Afterward, we lay there for a long while — limbs tangled together, my ear memorizing his heartbeats, his hand stroking my curls.
“Are you nervous?” he rumbles after a while.
“About?”
“The press conference this morning. Henry’s big announcement.”
I push up onto my elbows to peer into Carter’s face. “Honestly? No. I’m just not sure why he didn’t explain things yesterday, outside the church. Rather silly to make an announcement about another announcement, if you ask me…”
When we exited Windsor Abbey yesterday, the crowd waiting for us outside was practically rabid for information. News that the wedding was off — that the groom had been led away in handcuffs by the Queen’s Guard, no less — had set off a veritable atomic bomb.
The appearance of Crown Prince Henry on the steps — alive and mostly well, with only a few scars to account for his time away — raised the radiation levels from atomic to nuclear.
Instead of neutralizing the drama, Henry simply smiled that dashing smile of his and read a brief statement:There will be a press conference tomorrow at noon at Waterford Palace. All your questions concerning the future of Germania’s monarchy will be addressed at that time. We, the Lancasters, appreciate your patience during this difficult and confusing period.
Carter shrugs. “Perhaps he wanted to give you some time to adjust, before…”
“Swooping in and taking my crown?” I joke, laughing. “Trust me, I get it. The crown was never meant to be mine in the first place. It’s only right he’d want it back. This is Henry’s legacy — far more than it was ever mine.”
“And you won’t miss it?” Carter’s brow crinkles.
I hesitate. “I won’t miss the media attention. I won’t miss the pressure to always do the right thing. I won’t miss the rules that dictate who I can love.”
“But?” he presses.
“How do you know there’s abut?”
“I know you, Emilia.”
I brush my lips against his. “Too well, apparently. I’ll have no secrets, living with you.”
“Oh?” His eyes fill with teasing light. “And when, exactly, did I ask you to move in with me?”
“You didn’t.I’maskingyou.” I grin. “Carter Thorne — will you move in with me?”
“Where? Here, at the palace?”
My brow furrows. “I hadn’t thought of that. But I doubt we’ll keep living here, once Henry officially reclaims the throne… A shame, really, since I designed just about every square inch of the East Wing to my exact taste.”
Carter is watching me carefully. “Emilia.”
“Mmm?”
“It’s okay to admit it.”
“Admit what?”
“That you’ll miss this — living in the castle. Being the queen. BeingEmilia the Liberator. Being theLancaster Lioness. You say Henry was born into this legacy, and maybe that’s true. But you’ve built your own legacy here from scratch. Piece by piece. Day by day. It’s okay to be proud of that. I’m damn proud of you for it.”
My eyes start to water. “You’re making me cry. Quick, say something mean.”
His thumb swipes a tear off my cheek. “Give yourself permission to grieve the things you are losing, Emilia.”
“Who’d have thought, right? A year ago… who ever could’ve imagined I’d be so sad to walk away from this life?” I shake my head. “When we first met, I couldn’t wait to escape it. Remember?”
“I do.” He pulls me back down against his chest and presses a kiss to my forehead. “But I also remember how much fire you had, even then. You were raw potential. Pure electricity. A spark-plug, just waiting for her chance to light up the world.” His voice goes lower. “I took one look at you and thought to myself, ‘This girl, right here… she’s going to change the world one day. I hope to God I’m around to see it when she does.’”
My tears drip onto his chest in rhythmic droplets.