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

Chapter 36

The Wedding of the Century

For Neandia, it has been more than twenty-three years since a royal wedding took place between Queen Alexandra’s late parents, Crown Prince Christophe and Princess Linnea of Denmark. Almost twenty-three years to the day, Prince Rikard of Lundhavn and Queen Alexandra of Neandia tied the knot in the same place—St. Veronica’s Cathedral in its capitol’s old quarter.

We write from just outside the cathedral as the ceremony is conducted. The groom arrived with his family shortly before the Dowager Queen. She looked a bit teary-eyed over the idea of losing her beloved granddaughter. The Queen was escorted in by her three sisters—Princess Astrid, Princess Odette, and Princess Ingrid. She looked beautiful in a sparkling ivory and buff gown by Anna Lux. We are told the dress is convertible with a cape and train added on for the ceremony that will be removed for her reception look. Atop her head, she toted the Danish Starlight Tiara, a gift given to her late mother on her wedding day.

We cannot wait to keep you posted on the departure of the royal couple in a short while. They will endure a full mass, so it might take a bit, but we will keep you updated online and via our live stream of the ceremony.

It was surreal standing before a thousand-person congregation holding the hand of a woman I first met six months ago. Having just been pronounced her husband was even more bizarre. Realising that I woke up this morning and married a twenty-two-year-old queen was perhaps the strangest of all. Yet, as I grinned like an idiot, I couldn’t fight my happiness. I couldn’t pretend I didn’t love her. The way she looked at me was unlike any way a woman looked at me before.

And her first I love you had come moments before our hands were bound together for what seemed like an eternity. If I wasn’t a romantic sap before, I was now. Alexandra radiated happiness. We stepped forward, proceeding up the aisle and back out towards the waiting crowd. Above us, the Cathedral bells peeled. The doors opened to the mad world outside. People screamed as we stepped out into the light of day.

Before I could negotiate whether we would give the people a show, Alexandra already went for it. She wasted no time kissing me. And it wasn’t some little chaste kiss. I wasn’t even sure this woman knew what one of those was. She laid it on thick.

We pulled back and continued waving. I said nothing. I was taken aback by her bold move. Rather, I liked it. I liked it a lot. I would have taken her home and done terrible things to her. I’d gone half a year without sex. I wanted it badly but didn’t want to rush. We’d never done it before. I’d never even seen her naked. In the past, I’d gone for it without a second thought. Now, I didn’t want to use Alexandra for my pleasure alone. She was precious to me, and I owed her everything.

We climbed in our carriage to parade through the streets. The crowds teemed and screamed. We smiled idiotically at one another, but it wasn’t contrived. It was precious. We were in love and living an actual fucking fairytale. We waved until our wrists hurt. It was insufferable but necessary for the things that followed. We had to tick the boxes.

This going through the normal motions of a royal wedding included the attending monarchs’ photos and many family snaps for release by both houses. Our candid shots would take place after our afternoon break. Before that, there was the balcony appearance.

The balcony wave was the crown jewel of royal wedding photo ops. For well-wishers, it was a beautiful opportunity to cheer for the fairytale couple. It was a scrap we tossed the normies—usually requiring a good, honest kiss. Most people would go for something simple. Alexandra, as I said, is incapable of this. I didn’t bother going in slow and sweet. She would turn it into something more intense within seconds anyway. It was a full-body, romantic experience. Despite thousands of screaming people in the street and our families around, we went for it. Celeste glared. I’d find that out when photos of the event were released.

Even with thecrowd, the moment was ours alone. After our big kiss, we had precious downtime. She would bust out of her dress momentarily to do her outfit change, have a bit of lunch, and we’d relax. I hoped to have a couple of drinks and get precious time alone with her. It was all I wanted just to chat.

I didn’t expect what happened next.

As her sisters followed us into the next room, she announced in serious French.

“Ladies, we’re going to take some time to ourselves. We’ll join you again as I’m changing into my evening look.”

“Oh.” Ingrid was sad.

“Let’s leave them to relax,” Astrid said. “They won’t have any time together tonight. Come on. We will have to change as well.”

They left.

“You broke their hearts, Lex!”

“We’re married. Forgive me for being selfish,” Alexandra said.

Marta joined us to help bust Alexandra out of her headgear and to put the dress up. I kicked my shoes off for a moment and tossed my tie and jacket aside. I was relieved. I’d have to change into my new evening attire shortly. Alexandra’s tiara was unsewn from her head, giving way to beautiful blonde curls that cascaded. She brushed her hair back as Marta worked on the strings of the corset. It was quite involved. I had never dissected a woman from a dress with so many steps.

“Should I… step out?” I asked, realising I’d not yet seen Alexandra half naked let alone completely undressed

“No. You can stay,” Alexandra said. “Even the Pope would permit it.”

I tried not to stare too much. Layers came off, leaving her standing there in nothing but a tiny pair of panties and a rather pointless bra.

“Marta, can you just… give us some time to… decompress. Maybe bring us food in an hour?”

Marta bowed slightly, “Of course, Your Majesty.”

Alexandra followed her to the door, locking it. As she did, I couldn’t avoid staring at her ass. I wanted to grab it—to throw her down on the bed and take her from behind.

“So, what are you up to, Lex?” I asked, slightly confused.

“Whatever I want to be,” Alexandra said. “What? Are you bothered by it? Or would you rather have eaten first?”

I had a feeling that whatever we were about to get up to, I’d rather do before my belly was full.

“No, no, I don’t mind any of this. I am… this is… I…”

“What, you have no words?”

Alexandra stood in front of me, her arms wrapped around my neck. I stared her in the face, trying to avoid looking at her tits that were just there. They were better than I anticipated. I didn’t expect to be disappointed, but they were beyond my imagination. I pulled her closer, grabbing her ass. She kissed me again, but with even more energy than she had earlier. She was as desperate as I was.

I flipped her back on the bed, pinning her. Alexandra looked up, eyes wide.

“I don’t need words, do I?” I asked.

She shook her head.

“I think we understand each other. Yes?”

She nodded, biting her lip. The view of her looking almost angelic in the moment didn’t hurt. I had been fantasising about this for months. Ever since the time in the garden when we’d been all over one another unexpectedly, I wanted to do this again—to pin her and make her lose her mind.

I kissed her neck. She gasped and shivered. She moaned as ran my hand down her body. I wanted to see her naked.

“Take this off,” I pulled on the bra. “It’s useless!”

“Okay,” she agreed, breathing heavily.

I pulled back as she sat up and tossed it aside.

Meanwhile, I took in Alexandra’s breasts in all their glory—paying one nipple attention, then the other. She pushed her hips towards me and moaned more. Her breathing picked up.

I looked up, “That’s good?”

“So good,” she gasped.

I played with the top of her panties suggesting she should take them off. That was where things ground to a halt.

“Rick,” she said, her tone no longer so breathy.

“Yes, baby?”

“I’ve never been… with anyone. So if I’m like… bad at it… I promise I am… green. I can learn.”

She said it as if she were describing a showjumping prospect. Green? I was confused.

“You’re a… virgin?” I sat up, confused.

It wasn’t her inexperience that surprised me, but it was her total lack of experience that did. Who made it to twenty-one without a round or two? How did she even have the restraint to avoid it? And how had we made it this long without her telling me? I wasn’t prepared to deal with her neuroses. I’d expected we’d hit the ground running now that distractions were minimised. But now I was responsible for deflowering her? Fuck!