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“You hear this, Your Majesty?” I leaned in close to Alaric to speak. “She’s a hit.”
Alaric said nothing, his jaw clenched.
“Give her a chance,” I said. “Not everyone shares your aesthetics. I don’t want to get too ahead of ourselves, but it appears that we’ve got a hell of a princess on our hands.”
Chapter 39
Ava
I’d never been one for the spotlight, but there was something about that night at the Harvest Ball going down the stairs in that dress that made me reconsider.
All eyes were on me, people speaking in hushed whispers to one another, studying me as they tried to wrap their heads around the fact that a princess was wearing a dress like that. I was more than pleased to blow away their expectations. Not only that, but I also loved showing my father that I was my own woman, princess or not.
The crowd parted as I stepped off the stairs. I took a moment to glance around, to appreciate just how beautiful the ballroom looked. It was decked out in fall colors and décor, a fire roaring in the fireplace that made the large space seem cozy. I couldn’t fathom how gorgeous it must be at Christmastime.
“A pleasure to see you all here tonight,” I said. “How about we get this party started?”
I turned my attention to the band, gesturing for them to start playing again. Music filled the air in earnest, the crowd doing their best to stop staring. I made my way further into the ballroom, spotting none other than my father standing among the guests, an expression of tight, white-hot anger on his face.
He beelined over to me, forcing a smile as he placed his hand on my shoulder. As nervous as I’d been about his reaction, I was happy that he’d wasted no time in confronting me. I was eager to get everything out in the open.
“What the hell is this?” the words came out in a sharp tone, a total contrast to the easy smile on his face. No doubt that a king was well-trained in saying one thing and looking like he was saying something else.
“This is my debut to the kingdom, remember?”
“Don’t get smart with me. You know damn well that this sort of dress is completely inappropriate for a princess. What were you thinking?”
I let an easy smile form on my lips. “I’ve decided that if you want me to be a princess, you’re going to getme, the way I am in my natural state, as a princess. This is who I am, and I won’t change. Not even for you.”
“This isn’t America,” he shot back. “There are standards that a princess must embody.”
“You’re right, this isn’t America. But it’s not freaking eighteen-fourteen, either. Women can wear what they want, express themselves through their clothes. This is me. Take it or leave it.”
He narrowed his eyes for just a moment, offering me a very brief glimpse into the anger that he was just barely keeping below the surface.
“Make the rounds,” he said. “And try not to embarrass me any more than you already have.” The easy smile still on his face, he waved to someone in the crowd and broke away from me, leaving me standing there alone.
That was it. My father had cornered me, said his piece, and seemed to realize that there was nothing he could do. That is, unless he wanted to publicly strip me of my title for the crime of wearing a sexy dress.
A squeal sounded out from behind me, and I turned to see Kinley approaching, three of the other girls from the service staff with her.
“My God!” she shouted, looking me up and down with excited eyes. “You lookamazing!”
“You looksogood,” one of the other girls said.
“Hottest princess ever,” said another.
The third pulled out her phone, not saying a word before hurrying over to my side and holding the camera out for a selfie.
“Please can I take this for Insta?”
I laughed. “Sure.”
We both smiled as she snapped a picture.
“Alright, alright,” Kinley said, waving her hands in front of her. “You all got your princess time. Let’s give her some breathing room, OK?”
The girls, disappointed, took their leave. A tinge of relief washed through me once Kinley and I were alone. As confident as I was feeling, all the same it was nice to be around a friend.
