What...
Wait.
Her next day off.
The wedding? Were they really having the wedding?
Harrison hadn’t even officially asked her to marry him yet. She didn’t have an engagement ring.
What about her family? Could they make it on such short notice?
“Thank you, Mama Beach.” Harrison walked in from the other room. “I appreciate your help. You’ve been amazing. I look forward to meeting you this afternoon.”
That was that. If Mama Beach was involved, it was almost certainly a wedding.
Harrison smiled widely as he put his phone back in his pocket. “What do you think about an evening wedding? My family is on their way.” His hands rested on her waist. “I don’t think any of us expected you to have a day off so soon or in such a dramatic fashion.”
“The wedding is tonight?” She could so easily freak out about all of this, but she couldn’t let herself. “Have you talked to my family yet? If not, I need to call them.”
“I spoke with your aunt. Mama Beach said she’d take care of inviting your family, but you might want to contact them, too, when you have time. But first, Esther’s favorite designer has an area set up for you to try on some dresses, so she can fit them for you.”
Wow.
Esther pressed the red circle on her phone. “Now, you two aren’t supposed to see each other.” She linked her arm through Lani’s. “We’ll see you later, Harrison. You probably have a list of things Papa sent you to do.”
“I do,” Harrison told them. “Have fun.”
Lani managed to give him a half-smile. Was this really happening? Could she go through with this?
“Now, Felicity is my favorite designer, or one of them, anyway. I didn’t have a traditional wedding, but she’d made several dresses for me when I thought I was going to. She brought them and some others she had. They’re all brand new designs.”
“Is that important?”
Esther kind of cringed. “It’s expected for a royal wedding. Like it or not, this wedding will be on the cover of a bunch of magazines. The palace photographer is bringing a wedding specialist with him. A couple of photos will be released by tomorrow morning, if not late tonight. You need to look amazing for many reasons, and you will. Just trust me and Felicity.”
Lani sucked in a breath as they entered one of the bedrooms above the ballroom where the reception would be held. It had been transformed into an elaborate dressing room.
For the next two hours, Lani tried on different dresses. She hated a couple, tolerated a few more, and finally found the one.
The dress she’d wear in just a few hours to get married.
“That’s it, isn’t it?”
Lani could see Esther smiling in the mirror.
She smoothed her hands over the satin of the lower bodice and skirt. “It’s perfect.”
One of the assistants - Lani never had caught her name - held out Lani’s phone. “It’s your sister.”
Lani glanced at the screen to see Madi’s name. “Hey, Mads.”
“A wedding?” she screeched. “Please tell me I’m your maid of honor.”
Lani’s relief was palpable. Madi’s reaction could have easily gone a different way. “Of course. How soon can you get here?” She frowned. “You didn’t eat at craft services, did you?”
“I did, but not whatever was contaminated. I’m putting on my shoes now. Where am I going?”
“You know that giant mansion on the northwestish side of Serenity Lake? The one that looks like a castle?”
“That’s where this hootenanny is taking place?”
Lani laughed. “Yes. It is. See you in twenty? There are dresses here for you to try on unless you already have one. I need to talk to Mia, too. I’d love for both of you to stand up with me.”
“See you in a few.” Madi disconnected the call.
Lani stared into her reflection. “This is it. Now what?”
How had his life changed so much in the last three weeks? All from seeing an acquaintance back in San Majoria share a post about the coronation gown doll.
Now he stood in front of a gazebo in a tuxedo and waited for the woman who might or might not legally already be his wife walk down the aisle.
Since his sister took Lani to try on dresses, he’d only seen Lani for a couple of minutes at the courthouse to pick up their marriage license.
His family had all arrived mid-afternoon. He’d been told Lani’s family was all there, but he’d only met Mama Beach a few minutes before they walked out to the gazebo. She’d hugged him, and he’d known Lani was right about the woman’s hugs.
Music, piped in from somewhere unseen, changed. A woman Harrison recognized from photos in Lani’s apartment walked down the aisle. A glittering ring on her finger told him this was Mia Beach Whitaker, Lani’s next oldest sister. Then came another woman who had to be the oldest of the three sisters.
Four little girls walked down the aisle next - Astrid’s daughter, Sofia; Kensington’s sister-in-law-turned-daughter, Gracie; and Jacqueline Grace’s two adopted daughters, Kiara and Mary. They did their job seriously and admirably.
The music changed again, and the assembled crowd stood, blocking Harrison’s view of the aisle.
“Stay cool,” Kensington said quietly from his spot next to Harrison.
On the other side of Kensington, Darius snorted. “One does not remain cool while one’s bride walks down the aisle. I never had a real wedding, but even I know that.”
That took his mind off seeing Lani just long enough that he actually could see her.
And his breath caught in his throat.
How could his sister have pulled off this wedding in thirty-six hours, to the point that Lani looked like she was wearing a custom gown made just for her?
“Who gives this woman to be married to this man?” Mama Beach asked as Lani and her father reached the front of the aisle.
“Her mother and I,” the man Harrison still hadn’t met answered. He moved to sit down as Harrison came to stand next to Lani.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered.
“You look pretty amazing yourself,” she whispered back.
Mama Beach began the service and in just a few minutes, Harrison found himself pledging his life to Lani. She pledged the same in return.
Harrison’s gut churned as he tried not to think about the end of the ceremony, when their first kiss would be in front of everyone.
The ceremony didn’t last long, and then it was time.
“Harrison, you may kiss your bride.”
They hadn’t talked about this.
How they would handle it.
Too late now.
He cradled the side of her face in his hand and pressed his lips gently to hers.
It was over almost before it began.
“Turn and face everyone,” Mama Beach told them quietly.
Harrison helped his wife turn, moving the skirt of her dress out of the way. He then extended his elbow for her to take. She slid her hand into the crook of his arm as they faced the small crowd.
“Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, ladies and gentlemen, it is my distinct honor to present for the first time, Their Royal Highnesses, Prince Harrison and Vilano Cordova, Duke and Duchess of Chalingsgate.” Mama Beach made the pronouncement in a loud, clear voice that would make his father proud.
The music started again, and Harrison walked back up the aisle with Lani on his arm. At the end of the aisle, a horse-drawn carriage waited to take them back to the house. The guests would either walk or be transported in one of the electric carts.
Once they started moving, Harrison kissed the back of Lani’s hand. “We did it. And you look amazing.”
Her skin turned a becoming shade of pink. “Thanks.”
“I know just enough about women’s fashion to know that this looks like a bespoke dress and not something you picked from whatever was available.”
“Is this the part where I admit I do
n’t know what bespoke means?” She leaned her head to the side, resting it on her shoulder.
“It means custom-tailored and usually custom-designed but not always. Made just for you. Most of my dress clothes are bespoke. Same for my sisters and Kensington. For my sisters, sometimes a designer just takes a dress they already have but makes it in a different color or with a slight different neckline or less of a slit up the side. For us guys, it’s usually just that it’s made exactly for us.”
She turned to look at him. “You mean, designers might be willing to make something just for me?” Her eyes lit up as she said it. “That’s so cool.”
“It’s very possible. Probably for a major event, like Jacqueline Grace’s wedding, not just every day wear.”
“Still, that’s awesome.” She put her head back against his shoulder. “Also, that was a nice kiss.”
He’d thought so and wondered what her thoughts were. “I agree.”
“I’d like to do that again,” she admitted, “but I’m not sure I’m ready for more than that. Not yet.”
Harrison kissed the top of her head, careful to avoid the tiara, veil, and its attachment. “I understand and agree. No pressure. No rushing. When we’re ready, we’re ready. But I’m definitely ready to kiss you again soon.”
The carriage pulled up to the front of the house but off to the side. They went in a different door near the library next to the ballroom.
The others who needed to sign the marriage licenses - one for the States and one for San Majoria, along with some other paperwork required by his home country - would be along shortly, but until then they were alone in the library.
Harrison put his hands on Lani’s waist and pulled her close to him. “I think we can do better than the kiss a few minutes ago,” he told her with a smile. “But we should probably practice to be sure.”
“Probably.” She smiled back.
He kissed her and decided everyone else should just stay away so they could do this the rest of the day.
And he’d get to kiss her for the rest of his life.
13
Despite Harrison’s words in the carriage, Lani found herself strangely nervous for the entirety of the reception.
Maybe it had more to do with the guest list than the expected activities later in the evening.
And the clashing tones at the party.
She was fairly certain Esther tried hard to keep Lani’s parents from running the staff ragged, but failed. Her parents acted far hautier than her new in-laws.
Harrison seemed to be constantly in some sort of physical contact with her. Holding her hand or his resting on the small of her back.
Introducing her to people she’d only read about on Wiki articles the last couple of weeks, once she learned who Harrison really was.
Some of them only because she went down a rabbit trail or two.
Like King Benjamin and Queen Katrín of Eyjania. His father had died like fifteen years earlier but had been King Edward’s best friend.
Or Queen Esmeralda and Prince Gabriel of Islas del Sargasso.
Lani had heard of him before, from his notorious playboy days, but if the way he looked at the queen was any indication, those days were long behind him.
“Might I have this dance, Your Royal Highness?” King Edward’s eyes danced as he bowed slightly, holding a hand out.
“That would be nice.” She took his hand and let him lead her to the dance floor.
“I’m quite glad you decided to stay married to my son,” the king told her. “I do hope you know we were, still are to some extent, only frustrated with the situation, not with you. Never with you. My wife and I perfectly understood why you might choose to remain here without Harrison. Choosing this life is something not everyone is willing to do when they have years to make the decision, much less when it’s thrust upon them like it was you.”
“I have no idea what this life will be like,” she admitted. “Although I don’t think it will be all the glitz and glamor of the movies. I just know, deep down, this was the right move to make.”
“We’ve been praying for you for many years, my dear. For the woman who would stand at Harrison’s side when times of transition come. They’ll come for him earlier and likely more dramatic than the others.”
“Dramatic?” She felt her eyes narrow. “What kind of changes are you talking about?”
“He’s told you about the Orders of Succession?”
Lani shook her head, the tiara on her head feeling unfamiliar and awkward. “I don’t think so.”
“It’s the line of succession to the throne. When I die, as we all must someday, Astrid becomes queen. Harrison is the youngest of my children. The more my other children have children of their own, the farther down the list he goes until I actually die. Then he moves up one.”
“Right. He told me about that, but I didn’t remember what it was called.” She needed to do more research. Figure out what she didn’t know so she could learn.
Maybe there was someone out there who could give her princess lessons. Maybe her new sister-in-law - the one married to Kensington - would know. She’d married into this life after all, and allegedly hadn’t even known Kensington was a prince at their wedding.
What was her name?
Anastasia? No, that wasn’t right. Isabelle? Didn’t seem right either.
“Anabelle might be a good one for you to talk to,” the king went on.
She’d been close. Kind of.
“She was thrown into all of this much as you are, though she was caring for her much younger sister at the time.”
Right. One of the flower girls. Lani had met them before the wedding and taken pictures with them.
They didn’t know what to think of her but were crazy about their Uncle Harry, as they called him, no matter how many times he told them to call him Uncle Harrison. She knew their names and was pretty sure she knew which one Sofia was but doubted she’d get the other three right.
“We’re all here to help, Lani,” he told her, his voice soft but still commanding, like one would expect from a king. “All you have to do is ask. There will be some demands on you and your time, but we’ll do our best to respect your time and privacy as much as possible. The more nieces and nephews you gain, the less those demands will be. As for what those changes will look like, you’ll have to work that out with Harrison.”
“I love my job,” she blurted out. “I don’t want to quit.” That was something she hadn’t even considered when she’d said yes to Harrison.
“That’s something between the two of you,” the king confirmed. “He’ll be at Serenity Landing University for at least the next eighteen months. Unless there’s a security issue, there’s no reason you can’t keep your job at least that long. After that, it’s up to the two of you.”
It wasn’t unequivocal but better than being told she had to quit immediately. “Thank you.”
The song ended. Her next dance was claimed by her new brother-in-law, Jordan, the one married to the Crown Princess.
She needed charts and graphs to figure everyone out. With pictures.
“How are you holding up?” Jordan asked.
“It’s a lot to absorb,” she answered honestly. “I’m not sure I have yet.”
“I doubt it. It took me months, years even. Sometimes I still don’t believe that I’m married to a future queen. That my daughter, who I love with my whole heart though I’m not her biological father, will be queen after her.”
Sofia. His daughter’s name was Sofia. The oldest of the four flower girls. The one she could pick out of a line-up.
“You can come talk to me or Anabelle any time. The same for your new in-laws. Darius and David are princes in their own right, so they don’t have the same experience the rest of us do.”
David was engaged to Jacqueline Grace and had been for a while. Lani held out a smidge of hope that she was starting to figure Harrison’s family out.
“It’s surreal, to think that all I have to d
o is ask Harrison for the numbers, and I can have half the world’s royal families on speed dial.”
“You’ll get used to at least some of it,” Jordan promised. “It’s nice not to have to worry about refilling my own prescriptions or to separate them out into my daily dosages once a week.”
Lani tilted her head at him.
“I’m a heart recipient,” he explained. “With that comes a lifetime of anti-rejection drugs. My personal valet makes sure I have what I need no matter where I am.”
“You have a valet?” Lani wasn’t even sure she knew what that was.
Jordan laughed. “It took some getting used to, that’s for sure, but I don’t know what I’d do without him. He makes sure I wear the right thing to the right event, because my sense of style tends toward board shorts and tank tops on my way to the beach.”
Before she could respond, the song ended, and Harrison appeared to claim her next dance.
Lani enjoyed her dances with her new father- and brother-in-law, as much as she could have while feeling so overwhelmed.
But here, in Harrison’s arms, where he held her far closer than the other two had, she felt at peace.
Imagining his wedding night had never been high on Harrison’s to-do list, but if it had been, this wouldn’t have been it.
Lani was probably taking a long bath in the tub in their apartment for the evening, across the parking area from the main house.
Harrison was in the basement of the house, in a conference room, with his parents, oldest sister, and a screen filled with members of the palace public relations team.
“My wife doesn’t need to be here?” he asked, making extra sure before they went on. Plus, he liked calling her his wife.
“No, sir,” the head of PR told him. “We just need to finish getting the statement ready.”
There was more to it. There had to be or they wouldn’t be using the video conference capabilities to have this meeting.
Harrison pulled the tablet left for him closer.
Small Town Girls Don't Marry Secret Princes: A Small Town Contemporary Christian Romance (Beaches of Trumanville Book 2) Page 9