Everly

I rub my fingers along the handwritten letter I found in my bag when I went to unpack. I must have read it a hundred times by now.

When we got home, my mom was already at work. I was dying to tell her about our trip and everything I saw, but then I’d have to tell her about why we’re back so soon, so I was glad to have the house to myself. My nerves got the best of me while I sat in my room alone, so I tried to keep myself busy by unpacking.

The note was folded and placed on the top of my things, making it impossible to miss. I knew it was from Sage, but butterflies swarmed through my body when I picked it up. As I opened it, I saw Sage’s neatly handwritten message.

Everly,

I used to daydream about a girl who sat by herself on the rocks. She was mysterious, mischievous, and she gave me hope. Thankfully, my dreams were never as amazing as the reality my life has become since you’ve entered it. Becoming king seemed like a curse to me until I had you by my side. Together we will be the change our country needs to make it what I know it can be. This fight is worth it because at the end is where we begin. All I need is for you to say yes.

Love always,

Sage

I run my fingers over where he wrote love always, remembering his smile as he kissed me goodbye when I hear a loud noise.

“Okay, please explain to me why I have to read about your possible engagement online, and where the hell have you been?” Jeannine asks as she bursts through my front door after fighting off the paparazzi.

I stand and run to hug her. “I know. I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you, but it all happened so fast, and then I was on a plane. It was spontaneous and so unexpected.” I cover my face with my hands, ashamed that my best friend in the world didn’t know before everyone else.

“That doesn’t explain where you’ve been, though. Believe me, I’ve heard every idea under the sun. So spill.”

“Jeannine, it was nothing you would ever expect. Sage is not like his family, nowhere near. They think they’re above doing any of the grunt work to make the world a better place, but not him. He took me to a remote village in Malawi where we built a maternity ward.”

“You were doing what?” she laughs.

“I know, right? It was amazing. Every part of it. The people were so nice, and the kids were something I’ll never forget. It was the best experience of my life.”

“So wait, you were building a maternity ward while I sat here worried off my ass that you ran away?” She sits down, exasperated by the last week’s events, I’m sure. “I came here in a frenzy, and your mom was so excited about him asking you that she said she forgot to even ask where you were going.” She laughs, shaking her head.

“I’m sorry. I never—”

“Whatever, I’m over it.” She shrugs. “Only because guess what I have?” she sings as she holds up a folded piece of paper.

“What is this?” I quickly grab the note, excited at the thought of what it could mean.

“Some hottie showed up at my place about a half hour ago, saying I needed to give you this and drive you to the location inside.”

“Did you read it?”

“No, and it’s killing me! Open it already!” She bounces up and down on the bed next to me like a giddy schoolgirl.

I slowly flip open the folds to show another handwritten note from Sage.

Keeping with our same theme,

I’ll get us to live this dream.

If I were a fly on the wall,

I’d finally see it all.

All I need for some change

Is a group to gather on the range.

My pulse races in excitement. “What’s going on at The Range today?” I ask Jeannine who already has her phone in her hand typing away.

“I’m on it.”

We sit in silence as she scrolls the website for an outdoor venue called The Range.

“Um… I don’t see anything actually,” she says, still searching for clues.

“Keeping with our same theme?” I question. “Ah, the band. Thousand Foot Krutch.”

I grab my phone, searching for their songs again. I laugh when I see a song called Fly on the Wall, and I show it to Jeannine.

“Hello! Press play!” she says.

The song starts off talking about kings and queens, and I laugh out loud. It’s not until I get to the chorus that it mentions being the change and my heart melts. This is Sage. He wants to be the change for this country and himself.

I sit and listen to the rest of the song when Jeannine lets out a scream.

“What in the world?” I ask, trying to calm my breathing from the shock I just endured.

“Look,” Jeannine says while forcing her phone in my face.

On the screen, I see a post from Sage himself, asking everyone to come out to The Range for a big surprise. The post has been shared over a thousand times and viewed by tens of thousands more with the comments at over seven hundred.

My grin brightens. “I guess we’re going to The Range,” we both announce at the same time.

I quickly put on some clothes and give myself a glance in the mirror before heading out. If I’ve learned anything about Sage, it’s that the simpler I dress, the bigger smile I receive when we meet, so I know my torn jeans and simple tee will be just fine.

We walk outside and are bombarded by people asking what’s going on and if we’re going to The Range. I finally turn around and respond, “What do you think?” Winking as I climb into the passenger seat of her car.

When we pull up, there are people everywhere. A motorcycle cop spots Jeannine’s car and tells us to follow him, giving us an escort through the crowd and into the venue’s parking lot. We drive straight to the front, and once we’re out of the car, Logan and Joey appear out of nowhere.

“What, no masks?” I tease, and they both laugh.

“Not today,” Logan says. “Follow us.”

We work our way through the gates that normally open to an empty field. To my surprise, a stage is set up in the middle of the field. People surround it on either end, waiting for whatever Sage has arranged.

Logan guides us through the swarm of bodies. Once we get to the stage, I see my guy sitting on the opposite side with a group of people. My breath catches in my throat as I drink him in. He looks so handsome and confident, so casual while he talks to the people around him like they are all his friends.

Logan whistles loudly and Sage turns, giving me the most shit-eating grin I’ve ever seen. Whatever is about to happen is big. My heart pounds with excitement.

He excuses himself from the group and walks across the stage to me. Holding out his hand, he silently asks me to join him. I turn to Jeannine who is ogling Logan. I laugh, knowing now what hottie she was talking about stopping by her house.

As Sage pulls me onto the stage, he hugs me tightly, whispering in my ear, “You ready?”

I chuckle. “Um, ready for what?”

“For change,” he says like it’s the most normal thing in the world.

I smile brightly as he pulls a microphone from his back pocket.

“Hello, Canterbury!” Sage yells into the microphone, getting everyone’s attention in a matter of seconds.

They scream their response, and he winks at me before turning back to them.

“I must say. I’m impressed you all showed up so quickly. I can’t thank you enough for coming out to support me on such short notice. You see. This had to be a bit of a surprise. I bet you’re wondering why, hmm?”

More screams fill the air, and I’m shocked to see him have such control over the large group.

“You all know that one day I’m going to be king, right?”

Everyone erupts with cheers, and he pulls the microphone to his heart, smiling at the crowd in awe.

“Well, if there’s one thing I want, it’s change. I’m sick of my family being out of touch and out of reality. I don’t want that anymore. I want to be involved and help the people of my country with more than just a photo op. And guess what?” He pauses again for dramatic effect, which he gets in waves of enthusiasm. “I’ve finally found my queen.” He holds his hand out to me, and I drop my head back in laughter at his dramatics. This man can be too much sometimes.

“There’s one issue though.” He pauses for more effect. “What you ask?” He holds up his finger like he has an idea coming. “My father doesn’t approve. Even though this beautiful, amazing woman meets all of the qualifications of this silly, royal rule we have to follow that my wife has to be born from a certain bloodline. Stupid, yes, but I guess it could be worse. I mean, guys, look at her. I can’t complain too much. But it’s not just her beauty”—he stares at me, holding out his hand to pull me closer—“she stole my heart, too.”

Hoots and hollers pierce the air and my eyes brim with tears when he leans in to kiss me tenderly before turning back to the crowd.

“So, you see, we kind of screwed up the last few weeks.” He rubs his hands through his hair before admitting, “A few times actually”—he chuckles to himself—“I’m here to say, I’m sorry. Yes, it was my fault the fire was started out at the stadium. I’m very thankful for Canterbury’s finest firefighters who were able to gain control before any real damage was done. I was trying to impress my future wife.” He stops mid-stride holding out his hand. “Gentlemen, this is your example of what not to do when trying to hook a female.” He smiles, winking at me while the crowd roars. “I will make that part right. I did the crime, I will do the time. I’m assigning myself one hundred hours of community service and will take whatever other punishment our fine judicial system works out for me. I will never hold myself above the law. I just tried to bend it here and there,” he jokes but corrects himself instantly, “Which was wrong, and I hope you all can forgive me.”

He holds his hand to his heart sincerely making all the girls swoon.

“Okay, back to the task at hand. For years, I searched for any loophole I could find in this archaic rule where I can’t marry who I choose. And not once did I think I would use all that time spent to actually help me marry within the bloodline. Yet, here I am. And I need your help.

“The law states that if I marry someone within the bloodline before my twenty-fifth birthday, I officially become king pupil”—he holds up his hands like he’s quoting what he just said—“I know, what the hell is that, right?” he quips, making everyone laugh with him.

“What that means is, I’m learning to be king, but I will hold forty percent of this land’s control. And yes, my father will hold sixty, so ultimately, he can say no to me marrying who I want, but,” he pauses for another dramatic effect holding up his hand again. “But, you all would have to agree with him and officially vote me out. And you wouldn’t do that, would you? Will you at least give me a chance and get to know me first? Would you allow me to prove my worth to be your king before you make any decisions?” He looks over the crowd, genuinely caring what everyone says.

When everyone screams, “Yes.” And, “We want change.” And, “You’ll be our king.”

He smiles brighter than I’ve ever seen and bows to them. He wants to be the people’s king, and this is his first step toward his goal.

“As my first step to win you over, I thought I would officially introduce you to my bride—hopefully your future queen—Miss Everly Stanley.”

The loud rumble coming from the crowd overtakes me. Sage wraps me in his arms, bends me backward, and kisses me for everyone to see. It’s hard to stop laughing through his lips, but this is all too much not to.

“There’s one more thing, though,” he says with a wink after he releases me and turns back to the people. “I have to marry her before my father goes to the court to banish me”—he holds his arm up to check at his watch for more dramatic effect—“which he said he would do an hour ago. But, they’re all eating right now and probably not going to meet until morning. So, how about we get married right now, with all of you as our witnesses.

“Oh, and there’s one small hurdle we still have to climb…” He gives me a shit-eating grin covering his face. “She has to say yes.”

I watch the crowd start to jump with joy, getting even louder than before. When I turn back to Sage, he’s down on one knee.

“Everly Stanley, would you make me the happiest king in training of this land by being my wife?”

I cover my mouth, wanting to cry, but I can’t stop smiling in disbelief at the spectacle he’s putting on. I nod my head, and he holds the microphone out for me to scream, “Yes!”

A clergyman approaches us as soon as the word leaves my mouth.

Sage whispers in my ear, “Thank God.” He kisses my head. “Are you okay with all of this?”

Tears well in my eyes as I kiss him and then say, “I’m more than okay. This is perfect.”

We stand, hand in hand, facing each other without a doubt in my mind that this is the best way to marry this crazy man that I’ve fallen hard for.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony,” the priest starts.

Sage interrupts. “You can skip the next part, we all know someone does object so let’s just move along. It’s better to make this short and sweet.”

I laugh, and the people join in.

“Do you, Everly Stanley, take Sage Stevinson to be your lawfully wedded husband?”

“I do,” I say through tears running down my face.

“Do you, Sage Stevinson take Everly Stanley to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“Hell yeah, I do,” he yells making the crowd holler again.

“By the power vested in me, by this wonderful country of Canterbury, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

Sage turns to me, engulfing me in his arms and kisses me for the first time as his wife. I hear the roar of the crowd around us, but they quickly become muffled. All I feel is the love that’s grown strong for this man.

When he places me back on my feet, he touches his forehead to mine whispering, “You ready?”

I smile. What else could he possibly have up his sleeve? “Ready for what?”

“To be the change. You and me. We'll change this little country. For the better. Together.”

I can’t help myself when I kiss him again, embracing the happiest moment of my life.