Chapter 17: Carrie
“Don’t look now, but he’s coming this way.”
I took a sip of my champagne, rolling my eyes as Jeanie’s started to bug out of her head. “I told you that you shouldn’t have slept with him! I mean couldn’t you just appease him until we are wheels up in a few days?”
“Not him,” Jeanie said under her breath, her eyes still focused over my head. “Erik. He’s coming this way.”
I swallowed and placed my glass on the table beside us, wondering what on earth Erik was going to do once he passed by. Would he give me a look that would lead to the promise of tomorrow or would he ignore me, reminding me of the deep chasm that was between us now? Either way, I would have to keep my hands to myself. That had been drilled into my head far too much.
“Carrie.”
I turned at the sound of his voice, my heart doing a pitter patter against my chest as I looked at the new king. Erik was still there in front of me, but there was a challenge in his eyes, one that I was certain would be there to stay. I was so unbelievably proud of him and wanted nothing more than to pull him into my arms and kiss him until we were both coming up for air.
But I wasn’t allowed to, and he wasn’t even allowed to be speaking to me. “Your majesty,” I said, dropping into a curtsy. “Congratulations.”
He reached out with his hand. “Come on, dance with me.”
“Erik,” I hissed as people started to look our way. “What are you doing?”
He grinned, and my knees weakened. “I’m breaking the rules and making up my own. Dance with me, please.”
I bit my lip, feeling Jeanie prod me with her elbow. Why was he doing this? He couldn’t start his reign as a rule breaker! “Come on Carrie,” he coaxed. “Don’t stand up a king. It’s bad for our image.”
I burst into laughter. There was the Erik I loved. “Fine but it’s your crown.”
“I’ll survive,” he chuckled, pulling me out onto the dance floor and into his arms. “Besides, everyone else can go hang themselves. I only wish to spend time with you.”
“Careful,” I warned as he spun me around to the tune of the music. “Word might get out that you have a favorite. Can’t be good for your image.”
He leaned close, and I ceased to breathe. “I love you.”
I stumbled against him as his words cut through me like a knife. “W-what?” Surely, I hadn’t heard him right.
The smile on his face melted into something tender, something that any girl could only hope to see in their lifetime. “I said I love you. You have made me feel much more than just a member of the royal family. You humble me, Carrie, and push me to think of my life, of myself as something more than just the crown.”
“Erik,” I whispered, tears clogging my throat. “I-I love you too.”
“Whew,” he answered, his eyes twinkling. Despite what was going on around us, I felt like there was just the two of us, my heart overflowing the happiness. “Now all I have to do is give you a reason to stay.”
“Erik,” I started for another reason as he released me, the music halting immediately as the king did something quite unorthodox. He dropped to one knee in the middle of the dance floor. “What are you doing?”
Reaching into his pocket, he held up a box to me. “I’m giving you a reason to stay.”
Tears crowded my eyes as I realized he was proposing to me. The king of Maltan is asking me to be his queen, just a girl from the city with no royal blood, no ties to any political or monetary things that could help his reign.
He just wanted me.
“I’ve waited to do this for a while now,” he said, opening the box. “But it seems like we keep getting interrupted I’ve decided to pick my own time to do so. Carrie Wallace, will you consent to be my wife, my queen, the mother of my children?”
Gasps went up around us both as I stared down at the diamond nestled against the black velvet, a tear escaping down my cheek. “A-are you sure?”
He nodded, looking up at me. “I’ve never been surer of anything in my entire life. I would give up my crown if it meant for you to be my wife.”
“Oh, please don’t do that,” I choked out, launching myself at him. He caught me easily and pulled me against his body, pressing a kiss against my neck. “What do you say?” he asked. “Are we just causing a scene, or can I go down in history as a successful rule breaker?”
“Yes,” I sobbed, not caring that tears were messing up my makeup, pressing my face into his uniform. “I will marry you.”
Applause broke out around us as Erik pulled away to slide the ring on my finger, pressing a kiss right above it. “This was my mother’s,” he said softly, bowing over it. “I hope it brings us the same happiness.”
I looked at him, my eyes shining with happiness that I could barely contain. “I have no doubt it will.”
***
One week later, I followed Jeanie out to the tarmac, where the private jet was primed and ready to depart back to New York.
But this time it would only be taking one of us.
She handed off her bag to the flight attendant and turned toward me, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “I really do not want to leave.”
“Don’t,” I urged, feeling the loss already. “Erik said he could have someone pack up the apartment for us. You can stay here and never go back.”
Jeanie gave me a small smile, sliding her sunglasses on so I wouldn’t see her eyes. “Won’t you miss it at all Carrie?”
I nodded, knowing I would be lying to say that I wouldn’t. “Of course. I’m going to miss the city, the hotel, everything.”
“But you are happy here,” she finished for me. “And you should be. Erik is a doll, and he loves you very much. God, I can’t believe that my best friend will be queen someday. That has to look good on some sort of resume.”
I laughed, already missing her even though she had yet to leave. “Please hurry back. I need for you to hurry back.”
“Maybe I will come with your parents in another month,” Jeanie replied with a sigh. “I mean it will take me that long to pack up your shit.”
I reached out and pulled her into a hug, the tears flowing down my cheeks. “Thank you for everything. I couldn’t, you have been the best friend any girl could ask for.”
“I love you too,” she replied, patting me on the back. “Keep the fort down here. Tell Liam I will be back as soon as I can.”
“I will,” I answered as she released me and walked up the steps into the jet, not even looking back. I blew out a breath and turned back to the car, wishing she wasn’t going at all. The last week had been crazy enough settling into the role of the king’s fiancée. Jeanie was the only link to my former life, though she clearly had enjoyed the perks of being the future queen’s bestie.
Now I had an entirely new wardrobe, a fabulous ring, and my own personal assistant. My suite was still available should I get mad at the king, but I spent most of the time in Erik’s. We had recently started talking about remodeling the family suite to make way for whatever the future brought.
Oh, and I had the king of Maltan in my bed.
The door was opened as soon as I approached it and I slid into the cool interior, my heart heavy as I watched Jeanie’s jet start down the runway, gliding into the air and taking my best friend back to the states.
“Everything good?”
I turned and looked at Erik, who was watching me for any signs of major meltdown. Last night I had cried on his shoulder to the point that he had gone to the kitchen and gotten that carton of ice cream. “No, I’m fine. I’m just, I’m going to miss her.”
He handed me his handkerchief, and I wiped my eyes as the car started back to the palace. “I know this is difficult for you Carrie. Are you certain you did not want to accompany her?”
I looked over at him, surprise filtering through my body. “You would let me go?”
He nodded, a tender smile on his face. “Of course, I would if it made you happy to do so. With a hundred guards as an escort and a laptop so you could skype me every waking second of the day, but yes I would let you go if you really wanted to.”
I laughed, my body warming at his attempt at a jest. It was one of the many reasons I loved this man. “No, I don’t want to go. I couldn’t leave you for more than a day, tops.”
“Good,” he said, capturing my hand in his, rubbing his thumb over the ring on my finger, the one that he had put there. Our engagement had turned the gala on its ear, and while there were some that questioned the king’s choice in a bride, I was accepted for the most part.
It did help that the former king touted my wonderful abilities and how much I loved his son.
I couldn’t believe, still, how much I loved the man beside me. I had given up everything for this relationship, and it had paid off big time. I woke up every morning next to him and went to bed every night with him at my side. Erik, not wishing to keep anything from me, included me in all his plans for the future and I was quickly learning and falling in love with this country that I would someday help rule. My life had taken such a massive turn the last month, and it was hard to believe that it had only been a month ago when I had touched down on that very tarmac I was just standing on, my thoughts full of trepidation of where this relationship was going to end up at.
Never would I have imagined I would be engaged to this wonderful, gorgeous man who made me deliriously happy.
“So,” Erik said as we rode through the streets of Maltan. “Have you thought of a wedding date?”
“Ready to make this thing official?” I teased, surprised that he would be thinking of a wedding so soon.
He brought my hand up to his lips, kissing the back of it lightly. “I want nothing more than to make it official.”
I sighed happily and leaned my head on his broad shoulder. “Then I shall start planning.”
“Good. I love you.”
“I love you too.”