We were ushered into a small room just to the side of the altar, where we were expected to wait. Liam smuggled in a flask of his beloved bourbon since the rest of us didn’t have pockets in our morning coats. Passing around the metal container, we all took a sip, letting the liquor warm us in the chilly church.
Liam’s calm demeanor was almost unsettling. But why wouldn’t he be relaxed? He was already married. I knew I would be an absolute wreck waiting for Lucy’s arrival on our wedding day. It didn’t matter that we were already committed to each other—there was a weight, a finality, to saying marriage vows.
Most of the guests arrived before us, so we were only waiting for the girls. We didn’t have to wonder when that moment arrived because the crowds roared so loudly that we could hear it through the thick stone walls.
The sound gave me chills.
It was so strange that these people were enthusiastically happy for two people they probably had never met yet felt a strong connection to them as the face of our country. Every moment ofthe Remingtons’ lives was so well-documented that people felt like they knew them, allowing them to celebrate and mourn with them when the occasion presented itself.
One of the drill sergeants with a headset on burst into the room, declaring it was time for us to take our place at the altar. Liam led the charge, always in command, but I couldn’t begrudge him that—it was in his blood. He exhibited his authority in public while I did the same in private, and no part of me wanted to trade.
Following Liam to our proper place, I just about jumped out of my skin when the organ blared to life suddenly behind me. For some reason, this whole event seemed bigger than all of us. We lived in a world that no longer believed in divine right, understanding that bloodlines and mere accidents of birth brought forth our current and future monarchs, but the grandeur of this event was enough to make anyone believe in fairy tales.
This wedding symbolized a modern monarchy. Both Remington brothers brought home commoners from America to be their brides, showcasing that being royal was no longer an exclusive club accessible only to those with the bluest blood. Our future King was being raised on another continent, and I was sure that any offspring brought forth from this union would also spend significant time abroad. Lucy and I were the only ones whose marriage was stuck in the old ways, a last-ditch effort by an outdated and dying generation to hold onto what once was the standard.
My musings were forgotten the moment I caught a flash of blue out of the corner of my eye. Craning my neck from my perch to look down the long aisle, I saw her.
Lucy was a vision in a long dress of her own creation, the same color blue as her striking eyes. Her long black hair was pulled off her neck in an elegant updo, showcasing her bare shoulders—quite scandalous for church—as I moved my gaze down her lean body, noting how her nipples stood out against the bright blue silk draped over her petite frame. I knew she wasn’t wearing panties, but the naughty girl had also gone without a bra.
Willing my body not to embarrass me in front of not only all those gathered here today but the millions watching around the world, I kept my eyes on her face, which wasn’t a hardship. Lucy was stunning. I hadn’t seen Amy yet, but in my mind, Lucy already stole the show.
When those blue eyes flashed to mine, widening in surprise as she saw me waiting at the front for her, it knocked the breath from my lungs. A shy smile graced her lips, and her eyes lowered, allowing her coal-black eyelashes to fan her cheeks momentarily before bringing them back up to meet mine. The impure thoughts rolling through my mind at that simple act were enough for God to strike me down in church, but I couldn’t help myself. Lucy’s body spoke in a language only we knew, and I itched to get her alone as soon as this ceremony concluded.
Reaching the altar, she took her spot across the aisle from mine, followed in turn by Hannah and Natalie. I had to hand it to Natalie—she had guts to come back here after all these years to stand up for her best friend on such a public stage. She’d done nothing wrong, leaving what I understood to be an abusive relationship. Still, the court of public opinion was strong, and the picture painted by Leo had been less than favorable.
Next came the children—Amelia and Jameson as a pair, preceded by their little brother, Beau. The people of this country hadn’t seen the royal children in almost five years and were thrilled to have them home, even if just for a short visit. They were our future.
The organ boomed even louder now, signaling the arrival of the bride. The aisle to the cathedral stretched impossibly long, cast in the soft colors of the sun shining through the stained-glass windows on either side. Light streamed in as the floor-to-ceiling double doors opened at the front of the church, and the crowd’s roar filtered in as Amy appeared.
There were two groomsmen standing between me and Liam, but I could hear his audible gasp when he saw her. The look on his face—full of love for the woman striding toward him on her father’s arm—was enough to make a grown man cry. Honestly, I didn’t know how he was still standing.
Amy portrayed the picture of beauty and grace in the flowing white gown Lucy lovingly made for her. The dress itself was a work of art, with its hand-stitched embroidered overlay and scalloped hem. The silhouette accented Amy’s curves perfectly, giving life to Lucy’s mission of creating fashion for real women.
Amy appeared to be floating on air, the dress only highlighting the natural beauty she exuded. Her signature auburn hair was curled and left loose, the top of her head adorned with a sparkling diamond tiara. Her makeup was barely there, allowing her green eyes to shine as brightly as the emerald drop earrings gracing her ears. A hint of pink on the apples of her cheeks accented her pale skin as a smile split her face. I had no doubts she loved my friend just as much as he loved her.
I was starting to understand that all-consuming feeling myself—courtesy of the raven-haired beauty standing fifteen feet away.
My eyes never left Lucy’s throughout the ceremony, and I could only pray the cameras positioned throughout the cathedral hadn’t noticed. While I didn’t mind a headline portraying us as having only eyes for each other, today’s storywasn’t about us. It was Amy and Liam’s day, and the focus should be on them.
The couple shared a kiss, and those gathered to witness their celebration of love clapped. The music blared from the organ once more as they walked back up the aisle. Each bridesmaid met up with a groomsman as they were escorted out behind them, with Lucy and me bringing up the rear.
Keeping the soft smile plastered on her face as she looped her arm through my offered elbow, Lucy whispered, “Well, this is a surprise.”
“A pleasant one, I hope,” I teased.
“Very pleasant,” she cooed.
Together we followed the procession, eventually reaching the open cathedral doors. Amy and Liam were already secured in a car featuring a glass dome so they could be seen by the people lining the road back to the palace, but when the crowd saw us, they erupted in cheers again—this time, yelling our names.
Lucy grumbled, her smile never slipping. “The wedding is barely over, and they’re on to the next.”
Even when she played the polished princess I’d tortured her for being, she hated every second of it. I had so much regret for not understanding what she was dealing with or seeing the need to live her life in peace. She was never being selfish; she was simply trying to survive the hand she was dealt.
Soon, we would get away from it all, and I couldn’t wait to see how she blossomed in the wild.
A door to a black sedan opened for us, and I allowed Lucy to slide in before following, pulling the door closed behind me. Two members of the palace security team sat in the front, and we rolled forward to join the rest of the bridal party for pictures before the reception.
Snaking an arm around Lucy’s waist, I pulled her body flush with mine, growling low in her ear, “Do you know how muchit was killing me knowing you weren’t wearing a bra? All I could think about was how I wanted to take those perky little nipples between my teeth, but God and the whole country were watching.”
