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“I’d like to make a toast,” she announced, her voice carrying through the room. “To August, the future king of Verdana. We’re all incredibly relieved that you’re back safe.” She held her wineglass in the air toward me and grinned. “And you’re not leaving the palace again until you become king.”
Laughter echoed around the table, and we all raised our glasses in a cheerful, “Cheers!”
“Has a coronation date been set yet?” Caleb asked.
I shot him a glare, knowing well that this topic was a steppingstone to discussions about marriage and proposals.
Theo, unable to resist the temptation to stir the pot, chimed in. “Mother won’t step down until August is married and has a queen. We’re all eagerly awaiting the announcement of who this lucky lady will be.”
My brother was as subtle as a marching band in the royal library.
The table fell silent, all eyes suddenly on Veronica.
Feeling the weight of the moment, I cleared my throat and diverted attention. “Oh, look! Appetizers!”
Right on cue, servers began placing dishes around the table. Simple, yet favorites: mini quiches, bruschetta, and stuffed mushrooms made their rounds, giving me a momentary reprieve from the probing questions.
Mother, however, was not one to let things slide.
“I’m glad to see things patched up between you two,” she said, her gaze shifting between Veronica and me. “Any updates, news, things in the works?”
I felt like I was under a microscope, and to lighten the mood, I blurted out, “Yes, I’m pregnant.”
The table erupted in laughter, and just as the noise settled, Adriana, always one to keep things interesting, remarked, “You know, today was supposed to be the day Veronica and Oliver got married.”
The room quieted again for a moment before Veronica glanced across the table at Oliver and mimed wiping sweat from her brow. “That would have been incredibly awkward.”
He nodded and also pretended to wipe sweat from his brow. “A complete disaster!”
“And I’m thrilled for you and Grace,” Veronica added. “You are the perfect couple.”
“We feel the same about you two,” Grace said with a kind smile.
Thankfully, the conversation shifted away from weddings and proposals to other topics as we enjoyed our wine and appetizers. But then, during dinner, Mother noted Adriana’s silence.
“What’s the matter, dear?” she asked. “You’ve been very quiet this evening.”
Adriana hesitated before answering. “I didn’t want to bring it up with all the good news going around, but Demetrio and I broke up. His family needs him in Greece, and I couldn’t see myself living there. End of story.” She frowned, then took a sip of her wine.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said. “You’ll find someone who deserves you.”
Grace leaned in, offering a comforting smile. “I agree—he obviously wasn’t the one. Give it time, and you’ll find the right person when the stars are aligned. Even if you have to go all the way to Chicago to find a hunky firefighter waiting to marry you.”
Sebastian chuckled. “That’s oddly specific.”
“Adriana’s hooked on the TV show Chicago Fire,” Theo said. “She’s binge-watched all the episodes and has got a thing for firefighters.”
Adriana perked up a little. “They put their lives on the line every day, for others, and there’s something undeniably heroic about that. Plus, I would really love to try that Chicago-style pizza. It looks fantastic.”
Mother shook her head, her voice tinged with amusement. “Don’t be ridiculous. Adriana would never fly all the way to America to find herself a man. That would be absurd.”
“Never say never, Mother.” Adriana grinned, then reached for the last stuffed mushroom, popping it in her mouth.
“I’m with Adriana on that one,” Theo said. “I’m tempted to fly to Chicago just to try that pizza.”
“How did I end up with a palace full of royal rebels for children?” Mother said, taking a very long sip of her wine and shaking her head.
Caleb chuckled. “Royal rebels … that has a nice ring to it. Maybe we should all get matching tattoos and start riding motorcycles.”
