Trey got a funny look on his face, almost embarrassed and he pinched his nose as if in pain. “About that.”
“Yes?” She got a cold feeling in her gut, as if she wasn’t going to like what he had to say.
“I actually put Delain up to it. I wanted to do something nice for you and I noticed you’d hardly brought any clothes at all. I figured women enjoy shopping.”
“Were you embarrassed by my thrifted clothes? Reluctant to be seen with me?” she asked, pain in her heart.
Eyes wide, he blinked. “No, not at all. I thought your style was fresh, eclectic, completely you. At that point remember we were going to maybe have a fling and be done when the week ended, if anything, and I wanted to provide a happy memory when you returned to Earth.”
“So there weren’t two other winners?”
“No there were. I told Delain to pick two women at random and award them gift certificates of the same amount. I paid for all three from my personal account. He had his assistant draw the names. I was sent a full accounting and I’m told the other ladies were ecstatic.”
“I have mixed emotions about what you did, as far as the gift for me,” she said honestly. “I accept your motives were good but no more surprises of that nature, all right? Secrets can make or break a relationship. Trust is important to me.”
“I give you my word. I completely agree about unbroken trust which is why I’m telling you now, to clear the ledgers. I’ll try not to be high handed in the future.”
She laughed, unable to help herself at his penitent tone. “Don’t make impossible promises either, prince. High handed is your middle name.”
“But you love me anyway,” he declared, kissing her.
“I do.”
“The staff have the rejuve resonator fired up and waiting for you, if you’re ready,” he said. “And then we can go to my suite and do whatever you’d like for the rest of today and tonight. I’ve cleared my schedule. I’ve also resigned my commission in the active duty military, by the way, which my father has been after me to do for the last two years. I’m going to concentrate my energies and my time on the issues facing Ardanna and being the best husband to you I can be.” He picked her up from the bed. “You make me want to be the best version of myself I can be, did you know that?”
“I’m glad to be a good influence,” she said with a chuckle. “I thought you were pretty great before actually.”
As they emerged into the corridor, there was a flurry of activity and the ship’s chief physician bustled up. “We have antigrav litters, your highness, no need for you to carry Ms. Lenox personally.”
“I’ll carry my fated mate and future wife if I damn well wish to,” Try said. “Lead the way to your magic machine, doc. We’re impatient for this to be done. We’ve got plans for our evening.”
Rosalie blushed as the people around them suppressed their mirth at the prince’s statement. She supposed they were going to shock a lot of people as time went on, definitely not being the conventional royal couple Ardanna was used to seeing but she was going to be herself and Trey had vowed to support her. She in turn would have his back at all times and they’d carve out their own bubble of happiness ever after.
Epilogue
One year later…
Rosalie was impatient for the meeting of her Ardannan-Sectors Relationship Council to end. Usually she was totally engrossed in the agenda and in working for the results she wanted to achieve but today was different. There were three things remaining to be discussed so she forced herself to lean back in her chair while one of her two incredibly capable deputies led the conversation. She’d mastered the princessly art of appearing to be totally attentive while actually thinking of other things. Score one for me. But she was also quite capable of tuning in the instant she needed to.
Treylon had insisted on establishing the Council as soon as they arrived on Ardanna after their stay at Resort Planet and his father the king had agreed. The monarch had also agreed to allow Rosalie to lead the effort, once he’d heard her out about the issues they’d be facing to successfully integrate the Sectors citizens into Ardannan life. Trey had assured her he’d give her the two most crafty and well-versed political deputies he could find to help her steer her efforts and he’d delivered.
She liked his parents well enough although the queen was standoffish. Rosalie came to the conclusion she basically could do no wrong in their eyes since being in love with her had enabled Trey to access his dragon self and persuaded him to leave the military and take up his proper role in government. Rosalie had the impression the king was tired and not in the best of health so she hoped for his sake Trey could alleviate a few of his burdens.
The Ardannan people fell in love with her and Trey’s love story and the wedding was an absolute fairy tale, with no expense spared, including flying Twilka Zabour herself in to create the wedding dress. Rosalie and Twilka got along famously and the designer was touched by the story of Rosalie’s trip to her boutique and plan to resell the bathing suit. She had the three women who’d been matched to Trey’s best friends as her bridesmaid, plus two cousins of Trey’s. A pair of darling children distantly related to the royal family served as flower girl and ringbearer. The ceremony was designed carefully to include Ardannan and human customs and rituals. It was her first experience at the massive enterprise that was the Ardanna royal court. Trey kept his word to support her in any dispute with the courtiers or his family. Rosalie was determined to be her authentic self at all times.
She and Trey were the poster couple for the whole intermarriage effort, which gave her more power than she might have otherwise had. Everyone in the higher echelons wanted the effort to be a success and the fact the popular prince and the fascinating human woman had matched through the IDA was a testimonial to the wisdom of the project.
They’d returned to Resort Planet for their honeymoon, well guarded, and had a terrific, carefree week in a remote but luxurious seaside location.
IDA’s reputation had skyrocketed even higher and the company was most co-operative.
Trey had refused to shift into his teomiku form but there was enough trideo and holo evidence from the terrorist incident to satisfy the demand he prove his capability. The prince insisted his dragon self was only to be deployed in dire situations, not casually displayed. Although he had let the dragon out once during their honeymoon, at Rosalie’s request. She was fascinated by that version of her husband and they spent a fun afternoon on the beach gamboling in the waves and burning random pieces of driftwood.
She was pleased to find her mate mark had resolved into an emerald green heart with a golden crown above it, much like the crown symbol on her original IDA matchmaking ticket. The symmetry of the symbols pleased her since she and Trey would never have met except for IDA.
Her life here on Ardanna was exceedingly pleasant, with designer clothes, more jewelry than any one woman could ever wear and her slightest wish granted (so she was careful not to express any desire lightly). True she spent a lot of time on official duties, with and without Trey but she enjoyed the work for the most part and loved meeting everyday Ardannans. She’d managed a few incognito trips to what passed for thrift shops in the Ardannan capital and found a few vintage items to exclaim over.
Trey had found her the best vocal coach on Ardanna for lessons and she sang in public on occasion, usually at charity concerts or other events. She sang for him in private all the time.
