CHAPTER 35
V ailgate Castle was lit up like a Christmas fairy tale as limousines and luxury cars lined up to drop off elegant party guests who were dressed to impress.
As people walked down a luxurious red carpet, they were greeted by the jolly old-world Santa who was at the Christmas tree farm. He was wishing everyone Merry Christmas as they entered the castle.
As soon as you stepped into the castle’s Grand Hall, you could hear a chamber orchestra playing “Carol of the Bells,” creating a mesmerizing and regal atmosphere that was perfect for the spectacular, festive setting.
The first thing guests saw when they entered the Grand Hall was the jaw-dropping new thirty-foot Christmas tree that was glittering with even more sparkling lights, placed exactly five inches apart, and dazzling ornaments.
All the Christmas decorations in the room sparkled brilliantly beneath the hundreds of white twinkling lights that were strung overhead.
A master of ceremonies and a royal trumpeter appeared at the entrance.
With a triumphant flourish, the trumpet burst into a regal fanfare, signaling that the night’s festivities were about to begin, capturing everyone’s attention.
The master of ceremonies spoke in a deep, rich, booming voice.
“Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please? It is my honor to present Her Majesty, Queen Kathleen of Skydovia, and Her Royal Highness, Princess Ava of Skydovia.”
A hush fell over the crowd as the doors opened, revealing the queen and Princess Ava arm in arm.
The queen’s emerald-green gown, along with her matching royal jewels and tiara, shimmered under the lights, exuding regal grace. Beside her, Ava looked equally stunning in a sparkling red dress, paired with a ruby-and-diamond tiara and jewelry.
Together, they created a striking contrast—the perfect pairing of holiday elegance and royal sophistication.
Ava’s eyes darted anxiously around the crowd.
“Are you looking for Justin?” her mother whispered.
“No, Henry,” Ava said. “He still hasn’t responded.”
“Well, there’s Justin,” her mother said with a radiant smile as she nodded toward where Justin was standing on the sidelines with Stormy.
Ava’s eyes flew to him, and her heart raced when he winked and adjusted his red bowtie before pointing to Stormy, who was also wearing a red bowtie.
She laughed, unable to resist either of them.
“Are you ready?” her mother asked.
“Born ready,” Ava said, smiling back at her mother.
As the orchestra began to play, they stepped forward in perfect unison, their presence commanding the room as the guests bowed in respect. They stopped next to the Christmas tree.
The orchestra fell silent.
Her mother looked around the room, smiling at everyone. “My daughter, Princess Ava, and I want to thank you all for being part of our family’s Christmas tradition and helping to support so many charities that change lives.” She turned to her daughter.
Ava smiled. “We promised you a big announcement tonight…” When she glanced over at Justin and Stormy, Justin smiled, giving her a thumbs up. “And we have one.”
Her mother, excited, continued, “We’d like to introduce a new, very special member to our royal family.” Her mother motioned for Justin to bring Stormy up.
But as Justin moved forward, his path was suddenly blocked by Henry, who stormed up to Ava.
Ava froze, shocked. “Henry, what are you doing?”
Justin and the queen looked equally stunned.
Everyone gasped when Henry got down on one knee in front of Ava and took her hand.
“Henry, no!” Ava said, horrified. She tried to pull her hand away, but Henry held on tight.
When the crowd applauded, Stormy started growling and barking at Henry.
Suddenly a group of paparazzi surrounded them, taking pictures and blinding Ava with the flash. She wanted to run, but Henry squeezed her hand tight and started speaking in a voice that was loud enough so everyone could hear.
“Your Royal Highness, Princess of Skydovia, it would be my greatest honor to be part of this royal family you’ve invited me into as we follow another Skydovia royal tradition with this Christmas Eve proposal,” Henry said proudly.
Ava felt like she was going to pass out as Henry crammed a ring with a gumball-sized diamond onto her finger. When she tried to pull her hand away, Henry shot her a look.
It wasn’t loving.
It held a threat.
Ava’s blood ran cold. She knew she was trapped as more photographers swarmed around them.
She frantically looked around for Justin. When their eyes met, she saw his pain. It broke her heart when she saw him hand Stormy’s leash to her mother and walked away.
“Justin,” she tried to call out to him but was silenced when Henry kissed her.
As more paparazzi surrounded them, Ava could no longer see her mother or anyone else. All she could see were camera lenses in her face and Henry’s menacing smile.
? ? ?
As a light snow started to fall over Vailgate Castle, there were no limousines or cars left at the front entrance.
Everyone was gone.
The party was over.
Inside the Library, Ava furiously yanked off the engagement ring Henry had forced on her finger. “Here. Take this. I don’t want it—”
Henry refused to take it. “We can get you another ring.”
Ava gave him an incredulous look. “Didn’t you get my message? I told you we couldn’t get engaged tonight. I’ve been trying to call and text you, and you just disappeared.”
“Oh, I got your messages,” Henry said calmly.
“Then how could you do this and bring the paparazzi with you?!” Ava demanded. “My security told me you brought all the photographers to the party and told them I authorized it. Why would you do this knowing how the paparazzi has repeatedly tried to destroy this family?”
When Henry smiled, it sent a chill down her spine.
“I thought you’d rather have our engagement photos going viral than these pictures,” he said as he held out his phone.
When Ava saw a photo on his phone of her and Justin kissing in the park, she recoiled.
“How did you…?! This isn’t what it looks like,” Ava insisted. “This kiss was Justin protecting me from the press, something you should be doing—”
Henry held up his hand to silence her. “Stop!”
She flinched.
“None of this matters,” he continued, smugly. “I don’t care what happened between you two. We just got officially engaged in front of everyone. We’re getting married, just like we’ve always planned. Your father trusted me to make sure the monarchy was protected, and that’s what I’m doing.”
Stunned, Ava shook her head. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t seen this side of Henry before, but now it was all so crystal clear.
She locked eyes with him. “Henry, this isn’t your decision, or my father’s. It’s mine . This is my choice. My life. You only see us as a…business deal…a job—”
“Yes, one I take very seriously,” Henry fired back.
Ava stepped toward him. “But you’ve forgotten, I’m the boss.”
She slapped the engagement ring against his chest.
“And you’re fired. We’re done!”
Henry’s eyes flashed with anger. “You can’t just… fire me. I have pictures of you kissing…an American! Do you know what the press would do with this?”
Ava’s eyes narrowed. “Are you trying to threaten me—blackmail me? You really think that’s going to convince me to marry you? This just makes me even more sure that I’m doing the right thing.”
“You won’t do this. You won’t risk a scandal,” Henry said smugly.
Ava glared back at him. “Get out of my castle. Now!”
? ? ?
The next morning, Ava woke up exhausted. She’d hardly slept at all. Her mind kept replaying everything that had happened the night before.
After Henry’s proposal, she’d been in such shock that she just stood there, numb, until her mother had stepped forward and told the press and all the guests they’d be answering questions tomorrow, but for tonight, it was a celebration, and everyone was invited to enjoy the party.
When the orchestra had started again, Ava had tried to leave the room, but Henry, in front of all the press, had insisted on a dance first.
Before she knew what was happening, they had been dancing, and the paparazzi had been photographing their every move.
She clutched her stomach, feeling sick just thinking about it.
Henry had proven himself to be a master manipulator.
She looked out her window and saw all the news vans and cars parked in front of the castle. “They’re all here,” she muttered to herself as she walked over to her desk and picked up the newspapers and tabloids Edgar had brought earlier.
Her engagement was front-page news. In every picture she looked shocked, like a deer caught in the headlights.
She cringed reading the tabloid headlines. They were big, bold, and brutal.
ICE PRINCESS MELTS! PRINCESS AVA IS ENGAGED PRINCESS AVA FINALLY PUTS A RING ON IT PICKY PRINCESS SAYS YES
Her disastrous engagement to Henry was the last thing she wanted to deal with on Christmas Day, but she knew the longer she waited to face the media, the worse it would get.
To face her press firing squad, she’d chosen another classic red pantsuit, the one that always made her feel powerful.
This morning, she needed all the help she could get.
As she left her room, she checked her phone. Her heart sank when she saw that Justin hadn’t responded to the text she’d sent last night, asking if they could talk.
“I don’t blame you for not getting back to me,” she whispered to herself. “I wouldn’t want to get caught up in this mess, either.”
? ? ?
In the entrance of the Grand Hall, Ava, the queen, and Stormy all watched as TV news crews and photographers gathered around the Christmas tree, waiting for them to make a statement.
When Ava touched the watch on her wrist, her mother’s face lit up when she noticed.
“You’re wearing the new watch I got you from Paris,” her mother said, surprised.
Ava nodded. “Yes. I will always cherish Father’s watch as part of my past, but this watch is the one I want for my future.”
Her mother touched her heart. “You read the inscription.”
Ava nodded and gave her mother a hug. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” her mother replied, fighting back tears.
Ava took a deep, shaky breath. “Okay, let’s do this.” When she started walking toward the press, her mother reached out and grabbed her arm.
“Wait. Ava, are you sure you’re okay to do this today? It’s Christmas. We could always set this up for another time—”
“No, the longer we wait, the harder it will be,” Ava said.
“I want to get this over with. This is something I have to do. I’m done hiding and letting the paparazzi or anyone else rule my life.
Henry thought he could use the press to blackmail me into marrying him.
He thought I’d never risk a scandal. He was wrong. ”
“Okay, it’s your call,” her mother said, but she sounded worried. “I’ll support whatever you want to do.”
When her mother offered Ava her hand, she gratefully took it, and they approached the Christmas tree together.
Everyone in the press stopped talking.
The calm before the storm, Ava thought wearily.
She jumped when a flash from a cameraman testing the lighting blinded her. She let go of her mother’s hand and gripped her hands together tightly to try and stop them from shaking.
As she glanced around at the media, she didn’t see any faces. Everything was a blur. But she saw all the cameras pointing at her. She started to panic as her entire body began to shake.
She cleared her throat, hoping her voice wouldn’t sound as terrified as she felt.
“Thank you all for coming on Christmas morning for this press conference,” Ava started, but before she could continue, she was cut off by reporters firing questions at her.
“When are you marrying the duke?!” one reporter asked.
“Where will the wedding and honeymoon be?!”
“Why aren’t you wearing your ring?!” another reporter jumped in.
In a frenzy, everyone gathered closer to take pictures of her hand.
Feeling claustrophobic, Ava swayed, feeling like she would faint. She was grateful when her mother stepped forward.
“Please, everyone, take a step back,” the queen requested.
The press immediately stopped taking pictures and moved back.
The queen smiled. “Thank you. We invited you here this morning to answer your questions, and that’s what we’re going to do, but we’ll only be taking questions one at a time. You will all have your chance, I assure you.”
Ava gulped and nodded.
The queen pointed to an older gentleman in a tweed suit. “Charlie, do you have a question?”
Charlie looked surprised and pleased to be singled out to go first. “Yes, Your Majesty, thank you very much. My question is actually for you. How do you feel about having Duke Henry as your new son-in-law?”
When Ava saw her mother’s eyes flash with anger, she quickly stepped forward. She knew how furious she was with Henry, and that anything she said would make headlines.
“I will be the one answering questions today,” Ava said. “And let me start with the question about when I’ll be marrying Henry.”
The press eagerly leaned in…