Page 81 of Once Upon A Royal Christmas
When was she going to stop making assumptions about Nick? Had being on the receiving end of stereotypes about dress-up princesses taught her nothing?
“He was a tremendous help. He got us here overnight. Your dad didn’t think it could be done,” Mom said.
“I didn’t. Christmas is the time for miracles, though.” Dad’s face split into a wide grin.
“It sure is,” Gracie said and as her gaze drifted out the window toward the icy village square, she finally let herself look at the castle.
A wreath hung on every palace window, and the royal standard flag flew from the highest turret, indicating the royal family was in residence—home for Christmas. Snowflakes drifted gently through the air, frosty white. As crazy as it seemed, it felt like they were falling just for her.
And Gracie’s princess heart couldn’t help but hope that the season had just one more miracle in store.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The Empty Chair Beside the King
Gracie stood behind a curtain covered in silver sequins, hidden from view of the crowd. The urge to sneak a peek of what was happening out on the ice was almost irresistible.
She’d seen skaters dressed in Victorian costumes lining up, ready to hit the ice ahead of her performance. They’d looked like they stepped straight out of a Dickensian Christmas village, with the women dressed in long velvet dresses and the men in black top hats. Now she couldn’t see a thing, but the blades of their skates cut through the ice as they waltzed and spun. The music swelled, sending a shiver of anticipation up her spine.
This was a real performance—not a children’s party, not a school or hospital visit, and definitely not a fun little Christmas tour. Gracie had forgotten what the electric moments just before stepping onstage felt like. It had been so long. Too long.
Back when she’d been at Juilliard, she’d always been afraid that her voice would fail onstage. She had the worst visions of her mouth opening and nothing coming out. Then one horrible day, that fear had come true. She hadn’t known how to handle it. When she’d turned toward Philip for help, the only thing she’d seen in his eyes was the same stone-cold fear that had washed over her, staring right back at her like she’d been looking into a mirror.
Maybe it was the Christmas cheer, so thick in the air that she could feel it. Maybe it was knowing that her mom and dad had come to support her, and that Nick had been the one who’d brought them here. Or maybe it was years upon years of playing Princess Snowflake, a character who was so second nature to Gracie that the two of them felt like one and the same person. Perhaps it was all three of those things, wrapped into one beautiful package. Gracie couldn’t say for sure, but the fears of yesterday seemed to melt away while she waited behind that silver curtain. A whisper of calm found its way into her soul, and it sounded like her own voice, her own words, spoken just for her.
Never be afraid to melt.
Gracie smiled to herself. She was the snow maiden, ready to melt to make her deepest dreams come true. She’d been doing nothing but melting since that first sip of San Glacera’s legendary hot chocolate. If she could lose her heart to a prince and open herself to everything that came with loving someone—even if just for a week—she could do something as simple as sing. This was the easy part. The hard part would come later, when she stepped onto a plane bound for the States.
“Gracie, you’re on in five. Are you ready?” Jaron slipped behind the curtain and flashed her a questioning look, along with a tentative thumbs up.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Good, good.” Jaron nodded and a crease formed between his eyebrows. “Listen, there’s one small thing. Remember how the actor playing Prince Charming was supposed to join you on stage after your song?”
Gracie gasped. “Oh my goodness, I forgot all about that.” Apparently, she only had room in her life for one prince at a time. “I haven’t even met him yet. Where is he?”
Jaron winced. “That’s the thing. He’s not here.”
She was getting stood up by Prince Charming. On Christmas Eve.
Perfect. Just perfect.
“I’m really sorry,” Jaron said, but he stopped short of offering any sort of explanation.
Not that it mattered. It wasn’t as if he could produce a Prince Charming out of thin air. Princess Snowflake had been a solo act for years—since the very beginning. She could handle things on her own.
“It’s okay, Jaron,” she said.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded. “It’s fine, I promise. I’ve got this.”
“There was never a doubt in my mind. The Crown has the utmost faith in you, Gracie.” Jaron’s smile went warm around the edges, and the air between them grew heavy with all the things he chose not to say. “We all do.”
Joy warmed Gracie from within. “Merry Christmas, Jaron.”
“Merry Christmas.” He tipped his head in the direction of the ice. An announcer called Gracie’s name, and the whole kingdom seemed to explode into cheers. “You’re on.”
