"It is going to be an absolute pleasure to watch someone of your style and grace walk up the aisle. You will be setting the tone for brides around the United Kingdom for years to come. Step aside Kate, because there's a new fashion queen in town." He laughs at what I’m sure is a well-rehearsed compliment before being ushered away by the makeup artist.
Okay, Arabella, just smile and get through this. And whatever you do, don't slap him, no matter how much your hand itches.
"Greetings, all, I'm Nigel Wood, Avonia's premier fashion critic turned royal reporter as we prepare forthe wedding eventof the decade — Her Royal Highness Princess Arabella, Duchess of Bainbridge, and William Banks, arguably the world’s most daring eligible bachelor."
The camera pans out from the close-up of Nigel to include me in the shot. I've been carefully posed at my desk where I am meant to look like I'm very busy working, even though it would take a complete idiot to believe that I am unaware of the fact that a camera crew and reporter are a few feet away from me.
"And here she is, the lovely princess herself, hard at work, no doubt on one of her many charitable causes."
On cue, I set my pen down and smile at Nigel. "Welcome, Mr. Wood."
"Nigel, please," he says with a simpering smile. "Tell us about your beautiful office."
"Of course. I'm very fortunate to have the office that used to belong to Queen Elenora, although when she used it, it was a private sitting room. It's been painstakingly converted into a very practical workspace for me, complete with this antique desk that belonged to my great-grandfather, King Phillip."
"I love the mix of contemporary meets traditional. Would you say that that's your style?"
"I suppose you could say that. My biggest concern with decorating this room was to repurpose items from around the palace and present them in such a way that would create a serene environment that was conducive to productivity. As you know, royals of this century, and the last, are most certainly of the working variety, wanting to both lead and serve the people of our kingdom. I needed a space that would allow me to keep my duties at the forefront of my mind at all times."
The director signals to me and points to the sitting area.
Standing, I gesture to the chairs on the far side of the room. "Shall we have a seat and some tea?" I ask as though I just thought of it. Honestly, I kind of hate myself at this moment. As I cross the room, I remind myself of who I'm doing this for and everything we’ll gain in the long run. The thought of having Will all to myself very soon keeps the smile plastered to my face.
Once we’re seated, Nigel takes a sip of his tea, then sets it down and gives me a very grave look. "Your Highness, tell me everything. What has the pressure been like as we lead up to the big day? Surely it must be overwhelming at times."
"Not at all," I say with a slight shake of my head. "The people at the network, the wedding planning team led by Imogen Arbuckle, as well as my family’s staff, have made the entire thing an absolute breeze. Decisions were made swiftly and without drama, because, at the end of the day, we all want the same thing — a wonderful celebration of our marriage and an event for all the people of Avonia and the Commonwealth countries to enjoy."
He tilts his head and purses his lips at me. "Come on, there must've been some little point of tension or something that didn't quite go the way you hoped."
"Not really," I say with an easy smile. "As surprising as that sounds, things have fallen into place quite beautifully, but even if they hadn't, I believe a healthy perspective on events such as these is necessary in order to truly enjoy them."
"Yes, people have been calling you Princess Zen and there have been reports that you're absolutely unflappable."
Unflappable? Huh, maybe Nigel isn't so bad after all. "Well, I don't know about that, but I suppose that now that I'm thirty, I'm hopefully bringing a new sense of wisdom that I perhaps wouldn't have had at twenty-one. The wedding is really all about me and Will and our families joining together in a lifelong commitment of love, companionship, and family. The day itself is so much less important than each day to follow, and when you set forth with that understanding, even if there are a few mishaps, they simply won’t trip you up in the same way."
"That's remarkably mature of you," he says. "And as someone who has been on the wrong side of thirty for quite some time, I can assure you that many people would still fall prey to the pressure, regardless of age.”
“Well, I’m very fortunate to have my charitable work to keep me grounded in reality. For example, today, before you got here, I was working on an upcoming fundraiser for the Save the Bonobos Foundation. We’re going to hold a silent auction in the late fall and we’re hoping to raise a million dollars to purchase and protect a larger piece of the Congo for them.”
“Brilliant,” he says, even though the entire time I’ve been talking, he’s been looking at his notes. “Now, are you going to give us any hints about the dress?"
I smile coyly. "Only that I absolutely love it and I hope the people will as well."
"Oh, come on, not even one little hint?"
"It's white," I say, then the two of us chuckle.
"Long-sleeved? Short-sleeved? No sleeves?" he asks.
He is a dog with a bone. "You'll just have to wait and find out with everyone else," I say, shaking a finger at him. "Nice try, though."
Nigel looks at the camera. "We are catching Princess Arabella on the day after the traditional bridal tea hosted by her grandmother, Princess Dowager Florence." Turning back to me, he says, "And how was that?"
"Quite special. Instead of gifts, I requested that those in attendance make donations to a few of the charities that are dear to Will and me."
His face drops, just like I’m sure those of the guests did when they got the invitation and it said, ‘In lieu of gifts, donations for the following organizations would be welcome…’ “So what did you do if you weren’t busy opening gifts?”
"The bridal tea is always such a lovely moment of sisterhood and sharing of marriage advice and hearing stories of those who have made this journey before me. It was a chance to catch up with many of my friends and acquaintances I haven’t always managed to stay in touch with on a regular basis." I am lying through my pearly whites right now. The tea was dreadfully dull, I didn’t know most of the guests, and most of them were generally quite irritated that they weren't able to one-up each other with increasingly lavish gifts we don't need. It took me the better part of three hours to walk around the room and address each person individually before the entire thing wrapped up and I was able to spend an hour standing at the door bidding them all a good evening.
