Ean sauntered over next, looking quite pleased. “Stunning, Eadlyn. Absolutely stunning.”
“Thanks. You don’t look so bad yourself.”
“True,” he said, smirking. “Very true.”
He positioned himself behind me. “I haven’t gotten to thank you yet. Both for your pardon and your discretion.”
“You and I always got by on minimal communication. I knew you were thankful.”
“I’d been preparing myself for a life of disappointment,” he admitted, his tone the closest to nervousness I’d ever heard it. “To consider that anything else is possible feels unreal. I’m not quite sure how to move forward.”
“Just live.”
Ean smiled at me, kissed my forehead, and moved to the side.
After Ean it was Kile’s turn, and he barreled across the set, making me scream when he scooped me up and spun me around.
“Put me down!”
“Why? Because you’re queen? I’ll need a better reason than that.”
He finally stopped, facing the camera, and I knew we were both grinning like idiots. These pictures would be a completely different kind of spectacular.
“I nearly killed myself stepping on that cape,” he said. “Fashion is deadly.”
“Don’t say that to Hale,” I commented.
“Say what to me?” Hale said as they switched places.
“That fashion can kill.” Kile straightened his suit as he walked.
“Hers could. You look amazing,” he said, embracing me.
“Thanks so much for your help this morning. Everything held together.”
“Of course it did. Did you doubt my skills?” he teased.
“Never.”
I stood back so we could take a few pictures with our faces showing, though I couldn’t wait to see the ones of us embracing.
Finally it was Henri’s turn, and his smile alone was enough to make this long day feel short. He stopped a few steps away from me and took a deep breath.
“You are look very beautiful. I am happy for you.”
My hand flew to my mouth, so moved. “Henri. Thank you! Thank you so much!”
He shrugged. “I trying.”
“You’re doing great. Really.”
He nodded and came over to me, gently turning me away from him. Then he walked around to move my cape so it fluttered around from behind me, and he came to the other side, placing his hands on my waist, standing proudly just over my shoulder.
It was clear he had put a lot of thought into how he wanted to be perceived in this portrait, and I admired that. When the photographer was done, Henri began to walk away, then paused.
“Umm, entä Erik?” he said, pointing to his friend.
Kile caught on and was in full agreement. “Yeah, Erik’s been through this, too. He needs to get up there.”
Erik simply shook his head. “No, I’m fine. It’s fine.”
“Go on, man, it’s just a picture.” Kile pushed him a little, but he still didn’t move.
Part of me worried that somehow, everyone would be able to hear my pulse beating out his name if he got any closer. But as hard as I’d worked to avoid him the last few days, it was just as challenging not to run to him now.
I walked over to him. And when he realized I was on my way, his gaze flew up to mine. In an instant, everything in the room came alive. Like the sunshine had a melody and the sounds of footsteps had a texture I could feel in my fingertips each time anyone moved.
The world woke up when I looked at him.
I stopped in front of Erik, hoping I didn’t look as dazzled as I felt. “I’m not commanding. I’m asking.”
He sighed. “That makes it a thousand times worse.” Smiling, he put his hand in mine, but before I could pull him onto the stage, he looked down at himself. As soon as the ceremony had ended, he’d taken off his suit jacket and was now only wearing a vest and tie. “Now I’m underdressed,” he lamented.
I sighed and unbuttoned the snaps holding the cape to my dress. The second I held it out, Hale came to carefully take it away. “Does that help?”
“No.” He swallowed. “But if you truly want this . . .”
“I do.” I tilted my head and playfully batted my lashes.
He laughed, clearly realizing he was defeated. “What do I do?”
“Okay.” I grinned, stepping closer. “Put this hand here,” I said, placing the front one on my waist. “And this one here,” pulling the other up to my shoulder. I put one hand on his chest and the other looped behind his arm, and we stood there in a loose embrace. “Now smile at the camera.”
“All right,” he said.
With my hand on his chest, I could feel his heart pounding. “Calm down,” I said quietly. “Pretend it’s just you and me.”
“I can’t.”
“Then, I don’t know, say something in Finnish.”
He chuckled to himself and whispered, “Vain koska pyysit, hauska nainen.” Though I couldn’t understand the words he continued to murmur, I knew I would never be able to forget his tone. Without looking up at him, I could hear his smile, which only made mine brighter. I had to remind myself to breathe, I was so busy listening to him. I knew in my heart these were important words. And I couldn’t recognize a single one.
“That was a good one,” the photographer said, and almost instantly Erik dropped his hands.
“See? Was that so awful?” I asked.
“I thought it would be much, much harder,” he confessed, and there was something funny in his voice, like I’d missed a detail.
I could hear it again, the rat tat tat of my foolish heart. I swallowed, ignoring it and turning instead to the footsteps echoing as they entered the hall.
“Marid,” I called in greeting.
“I’m sorry to intrude, but I couldn’t help myself. Is there any way I could get an official picture with my new queen?” Marid asked.
“Of course.” I extended a hand, and he walked over, happily taking it.
“The country is abuzz,” he told me. “I don’t know if you’ve been hearing reports today, but the coverage is very positive.”
“I haven’t had a second to pause and look,” I confessed as he held both of my hands affectionately and faced the camera.
“No need. You have people at your beck and call to report it all later. I’m just happy to be the first to tell you that your inaugural day is going beautifully.”
He squeezed my hand, and I sighed, thinking that maybe, finally, it was all coming together.
CHAPTER 22
I DRANK CHAMPAGNE AND LAUGHED too loudly and ate half my body weight in chocolate. Just for a few hours, I wanted to revel in the ridiculous opulence I’d always taken for granted. Tomorrow I would sip w
ater and get my head straight. Tomorrow I would worry about how to keep my country together. Tomorrow I would think about husbands.
But tonight? Tonight I was going to bask in this perfect, sparkling moment.
“One more dance?” Ahren asked, catching me mid-sip in what I swore was my last drink. “I have a flight to catch, but I wanted to say good-bye.”
I stood, taking his hand. “I’ll take whatever good-bye I can get. Anything will be better than last time.”
“I’m still sorry about that, but you know why I couldn’t.”
We locked form, and he spun me around the room. “I do. That didn’t make it any easier though. Add that to everything else that’s going on, and life’s been a little harsh without you here.”
“I’m sorry. But you’re doing very well, better than you think, I’d wager.”
“We’ll see. I still have to establish my government, make sure Mom and Dad slow down, and find someone to marry me.”
He shrugged. “So, basically nothing.”
“It’s practically a vacation.”
He chuckled. Oh, how I had missed that sound. “I’m sorry if my letter was harsh. Mom and Dad wanted to protect you, but I was afraid that not knowing where you stood might actually cripple you.”
“It wasn’t easy to read, but it’s come up again and again. I really should have known. If I hadn’t been so self-centered—”
“You were trying to shield yourself,” he said quickly, cutting me off. “You are doing something no one else in this country has ever done. Of course you found ways to make it easier.”
I shook my head. “Dad has been exhausted. Mom has never slowed down. You were in love, and I tried to talk you out of it. There’s a word for what I am, but I’m too much of a lady to say it.”
He laughed out loud at that, and I caught several eyes looking our way, most noticeably Camille’s. I’d wanted to be mad at her, this girl who’d done everything I was trying to do but ten times better, this girl who’d taken away my twin. But it was clear how happy she was to see us reunited.
I still didn’t understand how she’d mastered everything so easily, how she seemed to maintain being a leader and a girl without effort. I worried that, as perfect as this day was, it wouldn’t last.