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Unique is for the weak?
What does that even mean?
“Verdana is all about tradition,” Queen Annabelle added. “Understood?”
I held her gaze and tried to stay relaxed, having dealt with many overbearing parents and parents-in-law of brides and grooms in the past.
But before I could respond, Oliver cleared his throat.
“Mother—I’d like to talk to you privately.” He stood and walked away, not waiting for her to respond.
She glared at me, then spun around and marched away to follow Oliver.
Veronica forced a smile in my direction, then kept her voice low. “The queen has not been the same since the king passed away last year. They loved each other dearly. Then her trusted companion, Ruby, the royal dog, died a few months after that. A beautiful Pembroke Welsh Corgi. That’s why you don’t see any dogs around here. An order from the queen.”
I nodded, glancing toward the queen, imagining the loss and heartbreak she must be feeling. “That’s horrible.”
Veronica nodded. “Oliver says we need to be patient with her, but sometimes it’s easier said than done.”
Oliver returned by himself and took a seat again. “I apologize for that.”
“Not a problem,” I said, watching the queen return inside the palace, but not before giving me one last nasty look.
“Where were we?” the prince asked, preferring not to mention anymore of his mother’s interruption. “That’s right. Me and Johnny Depp. Shall we explore that further?”
Veronica gave me a knowing smile. “Men and their egos.”
I laughed and pointed to the ground in front of Oliver. “Careful when you get up. You might trip over it.”
“Fine,” he said with an amused smile. “We can talk about the wedding, if you prefer.”
Over the next two hours, we drank more than a few cups of tea and finished every single pastry on the platter. Our conversation had shifted to other important planning topics, including the potential entertainment for the wedding reception and whether we should include a fireworks display. I chimed in with suggestions and ideas for everything, on top of my game, feeling more confident with every minute that passed.
Which was why Oliver’s creased forehead worried me. What was on his mind as he suddenly ignored me and scrolled his phone like he was looking for something more important and interesting than my ideas?
“Is everything okay, Your Highness?” I asked.
“Yes . . .” He nodded and finally looked up from his phone. “I just had an idea I would like to incorporate into the wedding.”
“Don’t tell me—you would like to turn the wedding reception into a pajama party?” Veronica joked.
Oliver chuckled. “Not a bad idea. Let’s table that discussion for another day.” He tapped a couple more times on his phone. “Ah, here we go.” The prince handed me his phone.
I glanced at a picture of a beautiful six-lobed flower with purple and silver petals, then read the caption out loud. “The Adana Orchid.” I glanced up at Oliver. “It’s gorgeous. Is this something you’re growing in your royal garden?”
“If only we were so lucky,” he said. “This orchid only grows wild in northern Europe in the old-growth beech forests of the Carpathian Mountains in Romania. It prefers damp, shady areas and is very difficult to cultivate.”
I nodded, a little confused. “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand. Are you saying you want this flower for the wedding?”
Oliver nodded. “For the centerpieces. We’ll need one hundred and twenty-five of them, one for each table.”
“What happened to the magenta peonies?” Veronica asked.
“I’ve changed my mind,” he firmly said.
“As you wish,” the princess said, studying Oliver but not saying any more on the subject.
I was surprised the two of them hadn’t discussed this change ahead of my arrival to avoid any awkward conversations. I had seen my fair share of disagreements between couples on certain aspects of wedding planning, especially when one of them changed their mind at the last minute.
