“I will see you both later,” I said with a forced attempt at jovial before I turned and bumped into a chair on my way out of Dmitri’s office. I gave Rex a self-conscious laugh, inclined my head and hurried out.
“Good afternoon, my lady,” Samson said with a smile as I walked passed and I forced a smile for him too.
If Dmitri was meeting with the council, who knew when I’d have another chance to talk to him.
Chapter Fifteen
I was bouncing on my toes to the point even Lia was trying to get me to calm down. And she knew the whole story.
I’d rushed into her room as soon as she’d entered it the afternoon before and just blurted out everything. I got a good whack for having kept the proposal a secret, but then we spent the time weighing up the likelihood that I wasn’t too late. Lia was convinced I wasn’t because how could I be? I was paranoid that the reason he hadn’t said anything was because he’d already spoken to Amanda and he didn’t know how to tell me.
My suspicion was confirmed in my head by the fact that it was now lunchtime the next day and he still hadn’t spoken to me. And it was reinforced by the fact that Amanda was by the front dais looking impeccable and wearing this smile on her face like she’d won.
“Calm down,” Lia hissed at me again.
“I can’t calm down. Look how smug she looks.”
“She doesn’t look smug.”
“She does look smug. He asked her and now she’s just waiting for the world to know.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Do you really think he’d let me know I wasn’t too late by just making the announcement?” I asked and the first sign of hesitancy crossed her face as she looked around the courtyard.
A dais had been set up with a podium and media were milling about with big cameras. Some of the public had been granted entry into the grounds and the announcement was going to be televised live basically everywhere. Security were stationed around the place and there was no sign yet of Dmitri, Hilde or Rex. Kostin and Nico were standing off to the side of the dais with Dad.
“He might…” But she didn’t sound sure.
“He probably wouldn’t. He could have just text me. Would a ‘not too late’ have been too much to ask? No. So I was too late and now I get to watch the man I love marry someone else. Happy?”
“Why are you taking this out on me?” she asked, fairly.
I huffed and tried to calm down. “Sorry. Where’s Rupert?”
“Why are we talking about him now?”
“I don’t know. Have to think about something.”
“Okay… Well just think about Eric. He’ll be at the ball, won’t he?”
I frowned at her. “Because I need to feel guiltier. Thanks.”
“Oh my God!” she muttered, but she looked at me fondly. “Nothing pleases you.”
“No.”
“You’re like Grumpy Cat personified.”
The fanfare made me jump and I turned quickly to see Rex, Hilde and Dmitri walking out of the palace doors. It seemed to take them an age to cross the short distance to the dais and climb the stairs.
“How much coffee have you had today?” Lia hissed. “You’re vibrating.”
“Too much.”
I watched as Dmitri put a hand on Rex’s arm. Rex seemed to look at his son in question. Whatever the silent exchange was about, Rex nodded and Dmitri approached the podium.
“Why isn’t Alaina or someone introducing him?”
“Shut up and you might find out,” Lia answered.
“Good afternoon, my fellow Gallyrians,” Dmitri started and there was a round of applause. “It has been the custom for over two hundred years for the heirs of the crown of Gallyr to announce their engagement on the Valentine’s Day before their twenty-fourth birthday. No one seems to know why, but we are here today to honour that tradition.
“Customarily when a man gets engaged, he has had time to court his betrothed, they have had time to get to know each other and fall in love. When a man would be king, sometimes he is not afforded the same luxury.”
My heart plummeted. “It’s not me,” I whispered and Lia linked her arm with mine.
“Sometimes,” Dmitri continued, “we must marry and wait for love to blossom. Sometimes love blossoms and then we marry. And sometimes…” He paused as though he wasn’t sure how to go on. “Sometimes we get stuck in between. Gallyr, I intended to uphold our traditions here today. But I find I am unable to…”
The gathered crowd were obviously not pleased by that judging by the boos, but I was finding I didn’t mind so much if he didn’t announce he was marrying Amanda.
“Please, let me finish.” Dmitri held up a hand and silence fell again. “I cannot announce my engagement because there has not been a proper proposal. Yet. But I want to reassure you that as soon as I have asked her properly, and she does not take too long to say yes, then I will let you know.”
The crowd behind us were muttering and I could see why. There was a hint of a smile on the brooding crown prince’s face. The sort of hint that was actually less of a hint and more of an obvious failed repression.
“Anya…” Lia said slowly.
“What?”
“It is you.”
I shook my head. “It’s not. I was too…” I stopped as Dmitri’s eyes found me and that repressed smile bloomed to life. I frowned in question and shook my head slightly.
His only answer was a nod.
My heart felt like it froze, then skipped a beat, then gave up and just fluttered away in my chest.
I nodded slowly, a question.
His answer again was a single nod.
People were muttering more loudly now, trying to figure out what he was doing.
“Anya, it’s you,” Lia said.
“I… It’s me…”
Lia laughed, “It’s you.”
All brain function was on holiday, but my body worked fine. I pushed through the few people in front of us and ran up the dais stairs to throw my arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around my waist and I felt him laugh.
“Me?” I asked him.
“Of course you.”
I pulled away and thumped him. “You didn’t want to warn me?” I accused him.
“Is that a yes, Lady Tatiana?” someone yelled and there was a smattering of laughter.
Dmitri looked around and I remembered we were on a dais, with cameras pointed at us, in the middle of his press conference.
“Oh God…” I buried my embarrassed face into the lapel of his jacket and I felt him laugh again, and heard the crowd chuckle.
“Is that a yes, Lady Tatiana?” he whispered.
“Of course it’s a yes.”
“Can I tell them it’s a yes?”
I froze as something hit me. “Mum’s going to kill me.”
“Why?”
“She told me she would if she found out we were engaged through any media report.”
“You’re under the protection of the crown prince of Gallyr now, my lady.”
I laughed and nodded as I looked up at him. “Okay then.”
His smile was open and wide and it gave me that goofy grin I couldn’t have supressed if I’d wanted to. He took my hand and turned us to the podium. It was suddenly ridiculously scary facing that many people, all staring up at us.
“People of Gallyr, I present to you my fiancée, Lady Tatiana Penrose.”
There was a great big cheer and all I could do was smile and laugh and marvel at the fact that Dmitri looked happy. It wasn’t like I hadn’t seen him happy before. I’d just never seen him look happy in public before.
There was a flurry of questions, most of which Dmitri put off, then we were whisked away inside to the small drawing room where Hilde exclaimed and hugged me and Rex welcomed me to the family. Kostin smiled as he congratulated us and Nico laughed as he hugged us both. Lia was thoroughly excited and Dad…
�
�Dmitri!” he yelled as he stormed into the room and everyone froze.
“Max…” Dmitri started, holding up his hands. “I can explain.”
“You’d better. Because if you get my little girl up I front of the whole country to tell them you’re engaged, I’d better bloody well see the ring on her finger.”
“Max, I–”
“I gave it to you last week. Don’t tell me you lost it.”
Dmitri frowned. “Of course I didn’t lose it.”
“Then why isn’t she wearing it?”
“She has a name,” I reminded him.
“She had better call her mother before her mother calls her father and loses her shit,” Dad said to me.
I gulped. “True.”
I touched Dmitri’s arm briefly and ducked out of the room to call Mum.
She picked up just as I was about to give up and try again. “Was I expecting a call to…?” Her voice went hard and petered off. “Tatiana…” Now it was demanding.
“Hi, Mum.”
“Don’t play cute with me. If you’re calling for the reason I think you’re calling, I had better not be the last one to know.”
I huffed. “Why do you assume that’s why I’m calling? I thought we talked about this.”
“If that’s not why you’re calling, why are you calling?”
I rolled my eyes. “Damn you, woman,” I muttered. “That’s why I’m calling.”
“And how many other people know?”
“How many people live in Gallyr? Rough estimate?” I replied.
“I ought to disown you, Tatiana. You promised!”
“Mum…” I said slowly, meaningfully.
She sighed. “You love him?”
“I love him.”
What started off sounding like an, “Aw,” ended up an excited squeal.
“Okay, Mum!” I laughed as I heard Dmitri say loudly, “Can I not give it to her in private?”
“Give you what?” Mum asked.
“The ring.”
“He hasn’t given you the ring yet? He told the whole country you were engaged with no ring?”
“Dad’s on it, okay? Besides the ring’s not the important bit.”
“Yeah, tell that to your great-grandmother,” she muttered.
“Anya,” Dad called.
“Pass me over to that excuse of a father of yours, will you?” Mum said.
“Are you going to play nice?” I asked as I walked back into the room and over to Dad.
“I will if he will.”
“Sheesh. Get a room already, you two,” I muttered.
To which Mum replied, “We did. At least twice.”
“Ew! No. Here’s Dad.”
I passed him the phone and Dmitri wrapped his arm around me.
The rest of the afternoon went by in a flurry of congratulations and talking to people and answering the ‘when’s the wedding’ question a million times. But I wore that goofy smile the whole time and Dmitri seemed to have a very hard time maintaining his stony exterior.
He didn’t leave my side until Lia convinced him I needed to get ready for the ball.
“I’ll see you soon,” he told me with a kiss and I nodded before Lia pulled me up to our rooms giggling.
Gerta and Shelly gave me their congratulations as they primped and styled me, and bundled me into my dress. It was an off-the-shoulder, sweetheart neckline, bouffanty skirted, red lace creation of Madame Jaqueline’s. When I’d tried it on for her the weekend before, I hadn’t been sure about it.
Just then, though?
Just then, I felt like it was the perfect dress for the newly engaged.
Which still felt totally weird to say.
A knock on my door preceded Nikolai poking his head in. “My lady, you have been requested.”
I smiled at him and nodded. “All right. Are you done, ladies?” I asked Gerta and Shelly.
“Yes, my lady,” Shelly answered. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you. For everything.”
“It’s our pleasure, my lady,” Gerta said.
I gave them a smile and hurried after Nikolai. “Where have I been requested to?” I asked him.
“A secret, my lady.”
I huffed dramatically. “A secret?”
He nodded. “Is it a secret I’m going to like?”
“Based on your smile all afternoon? Yes, my lady.”
“Kol?”
“Yes, my lady?”
“Have I ever told you I appreciate you?”
“I don’t think so, my lady.” He was aiming for cool, but I heard the smile in his voice.
“Well, I do. Thank you for everything.”
“Is now not the time to remind you I’m paid for it?”
I snorted. “Thanks, Kol. Real smooth.”
“You’re welcome, my lady.”
He stopped at the doors to the conservatory and I looked at him. He gave me a smile and opened them.
I didn’t have to look around as I stepped forward because he was standing alone in the middle of the room. The fairy lights shone around us but I only had eyes for him.
“You requested me, your highness?” I asked as I walked towards him.
“I did.”
“What for?”
“To try this again.”
When I was a few steps away from him, he dropped to one knee and held up a ring box. He wore that crooked smile on his face, confidence exuding off him. But it wasn’t just confidence, it was also happiness.
“Tati, will you marry me?” he asked, opening the box to reveal a gorgeous diamond and sapphire ring, set in white gold.
Simple. No fanfare. Just us.
True, me in a ball gown and him in a tuxedo. But that seemed par for the course these days.
This time there was no hesitation, no question, no brain freeze.
I nodded. “Yes, Mitya.”
He got up and slid the ring on my finger. We wrapped our arms around each other and, just before we kissed, I couldn’t resist teasing him.
“Amanda will be pissed.”
“She will.” He nodded. “Lord Baker will be devastated.”
“He might be. But we can deal with them in a moment. First, I want to kiss you.”
“I like this plan.”
I ran my hand down his cheek. “I love you.”
He smiled. “And, I love you.”
There will be more Anya, Dmitri, Lia, Kostin, Nico, Faith and Lina to come soon. This is not the end.
Some Proposal
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Thanks
Well we are at the end! It’s over! Or…is it?
Thank you to everyone who helped me with this last one. Especially the betas, my husband, coffee, and my long-suffering friends who didn’t complain when I had to pike out of half our LAN because I somehow made up a new day and didn’t have as long as I thought to get this one ready.
Thank you to all those readers who stuck with me until the end. Having y
ou behind me is always worth pushing through the uncertainty and self-doubt. I just hope the ending was worth it for you.
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Born in New Zealand to a Brit and an Australian, I am an emerging writer with a passion for all things storytelling. I love reading, writing, TV and movies, gaming, and spending time with family and friends. I am an avid fan of British comedy, superheroes, and SuperWhoLock. I have too many favourite books, but I fell in love with reading after Isobelle Carmody’s Obernewtyn. I am obsessed with all things mythological – my current focus being old-style Irish faeries. I live in Adelaide with my long-suffering husband, delirious dog, mad cat, one guinea pig, two chickens, and a lazy turtle.
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Some Proposal (I'm No Princess Book 4) Page 12