Page 52 of Once Upon a Royal Summer
Lacey took a deep inhale. “The view up here is incredible.”
“It is, isn’t it?” Henry’s smile went bittersweet. “I guess I take it for granted sometimes. This is where the royal family gathers for big public appearances and national holidays. When my mother gives her Christmas Eve address, the square below is always packed with people carrying small white candles. It’s a sight to behold.”
“That sounds almost too beautiful to imagine,” Lacey said, stopping herself before she went so far as to say she wished she could see it someday.
She had no clue if she’d ever set foot in Bella-Moritz after this trip was over. Doubtful, probably. But she couldn’t bring herself to think about that right now. She just wanted to enjoy the moment before it was over. Ian and Ava were somewhere looking around the palace grounds, and Rose was preparing for her riding lesson. Lacey was getting to spend some rare alone time with Henry, and she definitely didn’t want to spoil it by thinking about how soon it would end.
“I didn’t bring you up here for the view, though.” Henry’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “I thought I’d teach you the proper royal wave.”
Laughter bubbled up Lacey’s throat. “What?”
“You schooled me on theme park royal behavior.” He shrugged. “The way I look at it, turnabout is fair play.”
Lacey had a sudden flashback to when he’d first invited her to the ball. It had been such a surprise, and the look on his face had been so ardent as fireworks had lit up the night sky.
“We’ve danced in your castle. It seems only fair that we should dance in mine.”
The man was far too charming for his own good. She wanted to believe it was simply an occupational hazard, but it was getting harder and harder to pretend she wasn’t developing feelings for Henry. Feelings that had nothing to do with being just friends.
She did her best imitation of a proper royal wave, keeping her fingers glued together and swiveling her hand at the wrist. Wasn’t this how the queen of England always did it?
Henry shrugged. “Not too bad.” But his mouth twisted into a telltale smirk.
“Okay, Prince Charming.” She gave him a playful shove. “Give me the tutorial.”
He spent the next twenty minutes teaching her to wave like a princess. From there, they moved on to the mews, where the royal stables were located. Lacey went giddy when Henry had one of the grooms arrange for her to ride in a real horse-drawn carriage. They made a few small passes though the courtyard, clip-clopping at a moderate pace. Afterward, he showed her how to wield a ceremonial sword and perform an accolade ceremony.
“I have to admit I’ve never heard of an ‘accolade ceremony’ before,” Lacey said as she examined the sword’s narrow silver blade. It felt like it weighed about ten times more than the fake ones the knights in shining armor at Once Upon A Time carried.
“It’s more commonly known as a dubbing ceremony.” Henry dropped to his knees in front of her. “It’s how you make someone a knight or a dame.”
Lacey felt her eyes go wide. “That sort of thing still happens? I thought it was just for medieval times.”
“Still happens. Right here, in this very room.” He lifted his arms, gesturing at the red silk brocade walls and heavy crimson curtains in the long, narrow receiving hall where he’d taken her. In its own way, the palace was like a fun house. There was something new and different around every corner.
“Wow,” she said, and as gently as she could, she lifted the sword and tapped the blade against one of Henry’s shoulders and then the other. “I dub thee Henry…”
Prince of my heart.
He smiled at her and rose to his feet, and suddenly he was so close. Too close. They’d been having such a fun, goofy time all afternoon, but underneath all the flirty banter, there was a new sense of tenderness between them. At times, Lacey wanted to close her eyes and just lean into it, but then she’d remember who they both were. She and Henry were like flip sides of a coin—so similar, so familiar, but different in a way that meant they’d never meet on the same side.
“You’ve gone quiet on me,” he murmured, brushing a loose strand of hair from her eyes.
Longing wound its way around her heart.
“I was just thinking about how all of this is kind of like a mirror image of your trip to Florida—the castle, the ball, a colorful world steeped in so much history. Except everything at Once Upon A Time is pretend, obviously.” Lacey blew out a breath. “And here, it’s real.”
Henry cupped her cheek with one of his warm, strong hands and tilted her face upward, prompting her to look him in the eye.
And there was nothing pretend about the affection she saw shining in the depths of his beautiful eyes. Forget-me-not blue.
Lacey’s heart beat as fast as a hummingbird’s wings.
I couldn’t forget this man if I tried, and it has nothing at all to do with his royal status.
“Oh, princess,” he said. “Don’t you know by now? It’s all been real to me.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
