Page 124 of The Wrong Royal

I couldn’t help but admire how relaxed and carefree she appeared when she was away from the constraints of her parents. This was the Emilie I had hoped to see more of. The one I was going to keep working to bring out until the stiff, uptight Emilie was only trotted out for a few formal events.

During a break in the game, Emilie turned to me, a smile on her face. “Thank you for bringing me here. This is incredible.”

I grinned at her, feeling content. “It’s my pleasure.”

As we made our way out of the stadium, Emilie leaned against me. “Today was amazing. I can’t thank you enough for this experience.”

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “I want to show you a world filled with genuine moments just like this one.”

She smiled up at me, and for a moment, it felt as if the world had faded away, leaving only the two of us. As we walked hand in hand, I knew that our match was one of the rare few. We were going to have love.

I glanced over at Emilie, who was still smiling. She had taken off the hat and let her hair down. The wind blew through her hair, giving her a wild look. While we were stopped at a light, I noticed the necklace she seemed to wear a lot.

“Emilie, I couldn’t help but notice the necklace,” I said. “I’ve seen it with every dress you’ve worn during the Wed season. Is there a special significance to it? I notice you often play with it when you’re daydreaming.”

She touched the delicate pendant that hung around her neck. She seemed pleasantly surprised that I had noticed. “You have quite the eye. It’s a family heirloom, a rose quartz pendant that belonged to my great-grandmother. She used to tell me that rose quartz was the stone of love and compassion. Unconditional love. It was kind of our thing. She was always giving me gifts that had rose quartz.”

I listened intently, intrigued by the story behind the necklace. “So, you wear it to remind yourself of her and the values she cherished?”

Emilie nodded, a small smile gracing her lips. “Exactly. My great-grandmother was a wise woman. She believed that love was the most important thing in life. When I found out I was being matched, I insisted all of my outfits for the season incorporate rose quartz. It’s my way of remembering her and the love she showed me. I’ll admit, I wasn’t feeling very loved when I was thrust into the Wed season.”

I could sense the sadness in Emilie’s voice, and I wanted to make her feel loved. I took her hand in mine and looked deep into her eyes. “Emilie, you are loved. You are cherished and adored, not just by your great-grandmother.”

“Thank you.”

“I like the rose quartz,” I said. “It’s pretty. It’s subtle and it’s perfect for you.”

Emilie smiled at my words and squeezed my hand. “Thank you, that means a lot to me.”

A moment of silence passed between us as we both gazed into each other’s eyes. I felt a magnetic connection between us, and I knew that I wanted to be the one to make her feel loved.

Before I could say anything else, Emilie leaned in and kissed me on the lips. It was a soft, gentle kiss, but it was enough to set my heart racing.

A horn blared, startling both of us before we burst into laughter.

“Oops,” she said, giggling.

“Welcome to America,” I said with a sigh. “Patience isn’t really our thing.”

50

EMILIE

It was the last day I got to spend doing nothing before it was back to my duties and then back home. I loved it in America and wasn’t ready to leave. The only thing that got me out of bed was the fact I was going to meet the whole Ashford clan today.

Dana had planned a day at the beach for all of us. I couldn’t wait to see the whole family together. The last couple of days, Theo and I were busy exploring and spending time together, and there was no time to hang out with them.

I quickly dressed in my bikini with the shorts and cover-up I bought yesterday on my shopping adventure with Theo. Astrid came into the room wearing her own beach attire. She had gotten a little coloring from all her time outdoors since we’d landed in South Carolina.

“I don’t know if I want to leave,” she said, sighing.

“Me either.”

“But hopefully there will be lots of visits,” Astrid said, grinning.

It was nothing short of chaos as I was introduced to the rest of the family I had not met. It was loud and everyone was talking at once. I was hugged and welcomed to the family by each of them. It was overwhelming to be welcomed so enthusiastically. Overwhelming in the best way.

Theo, Jack, Astrid, and I rode in his car while the others carpooled. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend my last day in the US. It was a perfect day. The sun was high with only a few clouds. It was very, very warm.