Page 98 of Regally Binding
“If not me, then who?” Liss glared at him. “And I have to honour my mum.”
“Would this make her happy?” he snapped.
Liss returned to look out the window. Strike eased the car back onto the road. “I’d best get you to the palace. You can’t be late today, of all days.”
As she exited the car at the palace, she hugged him and whispered in his ear, “Love hurts us all. You too, Strike. I hope one day you can be happy.”
Strike shrugged. “I hope you can be too. Take care of yourself. Thank you for everything.”
Liss gave him one last wave before skulking through the palace doors.
Liss sat in the chair, waiting for the highly sought-after make-up artist to finish her final touches. But Liss preferred Isla telling her to press her lipsticked lips together. They’d giggled for ages, applying make-up on the evening of the palace party.
That same evening, Bear had looked at her like she was worth more than all the gold in the world. Would she have flashes of him and how he made her feel forever?
“How are you, Liss?” Beatrice must have entered the room silently, or maybe Liss was too distracted. Beatrice’s hair was in an intricate low bun, and her natural make-up made her skin shine. Her teal dress, which gathered at the waist before the pleated fabric finished at the hem, highlighted her red hair. She was the picture of elegance in the semi-formal dress and would surpass Marianne as a style icon. Liss couldn’t emulate it even if she wanted to.
Liss shrugged as she caught the reflection of Beatrice’s eyes in the mirror. “I’m okay,” she replied, devoid of genuine emotion. In an attempt to get through the speech and the next hours, she’d attempted to shut down her emotions. But with each minute, her body was more difficult to regulate. She wouldn’t be able to keep her heart calm without bodyguards, without Bear. “At least I look okay.”
“What an understatement,” Beatrice quipped. Liss’s dark waves were pinned up, and her skin was without blemish. The make-up artist gave her smokey eyes and honeyed lips. “You’re beautiful.”
Liss offered a fake smile. “Thank you. How are you doing with everything?” She hoped the raise of her perfectly shaped eyebrows would convey her real question. After the drama, Beatrice’s pregnancy left her anxious.
“Can you give us a moment, please?” Beatrice asked the make-up artist.
Once alone, Liss exclaimed, “Are you and the baby alright?”
“The baby is fine.” Beatrice smiled softly. “And I spoke with Archibald this morning, and he’s jubilant about our news.”
Liss smiled genuinely, although it didn’t last long as the fears of giving her speech and spending the rest of her life on duty caused bile to fill her throat. Her head dropped, and she fisted her dress.
“Liss, I’m worried about you. You’ve been through so much recently, and although we don’t know each other well yet, your anxiety is streaming out of you. Is it the speech? I can tell Archibald to keep your moment brief.”
“It’s the speech, my future, and the realisation that I’ll be Queen one day. I’m not ready for any of this.” And to top it off, she’d lost the only man she felt something for.
Beatrice turned Liss’s rotating chair to the side to face her. She held her hands gently in hers. Her perfect French manicure reminded Liss of the shock of the make-up artist when she viewed Liss’s bitten and peeled nails. “You don’t have to be ready yet; being scared is okay. I was terrified when I married Gable with people watching and inevitable comments about how I wasn’t from an aristocratic background.”
Liss raised her head.
“Gable and I spent years preparing for our part in this family and learning how to behave. We know all the right things to say and do, but we don’t always get it right. I once ate what I thought was a delicacy, but it was a table dressing. We’re here for you, and we’ll help you. When we were prepared for duty, we expected we might be King and Queen one day because Alex didn’t want to be, but it means we can help you better. You have us no matter what, and we will be by your side when you need us.”
Liss forced a smile. It was a kind offer, and she would rely on both of them. But there was no sugar-coating it because, ultimately, Liss would serve alone. Her experience with Stevemade her doubt her friends’ motives in a way she never believed possible.
“Do you want this, Liss? If you could pick your future out of all the possible futures, is this what you imagine for yourself?” Parallel universes filled with dogs and feral cats on the edge of a beautiful lake distracted her, as did the memory of Bear’s face as he held her in the early hours.
“What I want isn’t an option. It’s for my mum.”
“Your mum would want you to be happy. How would she feel, seeing you right now? Everyone has a calling and purpose; some people know theirs early on, and some learn later, but you shouldn’t be unhappy because of expectations. I feel expectation, too, but I love meeting people and being a face for this family.”
Liss shrugged off the comments about her mum. It was easy for Beatrice to say what should be, but it didn’t stop the pull on Liss’s heart to do the right thing. “I have to do it for this country. It’s what I must do.”
The conversation stopped short as the King entered the room. His skin wore a little more colour, and although he wobbled against his stick, he carried more energy than the day before. The whispered talk in the palace was that the doctors were increasingly confident.
“Felicity, darling, you’re beautiful. Have you made your decision about our future? I’m delighted to introduce you to the world—well, those who didn’t see you in yesterday’s adventure.”
Liss nodded, keen to hide her emotions before the King.
“Capital news. I won’t ask you what you’ll say, because this is your decision, and I don’t want to bias you. But whatever you decide, you’ll always be part of my family.”