Royal

by Danielle Steel

  She let Starlight walk a little, but he was too anxious to leave him out for long. She spoke to him soothingly, and then it was time to take their places. Annie was wearing the queen’s royal colors of purple with gold braid, scarlet sleeves, and black velvet helmet with gold fringe. It was the greatest honor of her life. She was satisfied with the order for the race, and avoided looking for familiar faces as they rode to the start. She kept her mind and her eyes on Starlight, and nothing else. She praised him as they waited and then they were off. She gave him his head quickly because she knew him well now, and it was how he liked to run. He began strong and then settled into his pace, as she edged him forward and kept him steady on course, and then she urged him to increase his speed, pushing him harder and harder to his limits, using his strength and his size to gain momentum, and then she forced him on past what he wanted, but using his trust in her to push him beyond anything reasonable. He pounded and pounded and pounded the ground, faster and faster until his hooves barely seemed to touch the earth. If someone had asked, they would have thought she was flying, and then she pushed him for the final furlong, and she could see the others slip away as she and Starlight moved ahead, and with a final burst of agony and insanity, she asked his utmost from him, and drove him even harder, and they crossed the finish line alone. They kept going until she could slow him down without his getting injured, and came back, and looked toward the royal box with a broad grin. They had done it. Starlight had come through for his owners, his queen, and his jockey.

  She had no doubt this time. They had finished in first place. And the announcer declared the winner, Her Majesty Queen Alexandra’s horse Starlight, ridden by the queen’s niece, Her Royal Highness Princess Anne Louise Windsor. It was the proudest moment of Annie’s life, and one of the queen’s best too. Annie could see them jumping up and down in the box, and could almost hear them screaming. The roar of the crowd had been tremendous, and Starlight looked startled by the noise, but Annie kept him in control. The queen and Lord Hatton came down from the royal box to accept the trophy with her, and the queen reached up and patted Annie’s arm and thanked her. They were both crying and didn’t even know it.

  “What a wonderful race you ran, Annie,” she said happily.

  “It was all Starlight,” she said modestly, and Lord Hatton was grinning broadly, as he thanked her, and she rode Starlight back to his stall. She stayed with Starlight for a few minutes until he started to calm down, and then she left him to the grooms and trainer, and walked toward the royal box to find her family. She was still feeling dazed herself and unsteady on her feet. She didn’t even bother to clean up. She was covered with mud, and had splashes of it on her face and all over her helmet, when she walked straight into Anthony coming toward her. She stopped when she saw him and didn’t know what to say.

  “You were fantastic!” he said, and then folded her into his arms without caring about the mud all over her, still wet from the race.

  “I’m filthy, don’t…” He kissed her before she could stop him and it reminded her of the first time in Sandringham when he had surprised her and told her he loved her. When he finally stopped, she was even more breathless than she’d been from the race. And just as surprised as she’d been the first time he kissed her.

  “I’m sorry I was such a fool. I wanted to tell you before the race, but I didn’t want to throw you off. My God, you were incredible. You were a blur on the racetrack.” Anthony was smiling at her as she looked up at him in amazement.

  “Why did you come?” she asked him, rubber-legged from the ride. She imagined that he was there for his father.

  “Why do you think? To tell you I love you and that I’m sorry. I was wrong, and you were right. This is what you were born to do. I was wrong to try and stop you. Thank God you didn’t listen. It’s a damn fine dream, and if we wait ten years to have children, then so be it.” She was only twenty-six.

  “I just wanted one year, not ten,” she said softly. “I’ve already done what I wanted. This race was my dream, to do it here, for England, and for Alexandra. I won’t do it forever, I promise,” she said, and he stopped her and kissed her again.

  “Don’t make promises you can’t keep. You’re the best jockey I’ve ever seen. My father thinks so too. And to think I damn near killed you racing to a tree. Lucky I didn’t,” he said, and she laughed as she fell into step with him and he tucked her hand into his arm. She wanted to see the others now too.

  “Why didn’t you call me back?” she asked as they walked around the racetrack to the royal box.

  “Because I wanted to be right, and I knew I wasn’t. I got sacked, by the way. I was drunk for three weeks and screwed up all their events. I want to work with my father, and help him manage the farm. I belong there, and so do you,” he said softly, and then stopped her for a minute before they reached the others. “Will you marry me, Annie, even though I was a fool?”

  “Yes,” she said in a voice so soft that only he could hear it.

  “Do I have to ask your aunt?”

  “Probably. And the prime minister, and the cabinet, and the lord chamberlain, and a million other people, and my father.” They were both laughing as he followed her up the stairs to where they were all milling around and congratulating each other. The queen smiled when she saw them. Things had improved immeasurably in the last few minutes, and she wasn’t sure if Annie was smiling because she’d won, or because Anthony had just kissed her. The queen had seen it through her binoculars and was pleased.

  “I have a question to ask you later, ma’am,” he said softly, and her smile widened.

  “The answer is yes,” she said, and he hugged her.

  “Thank you, ma’am.” They all stayed in the box for another half hour, and then left. They were having dinner at Windsor Castle that night, and there was much to celebrate. Annie left the box with them, with an arm around each of her brothers, and her three young cousins right behind them. Her face was still splattered with mud, and she’d never looked happier. And before they got into the van the queen had brought for them, Anthony stopped Annie and kissed her again. “You are one hell of an amazing rider,” he said with a look of awe on his face. “Thank God you didn’t let me bully you. I’m sorry I did,” he said after the others were in the van.

  “It doesn’t matter. I didn’t listen to you. I couldn’t. But I love you and always will. I never stopped loving you all this year.” But it had been a long, lonely year without him.

  “I hope our children ride like you do. You made history today, Annie.” And they both knew she would again. Possibly many times, and then one day she’d retire, but she would always have the memory of what she’d accomplished. No one could ever take that from her now. Anthony knew better than anyone that no one ever should. This moment, and this day, and this achievement belonged to her, and rightfully so.

  “Are you two coming, or are we going to die of old age waiting?” Victoria shouted out of the van at them.

  “Sorry,” Anthony said, helped Annie into the van, and hopped in behind her. They took off for the castle with everyone laughing and talking about what a great and utterly unforgettable day it had been.

  Chapter 18

  Jonathan and Annie were waiting in a small room at St. Margaret’s Church on the grounds of Westminster Abbey, the Anglican parish church near the Palace of Westminster. It had been built in the eleventh century. She had chosen a simple white lace gown with long sleeves and a tiny waist, and she looked more than ever like a fairy or a very young girl. She was wearing a veil, and the gown had a train which stretched behind her as she stood nervously with her stepfather, waiting for their cue to start down the aisle.

  Sir Malcolm Harding, the queen’s secretary, came in holding a leather box and handed it to Annie as she looked at him in surprise. Her grandmother, the Queen Mother, had given her a double strand of her own pearls that morning as a wedding gift, and sa
id they had been a gift from her grandmother, Queen Alexandra, on her wedding day. The queen had given Annie a heart-shaped brooch by Carl Fabergé encrusted with diamonds and pearls on pale pink enamel, which she had worn at her wedding, and she had no daughters to pass it on to, so she was giving it to her sister’s child. And even more meaningful to her, Annie was wearing the gold bracelet with the gold heart charm that had been her mother’s and Alexandra had given her.

  “Who’s this from?” Annie asked Sir Malcolm about the antique leather box she took from him, and he smiled.

  “Your husband, ma’am. He wanted you to have it immediately.” She opened it in haste and smiled when she saw it. It was the tiara he had borrowed from Garrard’s for her, that had been given to Queen Victoria by her husband, Prince Albert. Theirs was one of the great love stories of the British monarchy. “He was hoping you could wear it with your veil. It’s your wedding gift, ma’am.” It fit perfectly over it, and was just the right proportion, as though it had been made for her. Annie had loved it when she’d seen it, when Anthony borrowed it for her for the party. She had remembered it, and apparently so had Anthony. It was back in the right hands, with Queen Victoria’s great-great-great-granddaughter. Sir Malcolm took the box and disappeared with it. Annie looked up at the man who had been her father for most of her life.

  “You look like a queen, not just a princess,” Jonathan said, in awe of the moment. She had chosen to have no attendants, only him walking her to her husband in the small chapel.

  “I love you, Papa,” she whispered.

  “I love you too, Annie,” he said as the music started, the door opened, and they headed toward the aisle. When they reached it, she saw Anthony waiting for her at the altar. It was meant to be, just as everything that had happened was. Being brought back to the Windsors, where she belonged, learning about her mother, meeting Anthony, winning the races, and now this moment when nothing else mattered. She had lost him for a year and found him again, or he had found her. She knew she would love him forever, like Victoria and Albert.

  They walked slowly down the aisle, and she stopped next to Anthony, who was beaming at her. They had already been through so much, and knew each other so well, their fears and their dreams, their hopes for the future. Her dreams had already come true, and now she had him, and hopefully one day their children.

  Jonathan took his place in the pew next to Penny and the twins, and across the aisle, the prince consort sat next to the queen, as Alexandra and her sister Victoria held hands, watching Annie, and remembering when there were three of them so long ago. The Queen Mother sat next to them, with tears in her eyes, remembering Charlotte too, and all three of them were struck by how much Annie looked like her. She was the image of the mother she had never known.

  “She looks just like her, doesn’t she?” Victoria whispered to Alexandra, and the Queen Mother took Victoria’s other hand and held it. They were all there now, with their history and their stories, their loves and their losses, and George the future king sat right behind his mother, with his brothers beside him. Just as the past stood behind them, the future lay ahead with George and his brothers, and Annie wore the tiara their great-great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria had been given by her husband. It was all woven together like a never-ending chain of love stories and people and monarchs, as Annie looked into the eyes of the man she loved and was about to marry.

  “Thank you,” she whispered to him, and pointed to the tiara.

  “I love you,” Anthony whispered back, as Jonathan watched the little girl he had loved and taught to ride and had become a princess. They all stood together, as Alexandra and Victoria thought of Charlotte, and seeing their niece standing there in her image, it was almost as if Charlotte had come home at last.

  As Anthony and Annie exchanged their vows, the past and the present, and the future, blended into one shining moment which united them all in memory forever.

  To my beloved children,

  Beatie, Trevor, Todd, Nick,

  Samantha, Victoria, Vanessa,

  Maxx, Zara,

  Never give up your dreams,

  Be grateful for who you are,

  And what you can be,

  Don’t settle for less than you deserve,

  Don’t give up!! Dare to be!!

  Be True to Yourself!

  And always know how very much

  I love you!

  Bigger than the sky!

  All my love,

  Mom/d.s.

  By Danielle Steel

  ROYAL • DADDY’S GIRLS • THE WEDDING DRESS • THE NUMBERS GAME • MORAL COMPASS • SPY • CHILD’S PLAY • THE DARK SIDE • LOST AND FOUND • BLESSING IN DISGUISE • SILENT NIGHT • TURNING POINT • BEAUCHAMP HALL • IN HIS FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS • THE GOOD FIGHT • THE CAST • ACCIDENTAL HEROES • FALL FROM GRACE • PAST PERFECT • FAIRYTALE • THE RIGHT TIME • THE DUCHESS • AGAINST ALL ODDS • DANGEROUS GAMES • THE MISTRESS • THE AWARD • RUSHING WATERS • MAGIC • THE APARTMENT • PROPERTY OF A NOBLEWOMAN • BLUE • PRECIOUS GIFTS • UNDERCOVER • COUNTRY • PRODIGAL SON • PEGASUS • A PERFECT LIFE • POWER PLAY • WINNERS • FIRST SIGHT • UNTIL THE END OF TIME • THE SINS OF THE MOTHER • FRIENDS FOREVER • BETRAYAL • HOTEL VENDÔME • HAPPY BIRTHDAY • 44 CHARLES STREET • LEGACY • FAMILY TIES • BIG GIRL • SOUTHERN LIGHTS • MATTERS OF THE HEART • ONE DAY AT A TIME • A GOOD WOMAN • ROGUE • HONOR THYSELF • AMAZING GRACE • BUNGALOW 2 • SISTERS • H.R.H. • COMING OUT • THE HOUSE • TOXIC BACHELORS • MIRACLE • IMPOSSIBLE • ECHOES • SECOND CHANCE • RANSOM • SAFE HARBOUR • JOHNNY ANGEL • DATING GAME • ANSWERED PRAYERS • SUNSET IN ST. TROPEZ • THE COTTAGE • THE KISS • LEAP OF FAITH • LONE EAGLE • JOURNEY • THE HOUSE ON HOPE STREET • THE WEDDING • IRRESISTIBLE FORCES • GRANNY DAN • BITTERSWEET • MIRROR IMAGE • THE KLONE AND I • THE LONG ROAD HOME • THE GHOST • SPECIAL DELIVERY • THE RANCH • SILENT HONOR • MALICE • FIVE DAYS IN PARIS • LIGHTNING • WINGS • THE GIFT • ACCIDENT • VANISHED • MIXED BLESSINGS • JEWELS • NO GREATER LOVE • HEARTBEAT • MESSAGE FROM NAM • DADDY • STAR • ZOYA • KALEIDOSCOPE • FINE THINGS • WANDERLUST • SECRETS • FAMILY ALBUM • FULL CIRCLE • CHANGES • THURSTON HOUSE • CROSSINGS • ONCE IN A LIFETIME • A PERFECT STRANGER • REMEMBRANCE • PALOMINO • LOVE: POEMS • THE RING • LOVING • TO LOVE AGAIN • SUMMER’S END • SEASON OF PASSION • THE PROMISE • NOW AND FOREVER • PASSION’S PROMISE • GOING HOME

  Nonfiction

  PURE JOY: The Dogs We Love

  A GIFT OF HOPE: Helping the Homeless

  HIS BRIGHT LIGHT: The Story of Nick Traina

  For Children

  PRETTY MINNIE IN PARIS

  PRETTY MINNIE IN HOLLYWOOD

  About the Author

  DANIELLE STEEL has been hailed as one of the world’s bestselling authors, with almost a billion copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include Daddy’s Girls, The Wedding Dress, The Numbers Game, Moral Compass, Spy, Child’s Play, The Dark Side, Lost and Found, Blessing in Disguise, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina’s life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family have loved; and the children’s books Pretty Minnie in Paris and Pretty Minnie in Hollywood.

  daniellesteel.com

  Facebook.com/​DanielleSteelOfficial

  Twitter: @daniellesteel

  Instagram: @officialdaniellesteel

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