Page 8 of His Royal Request

“This is unbelievable!” She took a few pictures before turning to him. “Would you mind taking a picture of me?”

I took the phone from her. “You don't want George to take it, you'll end up with only half of your face and the sky.”

She laughed while George huffed. “I'm not that bad,” he said.

I shook my head. “You're worse.”

I took a few pictures of her before lowering the phone. Her tousled hair and cheeks rosy from the wind paired with her shining eyes gave me pause. She was so happy in this moment. I took another picture as a shy smile crept on her lips.

“Would you mind being in a few with me? I like to send my dad a few with my new friends.”

I moved to her side before holding up the camera to get both of us. I snapped a few with the cliffs in the background before she held up her hand and waved to George. “Now you too!”

He beamed and moved in next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders. I couldn't tell her, but that was the first time any of my friends included him. Normally, girls were fighting over me and my brothers. The so-called help was ignored. I loved the fact that she not only included him but she treated him as one would anyone else.

Once she was satisfied, she sighed and turned. I followed her gaze to the clouds rolling in on the cliffs.

“Normally we can walk further ahead to see the lighthouse but it’s under construction.” I pointed up the hill to the site. Scaffolding and fences blocked the lighthouse.

“Bummer. I’ve never seen a lighthouse in person.”

“I'm sorry that you're not getting a better view,” I said, feeling responsible as if I had anything to do with the timing.

“Oh, this is great. it's better than anything I would see back home.” She smiled. “Thank you for showing me this. You’ve made one of my dreams come true.”

Her optimism felt like a warm fire on a snowy day. She'd been so sad last night, I was happy to see her smiling. I couldn't help but feel a little proud that it helped put it there.

She walked up to the wall and leaned over, looking down the cliffs. The wind pushed back the hood of the windbreaker, making her hair fly about behind her. I quickly pulled out my phone and snapped a picture before she noticed. She looked so serene. It wasn't just happiness or excitement about being in a new place. It was pure and utter contentment. She looked like she would never want for anything else. If only that was all it took for some people to be happy.

“Have you traveled a lot?” She was facing away from me so I leaned against the wall next to her so we could hear each other over the howl of the wind.

“I’ve been to five of the seven continents.”

Her eyebrows shot up when she eyed me out of the corner of her eyes. “What two haven’t you been to?”

“Antarctica and South America.”

“Really?” She sighed. “That’s amazing.”

“I’ve been fortunate.” I peered past her at the crowd gathering around us and pulled my hood up to cover more of my face. I didn’t want to get recognized.

“What’s your favorite place or thing you’ve seen?”

I pretended to ponder it, but I knew the answer right away. “Well the Blue Lagoon in Iceland was pretty amazing, and the rice terraces in the Philippines are breathtaking just before harvest, but I love Arches National park.”

“In Utah?” She sounded surprised.

“Yeah, we took a family trip there when I was ten or eleven. I was amazed by the red rock and the formations. It was humbling to realize how old the arches are and how long it took for them to be created. It was the first time I truly felt like I was a tiny part of a greater plan or design.”

She studied my face. “I’ve never been but now I’ll have to add it to my bucket list.” She paused and smirked. “I’m surprised you didn’t say somewhere in Lochland.”

I nudged her arm. “There are some beautiful lakes and cliffs like this.” She chuckled. “What about you? What’s your favorite place you’ve been?”

She pursed her lips. “Here.”

I looked around and nodded. “Excellent decision.”

“That must sound so pathetic to you. You’ve seen more than half the world, and this is the best thing I’ve seen.”