tiny island nation of Aegiria may be Europe's longest-reigning monarchy, but this summer is going to deliver enough excitement to rock their royal world! Six princes are matched with six entirely unsuitable princesses as they work together to discover who's trying to sabotage The Royal Wedding.
The Royal Wedding books:
THE BODYGUARD’S PRINCE, by Caroline Lee
THE ROCK STAR’S PRINCE, by Merry Farmer
THE STEPSISTER’S PRINCE, by Caroline Lee
THE PILOT’S PRINCE, by Merry Farmer
THE INTROVERT’S PRINCE, by Caroline Lee
THE JOURNALIST’S PRINCE, by Merry Farmer
THE PRINCE’S CHRISTMAS WAGER, by Caroline Lee
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