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“You two are so cute,” Chloe comments. “You know, even if you rolled halfway down the hill together instead of actually running the race.”
Alex and I share a look and things zing around my body.
“Why didn’t you give it a try?” I ask her.
“I’m a lover, not a cheese roller,” she replies with a wink.
“Are you going to go through with the plan?” Amelia asks Alex.
“What plan?” I ask.
“Alex wants to do the wife race,” Amelia replies.
I pull my eyebrows together. “But you’ve got to be married, don’t you?”
“Oh, we're talking about all of us doing it this year, just for a laugh. What do you say, Maddie? Would you like to do the race with Alex? That is if you're quite recovered from your fall before when my brother so gallantly helped you.” Amelia shoots me a mischievous grin.
I think of how Grandmama told me not to get romantically involved with Alex. Couldn't us doing the wife race be seen as a public announcement of sorts?
Or am I just overthinking this?
Chloe nudges me with her elbow. “Go on, girl. Do it for me.”
“It's the 21st century, Maddie. No one's going to bat an eyelid if you and Alex enter the race without being married. Although, now that I think of it, you two getting married is really quite a marvelous idea,” Amelia leads.
I blink at her in shock. First she's trying to get us to crash the wife race, and now she's trying to marry us off? Who knew a princess could be such a matchmaker?
“Calling all husbands to the line who wish to participate in the race,” the emcee says, and I watch as Alex’s parents step forward among a group of other competitors.
I glance over at my grandparents. “Are you competing?” I mouth and Grandmama shakes her head, looking once more like she’s sucked on a super bitter lemon.
She needs to see that Alex has changed. That he’s not who she thinks he is. That will pull that lemon from her mouth and replace it with delicious cake. Or you know, whatever it is that puts a smile on Grandmama’s face.
“If everyone’s assembled, we will begin the race,” the emcee states.
“Wait! Prince Alexander wants to enter,” Amelia calls out and my heart leaps into my mouth.
Such a matchmaker.
“Is that allowed?” King Frederic asks in a gruff voice.
“I want to enter, too,” Amelia says. “And Max and Sofia.”
There's a murmur among the crowd when Grandpapa rises to his feet. “We have modern practices here in Malveaux. If the prince, or any of the young unmarried people present would like to compete in the race, I will allow it.” He gives a sweep of his hand and the crowd erupts into applause.
King Frederic, on the other hand, looks like angry sparks could fly off of him.
Amelia's face lights up and she punches her hand in the air. “Me! I want to do it! Not with my brother, of course, because that would be too weird, but with someone else.” She begins to scan the crowd and I notice several men stepping forward, including a guy who looks like he could be a linebacker for the Houston Texans.
Popular girl.
“I’m going to do it, too,” Chloe says as she latches onto a handsome guy in a suit.
This thing is becoming a total free for all.
“Prince Alexander? You can compete with whomever you choose,” Grandpapa says and instantly it’s like a gaggle of women appear out of nowhere, pressing in around us with eager looks on their faces.
I glance at the women. Next to me they’re dressed so very gorgeously, with strappy dresses and high heels, their hair not a mess of grass and mud, their knees not covered in circles of dirt.
