Page 3 of Happily Ever After
I approached the busiest card table, stumbling slightly as if tipsy. “Oh my! Is that a royal guard?” I gasped, pointing toward the door.
The effect was instantaneous. Half the patrons dived under tables while others scrambled to hide evidence of their gambling. In the confusion, Rosalind deftly switched several players’ cards while Laurel “accidentally” spilled drinks across the table.
We slipped out during the ensuing uproar, running down the narrow street until we collapsed against a wall, breathless with laughter.
“Did you see his face?” Rosalind wheezed. “When he realized he suddenly had four kings?”
“Or when that merchant found himself holding nothing but twos?” Laurel’s giggles bubbled up, freer than I’d ever heard before my time travel.
“Well, well. I wondered where you’d disappeared to.”
We froze. Prince Anderic leaned against the wall beside the inn’s entrance, arms crossed, golden curls catching the late afternoon light. Despite his relaxed posture, his eyes held that dangerous glint I knew too well.
“Your Highness!” Laurel dropped into a curtsy so fast she nearly toppled over.
“We were just—” Rosalind began.
“Causing a riot in the city’s most notorious gambling den?” Anderic finished, his lips twitching. “Very traditional pre-wedding activity.”
I lifted my chin. “I was introducing my friends to the cultural landmarks of our fair city.”
“Of course you were.” He straightened, his height more imposing up close. “Lady Rosalind, Laurel, I’ll escort Lady Ilyana from here. Please return to the palace—the queen was asking about your whereabouts.”
My companions exchanged glances before curtseying again. Rosalind whispered, “Good luck,” as they departed, leaving me alone with my golden prince.
“Am I in trouble, Your Highness?” I asked sweetly.
“Breaking the law mere days before our wedding?” Anderic took my hand, tucking it into the crook of his arm. “I believe that warrants punishment.”
“The dungeons?”
“Worse.” His dimples appeared. “A private dinner with me.”
His “punishment” turned out to be a boat on the Calista lake, lanterns casting golden light across the water as the moon rose. We reclined on cushions while palace servants rowed us gently across the still water.
“This hardly seems punitive,” I observed, sipping wine.
“Wait until we discuss seating arrangements for the wedding feast.” Anderic’s eyes crinkled. “That’s the true punishment.”
I laughed, leaning against his shoulder. “What do you want to do after all this wedding madness is over?”
“Sleep for a week.” He brushed a strand of hair from my face. “Then perhaps show my wife the coastal estate my mother loved. The cliffs there turn golden at sunset.”
“That sounds perfect.” I imagined us there, away from court politics and responsibilities. “What about children? How many are you hoping for?”
His eyes softened. “Two, perhaps three. A boy with your striking eyes and sharp tongue.”
“And I want a girl with your golden curls and dimples, but my brains,” I countered. “We can’t have her inheriting your intellect—the kingdom couldn’t handle two of you plotting together.”
“Says the woman who just orchestrated chaos at Meadows Inn for amusement.” His fingers traced my jawline. “Our children will be terrifying regardless of whose attributes they inherit.”
“Terrifyingly perfect,” I murmured as his lips found mine.
The kiss deepened, his hands tangling in my hair as mine explored the firm planes of his chest. The boat rocked gently as we lost ourselves in each other, my body arching toward his as his fingers slipped beneath the simple fabric of my borrowed dress.
“Your Highness!” Lennox’s voice shattered the moment. “I’ve found you at last!”
I pulled back, breathless and disheveled. “You snuck out too?”
