Page 41 of Once Upon A Royal Christmas
Gracie abruptly closed her mouth. Her face went so hot that she fully expected the snow flurries swirling around her to sizzle when they landed on her cheeks.
“Please don’t stop.” Nick smiled, and his eyes crinkled in a way that seriously tugged at Gracie’s heart. “That was beautiful.”
Gracie shook her head. She couldn’t manage to form words, much less sing. “I…I…”
Nick continued the verse. He tried, anyway. But his voice was comically off-key.
So he’s human, after all.
Gracie cleared her throat to keep from laughing. Then she remembered that she wasn’t supposed to be amused by someone she disliked so much, so she crossed her arms and glowered at him. “What are you doing here?”
“The same thing you are, I imagine.” He glanced at the maze of trees. “Engaging in a little Christmas cheer.”
“I didn’t think cheer was your specialty,” she retorted.
The happy crinkles near the corners of his eyes promptly vanished. “Right. Because I’m a beast.”
“Sorry. That was mean. I’m sure you love Christmas cheer.” Gracie squirmed. She was never this rude.
On the other hand, why on earth was she apologizing when he’d looked at her last night like she was a seven-year-old trick-or-treater who’d crashed a royal ball?
“And, for the record, I apologized for the beast comment last night right after I said it.” As opposed to Nick, who hadn’t said he was sorry for a single thing. Sure, he’d complimented her singing, but was she supposed to simply forget everything that had happened last night? “Anyway, I’ve got to get going. I’m not going to find the center of this maze so long as I’m standing still. Goodbye.”
Gracie spun around and nearly plowed straight into the snowy arms of a spruce tree.
“It’s the echo trail,” Nick said, as if she hadn’t just said goodbye and announced her intention to leave.
Couldn’t he just say goodbye in return, like a normal person? More importantly, were all princes this annoying?
Gracie glanced over her shoulder at him. “Excuse me?”
He twirled his pointer finger, indicating their surroundings. “This maze is located in an area of the kingdom known as the echo trail. It’s got the best conditions in the entire region for reflecting sound.”
“Oh. Wow.” Gracie blinked. He suddenly seemed more like the Nick she’d met at the Christmas market, sharing his love for San Glacera, instead of the stuffy and abominable Prince Nicolas. “That’s why my singing sounded so special just now.”
He flashed a meaningful smile. “Not the only reason.”
Gracie didn’t quite know what to do with the compliment. “I don’t really sing. I know that sounds weird, since I’m scheduled to perform at your big event. But trust me, I usually don’t do that sort of thing.”
Nick’s brow furrowed. “But I just heard you, and you also sang in the video you sent for the contest. You have a lovely voice.”
He’d seen her video? Gracie’s stomach fluttered. She’d assumed that a palace aid or some other high-placed commoner had chosen the contest winner. Not the royal family.
“That song just now…it was a private moment.” She blew out a breath. “I thought I was alone. And that part of the video was also private. It was included in my contest submission by accident. No one was supposed to see it.”
“It was a large part of why you won.” Nick frowned. “You do know you’re expected to sing on Christmas Eve?”
As if she could forget.
“I do.” Gracie crossed her arms, uncrossed them, and then crossed them again. Why did he make her so nervous? Things had been so natural between them at the Christmas market. “Can we talk about something else now?”
“Shall we talk about last night?” he asked, tilting his head in a way that reminded Gracie of his adorable dog.
“Let’s not. Once was enough.” She told her feet to start walking in the other direction, but they flagrantly disobeyed. Ugh, why was she still standing here talking to him? “Where’s your dog? I’ll bet Mittens would love running around in circles in a place like this.”
“He’s back at the palace,” Nick said.
At the palace. Where Nick lived. “That’s right. You mentioned he doesn’t get out much,” she said. Poor Mittens.
