Page 21 of Royally Matched
“Remember, keep that smile on your face at all times,” her mother whispered to Lily as they left the palace and made their way down the sidewalk to the waiting limo.
“Aren’t you afraid my face will freeze in that position if I do it for too long,” Lily teased.
“That wouldn’t be the worst thing,” her mother stated. “Then I wouldn’t have to keep reminding you.”
“That’s enough, Maranda,” her father chastised his wife. “Liliana is doing a fine job of holding up her end of the bargain. You don’t need to constantly harass her by inspecting every little thing she does.”
“But that is a mother’s job,” the countess objected. “She needs me to correct her.”
“She’s not a child anymore,” the earl stated firmly. “And shouldn’t be treated as one. She’ll be a married woman soon enough and doesn’t need her mother treating her like a child while she starts her own family.”
Lily was surprised to hear her father defend her so fiercely, let alone stand up to her mother. He usually let her take the reins in guiding the family.
As the chauffeur opened the car door, Lily gave her father an appreciative smile before sliding into the seat next to Max.
Once everyone was situated in the limo, the vehicle wove through the streets of the Triolan capital.
“You look amazing in that dress,” Max whispered against Lily’s ear. “Did you pick the color out for me?”
Lily nodded. “I know how much you like it.”
“I’m guessing you chose that perfume for the same reason; the combination of lavender and vanilla is enticing.”
As Max’s breath tickled the skin at the edge of Lily’s neck, she realized that although she had set out to appeal to Max, she hadn’t banked on him doing the same thing. The proof was in every aspect of his appearance; from his dark hair being styled to the side the way she liked it, to him wearing a bow tie which she preferred. Add in Max’s intoxicating scent of cedar and spice, and it was clear they were both wanting to please the other.
“It smells almost as good as your own cologne,” Lily mumbled back, leaning in closer to Max. She liked the feel of his hard frame against her own soft one.
“It’s good to see the two of you getting along so well,” the king stated with a smug grin. “It seems this arrangement isn’t turning out as bad as you both thought it would be.”
Lily shrunk away from Max, embarrassed she had forgotten they had an audience.
“I daresay, I think they’re smitten with each other,” Lily’s mother agreed. “Who would have thought things would take a turn like this?”
“I did,” the queen stated with pride. “The chemistry between them is undeniable. It has been since they were teenagers.”
“You knew about that?” Max inquired with shock.
“Of course I did. I am the Queen of Triola. You don’t think I kept track of my eldest son while he was at boarding school?”
This time, Max’s face flamed red with chagrin as he stuttered out, “I… I had no idea.”
“Don’t underestimate the women in your life. It’s the folly of most men,” the queen stated, crossing her arms and glaring at her husband out of the corner of her eyes.
The limo pulled up in front of the First Methodist Church of Triola. A few moments later, Harry arrived to open the door and help everyone out. The group made their way into the church. All eyes were on them as they made their way down the aisle. At the front, a pew was reserved for the royal family. They invited Lily and her family to sit with them, which Lily’s parents accepted with exuberance.
The service order was structured just as she had remembered from her childhood. The congregation sang traditional hymns before the reading of scripture, and the sermon by the pastor came last. Lily hadn’t attended such a formal service in quite a while, opting for more modern churches while traveling abroad. Even so, the people were friendly, the music was inspiring, and the message about letting go of the past and accepting God’s forgiveness was wonderful.
After the service ended, the royal family, along with Lily’s family, conversed with other church members. Joseph was present and made sure to come up and say “hello.” She could tell he wanted to spend more time with her than that, but she had quickly made an excuse to use the restroom. She had been avoiding him since returning home. Not only because of how he felt about her, but because she didn’t want him asking her questions about Max.
By the end of the morning, Lily was grateful they were leaving and would return to the palace for brunch.
“What did you think of the service?” Lily asked as they made their way towards the waiting limo.
Max paused several moments before he answered. “I had gone today with the goal to please you and my parents, but truth be known, the very subjects the reverend spoke about are areas I have been struggling with forweeks now. I have been troubled by my past choices and unable to accept that God would forgive me for them. I realize now, I was letting myguilt cloud the truth.”
“What do you plan to do about that?”
“I already did something. When the reverend asked if there was anyone that wanted to pray for God to forgive their past and accept His help for the future, I raised my hand.”
“You did? I’m so happy,” Lily said with a smile. Before she could help herself, she was throwing her arms around Max and hugging him. “This is the best news.”
Max’s own arms wrapped around Lily, pulling her close. Around them, she could hear several gasps along with whispering voices. She knew it was in response to her reaction, but at the moment, she didn’t care. All that mattered to her was that Max was finally right with God.
