This time, when he pulls me into his arms, there’s nothing holding either of us back, and we kiss like our lives depend on it.
When we finally part, I rest my forehead against his, breathing him in, grounding myself in the reality of this moment.
He didn’t run.
He didn’t pull away.
For the first time, I truly know that I am not standing alone. Whatever comes next, we will meet it together.
Chapter 18
Station-Side Sensation!
By Penelope Pemberley-Price forThe Ledonian Gazette
Eyewitnesses at the Villadorata station reported a man with mussed hair, a half-untucked shirt, and cuffs flapping in the breeze. Sources say he took the station steps two at a time, weaving through startled commuters with the single-mindedness of a commoner late forhis morning shift.
Who was this disheveled fellow? None other than Prince Frederic!
As he reached his bride-to-be on Platform No. 7, station speakers blared Vanessa Williams’s "Save the Best for Last”, and the prince got down on one knee and proposed! Again!!
The crowd didn't just clap, they roared.
If you had told me just last week that our Ice Prince would be spotted sprinting through a public railway station like a man possessed, I would have laughed you out of the palace.
But the “three-dollar note” of this royal engagement has just proven itself to be the most authentic currency in Ledonia because it appears the PR solution we all suspected has transformed into a Station-Side Sensation. Princess Astrid has done the unthinkable: she has cracked the marble and found the beating heart beneath.
Ledonia, mark my words: the Ice Prince has melted, and has found his partner. If this is the future of our monarchy, I suggest we all start practicing our dance moves.
Epilogue
The Ice Prince and His Nordic Sun Finally Say, 'I Do'
By Penelope Pemberley-Price forThe Ledonian Gazette
The day we once thought impossible has finally arrived. Today, the bells will sound, not just for a royal union, but for the most spectacular reversal of public opinion in Ledonian history.
We all remember my earlierskepticism when Prince Frederic and Princess Astrid’s initial engagement photos were released.
Today, I stand corrected.
Following the Station-Side Sensation in Villadorata, the Marble Statue has not only cracked, but he has also completely melted.
As Princess Astrid prepares to walk down the aisle in a dress that’s been a safely guarded national secret, we aren't just watching a trade deal for wool and financial stability. We’re watching a woman who breathed fresh life into a crusty, old institution, an institution that has recently celebrated a land-slide win in the referendum.
Hazar for the monarchy!
So, raise your glasses with me, to the Ice Prince and his Nordic Sun. As the song playing in the station said on that fateful day in June, it turns out they really did save the best for last.
Congratulations, Frederic and Astrid. Know that you are loved.
Frederic
I standat the altar in my finery, the gold trim on my Ledonian red jacket catching the light from the grand chandelier overhead. I am at total peace.
At peace and hopelessly and completely in love, in fact.
When I’d envisioned this moment when I first agreed to an arranged marriage with Astrid, peaceful and in love wasnot how I expected to feel. Overwrought, regretful, terrified yes, but not this.
