She paused, reaching over to the bedside table and picking up a piece of string that looked like it had once been part of the hospital blanket on her lap.
“Now, you’ve done an awful lot of proposing lately, so I would like to have a go at it.” She took my left hand, holding it gently. “Oliver Courtwright, I know that the future is uncertain and we still have a lot to learn about my diagnosis, but I wouldn’t want anyone else by my side for any of it. I’m sorry for ever doubting you, for letting my fears cloud the vision of what we could be together, and I promise never to do that again. Will you marry me in”—shepaused to do some quick math in her head—“twenty-six days?”
I laughed, tears welling in my eyes. “Yes, my love. Nothing would bring me more joy.”
A smile split her face as she tied the string around my left ring finger. “I didn’t have any of the crown jewels handy,” she said with a smirk, “so this will have to do.”
I leaned forward, cradling her face in my hands as I pressed my forehead against hers. “Nothing could be more perfect.” Our lips met, a tender expression of all the love we couldn’t put into words and all the hopes we held for our future together.
The next morning, I was stretched out on the hospital bed with Adelaide tucked underneath my arm as we brainstormed where we wanted to go on our honeymoon. The doctor had cleared Adelaide to be released the next day, and I couldn’t wait to get her back home and dote on her properly.
“Why did we never discuss our honeymoon before?” Adelaide asked as she played with the buttons on my shirt.
“Because you were quite certain you weren’t marrying me,” I answered matter-of-factly.
Adelaide scoffed. “You say that as though youwereso sure.”
“I’ve known I was going to marry you since the day I originally proposed.”
She smacked my stomach playfully. “You did not.”
It was my turn to scoff. “I very much did! I watched you navigate that interview with Warren as though you’d been doing it your whole life, and I knew in that moment that I was going to marry you someday. I’ll admit, I didn’t knowwhen or how it would happen, but I knew that eventually I would truly be yours.”
She smiled, a blush creeping across her cheeks. “Don’t you mean that I would be yours?”
I shook my head. “No, Laidie. You belong to no one. But my heart does and will always belong to you.” I kissed the top of her head as she buried her face into my chest.
My phone rang, interrupting the moment. I had given clear instructions that I was not to be bothered unless it was an emergency, so seeing Knox’s call come through set me on high alert. I answered the phone, putting it on speaker.
“Knox? What’s wrong?”
“Have you looked at the news?” he asked without preamble.
I shook my head before remembering that he couldn’t see me. “No, why? What are they on about now?”
He sighed loudly. “Adelaide. Someone leaked her diagnosis to the media. And before you go on a rampage,” he added, clearly reading my mind, “I doubt it was the hospital staff. There was a lot of bustling in the Council chambers, and it’s not impossible that someone overheard you speaking to Dr. Haas or the paramedics and decided to make a quick buck by speaking to the press.”
“Shit,” Adelaide muttered next to me, echoing my thoughts. “How bad is it?”
“Well, some outlets are displaying reason and human empathy. But quite a few are focusing on the uncertainty regarding a royal heir. It’s stirred up quite a bit of discussion on social media.”
Adelaide glanced at me. I pulled her closer to my side, burrowing my face in her hair, hoping she understood the silent message.I’m still not going anywhere.
Knox cleared his throat nervously. “There’s more.”
“No, thank you,” I said curtly.
Knox huffed a wry laugh. “I wish it worked like that. Head Councilwoman Bates called me a few minutes ago. They would like to see you for an emergency private session first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Oliver…” Adelaide breathed nervously.
“Don’t worry, love,” I said with a confidence I didn’t quite feel. I smoothed a hand over her hair.
Knox continued, “I tried to get them to reconsider or reschedule, but?—”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll be there.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
