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“Come back, Katie, come back, okay?”
“I missed you so much,” she said, kissing them on the tops of their heads. “But Prince Armin was right, I did have to go.”
A shadow fell over the three of them, and she looked up into Armin’s face. She pulled the girls into one more tight hug, and then he offered her a hand up.
She took it.
She was painfully aware of the crowd around them, of the cameras flashing, but all of it paled in comparison to the
look in his eyes.
“I never should have sent you away,” he said, a catch in his voice.
That told her all she needed to know and sweet relief cascaded over her as she realized she was exactly where she needed to be. “I never should have gone.”
And then, there in front of everyone, Armin kissed her.
The girls shrieked, the crowd cheered, and the next thing Katie knew, someone was shouting for a picture. A picture, of all things.
She pulled herself away from the soft heat of his lips, her fingertips flying to her own. It was on the tip of her tongue to decline whoever was asking, but then Armin said, “Of course.”
He turned her gently toward one of the photographers in the crowd, but before the man could snap the picture, Armin held up a hand. “Wait. Ms. Crestley is not properly dressed.”
Katie looked down at herself. She’d worn a light blue dress, sturdy enough for traveling, and she thought it looked quite nice.
But when she looked back up, she caught Armin gazing down at her, a glittering ring between his fingers.
“Katie,” he said, and the crowd went silent. “You made me realize that the two parts of who I have to be aren’t mutually exclusive. The prince and the man are one. And I love you with all that I am. Will you marry me?”
It was pure joy, sweeping over her, and it almost knocked her to her knees. “Yes,” she gasped. “Yes.”
More cheers. Thousands of pictures.
Armin drew her in close, and she reached down and took Lily’s hand while Armin took Seraphine’s. They stood there, the four of them, being photographed as a family for the first time.
Her prince leaned down to her ear. “You tell a hell of a story, you know that?”
“It’s only just beginning,” she answered.
Epilogue
The party was a huge success.
They had all gone to celebrate the official ribbon-cutting of the beautifully restored orphanage, and the girls were both asleep in the car by the time they got back to the palace. Armin carried them in one by one, and Katie tucked them into bed, smoothing their hair back and turning out the light.
Outside in the hall, he pulled her close for a kiss that was as deep and thrilling as the first one they’d ever shared. Then he gave a satisfied sigh.
“It was an amazing party,” she murmured as they walked hand in hand back to the room they shared. “I hope whoever writes the story about it gives you all the credit you deserve.”
“Who needs credit when I have you?” Armin squeezed her hand. She appreciated the sentiment, but she’d meant what she’d said. He had been putting in long hours working on new infrastructure projects in remote regions of Stolvenia, and he still made time to ensure that every detail of the orphanage project was perfect.
“I almost wish I could write it myself,” said Katie. “But it would only be considered a puff piece. Speaking of…” She let him open the door for her, and they stepped into the room they shared. “I need to finish some things before I come to bed.”
He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, pulling her close. “I understand,” he said. “But I’ll miss you every moment until you return.”
Armin let her go, across the suite and into the little office she used for her work.
Katie was writing again.
