Page 46 of His Royal Request

“What is it?” I asked.

She looked at the sky before meeting my eyes. “I was just wondering if I could get a tour, but I didn’t know if that was inappropriate to ask.”

I stepped forward and took her hands in mine. “You don’t have to be worried about offending me, Charlie. I’d love to show you the rest of my home.”

Her shoulders relaxed and she beamed up at me.

“But there’s something I had to do first,” I told her.

She nodded. “Sure.”

I smiled and slowly bent forward until we were eye level. “I’ve been waiting far too long to do this.”

I closed my eyes as our lips connected. Her sweet scent of vanilla and pears seemed to wrap around me as I slid my hands around her waist, drawing her closer. She gasped and then her arms were around my neck as she pulled me down to her. Her mouth opened to me, and everything melted away. My duties and responsibilities meant nothing. All there was now was her. I slid my tongue over her bottom lip and she smiled. I kissed her one more time before pulling back, keeping my hands tight on her.

“Wow.” She said with a breathy voice.

I smiled and kissed her forehead feeling a bit dazed. “Ready for the tour?”

Her eyebrows creased. “What tour?”

I rolled my eyes and she giggled. “That was my first prince kiss. Give me a second to catch up.”

“What’s the difference between a kiss and a prince kiss?”

“Well, according to every fairytale, everything.”

I laughed and turned to lead her back to the palace. “Did it live up to those expectations?”

She nodded vigorously. “It did not disappoint.”

13

Charlie

I tried not to ooh and aah at everything Aiden showed me. This was his home, after all. I didn’t want to make him uncomfortable, but wow! Each room was more beautiful than the next. Somehow the design had achieved looking regal and impressive without dripping in gold and making you uncomfortable by the wealth. I actually found it much homier than I’d expected. There were comfortable sitting areas in most rooms, and portraits of past royals line the walls. I didn’t let myself think about how much some of the art and decoration were worth. Everything was tasteful and well-thought-out.

“How long have the rooms looked like this?”

Aiden stopped in the middle of the pink drawing room we were in and faced me. “What do you mean?”

“Do they get redecorated or anything?”

He shook his head. “Not unless something must be replaced or updated. This is how the palace has looked for almost two hundred years.”

Okay. That did make everything seem a smidge more impressive. It wasn’t like his mom had met with a designer and picked everything out in the last few decades. This was history preserved by generations. I didn’t want to think about how expensive it had been to construct this and decorate it back then. Surely, most everything had to be imported to the island. I shook my head, appreciating everything a bit more.

I sat on the edge of a beautiful velvet circular settee and took in the soft pink walls before looking up and gasping. The ceiling was covered in a gorgeous mural of a garden. I studied it from each corner and smiled. “This is Loch Balivaughn and the garden, isn’t it?”

Aiden followed my gaze and smiled. “It is. This was commissioned by my great-great-grandmother.”

“I love it.” I leaned back to see more of it. “I think this is my favorite room.”

Aiden laughed. “You haven’t seen everything yet.”

“That’s okay. I like this one.”

“Well, you and Mum can spend time together here. This is her favorite drawing room, too.”