by Emma Lea
“I want that too,” she whispered.
“So is that a yes?”
“That’s a yes.”
I stood and gathered her close, slipping the ring on her finger before kissing her soundly.
“I love you Jed,” she whispered against my mouth.
“I love you too.”
Epilogue
Brín
I wandered around the great hall trying not to look like a tourist gawking at all the splendour. It was a lot to take in for an Irish lad who’d never been out of the small village where he was born. I’d managed to ditch the minders that had barely left my side since they’d come to tell me about the inheritance. I didn’t think I’d taken a deep breath since I’d opened the door that day.
It was a bit of a culture shock for a bartender in the local pub to find out he was the heir to a title and an estate in a country he’d never even heard of. I still didn’t quite believe it. Granny used to swear black and blue that she was royalty. Said her mam was the daughter of an earl who’d run off with her Irish lover. Nobody put much stock in the old tales. Seems we were all wrong after all.
It sure was a pretty palace, all fairy tale-like with its big turrets and fancy gardens. The inside was stuffed with so much stuff it looked like a museum and it fairly dripped with money. A pity my so-called inheritance didn’t come with a nice little nest egg. The estate was broke, according to the two suits who’d tracked me down to give me the news. They were hoping I had the funds to prop it up and keep it solvent. I was sorry to disappoint them. I made enough money to get by but I’d never had any grand dreams of being some rich geezer. I liked my life simple; a roof over my head, a fire in the hearth and a pint of gat.
The two blokes who came to see me wouldn’t take no for an answer, so here I was doing a fair impression of a fish out of water and trying not to drown on dry land.
“Drink sir?”
“Sure, why not,” I replied, taking a glass of bubbly from the waiter who looked better dressed than I was. I was pretty sure he looked down his nose at me, but that sort of thing didn’t worry me. Water off a duck’s back. I was wearing a fancy suit, courtesy of the two minders who insisted I wear one to this little shindig, but I didn’t wear it easily.
I took a sip of the wine and hummed my appreciation. I couldn’t say I was all that fond of wine as a whole, but this was a pretty nice drop. I did another circuit of the room where all the lords and ladies spoke amongst themselves. People gave me curious glances and I smiled in return. I knew I was the odd one out here, but again, it didn’t bother me. It was all just one big game really. None of this seemed real. I had to pinch myself to remind myself that I hadn’t stumbled onto a big Hollywood movie set…or maybe a BBC Jane Austen special.
My eyes were drawn to the young woman standing back from all the others. Like me, she seemed to be out of place. I recognised the look in her eyes—wanting to be a part of the festivities but knowing she never would be. It was how I’d felt most of my life until I realised that some things just weren’t meant to be and that didn’t mean my life couldn’t be just as fun and fulfilled. Envy and jealousy were wasted emotions in my opinion.
“Nice party,” I said casually as I took a spot beside her.
She jumped a little before turning to look at me. “Are you talking to me?” she asked.
I nodded. “Sure, why? Is there a reason I shouldn’t be?”
“Well no,” she said slowly, her face puzzled. “Most people don’t really notice me.”
“I noticed you the moment I walked in.” It was a small lie, harmless. I hadn’t noticed her the exact moment I walked in, but when I did notice her, she was hard to look away from.
Her cheeks blushed prettily and she looked back out over the party and the assembled guests. “Is this your first time at the palace?” she asked, surprising me. I hadn’t expected her to make small talk.
“It is,” I replied. “What about you? Do you come here often?” It was a cheesy line but it had the desired effect. She blushed again but this time she smiled.
“I work here,” she said.
“You work in the palace?”
She nodded. “I live here too.”
“Seriously? You’re not pulling my leg?”
“Seriously.”
“Well now, I bet you know all the secrets then.”
“Secrets?”
“A place this size? It’s been around a long time. It would have to have lots of secrets.”
She shrugged. “I’ve only been here for a couple of years,” she replied. “I suppose it has some secrets.”
I turned to look at the wall we were standing in front of. “Just imagine what this wall has seen. Imagine the stories it could tell you.”
She turned to look at the wall too. “I never thought of that,” she said softly, her eyes scanning the wall. “I doubt the wallpaper has been here as long as the wall has.”
“Perhaps not,” I conceded, “but that’s just window dressing isn’t it? Like a pretty dress on a beautiful woman.”
Brown eyes lifted to meet mine and I felt a little jolt. Her face was round, her cheeks full. Her lips were plump and pink. Altogether, a pleasing enough face. Some might think her plain, but not me. There was a wealth of wisdom in those brown eyes and they drew me in. I wanted to know her secrets because I was sure that she, like the castle, had them.
Margaret
Sparkling green eyes. They seemed to be lit from within and they were mesmerising. I had been surprised when he approached me and even more surprised when he struck up a conversation with me. I thought for sure he was just coming over to ask for directions to the loo or the bar or something else just as inane. Most newcomers mistook me for one of the staff despite the ball gown I wore. I suppose in a way I was just part of the staff, an assistant to the other ladies in waiting rather than being a real lady in waiting myself.
“What’s your name?” I asked, surprising myself. I don’t know what had gotten into me, but I kind of liked the bolder Margaret. I had been a wallflower for so long that it felt strange to be noticed and that anomaly gave me a certain confidence. Odds were I would never see this man again, so I had nothing really to worry about. If I made a fool of myself—which was entirely likely—I wouldn’t have to see him again and relive the embarrassment.
“Brín,” he replied, the lilt of his accent making it sound almost musical.
“Brin?” I asked.
“No, Brín,” he said again and at my puzzled expression he grinned and said it once again, slower. “Br-een.”
“Breen,” I tried again.
“Close enough,” he said.
“Nice to meet you Brín.”
“And nice to meet you…”
“Margaret.”
“Margaret,” he said, rolling the r and making my name sound like something magical. I had to suppress a shiver as his voice skittered over me.
“So tell me, wee Maggie, what do you do here in this big old castle?”
“I’m…an assistant,” I said. It wasn’t a lie, not exactly. It wasn’t the whole truth either, but I didn’t want to go into the whole thing about being a lady in waiting.
“And who do you assist?” he asked, his green eyes watching me keenly.
“A few different people,” I replied, “but mainly Lady Savannah.”
He followed where I was looking to see Savannah dancing with Jed, the sparkling diamond winking at me from across the room. It was about time he proposed to her, but I hadn’t expected it to be tonight.
“Lady Savannah. And what does Lady Savannah do?”
“She’s one of the queen’s ladies in waiting.”
“And a lady in waiting needs an assistant?”
“Well, she has a job, all of the ladies in waiting do. Lady Savannah is the queen’s stylist.”
“Which would be why you’re wearing such a fetching dress,” he said, casting his eyes over me.
I felt the blush heat my cheeks—the third time I had
blushed in his presence for goodness sake—and dropped my head to look at the gown I wore.
“It’s one of the perks of the job,” I replied with a grin.
He chuckled and swallowed the last of his wine. A waiter appeared at his shoulder to take the glass and he looked a little shocked. “Ah, thanks,” he said.
“Well, wee Maggie May, shall we take turn around the dance floor?”
“Oh no, I don’t think so.”
“No? Are you not allowed to dance?”
“It’s not that—”
“Are you perhaps waiting for your significant other who has left you stranded to deal with inquisitive foreigners?”
I smiled. “No, not that either.”
“Then is it perhaps that you are so very attached to this wall that if you leave it, it might fall down because of the loss?”
I shook my head. “I don’t dance.”
“Don’t, can’t or won’t?”
I huffed out a breath. “Does it matter? It all amounts to the same thing.”
“Of course it matters,” he said, reasonably. “If it’s don’t, then I can respect that as a personal choice, if it’s won’t then I’d like the opportunity to change your mind and if it’s can’t then, let me assure you, with me as your partner you will be dancing like a pro in no time.”
I bit my lip and cast a glance at the dance floor. I wanted to dance, but I was always so afraid of making a fool of myself. I wasn’t tall and slim like the others. I wasn’t graceful or poised and I was far too worried about looking like a baby elephant to give in to the desire to dance.
“I don’t. I’m sorry.”
He pressed a hand to his chest and swooned. “You have wounded me mortally,” he said. “How can I go on without having just one dance with you?”
“I thought you said you would respect my personal decision not to dance,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him.
“Ah, you see, I can read you wee Maggie and while your mouth says you don’t want to dance, your eyes say you wish you could.”
I looked back at the dance floor again and wondered what if. What if just this once I stopped worrying about what other people would think of me and danced with a beautiful stranger?
“Please?” he asked. “Just one dance and if you think I am too terrible to be seen with then I will bow out respectfully and not bother you again.”
I rolled my eyes and sighed. “Fine,” I said. “One dance.”
He grinned and then bowed before taking my hand and leading me out onto the dance floor. A little thrill snaked up my arm and warmed my skin. I felt like everyone was looking at me, judging me, but then Brín twirled me around and took me in his arms, those sparkling green eyes capturing mine and everything else faded away.
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The Young Royals
Have you read the other books in the series?
Book 1 - A Royal Engagement
Despite being the second child of the King and Queen of Merveille, Alyssabeth thought that if she kept a low profile she could stay out of the media's glaring spotlight and live a relatively normal life. That was until her father, the King, and her brother, the Crown Prince, was both killed in a hunting accident.
Her dream of joining the UN was no more and instead she needed to return to the small European country of her birth to pick up where her father and brother left off. Her Harvard degree in International Relations is forfeit and in it's place she must become Queen, that was if the misogynistic Parliament can see past their prejudices.
Not much had changed in the small country in her four year absence, but there are two noticeable differences. Her brother's two best friends Will Darkly and Jordan Wicks have grown up into two very intriguing men. Jordan practically swept her off her feet from the moment she stepped off the plane, but Will's more reserved, darkly intense interest in her gave her tingles.
Alyssa wasn't sure she was cut out to be Queen, but she knew that she wanted to do her father and brother proud, so she was willing to give it her best shot, even if it meant going toe to toe with Parliament. And then there was the small matter of her needing to be married in order to fulfil her birthright and take her place as the Head of State.
A Royal Engagement is Available Now
Book 1.5 - Lord Darkly
There are always two sides to the story…
A Royal Engagement was told exclusively from Princess Alyssa’s point of view…now see Will’s side of the story.
The last few years have been hell for Will Darkly, Duke of Camphrey, Lord of Pemberton. First his mother died, then his father, leaving the estate destitute and we won’t even go into how he and his sister were betrayed by someone they trusted. Now, just when he has finally landed on his feet, his best friend, the Crown Prince Jacob St. Benét, is killed in a hunting accident.
Jacob’s death brings Will face to face with his childhood crush, the prince’s sister, Alyssa, now the crown princess and heir apparent and she’s even more beautiful than he remembered. She’s also involved with the one man who could cause Will to commit murder.
Grieving for his friend, trying to keep his business moving forward, and avoiding the attraction he feels for his best friend’s sister leaves him short tempered and irritable and something has to give before he loses his mind.
Lord Darkly is Available Now
Book 2 - A Royal Entanglement
On the day of the new Queen’s coronation, a man from Lady Alexandra’s past turns up unannounced in Merveille. Lord Frédéric intercepts him and discovers that Alex had left this man at the altar six months ago and now he was here to claim her.
Alex hasn’t told anyone the real reason she left everything she had worked so hard for in the States to move to Merveille and take up the position of Queen Alyssa’s personal assistant. But now the main reason for her flight from the US has turned up on the palace’s doorstep and she is backed into a corner. The only person that she can think of to help her is Freddie, but she’s worried that getting too close to him might just do more harm than good.
The last thing Freddie wants is to get entangled with a woman. He liked to keep his options open, but now that he has returned to Merveille for good, his mother is trying her damnedest to get him married off and producing the next Bingham heir. When Alex asks for his help, he is only too eager to help her and maybe get his mother off his back in the process. He never expected to fall for her.
A Royal Entanglement is Available Now
Book 3 - A Royal Entrapment
The Queen is getting married and Priscilla is required to work alongside the Lord Chancellor, Dominique, to ensure that the whole affair goes off without a hitch and that they don’t, unwittingly, start World War Three. The only problem is that Priscilla finds Dominique insufferable and Dom isn’t all that enamoured with Priscilla either.
When Priscilla’s sister, Bianca, falls for Dominique’s brother, Louis, the two young lovers hatch a plot to ensure that they can spend time together, but it means that Dom has to pretend to be interested in Priscilla and get her to date him.
The more time they spend together, the more Dom and Priscilla start to like each other, except that now Dom is caught in a difficult spot…should he tell Priscilla that he only asked her out because his brother wanted to date her sister, or should he keep quiet and hope she doesn’t find out?
A Royal Entrapment is Available Now
Book 4 - A Royal Expectation
Lady Jeanette Bower had always known what her life was going to look like. It had been drummed into her since she was a little girl. She would marry a titled gentleman and make him a splendid wife who was above reproach. It was what her mother had always wanted for her and Lady Jeanette always did what her mother wanted her to do. She was a good girl. The only problem was, Lady Jeanette didn’t expect a six foot four Australian with sparkling tawny coloured eyes an
d a mischievous grin to walk into her life and show her that there was perhaps another path for her to take.
Drew Taylor had just landed his dream job and the fact that it was half way around the world from his meddling mother was just icing on the cake. He never expected to be swept off his feet by a woman on a hot pink Ducati. A woman who also happened to be one of the queen’s ladies in waiting. And then there was the complication of the viscount she was supposed to marry. How could a cane farmer’s son from tropical Queensland compete with a man who could give Lady Jeanette the title she had always wanted? He couldn’t, but that wouldn’t stop him from trying.
A Royal Expectation is Available Now
Book 4 - A Royal Elopement
Lady Meredith Bingham thought that she had her life sorted. She was a member of the royal guard - an elite security team tasked with protecting the queen of Merveille. She was also close personal friends with the queen and part of her inner circle - the ladies in waiting. But then her mother had to go and ruin it all. Lady Caroline Bingham was sick of her daughter fooling around and playing soldier. She thought it was high time her daughter got serious about her future and found herself a suitable husband. With the duke pulling double duty as the country's prime minister, it was only right that his daughter start acting like a proper daughter of nobility. Much to Meredith's chagrin, the queen agrees that Meredith must step down from her post.
Prince Christophe Kostopolous was a prince in exile. For the last ten years he had been living under the pseudonym of Jamie Kosta, and for the last seven years he has been part of the royal guard. Very few people knew his true identity, but that was all about to change. The people he had been hiding from all these years have found him and he may finally have his chance to reclaim his rightful place on the throne of his small island nation of Kalopsia. The only problem is, he has fallen for a certain duke's daughter and she has no idea who he really is.