by Jenny Frame
“Thank you for giving us a chance. Wait—how did you get here so quickly?”
Lex kissed her nose, and then whispered in her ear, “Your favourite cousins let me borrow their plane.”
In reality Lex would have swum the English Channel and walked the rest of the way if she’d had to.
Everything hit Roza at once—the strain of the day, her grief, and the thought that she had lost Lex—and she sobbed on Lex’s shoulder.
Lex stroked her hair in an effort to soothe her, and knew she should have come with her from the start. “Shh, it’s okay. I’m here now. Look at me?”
Roza pulled back and Lex wiped away her tears with her thumb. “I’m so sorry I didn’t come with you straight away. I’ve caused you so much pain simply because of fear, but in the end I had no choice but to follow you.”
“Why?” Roza sniffed.
“Our names are carved on the magic tree, and that binds our souls together. There’s nothing that can keep us apart now. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
*
Lex and Roza walked hand in hand to the room next to her father’s study. Here she would meet with some courtiers and palace officials before she addressed the nation.
Lex could feel the tension come off Roza like flashes of electricity, and when they entered, Roza grasped her hand tightly. The room was full of officials waiting on her to perform this historic moment, and they could hear the chants of the crowd from outside.
Lund spotted her and shouted, “Her Majesty the Queen.”
Those in the room all stood and bowed or curtsied to Roza, but Lex could feel every one of them look her up and down and wonder why she was holding their Queen so intimately. She could see how hard it would be to become accepted here, but she chose this, she chose it because Roza and her love for her were more important than her discomfort at being judged.
Lund approached them and bowed. “Your Majesty, I understand Lord Dahl is not to continue his service?”
“Yes, that’s correct. I would like someone who isn’t averse to new ways of doing things, and perhaps closer to my age. Draw up a list of those who would be suitable.”
“Of course, ma’am.” Lund looked at Lex and said, “If you’ll excuse me, Ms. King, I need to talk to the Queen in private about her speech.”
“You can talk freely in front of Lennox. I have proposed marriage to her and she has graciously consented to be my partner and Consort. I trust she will be treated accordingly.”
There were a few gasps from the assembled courtiers, and Lex raised a questioning eyebrow at Roza. She wasn’t expecting it to be made public as yet.
Lund struggled to speak. “Well…of course, ma’am. Congratulations to you both.”
Lex gave Lund the most gracious smile she could. “Thank you, Lund. I’m so delighted you are here to share in our joy.”
She felt an elbow to the ribs from Roza, and saw her smile as she whispered, “Behave.”
“Is there anything else, Lund?” Roza asked.
“There is a new addition to your speech. I received information from the secret service and thought it helpful to add.”
Roza took the computer pad and gazed over the words, and clasped her hand to her mouth.
“What is it?” Lex asked.
“They got her. Denbourg special forces captured Thea alive last night and are bringing her back to Denbourg for trial.”
Lex pulled her into a hug. “That’s wonderful.” A trial and subsequent punishment would be a way for Roza to get some kind of closure.
A courtier came over and said, “Three minutes until the Queen goes live.”
Lund took the pad back. “Your speech will appear on a screen in front of you, ma’am.”
Lex could feel the tension in Roza’s body. “Come on, let’s walk over to the major.”
Major Ravn and Johann were on either side of the study doors. Ravn smiled broadly when they approached. “Congratulations on your engagement, ma’am, Ms. King. You’ll both be very happy, I’m sure.”
Roza blushed. “Thank you. I couldn’t have gotten here without you, Ravn. You’ve been such a tower of strength.”
“It is an honour to serve.”
When Roza entered the study, Ravn leaned over and whispered to Lex, “I know what you’re giving up to be with her, and I thank you for it.”
“She needed me, and I love her. I’d give up everything and do anything just to be allowed to love her.”
She followed Roza into the office.
“I can’t do this Lex, I can’t.” Roza froze when she touched the desk, and started to panic. “I can’t sit at his desk. The last time I was here, he was disciplining me and sending me to Britain.”
Lex held her softly. “For that I am forever grateful to him, because if he hadn’t, I would never have met the love of my life.”
“I’m the love of your life?” Roza grinned and pulled her towards her by her tie, thankful that Lex had broken the tension.
“Of course. There will only ever be you.” Lex walked over and pulled out the chair behind the desk. “Sit, Your Majesty.”
Roza sat down gingerly, and ran her hands along the top of the old oak desk. “Okay, I’m fine now.” The clock beside the small hovering camera was counting down till it went live. It read thirty seconds. She took a sip of water and put it aside.
Lex stood behind the camera and smiled. “Say the speech to me. I’ll be right here, and I always will be. No matter what happens, where life takes us, or where in the world we go, you can be certain that I will always be right behind you, giving you strength.”
“You don’t know how much that means. I love you.”
“I love you too—now do your Queen thing.”
Roza looked at the paintings of her ancestors on the wall staring at her, daring her to fail. Her heart hammered as the clock counted down.
Lex nodded and mouthed, “You can do it.”
Roza smiled back at Lex and knew she could do anything with her by her side. The clock counted down to zero and she was on air.
Outside the study the gathered officials watched her speech on screens, and those gathered outside listened to every word uttered by their new Queen.
They watched the feisty royal rebel turn into a dignified monarch.
Maybe this was meant to be?
Epilogue
Six months later
The grand ballroom of Ximeno Palace was alive with the sounds of music, laughter, and, for the first time in a long, long time, happiness and hope.
The day had started with Queen Rozala being driven through the streets of the capital in the royal carriage, and led down the aisle of Battendorf Cathedral by Queen Georgina, to be given in marriage to Lennox King. The ceremony was watched live by millions of Denbourg citizens and people all around the world.
Afterwards the Queen and her new Consort passed through the streets in their carriage, waving to the thousands who had turned out to cheer and wave.
The Master of the Household brought the room to order by banging his wooden staff on the floor of the palace ballroom. “Your Majesties, your Royal Highnesses, lords, ladies, and gentlemen. I ask you now to stand for the cutting of the cake.”
Roza took Lex’s hand and was led out onto the middle of the dance floor. “Have I told you how beautiful you look in that dress?” Lex said.
“Just the one hundred times, but you can keep telling me,” Roza joked.
Roza’s long flowing dress with embroidered train had made the crowds gasp as she left her carriage.
While they waited on the cake being brought out, Roza straightened the diamond Order of Honour badge on Lex’s chest, signifying her new authority and role as Consort. “You look so handsome in your white tie and tails, and I can’t wait until I get you alone.”
Lex whispered in her ear, “I’m going to tire you out so much, you’re going to beg for sleep, my pillow princess.”
Roza felt a fluttering in her stomach. “Oh God,
they’re still here.”
Lex looked at her strangely. “What’s still there?”
“The butterflies. From the first moment I saw you, I’ve had this colony of butterflies constantly flapping their wings inside, and they’re still here now we’re married.”
Lex laughed and gently tickled Roza’s stomach. “I hope that feeling never leaves you.”
Roza wrapped her arms around Lex’s neck. “Oh, I’ve got a feeling that they’ll still be there when we’re old and grey and surrounded by our grandchildren. They might flap a little slower though.”
“Maybe,” Lex said and kissed her. “I can’t wait. I also can’t wait till you see your cake. I think you’re going to love it.”
During the wedding preparations Lex had asked if she could take on the organizing of the cake as a surprise for Roza, and she’d agreed.
“It’s not a spinach and kale cake, is it?”
“Would I do that to you?” Lex winked at her.
The Master of the Household interrupted them to announce, “The cake will now be brought in. Will the Guard of Honour assemble on the floor.”
This was an old Denbourg tradition that a group chosen from the newly married couple’s family and friends surrounded the cake while the happy couple cut into it.
In order of precedence the Master called their names. “Their Majesties Queen Georgina and Queen Beatrice of the United Kingdom.”
George held Bea’s hand as they walked onto the dance floor. Bea, now six months pregnant, kept a hand on her baby bump and rubbed it soothingly.
“Bea is just glowing, isn’t she?” Roza said.
Lex slipped her arm around her waist. “She is, and George looks so proud holding her. Just as I will be.”
Roza sighed happily. “I can’t wait to have babies with you, but first we’ve got to shake up the Denbourg establishment and bring them out of the last century. I’ve still got some royal rebel in me.”
“Oh, I know that. I sleep with her every night. She’s wild,” Lex said in a low voice.
Soon Prince Theodore and the rest of the British side of her family joined them on the floor, followed by Lex’s family and Perri, Major Ravn and her wife, and Conrad, who had been such a good friend.
They all started to clap as the ballroom doors began to open. Lex stood behind Roza and wrapped her arms around her waist. The doors opened wide and five footmen wheeled in the enormous wedding cake.
Roza bounced on her toes with excitement when she saw the fifteen-tier wedding cake. “A chocolate cake!”
This wasn’t any normal cake—the chocolate covering the cake was styled to look as if it was melting down the sides, and on the top sat a white chocolate tree bearing both their names.
“The magic tree.” Roza kissed Lex excitedly. “That is so romantic, baby. Thank you.”
“I can’t take all the credit. Poppy helped me come up with the concept.”
Roza looked over to her head bridesmaid, Poppy, and smiled. “I’m so lucky.”
The Master handed them the cake knife and their friends clapped steadily faster until they cut into the cake—and then the whole room broke out in applause.
Roza dipped her finger into the chocolate frosting and painted some on Lex’s lips before kissing it off them. “Can I take that cake on our honeymoon?” Roza said.
“Not a chance. If we do that you’ll spend more time with the cake than with me,” Lex joked.
There was one final formality to attend to before they left to enjoy their first night together.
Roza nodded to the Master of the Household, and he struck his staff against the floor. A footman brought over a scroll.
“What are you up to, Roza?” Lex asked.
“Wait and see.”
The Master held out the scroll and announced to the room, “Her High and Mighty Majesty Queen Rozala has issued a proclamation to the Privy Council of Denbourg, and it reads as follows. The Queen decrees that from this day forward, the old and noble house of Ximeno-Bogdana-de Albert, shall henceforth be named Ximeno-Bogdana-de Albert-King. This proclamation is now law.”
Clapping and cheering rose from the assembled guests, and Lex just stood silently trying to take in what had happened.
“What do you think? I wanted to show you that you have an important place here with me. Your family was instrumental in keeping this royal house alive, and I wanted all those generations who follow us to bear your name.”
Lex gulped and pulled her into a tight hug. “Thank you. I love you so much, my Queen.”
Roza whispered in Lex’s ear, “And I love you, my King.”
About the Author
Jenny Frame is from the small town of Motherwell in Scotland, where she lives with her partner, Lou, and their well-loved and very spoiled dog.
She has a diverse range of qualifications, including a BA in public management and a diploma in acting and performance. Nowadays, she likes to put her creative energies into writing rather than treading the boards.
When not writing or reading, Jenny loves cheering on her local football team, which is not always an easy task!
Jenny can be contacted at [email protected]. Visit her website at http://www.jennyframe.com.
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