“I miss you too, princess.” I smiled a real smile this time. “Any chance I can convince you to sneak out the bathroom window so we can end the night with a bang? So to speak.”
She snorted out a laugh, which she cut off halfway with a gasp.
I broke into a laugh of my own. “Did you just snort?”
“No.”
“Not very princess-like of you.”
“I did not snort.” I could practically see her face glowing red on the other end of the line. She was so fucking adorable. “Anyway, I can’t sneak out the window. We’re on the third floor.”
“Third floor’s not that high.”
Bridget huffed. “Easy for you to say. You’re not the one at risk of dying.”
“Trust me, princess. I would rather end my own life than ask you to do anything that might hurt you.”
I hadn’t meant to say those words. They just fell out, like they’d been there all along and were waiting for the right moment to make themselves known.
Funny thing was, I wasn’t upset or embarrassed, even though they came too close to a confession for comfort. They just felt right.
Everything with Bridget felt right.
“I know,” she said, so soft and warm she might as well be right there next to me, caressing me. “I trust you.”
A charged silence stretched over the line, filled with other, unspoken words waiting for their moment, and my heart thudded like it was warning me not to screw up.
“We’ve come a long way, haven’t we?” I drawled, finally breaking the tension before I did—or said—something I would regret. Something neither of us was ready to acknowledge. “From fighting like cats and dogs to fucking like—”
“Rhys.”
“What? You let me eat you out on the throne but I can’t say the word fucking?”
“You’re impossible.” Amusement softened her admonishing tone. “I—” I heard a knock in the background, followed by muffled voices. Bridget must’ve covered the phone with her hand. “Sorry, that was Sabrina,” she said, her voice clearer. “I have to go, but I’ll see you tomorrow.” Her voice softened further. “Good night, Mr. Larsen.”
“Good night, princess.”
I waited until she hung up before I ended the call.
I stood there for a long while, my mind filled with images of a certain blonde as I stared around my royal guesthouse in Eldorra and wondered how the hell I got where I was.
Bridget
“Is everything okay?”Sabrina asked after I exited the bathroom. She’d knocked to check on me, and I realized I’d been gone for almost half an hour.
“Yes. I just had to deal with some last-minute prep for an event next week,” I said, ashamed of how easily the lie rolled off my tongue. “Apologies.”
“No need to apologize.” Sabrina gestured to her sister and best friend, who’d passed out on the couch while The Devil Wears Prada played on-screen. “At least you’re awake.”
I let out a small laugh. “We should go to sleep soon. You have a big day tomorrow.”
“You’re probably right. I can’t believe it’s almost here.” Sabrina fiddled with her engagement ring, looking overwhelmed and a little lost. “It feels surreal. I wanted a small wedding, but…”
“You got a three-ring circus?” I sank onto the couch next to her. “Welcome to the royal life. Even if Nik abdicated, he’s still a royal by blood, and everything he does is a reflection of the crown.”
“I know. I just hope I don’t embarrass myself.” Sabrina gave me a nervous smile before her expression grew serious. “Bridget, I know we don’t know each other that well, but I wanted to thank you for agreeing to be part of my bridal party. Truly. It means a lot to me.”
“Of course. You’re going to be my sister-in-law.”
When Nikolai first told me about his abdication, I resented her. It wasn’t something I was proud of, but it was true. If he hadn’t met Sabrina, he’d still be Crown Prince, and I’d be living my life in New York.
But as I stared at her now, I realized I wouldn’t go back to my life in the U.S. even if I could. It had been an illusion of freedom, nothing else. I’d been trapped in the same day in, day out monotony of fake smiles and mind-numbing events. Being crown princess came with more rules and a smaller cage, but it also came with more purpose, and that was the one thing that’d always been missing in my life.
Somehow, somewhere along the way, I’d grown into my new role. It would take a while before I was fully comfortable with it, but I was getting there.
“Yes. Good ones, I hope.” Sabrina squeezed my hand. “I love Nikolai, and I’d be lying if I said I’m not happy he abdicated. But I also know what a huge burden it placed on you, and for that, I’m sorry.”
“No apologies needed. You did nothing wrong except fall in love.”
I knew that. I’d always known that. But it wasn’t until I said it at that moment that any lingering resentment I had toward Nikolai and Sabrina faded away.
It wasn’t their fault. There were no wrong choices. If Nikolai had chosen the throne over Sabrina, it would’ve been devastating for him, but it would’ve been understandable. If he’d chosen Sabrina, as he had, that was understandable too. Love or country. An impossible choice when the future of a nation rests on your shoulders.
The only thing at fault was the system that forced him to choose.
“My brother adores you,” I added. Nikolai and I weren’t super close, but I knew him well enough to spot the difference. He changed into a different person when he was around Sabrina, a happier one, and I would never begrudge him that.
Sabrina’s face lit up, erasing some of the earlier stress. “It still feels like a dream sometimes,” she admitted. “To meet someone who sees me for who I am, faults and all, and loves me regardless.” She squeezed my hand again, her eyes wise beyond her twenty-five years. “I hope you find that kind of love one day, too. Whether it’s with Steffan or someone else.”
Trust me, princess. I would rather end my own life than ask you to do anything that might hurt you.
I forced a smile. “One day.”
But later that night, as I stared at the ceiling and thought about Rhys, Steffan, and my less-than-certain efforts to repeal the Royal Marriages Law, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was only room for one happy ending in this kingdom…and if it wasn’t already too late for mine.
Rhys
As expected,Prince Nikolai and Sabrina’s wedding was a madhouse. Half the city’s roads were closed, helicopters buzzed overhead capturing aerial footage of the procession, and thousands of people crowded the streets, eager for a glimpse of the fairytale unfolding in real life. Press flew in from all over the world, breathlessly covering every detail from the length of Sabrina’s wedding dress train to the star-studded guest list. The only reporters allowed inside the actual ceremony were those from Eldorra’s national newspaper and broadcaster, who’d received exclusive first coverage rights, but that didn’t stop the others from fighting for the best view outside the church.