Page 68 of Mistaken as His Royal Bride

Maddi bit her lip. ‘I’m so sorry... I did trust you. I just didn’t trust myself.’ They looked at each other for a long moment, and then Maddi said, ‘What if I hadn’t come today?’

‘Then I probably would have stayed miserable and angry for another week, or maybe even a month, but eventually I would have realised I was losing the best thing that ever happened to me.You.’

Maddi jumped into Ari’s arms, wrapping hers around his neck, taking him by surprise and propelling him backwards. They lost balance and fell back onto the floor. They landed with anoof.

Maddi was plastered to Ari’s front. She lifted her head. ‘I’m sorry, are you okay?’

Ari winced. ‘My back might be broken, but I don’t care.’

He demonstrated that he was fine by shifting them so that she was on her back under him and he was over her. She twined her arms around his neck again.

‘Do you really mean it? Are you sure you’re not confusing emotion with sex?’

He smirked. ‘Don’t patronise me, Maddi. This is a once-in-a-lifetime love. I might not have asked for it, but I’m here for it.’

‘Me too.’ She smiled tremulously and reached up, pressing her mouth to Ari’s. He kissed her back, hard and passionate, snaking his arm under her back to arch her into his chest. She spread her legs so that he fell into the cradle of her hips, and she could feel his body responding to hers.

He stopped the kiss and Maddi opened blurry eyes. Ari was taking something out of his pocket. The engagement ring. She’d left it behind.

He said, ‘I’ve been carrying this around since you left it behind. Taking it out...looking at it...cursing you for making me into someone I didn’t recognise.’ He shook his head. ‘And I’ve been having dreams—’

‘Me too!’ said Maddi. ‘Crazy dreams, where I can’t find you.’

Ari looked down at her, and his face was filled with something that made Maddi’s heart sing. Emotion andlove.

He took her hand and put the ring back on her finger. ‘Well, now we’ve found each other again,’ he said. ‘I don’t want to ever lose you, Maddi. I would die.’

‘Me too. I love you, Ari.’

He kissed her palm and then pulled her up to sit, and then stand. He got down on one knee in front of her, still holding her hand. Maddi’s hair was dishevelled, and she wore no make-up, and she was dressed in athleisure wear. But she couldn’t care less.

‘Maddi Smith...Princess Maddi...would you please do me the honour of becoming my wife and Queen of Santanger?’

A tiny sliver of fear made her shiver. She hated herself for it, but she had to ask... ‘What if I can’t do it, Ari? I hardly know how to be a princess... I don’t want to let you down.’

Ari stood up and cupped her face in his hands. ‘You will be the perfect queen for me and for Santanger. You proved that within just two weeks. The people love you. I love you. You can do anything you want. This is your destiny, and I want everyone to seeyouand know how amazing you are.’

Maddi melted all over. ‘Thank you,’ she whispered. ‘That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.’

He got down on one knee again. ‘Now, can you please answer the question? Will you marry me?’

Maddi nodded, her eyes swimming with tears. ‘Yes, please. I’d like that a lot.’

Ari stood up and cupped her face in his hands and kissed her, long and slow and thorough. Then he picked her up and carried her through the palace to his rooms—their rooms—and showed her exactly how much he loved her with his body and his whispered words.

As dawn broke outside, many hours later, they were both awake, still revelling in the amazingness of being together and in love. Pledging their lives to each other for ever.

Maddi tilted her head back and looked at Ari. ‘What if I hadn’t been related to Princess Laia...? What if I’d just been a regular person?’

Ari came up on one elbow and looked at her. He smiled. ‘I’d already instructed my staff to look up the constitution and see how it might be possible for me to marry you.’

Maddi sat up. ‘You had? When?’

Ari pulled her back down to his chest. ‘The day of the garden party.’

‘Oh, my...’

Maddi’s heart swelled in her chest. Any lingering doubts or fears were well and truly gone.