He bowed to her. “After you, your highness.”
We turned to receive the next carriage. Mom and Dad exited the coach after Ellen, who joined her husband to wish us well before they entered the palace to oversee that everything was going along according to plan, with George already barking orders into his headpiece. I turned to my parents. Mom greeted me with arms outstretched. “My baby girl,” she said as she pulled me into a big hug. “But I guess you’re not my baby girl anymore, are you?”
I squeezed her hard. “I’ll always be your baby girl, Mom.”
Dad wrapped his arm around both of us. “We’re so proud of you, Pea. You did great up there today.”
“So did you,” I said. “And you,” I told my mother. “Don’t tell the bishop but I think your sermon was best.”
Dad kissed Mom on the top of her head. “I agree.”
She laughed. She reached up to kiss Auggie’s cheek. “Welcome to the family, son.”
I could tell by the way his face brightened that he had been waiting to hear something like that for a long, long time. He took her into a big hug.
“You don’t have to call me Mom if you don’t want to,” she started.
“Thank you, Mom,” he cut her off with a smile. She laughed.
Fern gasped a little as Gav joined us on horseback, vaulting easily and gracefully from the majestic animal to join his fiancé. “Ready for your trip down the aisle?” Auggie asked his best friend.
“More than ready,” he said with that big grin of his. “Because it’s going to be nothing like all this. Better you than me, mate.”
“I don’t know,” Archer added as he joined us. “It wasn’t so bad. First time I’ve stayed awake in church for more than ten minutes.”
“Then maybe you can go next,” Fern teased. I made note that Archer had nothing to say to that, least of all his pat refusal that he would ever get married.
I wondered if the elegant beauty who came to stand at his side was the reason why. Audra curtsied. “Your Grace,” she greeted us formally.
We bowed to her. “Lady Tremwell,” we both said, before we all grinned about the formality. She walked easily into a hug.
Like her father, however, Audra adjusted an earpiece so that she could help coordinate the rest of the events planned for the afternoon, such as official wedding photos, the balcony appearance and our 10-course wedding banquet where we’d be entertained by several different performances, including Vanni Carnevale.
Archer followed her into the castle, while we waited for Her Majesty, the Queen, who arrived in her gilded carriage along with Princesses Fiona and Mariel. They greeted us formally before Auggie broke protocol to hug them. Finally, we were before the queen. He bowed and I curtsied.
“I hope you were pleased, Grandmother,” he said.
“Very pleased,” she nodded. “It was a beautiful ceremony, even with the surprising additions,” she added, likely referring to the way I broke protocol to link my arm with Auggie’s.
“It’s a family tradition,” I explained. “It means I’ve got you.” I glanced up at my husband. “And I do.”
She nodded again. “I suppose there’s room within tradition to evolve,” she conceded. “Shall we?” she said, indicating we should go inside.
We let her lead the way.
I expected more of a fight, or certainly more lip-pursing judgment about it, but she surprisingly rolled with it.
We headed into an elegant and historic drawing room to pose for the Queen’s royal photographer. Since the bridal court consisted mostly of children wearing white, we knew that it was better to get these photos sooner rather than later, and we had about an hour to kill before we made our appearance on the balcony. It would take that long for local law enforcement to safely corral the crowds in front of the castle.
Our Glam Squad was already on hand to help refresh makeup and straighten clothing. I expected to get a side-eye from Jorge about my eye makeup, but as it turned out his makeup was equally damaged. “The minute you started crying, so did I. So did everyone,” he added.
It dawned on me that I hadn’t even really paid attention. I thought I’d be super self-conscious during the ceremony, performing all these rites and rituals that were foreign and unfamiliar to me. But once I was at the altar with Auggie, everything else faded away. I glanced up at my handsome groom. I figured that was the way it was supposed to be.
Thankfully, it had all been recorded for every media outlet known to man, even my own former employer, Headliner Pulse. My old boss had tossed their hat in the ring to fight for official coverage, and I had given Maeve a list of trusted colleagues for exclusives.
It was the second big check Lydia would get because of me and my association with Auggie in the past eight months. “I’m expecting one hell of a wedding gift,” I had teased her.
It took about a half-hour to stage all the photos that the photographer wanted to take. The staff had already prepared tea and finger foods to help hold us over till the big dinner that evening, so those who weren’t in front of the camera could mill about and socialize. At various points, Auggie and I were separated to handle the growing number of people who had come to wish us well.
And this crowd grew in number as the guests began to arrive. Extended family was given first access, which meant all the Byrnes joined us in the drawing room after all the pictures had been taken and the photographer departed. While I wasn’t looking forward to spending time in their company, my biggest concern was having them anywhere near my family. After the horrible things they had said about Dash, Giz and the Tremwells, I was ready to cut a bitch if they dared to hurt the people that I loved, princess or no princess.
Allan and Eloise were the first to arrive, both wearing black as if attending a funeral. I supposed that was probably how they felt about Auggie taking one more step towards the throne. I knew it had to hurt for him to bow to me, and certainly it had to sting for Eloise to see Auggie’s ring on my finger.
“Your Highnesses,” they greeted stiffly. “Congratulations on your wedding.”
Auggie tipped his head. I followed suit. “Your Grace,” he acknowledged. His eyes slid to Eloise. I felt the tension in the air crackle like lightning between them.
I hadn’t been able to get much out of Auggie about what had happened between Eloise and Cillian after their betrayal so many years ago. Eloise had once been poised to marry Auggie but had gotten pregnant with Cillian’s child instead. In fact, she had already gotten pregnant before she ever slept with Auggie—the night of his father’s funeral.
It was a win-win for Cillian. If Auggie found out she had betrayed him, he’d run away from Aldayne, leaving the throne up for grabs.
If he had never found out about the betrayal, it would have been a long con, waiting for their firstborn child, heir apparent to the throne, to switch the power to the House of Byrne, since Byrne blood, not Quinn blood, would run in that child’s veins.
Either way, both Eloise and Cillian had plotted and schemed to screw Auggie over. He had found out about the deception and ran away from Aldayne, but details were sketchy about what became of that child and the romance between Cillian and Eloise.
Given that she was now married to his father, there were some gaps in the history I desperately wanted to fill. However, having only five weeks to plan a royal wedding didn’t give me much time to do that.
Her cool blue eyes met mine with a look I had seen in the eyes of other girls my whole life; that look that indicated that she thought I was beneath her. It was a cruel coldness contained only by polite civility, and the former always canceled out the latter.
Christopher would have loved her.
Almost unconsciously, I placed my hand on my pregnant tummy, and it happened to be the hand now adorned with literal crown jewels. Her eyes narrowed, as if I had drawn battle lines.
Perhaps I had.
Still, the queen was watching the exchange so neither Byrne decided to make an issue of it.
Vi
vienne Byrne was next. She was Allan’s younger sister, an elegant socialite in her mid-40s, with a shock of red hair and the same bright green eyes as the Quinn side of the family. A true mutant, with an unapologetic attitude to match.
Like me, she was fuller figured, but she couldn’t give a good goddamn. Her dress was stunning, highlighting all her best features, including that hourglass figure and an impressive display of cleavage for someone her age. The black chiffon hugged her revealing décolletage, and her floral floor-length skirt wove purple flowers against the black background. Huge gemstone rings adorned both hands, including an aldrite that I knew had to fetch six figures. She wore it on her left hand, a wedding ring for her own damn self.
Unlike Eloise, she opted for a pillbox hat with a small veil as opposed to a royal tiara, despite being a duchess in her own right. The Duchess of Noxbury, which was Aldayne’s Vegas, with an attitude to match.
Her smile was wide, and her eyes twinkled as she greeted us with a curtsy. “Congratulations, Augustine. Although I suppose I should call you Your Highness.”
Auggie grinned. “Why start now, Cousin Viv?” He reached for a hug.
It warmed my heart there was at least one Byrne that wasn’t out to torpedo us just because we were on a higher branch of the royal family tree.
Viv did, in fact, curtsy to me. “Your Highness,” she greeted with that same wide smile. “It’s lovely to meet you at last. I reckon it takes quite a special woman to steal the heart of the Duke of Mayhem, here.”
“Indeed,” Auggie acknowledged as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
“Good. This stiff institution could use a little jazz. I suspect you’re just the one to shake things up.”
“It’s worked so far,” her companion quipped.
We turned our attention to her date, an impossibly good-looking rogue with windswept sandy blond hair like he had just arrived from the beaches of California. Which, of course, he had.
“May I present Caz Bixby,” Viv introduced.
Caz bowed formally. “Your Highnesses,” he said. He reached for my hand to place a kiss upon it, despite how Auggie stiffened. “You are a truly beautiful bride.”
I withdrew my hand. “Thank you.”
“Looks like you need little help shaking things up, Viv,” Auggie said.
She linked her arm in Caz’s. “You know me.” I got the sense it tickled her to know the queen watched, her mouth set in a thin, grim line. Viv turned to Caz. “Let’s go get a drink. I’m sure Cillian can’t wait to speak to the happy couple.” She turned back to Auggie. “Gird your loins, Cuz.”
Auggie laughed despite himself.
Caz’s amber eyes twinkled as he turned to me. “Save me a dance,” he said with a wink, before bowing once again to Auggie. “Congratulations again. You’re one lucky man.”
Auggie pulled me closer, staking ownership. He remained stiff until the couple moved away. “I swear Viv gets more brazen with every passing year. Wouldn’t be a bit surprised if she married that fucker.”
Oddly, the name he called Caz was apt. I had to laugh. “From what I understand, Caz doesn’t do marriage. It would cripple his escort business and shutter his reality show.”
Auggie scoffed. “A royal spouse can change one’s plans. You should know that.”
The comment put me a little off kilter right as Cillian approached. Unlike other guests, he had no date, so his gaze was focused and direct. “Your Highnesses,” he said with the appropriate bow. “It was an … interesting wedding. But I suppose that couldn’t be helped, considering it was so rushed.”
“You know me,” Auggie said. “I go after what I want. I don’t like to wait.”
“There’s something to be said for patience, cousin,” Cillian murmured, before sliding a gaze my direction. I nearly gasped from the intensity of it. “Ma’am,” he acknowledged with a bow before he moved on down the line to greet other members of the family, including the queen.
“God, I hate that man,” Auggie muttered under his breath. I squeezed his arm for support.
The next member of the Byrne family was Riona Byrne, Cillian’s older sister. I had wondered why I hadn’t met her yet, but all questions were answered when she came before me. She was a few inches shorter than me and a few inches wider as well. Her brown eyes were dull and devoid of joy. It was like whatever life she had been born with had been kicked out of her, despite the title she possessed or the money that she had.
I suspected I knew why. This mousy girl had likely been berated her whole life for all the things she wasn’t, namely a son to inherit the throne.
But her eyes were not cruel, which set her apart from the rest of her family. “Your Highnesses,” she said with a dutiful curtsy.
“Ree,” Auggie greeted with affection, and a bow of his own. “It’s good to see you again.”
Her eyes fell. “You’re too kind.”
Her bashful nature touched my heart. I sensed immediately this wilted flower was growing in the wrong garden… and dying on the vine as a result. “It’s so lovely to meet you, Your Grace,” I said, adding her title because hell, she was an actual duchess.
Her eyes met mine, as if she were trying to figure out if I was sincere or playing a horrible joke. Finally, she curtsied. “You as well, ma’am. You were a beautiful bride,” she commented wistfully, looking over my dress.
I glanced at her finger. It was bare of any jewelry at all. I noticed there was also no date at her side. With her pained timidity, I suspected that wasn’t likely to change. I felt her loneliness ooze from her pores. “Thank you,” was all I could say.
She hesitated only a moment before moving along down the line. Auggie and I shared a glance before we turned back to our guests.
We had nearly greeted all the extended families and dignitaries by the time Audra appeared. “It’s time,” she informed us.
I glanced at the antique clock on the mantle. It was almost two-thirty on the dot. Damn, these Aldayneans were efficient.
We all headed to the balcony. I could hear the roar of the crowd before we even approached the double doors. Auggie took me by the hand. “Are you ready, my princess?”
I smiled and nodded. He then gave a nod to Audra, who opened the door.
Auggie exited first with one hand upraised to greet his people. He held me by the hand, pulling me out onto the vast balcony guarded by two stone griffins on either side, straight from the Quinn coat of arms.
I gasped as I looked out over the sea of people. Thousands upon thousands crowded the roundabout and the street beyond, waving their flags and signs and ringing their bells. The response was so deafening I could barely hear our own bells tolling from the tower just beyond the palace, facing Queen’s Quay.
It was every bit as big as one of his concerts, except they were all cheering for the both of us. I waved and smiled at them, particularly all the little girls and boys who still believed in fairy tales and happily ever afters.
One such boy was my little brother Dash, who came out to join us along with the rest of the wedding party. His eyes were big as saucers as he glanced out over the crowd, waving to all. Oliver stood behind him, his manner more sedate. Dash immediately toned down his enthusiastic American response.
Like Dash, Dallas followed Oliver’s lead, standing close to him as she raised her hand to greet the crowd as well. Fern and Gav arrived, hand in hand, using their free hands to wave to the gleeful crowd. Fiona, Mariel and Giz followed behind them, with my parents and Archer in tow. As always Audra brought up the rear, ensuring that everyone was in their place. Finally, Queen Maeve appeared, coming to stand right next to her grandson to wave to her people.
We allowed the crowd to clamor for several minutes, soaking up their joy and adoration, trying to return a little bit of it with our waves and smiles. We knew that they were waiting for the big moment, our first kiss, but in Aldayne, things worked a little differently considering their future king was a former rock star.
From our balcony
perch, we would be entertained by two performances that were signaled when the bells fell silent. Speakers and big screen projectors had been erected to share them far and wide, so they were able to see the young dancers from the Sofia Agassi Dance Academy take the temporary stage draped in purple just underneath the balcony. They choreographed their modern dance routine to the Taylor Swift song Today Was a Fairytale, delighting the crowds and every single one of us on the balcony.
Every single one of them wore a sparkling rainbow tutu along with their white unitards, causing Dash to gasp in delight. I turned to Gav, who tipped his head, indicating it was his idea.
They looked like flowers as they danced. Happy little flowers. I clasped Auggie’s arm as we watched. It was beautiful and personal and oh, so sweet.
The crowd loved it, as well, suitably distracted as they waited for the big moment.
The children ended their performance by slipping down their tutus and flipping them upside down, to reveal the Aldaynean purple and black on the other side as they pulled them back up again. They all faced us and led the crowd in the Aldaynean anthem to the queen, and to us as well.
The next performer was none other than Giovanni Carnevale himself, which caused the crowd to forget about us altogether, at least for a moment.
“Hello, Aldayne!!” he bellowed.
He had traded his trademark leather pants and bare chest in for a sweater, slacks, and overcoat, all in the Aldaynean colors of purple and black, but still looked every bit the rock star as he addressed the audience. “I had the rare privilege of getting to know Auggie and Peaches at the beginning of their romance, back in my hometown of Philadelphia. It was clear to see then just how enamored they were of each other. It reminded me of an old Elvis tune, which I am so honored to sing for you now.”
He began his three-song set with Can’t Help Falling in Love, before launching into a couple of his own songs. Auggie didn’t even let the first few notes of his set pass before taking me into his arms to share our first dance with our country. Just like at the church, the minute my new husband took me into his arms I forgot about the rest of the world and just let us sway to the beautiful music gifted to us by a dear friend.
The Duke Takes a Bride (The Rocking Royal Trilogy Book 2) Page 6