Royal Marriage Of Convenience

‘And humble,’ he said. ‘Don’t forget humble.’

‘I’ll give you humble,’ she said and glowered, and her glower was so delicious that he chuckled.

‘Rose?’

‘Yes?’

‘Most of all I want you,’ he said.

‘Nick?’

‘Yes?’

‘If you don’t kiss me right this minute I might do something I might regret.’

‘What might that be?’

‘I might have to kiss you first,’ she said, and it was a near thing. A very near thing. Who kissed who?

Rose didn’t know. She didn’t care. She fell into Nick’s arms, and he kissed her until her toes curled.

While at the glass doors of the conservatory three people stood and watched this second wedding-ceremony. The joining of this man to this woman to become man and wife.

‘I did get to see it after all,’ Ruby said, and smiled and smiled.

‘And there’s the coronation to come,’ Erhard said, deeply satisfied.

‘And maybe…’ Julianna smiled through the glass at her sister, and then turned to usher the two oldies away. After all, what was a sister for but to protect her sibling?

‘Maybe there’ll be the odd christening to come too,’ she said softly. ‘I think the succession to the throne of Alp de Montez is assured. And I think we can safely leave them to it.’

Marion Lennox

***