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Oliver startled, and he exchanged a strange glance with Veronica. It seemed as if they weren’t expecting me to have accomplished so much in such a short period, which was a boost to my confidence.
Georgina had pulled out a tablet and was furiously typing notes. I tried not to let it affect me, but it was hard not to feel self-conscious under such scrutiny.
“Wow, that’s . . . impressive,” Oliver admitted, and a curious expression flickered across his face as he exchanged another glance with Veronica.
She shot a raised-brow look at Oliver, then turned back to me. “Well done.”
Neither of them looked as pleased as I had hoped, though.
I set my ego aside and brushed it off, reminding myself this was an arranged marriage. The two of them might not be so overjoyed about their impending nuptials and the little details that went along with it. In fact, I would not have been surprised to learn that they just wanted to get the whole endeavor over with.
“However,” Oliver said, leaning back in his chair and adopting a more serious expression, “we do have an idea for the wedding that we’d like to discuss with you. It’s rather unorthodox, but we think it could make the wedding even more memorable.”
“Of course,” I responded, my curiosity piqued. “I’m open to any ideas you may have, and I’ll do my best to make your vision come to life.”
“Good,” Oliver said. “Because we’ve grown tired of the same old royal traditions and protocols. It’s time for something fresh and exciting.”
“What did you have in mind?” I asked.
He leaned closer. “We’d like to have a pirate-themed wedding, complete with treasure chests and eye patches. The guests would have to walk a plank to enter the reception, and I could even have a parrot on my shoulder during the ceremony.”
I could not help myself and immediately erupted with laughter, and was quickly joined by Veronica and Georgina. Then the prince himself.
“Good one,” I said, impressed again that he had a sense of humor.
“A pirate wedding would be so unique!” Veronica said, clearly wanting to keep the joke going. “You’d look so dashing dressed like Jack Sparrow. Don’t you think he resembles Johnny Depp?”
“Oh, please—the prince is much more handsome than Johnny Depp!” I blurted out without thinking.
Oliver’s head drew back in surprise.
Veronica stifled a giggle behind her hand.
I froze, feeling my cheeks flush hot with embarrassment.
“Your Highness,” I stammered. “Forgive me—that was unprofessional.”
Oliver waved it off with an amused chuckle. “No need to apologize, Grace. I’ll gladly take the compliment.” He gave me a roguish wink.
Wait—should the prince be winking at me?
I shot a quick glance at Veronica. Luckily, she hadn’t seemed to notice, although Georgina had a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth as she typed feverishly.
“I’m trying to imagine you with a parrot on your shoulder under the altar,” Veronica said, continuing to laugh. “Imagine what the queen would think if she were here.”
“Imagine what the queen would think about what?” Queen Annabelle asked, approaching and stopping in front of the table.
The laughter stopped.
Georgina jumped to her feet and curtsied. “Your Majesty . . .”
“I was just having a little fun, joking about dressing up as a pirate for the wedding,” Oliver said.
Queen Annabelle stood there, tight-lipped, the veins in her temples appearing to throb, like she was going to burst a blood vessel.
How could she not think that was funny?
“The royal wedding is not a joke, Oliver,” she finally said. “The entire world will be watching us.” She glanced over at me. “We have traditions to uphold, many dating back centuries. I expect them all to remain intact. Please do not stray from the course with any wild notions of trying to be unique. Unique is for the weak. I hope I am making myself crystal clear.”
