Once Upon a Romance 01 - Before the Midnight Bells (16 page)

Ella’s eyes sparkled at him. “With you?”

“
Indeed. Balls are generally considered to be occasions for dancing, and we are, after all, acquainted.”

“
Indeed.”

“
So?”

“
I’ll check my dance card.”

CHAPTER T
WELVE

“
It is agreed by all here present that, immediately following the holy royal ceremony, a progressus will advance through the city to the palace and the immediate coronation of Christopher Maximillian Wellesley will occur. He will thereafter be known as His Royal Highness, Christopher Maximillian, Prince of Albion.
”

Max leaned over to his father “Is it over yet?”

“
We’ve got several more pages. Just sit still.”

“
But I’m stiff, and sore.” Max whined on purpose. “These chairs are the epitome of discomfort.”

“
Hush, boy. You’re an important person, and she’s an even more important person. A public vetting of the betrothal agreement is traditional. And the more you mutter the slower he reads.”

“
… further agreed that any and all issue from the union will be considered legal claimants for the throne of Albion, given precedence by order of birth…
” the Chancellor was indeed slowing down, while glaring daggers at Max. Max just smiled winningly at the man, since it was guaranteed to irritate him thoroughly. It wasn’t that he disliked the Chancellor personally, he just had reservations about anyone whose position existed for the sole purpose of adding pomposity to events. The
throne room was full of overdressed, overheated courtiers, and it was getting stuffy. Max was pretty sure the Chancellor was the only one who cared about the formalities anymore; everyone else just wanted to leave.

“
What would he do if we just walked out?”

The duke smirked. “Probably have an apoplectic fit.”

“
That seems like reason enough for me, let’s go.”

“
Cease and desist, oh fruit of my loins. First of all, the king commanded our presence because he wishes to meet with you later. Second, a certain amount of boredom is the price we pay for rank and privilege. Last and most importantly, however, the man is practically speaking backwards now. If you don’t shut up we’re never going to get out of here.”

Max glanced up to the dais where Vivienne was seated on the right hand of the king.
The circular platform rose three steps above the rest of the chamber, and a giant banner with the Rose of Albion embroidered on it hung behind the king’s throne and the smaller, but highly ornate, chair that had been permanently installed there on Vivienne’s sixteenth birthday.
The Chancellor stood on the first step down, orating the betrothal agreement, and from that position he could see neither the king nor the princess. Max could
:
quite clearly, actually. Vivienne was looking at him with one raised eyebrow, clearly blaming him for this interminable reading
,
but the king was glaring at the Chancellor. That alone was enough to entertain Max for the rest of the reading. Every time he saw the king’s scowl fade, Max would fidget, and the Chancellor, in turn, would slow down again, bringing the king’s glower back in full force. When Duke Nathaniel realized what his son was doing, he started to shake silently with laughter. Vivienne, too, caught on, and her lips began to twitch. The king finally realized something must be affecting the Chancellor, but when he whipped his eyes to Max he found the duke’s heir sitting composedly in his chair, listening with an air of great interest.

Max’s innocent countenance in the face of the king’s suspicion was more than his father could take, and he faked a coughing fit. He hurriedly excused himself from the hall, but the assembled nobles could hear his ringing laughter from the hallway.

“
…inasmuch as these documents constitute the agreed wills of the parties concerned…”

The duke returned, but it was obvious he was still snickering under his breath. Now Vivienne was delicately holding her handkerchief in front of her face. It was a valiant attempt to remain composed, but everyone in the hall was aware that she was wracked with giggles. One by one all of the assembled nobles began to titter softly. No one knew the joke, but merely the fact that the princess and the current Duke of Yarrow were laughing during what was supposed to be a solemn ceremony was enough to set them off. Even
Vivienne’s ever-present guard was snickering at his post.
Soon only three people present were not laughing: the beleaguered Chancellor, the scowling king, and the unrepentant rascal who had started it all.

***

The king was divesting himself of his robes of state, while dressing down Max.

“
…a disgraceful commotion during the official vetting of the betrothal. I have no idea what you were doing, Christopher, but I know you were up to something.” He gave Max a stern look, but the younger man looked back at him serenely. Finally the king sighed and gave a wry smile. “I hope you make Vivienne laugh that much when you’re
not
needling an official of my court.”

“
Oh he does, father, he does.” Vivienne had gotten just as much amusement out of watching her father harangue Max as she had out of watching Max irritate the Chancellor, but she didn’t really want any strife between them. A few words in Max’s favor now would smooth it all over. “In fact, you could say that’s why I agreed to marry him; for his love of fun.”

Max rolled his eyes where no one but the princess could see. “Love of fun,” indeed. More like “willingness to go along with her completely insane ideas.”

“
Fine, I’ll forgive the man. This time. Now, run along, Vivienne, I wish to speak to Max and his father in private.”

Vivienne looked affronted. “He’s not the prince, yet, your Majesty. What could you possibly be discussing with him that you wouldn’t discuss with your heir?”

The king raised his eyebrows at his daughter. “This isn’t a chat about affairs of state, Vivienne. It’s a good, old fashioned, man-to-man talk between a father and his future son-in-law. Now go entertain yourself elsewhere.” Vivienne gave a low curtsy to her father and then skipped from the room. As she shut the door the king called after her, “And no eavesdropping!”

King Regal settled himself in a chair, and gestured for Max and Duke Nathaniel to do the same. Then he propped his chin in his hand and gazed upon Max, saying nothing. After a few moments of this Max started to squirm. He glanced at his father for help, but his father was looking at him, as well. Max chose to let his own eyes roam about the king
’s private sitting room, taking in the fine black oak furnishings and truly gaudy red-velvet, tassled cushions. It reminded him of a Baroque whorehouse, and Max almost asked the king if that was the inspiration, but thought better of it. The silence was wearing, though, and he finally opened his mouth to blurt out something
—anything—when the king began to speak.

“
Tell me why you asked my daughter to marry you, Christopher.”

“
What?” It wasn’t really an appropriate response to an inquiry from one’s monarch, but Max had been completely unprepared for that particular question.

“
Indulge my curiosity. Vivienne has made her choice, and I’ve promised her I’ll honor it, but I never thought there was anything more than friendship between the two of you. Vivienne won’t tell me, she says it’s not a suitable conversation for a father and daughter to have. But
you
are not my daughter. You’re my subject. So, tell me, why did you propose to Vivienne?” The king’s voice was sure of his own authority. He didn’t question that Max
would
answer him.

Max swallowed hard. He was going to have to be very careful to blend just enough truth with his lies.

“
To be honest, your Majesty, I didn’t.” The king raised an eyebrow, but said nothing and gestured for Max to go on. “Vivienne asked me.”

“
Did she tell you why?”

Of course she had, but Max couldn’t tell the king that… or could he? “Yes, your Majesty, she did.”

“
Well..?”

“
It had come to her attention… that is, she had noticed… it seemed to her as though you were introducing her to a number of young men.”

“
And?”

“
She didn’t want to marry any of them.”

The king gave a regal sigh. “Christopher, I would very much like to conduct this conversation in all haste, in order to have it over with as soon as possible. Do you suppose you could string together more than two sentences at a time?”

“
My apologies, your Majesty, I’m just feeling a bit awkward.” Max took a deep breath. “Vivienne wasn’t interested in any of the young men she was meeting, but it was becoming clear to her that you wanted her to select one. She’s a practical woman, so she thought of all the appropriate young men in the kingdom and came to the conclusion that she would rather marry her lifelong friend than a young man she cared nothing about. So she asked me if I would marry her.”

“
So, you don’t love her?”

“
On the contrary, your Majesty, I love your daughter dearly. I would do anything for her.” That was nothing but the pure truth, although perhaps not in the way the king meant.

“
And do you think she loves you?”

“
She adores me.”

“
Why have neither of you considered marriage before, if you love each other so much?”

“
I suppose,” Max answered slowly, “because neither of us had considered marriage, period. We’re both rather young, after all.”

The king arched a brow at him.
“That hardly sounds to me like a couple madly in love with one another.”

“
Your Majesty, she is a princess and I am the heir of a duke. Both of us have been raised to be practical, not mad.” Obviously it hadn’t worked, otherwise Max wouldn’t be sitting here lying through his teeth to his sovereign, but in theory it was sound.

“
True enough, I suppose.” Max sat and waited for another question, but none was forthcoming. King Regal
looked at him a long time with a thoughtful frown, and then finally spoke
. “Very well, Christopher, you have my permission to withdraw. I am grateful to you for satisfying my curiosity.”

Both Max and his father bowed low, and then made their way out of the retiring room and back towards the public areas of the palace. As they strolled down the beautiful marble hallways, Duke Nathaniel cleared his throat.

“
You’ll need to watch your step with the king, my boy.”

“
Pardon me?”

“
Married couples fight, lad, it’s the way of things. You and Vivienne will probably fight more than most, since you’re both strong willed and you enjoy teasing each other. There’s nothing wrong with that. But the king is very protective of his daughter, and since he
is
king he could make your life
very
unpleasant if he doesn’t like the way you’re treating her.”