Royally Rebellious: An arranged royal romance (Resplendent Royals Book 1)

Chapter 33

The doors suddenly opened, revealing my breathless fiancé. He was livid—the vein popping out in his neck said it all. I was a crying mess and in no mood to fight, so I hoped he was cross with someone or something else. I longed to crawl into a hole somewhere.

“Sir, you cannot be here!” Marta said. “It is bad luck.”

“We have had enough bad luck, Marta. Alexandra, Celeste has been lit on fire. I perhaps overstepped, but I couldn’t give a flying fuck about that,” Rick said. “How do we fix this?”

I wasn’t sure if he meant us or the dress. Either way, I wanted the help more than ever.

“The dress is ruined. I have no idea how to fix it. Just look at me.”

He approached, looking me up and down, curious. Rick shook his head.

“You are beautiful as ever, but this thing does you no favours. You will always be stunning, mind you, but if this is not what you want, we gotta fix it.”

His words made me melt. I wanted to kiss him again, to hear he loved me, and I wanted to love him back. That spark wasn’t dead, but I remained frightened to jump in again. Still, his admission seemed genuine. He thought I was beautiful even in this hideous, dreadful dress. Maybe I needed to hear it more than ever or maybe I was miserable without him. I figured it was a bit of both.

“How can we fix it?” Rick asked.

“We cannot. The dress is cut,” another woman said. “We would have to pull it all apart. That would take a month or more.”

Rick shook his head. “That won’t do. Hmm… there is a second dress?”

The women nodded.

“Rick, it’s strapless. I cannot wear that in the cathedral,” I said. “I hope it is beautiful, but it will not do.”

“We might be able to make something to go over it,” Marta said. “Use lace or another fabric to cover her shoulders?”

The designer nodded. “I will come up with a few ideas. You are alright with wearing that all day?”

I nodded emphatically. “If it is the same dress I ordered, yes.”

“It was unchanged, ma’am,” a woman confirmed.

“Then, try it on,” Rick said.

“Rick, I’m not going to do that standing here with you. Go. If it can be salvaged, I don’t want you to see me!”

“Why? Because you care?”

He was smirking. I wanted to slap him. I also wanted to thank him.

“Go, go. It’s bad luck to see the bride,” Astrid said.

“Fine. Call me if you need me,” Rick said. “I love you.”

I wasn’t ready to tell him the same yet. He’d have to wait. I nodded. “We will notify you if we need something.”

Two dressers forced him out, closing and locking the doors.

“You owe him,” Marta said quietly. “Your Majesty, he just did battle for you.”

“I know,” I murmured. “But why?”

“Why do you think?” Ingrid rolled her eyes. “He loves you, Alex.”

“Does he?” I deflected.

“That man loves you. He may be misguided, a bit of a dickhead, and very self-obsessed, but he loves you,” Astrid said. “Give him credit, Alex.”

“Men get credit for everything—for doing so little. I refuse to praise him for the bare minimum!”

“Normally, I would agree with you, but you have done nothing but light into him for weeks now. He’s been admonished but never goes away, never doubts you,” Astrid insisted. “You love him! Deep down you adore him. Everyone makes mistakes.”

“Yes,” Odette said. “And isn’t it better that people do better than to be punished for trying to make it right?”

I groaned. “When did you all become such romantics?”

“When we watched you fall in love. And it gave us some hope,” Ingrid said.

“Ingy, you are too young to speak of such things,” I said.

Deep down, I thought her admission was sweet.

The women zipped me into my second dress, strapless with a corset-style bodice. The boning snatched in my waist. The base layer was a stretchy buff colour withan overlay of beading that looked like a meteor shower. I glittered in every possible way.

Despite having temporarily stopped crying, I teared up looking in the mirror. This was the moment I wanted. This was what I needed.

“We can make a cape. We have more fabric to make the overlay. It will be tight, but we can make it slip over your shoulders,” the designer said. “And if you want more volume?—”

“I do. The dress is magnificent, but it must fill a cathedral.”

“We can make a train out of more of the overlay and tulle and it will be full as a ballgown without the weight of satin,” the designer assured. “You are beautiful. It suits you so well.”

I smiled. “Thank you. So much better. It’s mine.”

“It is,” Odette said. “But we’re forgetting the biggest thing.”

She brought my mother’s wedding tiara to Marta. “The final touch.”

Marta and the others fastened the tiara temporarily atop my head. Settling it in would take twenty minutes, but here it was for effect. It hit me like a sack of bricks. I sobbed big tears out of nowhere.

“Oh, darling, it is going to be a happy day. We will fix it all,” Odette assured. “Please don’t cry.”

“No. Sweetheart, I wish Mamma was here. I wish she was with us today. She would be so happy, I think.”

“She would,” Astrid agreed. “Because you are beautiful. And you two will be happy.”

“I am so lost,” I admitted.

“Everyone feels like that the week before their wedding,” Marta said. “It is expected. Even your mother did. But it will get better. He loves you. It hasn’t always been easy, dear, but you have a lot of life ahead of you.”

“And freedom.” Ingrid grinned. “Freedom to be yourself.”

I cupped Ingrid’s happy little face. “You will go to school—properly. The both of you will.”

“He won’t police you,” Astrid said. “The man needs policing.”

I snickered. “He’s aware.”

“Mamma would be proud of you, Alexandra,” Astrid said. “I miss her. It makes me sad she didn’t get to see you this beautiful, but she knows. She knows.”

“She does, yes, Your Majesty,” Marta agreed. “She would be proud of all of you for making it out of this. Let’s think only happy thoughts.”

“Okay. Time for me to take all of this off!” I dried my eyes. “I have things to do.”

Much as I wanted to stay in my beautiful dress, there was much to do before greeting Rick’s family for dinner. I left the salon to retreat to my room. That was when there was a knock.

“Come!” I called.

Rick popped his head in. I stared, not sure what to say.

“I come in peace,” he said. “I just wanted to make sure the dress?—”

“It will be down to the wire, but the dress will work,” I said.

“Good. Okay great. I wanted to give you this before things get to be crazy.”

He brought over a small box.

“Rick, you don’t?—”

“It’s okay if you’re still angry with me. I don’t expect things to be perfect overnight. However, it is your birthday. They are a big deal in my family. Usually, you get cake in bed, but seeing as I don’t think we are anywhere near there at present, I am satisfied with you accepting this token of my respect and reverence.”

“Reverence?” I joked.

“I tried, Alexandra.” Rick’s voice was deflated.

It made me sad. If I didn’t give some credit, I was cruel.

“Sit.” I patted the bed “Sit. She won’t run in here now.”

“And even if she does? She can go fuck herself. I told her as much.”

I gaped.

“Yeah, I went off on the old battle-axe. Sorry. The woman is a lying piece of shit. And she ruined your wedding dress. Fuck her! Also, we’ll be getting her quarters. I made that demand and said it was yours. I swear I did it for you, but… I couldn’t allow her to sit up there so smug while you’re back here with the girls.”

I was surprised. “Well, I suppose it makes sense.”

“I’ll have the other set of rooms. You’ll have yours. There is no pressure?—”

“Understood.”

I peeled the paper back to see the mark of a local jeweller.

“Rick, you needn’t spoil me always,” I said.

“I vehemently disagree with you. If I cannot spoil you? Who can I spoil, Lex?”

I blushed upon opening the package. I unveiled the simple silver necklace with two pendants. One was a birdcage with the door open. The other was a bird flying away. I picked it up and looked at the inscription behind the birdcage.

Be Free. -R

I teared up, staring at him, eyes welling. He got it. This wasn’t about the press or about ticking a box. It was about Rick loving me. It was about him waiting for me—patiently. I wasn’t back to where I had been before, but I was seen. I realised that I still loved him. I believed the feeling was mutual.

“Is it okay?” Rick asked.

I nodded. “It’s lovely.”

“Good,” Rick said. “I was hoping it would suit.”

“More than. Thanks,” I said, turning from him. “Can you help me? I’d like to wear it.”

“Sure, sure,” Rick said.

I sputtered, unsure as his hands brushed my shoulders. “I feel dreadful since I ruined your birthday and you’re being so sweet about mine?—”

“I fucked up my own birthday, Alexandra. I did that to me. It’s the least I could do for yours.”

He paused as if he wasn’t sure what to say. Then, he leaned down. Ever so gently, his lips met my neck. He kissed me and a shiver shot down my spine. It was so simple, yet more intimate than anything I’d felt to date.

“Sorry. I was… I uh…” Rick retracted, stepping back.

I turned, checking my necklace, to face him. “It’s okay.”

He shrunk towards the door. “I’ll leave you to have a moment to yourself. Be aware I have a great big cake on order for dinner, so save yourself for the final course, okay?”

I smiled, “Of course.”