Page 24 of A Royal Promise
“Ecstatic,” Drew supplied with a chuckle.
“Yes, our mothers were both ecstatic at the news. Completely on cloud nine.”
“Now let’s take a journey back to the past. For those who may not know, would you mind sharing how you two first met?”
She tapped on his fingers, letting him know she would take this one. “My family always told me I could finally attend a royal ball when I was seven. The first ball right after my seventh birthday was hosted by Drew’s family, so I got all dressed up in a pink tulle dress, and we drove to Glencrest. When we arrived, Drew’s parents greeted us, and I remember him being right behind them, standing tall and princely but looking bashful at the same time. I introduced myself and said, ‘We should be friends.’ We were inseparable the rest of the evening—and ever since.”
Isla smiled happily at them, eating up the story never shared with the public before. She cleared her throat before asking, “Now, Andrew, when did you know you wanted to marry Brielle?”
He squeezed her hand as his breath hitched. Questions like this were what made their fake engagement tricky.
Though he’d seemed caught off guard, his words came out sure and strong. “We were young and talking about the future. When the idea of marriage was brought up, I remember thinking marriage to my best friend didn’t sound like such a bad idea. I already loved her as a friend. Surely romantic love could grow too. And here we are today.” He lifted their joined hands in the air.
Bri put on her practiced smile while her mind sifted through his words. Drew almost made her believe this was real. The casual way he talked made what he said seem unpracticed. It came across like he truly meant every word he was saying, which was exactly what they needed to sell their love story, but it also left her with a weird stirring in her stomach.
“Since we’re nearing the end of our time together today, I have to ask if there is any significance behind your stunning engagement ring.”
Bri turned to Drew, awaiting his response. She’d never thought to ask any questions about the ring, assuming it was a fake.
“I decided to forgo using any of our family’s heirlooms. Instead, I selected something a little more Bri’s style.”
Bri held her free hand out so the cameraman could zoom in on her ring finger. “He chose well.”
“He did. Now for the last question today. What’s next for you? Do you have a wedding date in mind? Any plans for when you’ll start expanding your family?”
She wanted to cringe at the invasive questions, but she knew it was simply part of the territory of being a member of a royal family. The public and the media thought they deserved all the details about your private life.
Drew rubbed small circles on the back of her hand, obviously sensing her discomfort. “For now, we’re planning to enjoy our time together as an engaged couple. Of course, we’ll slowly begin planning the wedding, but for now, we’re looking forward to the start of our future and the family we will build together.”
“Perfectly said, Your Highness. Thank you both again for meeting with me today.” Isla turned to face the camera. “From Fenimore Royal News, I’m Isla Hall, bringing you all the royal tea.”
When the red light disappeared from the camera, Bri released a long sigh, easing the tension in her shoulders.
It was official. After the last two days’ events, the world knew they were engaged. There was no turning back now.
Chapter Eight
Drew
The morning after their official appearance on the palace lawn, Drew was scared to look at his phone. It almost seemed better to live blissfully unaware of what the rest of the world had to say about their engagement. However, as the future king of Glencrest, he needed to be informed.
He pulled out his phone as he brushed his teeth, clicking on theRoyal Inquisitornews app. Drew’s stomach churned as he scrolled through the headlines.
A Royal Surprise: Prince Andrew Engaged to Princess Brielle.
Shock Ripples Throughout Glencrest Following Prince Andrew’s Engagement.
Our Theories Behind the Sudden, Secretive Royal Engagement.
Drew bit the inside of his cheek as he opened the article filled with theories explaining his engagement to Bri. It listed everything from political negotiations between their parents to asuspected pregnancy. He rolled his eyes at that one. A paragraph at the end caught his eye, though.
Many citizens have thought for years that Prince Andrew would one day wed Glencrest’s very own Lady Clarissa. We can only speculate as to why he would unexpectedly announce an engagement to Princess Brielle of Westridge. What we do know for certain is that there is more to the story here than meets the eye. We will keep our devoted readers updated as we uncover more information about this sudden royal engagement.
His cheeks deflated as he slowly released a long breath. He’d thought the ball and public appearance would help satisfy everyone’s doubts. After he saw the pictures of himself and Bri together dancing at the ball and then on the lawn at their press appearance, he’d believed it himself. In so many of the pictures, Drew’s eyes were squarely focused on Bri, as if she were his whole world. The smile on her face further sold their love story.
Drew knew it wasn’t true. She didn’t love him—at least not in a romantic way. He’d said things to make her laugh in those moments, but he was still holding onto hope that one day she’d be looking at him that way because they truly were each other’s whole world.
As believable as he thought the pictures looked, he was surprised the media wasn’t fully buying the story they were selling. They needed to come up with an idea—something to show his relationship with Bri was moving forward. It might be hard to do with Bri living a few hours’ drive away, but…
