Page 31 of Falling for the Widowed Prince

EPILOGUE

In a few days, it would be their anniversary. The firsts over the past year had been harder than Anthony could have imagined. Technically, it wasn't the first Christmas without Caroline, but in a lot of ways it felt like it. The year before had been filled with political maneuvering and getting married to Maddie. They'd enjoyed a low-key Christmas with her parents joining them at the palace. This year would be similar, though a few others would join them.

Given what he knew about Maddie, it shouldn't have surprised him that her parents immediately claimed his children as their grandchildren - and he knew it had nothing to do with their royal status.

They'd never even decorated the tree the year before. He'd enjoyed it with just lights on it, but his children had insisted they needed to go back to fully decorated.

In the new room he now shared with Maddie, they had one with just colored twinkle lights. When he came in the room not long after the staff in charge of decorating had started their work, they’d been almost offended when he asked them to take the ornaments off.

While he and Maddie shared a room now, and occasionally a bed, it had come from necessity rather than a conscious choice due to a change in how they felt about each other. They'd both been quite ill at the same time. Nothing overly serious, but fever and chills and it was much easier for someone to take care of them when they were in the same room - but not the Monarch’s Suite. Often he fell asleep in the recliner moved into their new room, though those nights were becoming fewer and farther between. If he fell asleep on the bed first, Maddie often slept on the couch in her dressing room, something he knew she'd requested for just that reason.

Maybe one day, soon even, that would come to an end.

"What are you thinking about?" Maddie flopped into the chair she'd chosen for her own. "Issy is finally asleep."

A sure sign Maddie had been accepted as part of the family came in the form of his children preferring her for bedtime routines at least a couple of times a week. Often they split the duties, but occasionally one or more children had a preference.

"Thank you for taking care of her tonight."

She smiled at him before yawning and pulling the quilt tightly around her. "It's why I'm here. Part of it anyway. I love that little girl."

"And she loves you."

"Something on your mind?" She reworded her question.

"Thinking."

"Sounds dangerous."

The humor in her voice had the desired effect and made him laugh.

Her tone turned more serious. "What have you been thinking about? Is the Council being stupid again?" Her brows pulled together, and her head tilted slightly. "Still? Is the Council being stupid still?"

"No more than usual. As an advisory member of the Council for a number of years, I already knew they would be. Fortunately, some of the terms are coming to an end early next year. That should help as they're replaced." He extended the footrest on his recliner and cross his ankles.

"Then what?"

When he'd arrived in their room, the lights had already been off except for the tree. He'd left them that way. It had the added benefit of being able to see through the window and watch the lights below. It gave him a minute to gather his thoughts. He probably should have made sure he was clear on them himself before broaching the subject with Maddie.

"Do you remember our first conversation sitting here? Well, in these chairs in front of the window in the other suite." Maybe he could ease into it.

In the window he could see her reflection, superimposed over the outside world, nod slowly.

"I do." She had to be wondering where he was headed.

"You said that we could be happy and content as friends and companions and co-parents."

"I did."

He knew her well enough now to detect the hint of fear in her response. He needed to allay that fear quickly. "You also said that someday, maybe, it could turn into something more."

"I did."

The fear toned down slightly, but he didn't hear any hope in there.

Yet.

"What if I said I thought I was ready for things to change?"

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