I give her a look. “That was just my family. That was the easy part.”
She wrinkles her nose. “The easy part of what?”
“You have to know that being my girlfriend is…” I stop, trying to decide what I’m going to say. My mouth turns down at the corners. “My sister wasn’t wrong. Let’s say our next step is declaring our relationship to parliament. That’s as good as telling everyone that they should expect a royal wedding in the next year.”
Her eyes widen. Her throat works as she swallows. “I didn’t realize that.”
I puff out my cheeks, exhaling slowly. “Well… now you do. What do you think?”
She screws up her mouth. “I think that’s asking a lot of us.”
“So you would say no?” I ask, my brow descending.
Margot pins me with a surprised gaze. “What are you asking, exactly?”
I rake a hand through my hair, growing agitated. “I’m not asking you to marry me yet. But… are you at least open to getting married? I mean, you had to give thissomethought when you agreed to date me.”
She sucks her lower lip in between her teeth, her gaze lowering. “A little. I…” She pauses, taking a deep breath. “I’m not against getting married. I just didn’t think… I mean… I thought we would have more time to get comfortable with the idea.”
“Royals are born ready to marry. It’s one of our duties to the country.” I exhale, waiting a beat. “Historically, the royal family marries people who are wealthy and titled. People who may or may not be royals in their own right. People with the same expectations that my family has.” I reach out for her hand, holding it gently. “I thought… I just thought that we were lucky, because we happen to be in love with each other.”
She looks at me, grasping my hand. “I do love you, Stellan. You know that. I just wasn’t prepared for all the bullshit that other people are forcing on us. But I realize that you don’t really have a choice in the matter, do you?”
My mouth lifts at that corners. “No, I don’t have a choice. In the grand scheme of things though… I can imagine much worse things than having you as my wife.”
She gives me a tiny smile. “I feel the same as you do. It’s just a lot at once. I have so many questions… Where would we live? What would happen to my job?”
I push my cheek out with my tongue. “There’s only one question that matters, in my opinion. When I ask, will you say yes? Because everything else is flexible.”
She blushes six shades of red, but she doesn’t look away. “Yes. When you ask me someday, I will say yes?”
I shrug, a smile tugging at my lips. “Then that’s settled.”
Margot slides her palm along my jaw, drawing me close for a tender kiss. I let my eyes sink closed, let my thoughts only hover on this moment.
This moment in which she saidyes.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Margot
Iwake so early that dawn has yet to break. I’m still not used to sleeping beside Stellan, especially not here in the palace. His bedroom here is beyond ridiculous, featuring a massive four poster bed and floor length windows wrapped in gauzy white.
I settle on my side and watch him in his sleep. Without his piercing ice blue gaze he seems softer, though his body is still every bit as rugged. My fingers itch to reach out and touch him.
I love him so, so much. My heart twists in my chest. I shouldn’t wake him, but it is hard.
Rolling onto my back, I repress a sigh. My mind goes back to yesterday evening, to the all but proposal he sprung on me in the backseat of the car.
Honestly, I haven’t really thought of much else since he asked me.
When I ask, will you say yes?
I thought I had died then and there when he asked, and I wasn’t sure if I was in heaven or hell.
I mean, on one hand… Stellan and I have just fallen in love. It feels real… but there is so much more that’s yet to be seen. Why rush into things?
And then on the other hand… he just basically asked me to be hisprincess.
