Lisa Laurel - The Prince's Bride

“I’d also like a room to be prepared for her. It will be expected that she, as my fiancée, will be a guest here in the castle.”

Julie thought that was a funny way of putting it. Didn’t he want to be with her?

“She can have the bedroom at the top of the stairs,” Erik went on. “I’ll take the tower room that adjoins it”

Julie didn’t say anything.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, Your Highness,” Julie said. “I have been living in the tower room, but I’ll move my things out”.

He shook his head. “I don’t want to put you out The two adjoining bedrooms in the north hall will serve my purpose just as well.”

“I can move. It’s—”

“I insist,” Erik said simply.

Julie gave in. He had an air of quiet command that he wore well, she thought. He would make a good leader.

“As you wish,” she said. “Is there anything else?

Would you like to inspect the kitchen, take a quick tour of the grounds, see the list of—”

“That won’t be necessary,” he said, cutting her off. “It’s obvious that you are doing a fine job pulling things together. If I can trust you with the secret of my engagement, I can certainly trust you with the details of the evening.” He glanced at his watch. “I have a few details of my own to take care of now. Until later, Julie,” he said, and departed.

Erik entered the library and closed the door behind him. It would be quiet enough in here to finish up the paperwork that he would have to get to Whit, now that his brother would be taking over for him on Isle Anders. The king had insisted that Erik stay at Anders Point for a while and take on Whit’s public relations duties. His father knew Erik preferred doing the king’s domestic duties, the nuts-and-bolts work of running the country, far better than the international schmoozing Whit excelled at. Erik suspected that the king, by changing his duties, was trying to pressure him to choose a bride. He hated this whole arrangement, but had reason to hope that it would only be temporary, and it paled in comparison to his fear for the king’s health.

Concern about his father’s recovery had been gnawing at Erik, but he was not a worrier, he was a doer. The scene at the hospital that morning had sealed his decision. It was time to get on with the matter of securing the succession. The actual marriage didn’t have to take place until right before his coronation, but if Erik were engaged in the meantime, it might allay his father’s concerns so that he could recover. To accomplish that, Erik would do anything in his power.

He had had an understanding with Roberta for quite some time. After all, he had known all along that eventually he would have to choose a bride. For a number of reasons, he felt she would be suitable. She was not from Isle Anders, but that was not an issue; his father had himself married a girl from Maine. Erik had known Roberta for a long time. His father thought highly of her, as did everyone who knew her. She carried herself well in public and would be able to perform all the duties that went along with being queen someday.

Her manners were refined, impeccable. She wouldn’t cause him public embarrassment of any kind. Heiress to a multimillion-dollar fortune, she nevertheless stayed out of the headlines. Sophisticated and polished, she had the background and social graces to be the kind of hostess he would need for state dinners and other events. Cautious and restrained, she took life as it came, instead of rushing headlong out to meet it. With her he would find steady reliability, not breathless excitement.

Best of all, she was no more in love with him than he was with her, which made possible the only kind of marriage that he would consider—a marriage for duty. She had been in love, unrequited love, with a scoundrel who had strung her along mercilessly for years. But she had finally given up her vain hopes of marrying him. This morning she had accepted Erik’s proposal and his terms for their marriage. And once she had agreed, he had no doubt that she would do her duty, as he was doing his. She was a woman of her word.

As far as expediting the matter went, circumstances were in his favor. The ball would be the perfect place to take care of this business, although the announcement was a necessary evil as far as Erik was concerned.

He was by nature a private man. But the fact that he would publicly plight his troth would assure the king he meant business; and that, Erik hoped, would speed his father’s recovery.

After making a final check on the camera crew, Erik went up to his room to dress. Before he went downstairs, he placed a call.

“The king is unavailable,” the head nurse in his private wing informed Erik. “He’s resting up.”

“Is everything in place there?”

“All hooked up, they tell me,” she said.

“What did you tell the king?”

“Just what you told me to tell him, Your Highness. That you hoped he would enjoy watching the ball, even though he couldn’t attend, and that you were going to make an announcement at midnight that you thought he would be interested in.”

“Good. Now there’s just one more thing I’d like you to do.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he’s watching,” she promised.

Naturally Erik looked spectacular in a tux.

Julie greeted him when he came down the stairs. “I just want to make you aware, Your Highness, that the rumors are flying,” she said.

“Rumors?”

“That you will be announcing your engagement tonight.”

He swore under his breath, then apologized for it. “Where did you hear that?”

Julie pointed to the media crews gathered outside on the front lawn. The king allowed them limited access to the ball, in order to raise awareness for his charity.

And besides, most of those in attendance loved the exposure, not to mention the excitement and glamour of flash bulbs exploding in their faces as they got out of their limos.

Erik’s expression was grim. “How did they find out?”

“I don’t know,” Julie said, a little defensively.

“I didn’t mean that I thought you told them,” he said, impatiently. “I told you I trusted you.”

“At any rate, the rumors have reached your father,” she told him. “He called to ask me if I knew who his future daughter-in-law was.”

“And?”

“I told him that if you hadn’t told him yourself, it must not be any of his business,” Julie said simply.

She looked at Erik’s expression and couldn’t help smiling. “You don’t have to look so relieved. I thought you trusted me.”

“Looks like I had good reason to,” he said, giving her one of his rare smiles. “And the best part of it is, you didn’t even lie to him.”

“No, but I think he could tell I was dodging. The king knows I’d make a lousy liar.”

Outside, the first limousine drove up to the front entryway. “Did you decide where you will be receiving guests?” she asked him.

“Where you suggested, inside the ballroom.”

“I’ll make security aware of the expected traffic flow.”

“Fine,” he said. “By the way, I’m impressed with the way everything has fallen into place so smoothly, Julie.”

“Just doing my job, Your Highness.”

“If your jaw were clenched any tighter, Your Highness, the muscles in your cheeks would explode.”

Erik didn’t have to turn around to know who spoke. Gustave had been his father’s chef for years, and he had all the familiarity of a long-time employee who was a de facto member of the family. Gustave always managed to appear at these occasions as a guest, even though he was in charge of the food.

“Just doing my job as host. Making sure everyone is having a good time,” Erik said, eyes on the crowded ballroom before him.