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“Your friend arrived earlier today,” he said.
I looked up. “Oh?”
He motioned toward the buffet and I spotted Jed smiling and laughing. I’d finally been able to convince him to come for a visit. It would be wonderful to catch up on the news from home.
“Thank you,” I said.
“And I’ve got tickets for Morgan Sparks’s tour in Paris,” he said.
“You’re amazing,” I said. He really was. He knew I’d missed my friends and family from New York, and he did everything he could to offer opportunities for us to meet up with them.
“Anything for the woman that I love,” he said, his eyes meeting mine.
I beamed. “I love you, too.”
“And I have another surprise for you later tonight,” he said mysteriously.
The evening was a whirlwind of dancing and drinks, talking and laughing. I’d never enjoyed myself more.
Finally, Louis said, “It’s time for your surprise.” And he pulled me toward the dais. We moved up the steps, and Louis raised his hands for the musicians to stop. The ballroom quieted around us.
“As many of you know, on a recent tour of the states, I met a very special woman,” Louis said into a microphone that seemed to appear in his hand.
The heat rose in my cheeks and I knew I was blushing.
“Harper and I share a love of music,” he continued. “In fact, we met in a karaoke bar.”
The crowd cheered and I blushed more.
“So, Harper,” he said, “I hoped we could sing a song tonight in remembrance of our first meeting.” They’d brought in a karaoke machine and projected the lyrics up on the wall behind us.
I laughed. Only Louis wouldn’t just sing the song, but would bring the whole setup. My heart warmed, though, that it had obviously meant as much to him as it did to me. The opening bars of Morgan Sparks’s “Redemption” began, and Louis handed me the other microphone.
He sang, his strong voice ringing out through the room, and I pulled myself together to follow when the duet part came up. Louis watched me as we sang, his blue eyes gleaming. I couldn’t imagine not having this man in my life. He was everything I wanted and more.
As the song came to an end, the ballroom broke out in applause and Louis and I bowed.
There was a line to the side of the dais where others wanted their turn at karaoke, and I chuckled. “You may have started a fashion,” I said, turning to step down.
He winked. Then he grabbed my arm and held up his hand for silence once more. The crowd calmed.
“I know we want to get on with our Spring Ball celebrations, but I beg your indulgence for just a little bit longer,” he said.
Then he took something that one of his men held up and turned to me. He bent down on one knee and held out an open box. Inside was a diamond ring that perfectly matched the set that his mother, the Queen, had given me.
I gasped, my hand on my heart. I glanced up and the King and Queen stood a few feet away, smiling, obviously giving their blessing.
“Harper Sparks,” Prince Louis said formally. “Will you do the honor of becoming my bride?”
“Yes,” I exclaimed, my heart beating rapidly. “Of course I’ll marry you.”
Louis stood up and placed the ring on my finger, then he picked me up and spun me around. The crowd went wild, shouting congratulations and support.
