31. Cedrick
The car glides to a stop. And my nerves begin to glitch. But I can”t show my nerves.
“You ready?” I raise my arm to place it around her shoulders and rub her upper arm.
Ellie and I are in the backseat. Our driver has pulled up outside the venue of a charity gala. Not just any gala, though. Tonight she”ll be officially introduced as my wife.
She grits her teeth playfully. “I don”t know. Do I have to?”
“Yes you do, Princess. Now let”s go. Your people are waiting for you.”
She plants a kiss on my cheek. “Okay, now I”m ready.”
I quickly jump out and go around the back of the car to help her out on her side. I bend down to offer her a hand because she”s squeezed in tight.
I”m amazed at how we ever managed to get the flared, poufy skirt of her dress into the car’s limited interior.
Finally, she and the dress tumble out, and I catch her. We link arms and stand on the red carpet outside. She smiles graciously for the cameras. I spend more time eyeing her instead of looking at the paparazzi, and I marvel at the perfection of her stunning face and pregnant figure.
It”s been a month since my operation and the swell of her belly is even more noticeable.
After a few more snapshots, we”re swallowed by the sound of music, glasses tinkling, and crowds of laughing, dancing people.
A loud voice booms. “Prince Cedrick and Princess Eleanora.”
“Oh, look. The Prince and Princess are here.”
“She looks lovely in blush pink.”
The greetings fly from all around us.
“Everyone is here,” I say almost to myself.
“It sure is a full house,” Ellie remarks.
“All for you,” I tell her, and she smiles nervously. “You’re perfect.”
She follows my lead as we wave at the furthest people and shake hands with the closest.
“No. But we’re perfect together.”
As I lead her to the dancefloor, I hope she”ll stay this happy, because I have a few more surprises planned for her. Tonight, the plans all come to fruition, and they’ve been in the works for a month.
Soon we”re joined by others on the dance floor.
“About time you showed up,” Caesar says with a slap on my back. Christian comes up next to him and hugs me.
Vivienne, Caesar’s wife, steals Ellie away to dance, and I laugh at myself for missing her immediately when she leaves my side.
Once they’re safely gone, chatting with other members of the family, Caesar covertly slips the ring box into my hand.
I put the box in my breast pocket and tap it from the outside, confirming it”s still there.
“Thanks, Caesar. It means a lot to have your help.”
He nods with a smile. After a few more songs, everyone is seated for the formal dinner. Halfway through, the action stops as the King takes the podium.
He taps the mic and the room winces, which makes him laugh. The Solvarian colors across his breast shake from it.
“Now that my mic and I have your attention…”
Everyone laughs.
He takes a moment to look around as the room comes to a hush again.
“It is my deepest pleasure to welcome you all to this gala. As always this is a night of joy, laughter and giving. We”ve come here to not only enjoy ourselves but to share what we have with those less fortunate than us. The older I get—and contrary to popular belief I”m actually a very old man…”
More laughter floats through. Ellie and I turn to chuckle together. I take her hand in mine and graze her knuckles against my lips.
“...the more I recognize the value of giving back, of service, and rendering aid to the truly vulnerable. I know that each and every one of you here feels the same way. But two people here, the two we’re celebrating tonight, have devoted their lives to this cause. My daughter in law, Princess Eleanora Vanecourt, and my son, Prince Cedrick.”
I rise to my feet and help her up, then gesture to pull the attention where it belongs, on her.
“You’ll hear from them soon. But first, I’d like to invite my other sons.”
Then it”s time for our speeches so we sit back down.
First up is Christian, who inspires more awe as an orator than even my father. He talks about the history of Solvaria and the continuing legacy that we carry on.
Caesar speaks about our responsibility to contribute to world diplomacy, and his remarks, as usual, are punctuated with jokes.
Alexis, now seemingly fully Americanized, gets up and talks about all of the Solvarian values he honors through his life in America with his wife Bella. He lives with her on a ranch and they run multiple charities for animal welfare and rural communities.
Finally Ishmael. All four of them end their speeches by handing a rose to my wife.
Then it’s my turn.
I realize the magnitude of the task ahead, and the sea of faces in front of me look at me expectantly looks hazy. I find Ellie, and she gives me a nod.
“Sometimes when I”m away on medical missions, it can seem lonely. Especially in the most remote places with minimal staff. But on a night like tonight, surrounded by all of you our supporters I”m reminded of how big the team really is. Even though not all of you can vaccinate a sick child or perform eye surgery to restore someone’s sight, your contributions ensure that our work carries on for years to come.”
A polite round of applause comes forth.
“There”s much to be said about purpose and legacy. And I truly know that the work I do is a big part of that. In recent months I”ve unlocked a new facet of my life”s purpose, and that is to be a family man. A husband, and a father.”
I look down at Ellie”s stunned face which fuels me. It makes me fearless.
“This wouldn”t have been possible without my beautiful wife, who has opened my heart to new possibilities. I shut myself off from love a long time ago—I became consumed with medicine, after losing my mother and my best friend in short succession as a kid, and I always thought myself much too ‘serious’ for such ‘frivolous’ pursuits.”
The crowd laughs, and I laugh at myself.
“But really, trying to avoid it was frivolous. I’m glad I never pursued it, though, because the right person came along at exactly the right time. Well…came back along.”
The crowd oohs and aaahs and I turn to the big projector screen behind me. I hand-picked every picture that”s now sliding across the screen, enlarged and visible from any corner of the grand hall. But to see them up there?
My heart skips a few beats and I feel the smile begin at the corner of my mouth.
Interspersed in each photo from the last several months is a photo from our childhood together.
I know the sequence like my own handwriting. There”s one where we’re snorkeling, followed by reading on the lawn, then dancing together.
And then there’s one of us having a snowball fight. Another where we’re opening gifts for Solvarian Independence Day.
The slideshow pauses on a particular favorite of mine. A picture of her on a medical mission surrounded by women with medical suture needles, after teaching them to do basic surgery.
“That”s beautiful,” yells someone in the crowd.
“Yes. She is.” I reply, looking straight at my wife. “Inside and out.”
On cue, community members from the mothers’ and children”s foundation she supports come up and join me on stage.
“I”d like to read a poem I wrote for Princess Ellie, called Our Princess,” says one of the orphans. A little girl with a lisp.
“The world has only found out now, but you”ve always been our Princess. Your regal ways outshine the rest because your heart’s the best. You care for us come rain or shine and never miss a beat. And if they ever tire of you you”ll always be our princess, and you keep us on our feet.”
At this point Ellie is a weeping mess. She comes onto the stage to thank the poet. I hug her after she hugs the mother and child.
And I get down on one knee.
“What are you doing?” she asks with wide eyes.
“Will you marry me, again?”
I”m solely focused on her as I pull out the ring box and open it.
“All I want is to be yours forever. And to declare it over and over, as much as I can, for a lifetime.”
Tears stream down her face. “Yes. Of course I’ll marry you again.”
I slip the ring on her finger, stand up, swoop her up in my arms and kiss her fervently as everyone stands, crying, and cheers us on.