Winning the Queen's Heart: Contemporary Christian Romance (The Brides of Belles Montagnes Book 2) (11 page)

“Where did this come from?” she asked once they were out of town.

“I had someone bring it from my place.” He smoothly upshifted into the next gear. “I thought it would be fun to drive together, just the two of us.”

Did he know what day it was? How difficult it would be? Much less driving along the same stretch of road?

Part of her wished for the top down and the wind whipping through her hair but the late December day was too cold for that. The miles and curves flew past as they wound their way through the countryside. A car stayed in front of them at all times, another stayed behind. Security. Probably Tony. He would not leave her security to anyone else. Not this day. Likely there was at least two other cars somewhere with assorted other personnel.

“What is on our agenda today?” She should have checked despite her reservations, but instead she had spent extra time in the shower, letting the water cover the sound of her tears.

“We have a stop to make, then we’ll meet with Poppo and the rest of the family for lunch. They’re finishing a Christmas present drive. We’re going to help them wrap presents and make sure all of them are labeled properly to be delivered tomorrow. After a late snack with the workers there, we’re scheduled to help serve dinner at a local soup kitchen. Our own dinner will be a banquet this evening. Not a big one, but about a hundred people or so. Poppo put it together.”

Big enough. All she really wanted to do was skip spending the night in Ariston and go back to the palace. There, she could sneak a carton of ice cream out of the freezer, soak in the Jacuzzi tub, and wallow until the day ended. Not very befitting a queen but what she wanted to do.

Instead, she would put on her happy face once more.

Christiana did not know for certain where the section in the road was and she was not sure she wanted to know. The spot where her parents’ car, driven by her father much like Alexander did now, hit a patch of ice and slid off the side of the road and down the cliff into the river below.

Alexander slowed the car down considerably as they came to a turn. He pulled off onto a small parking lot on the side of the road. Next to the small gravel lot was a concrete marker with a bronze plaque on top.

This was it.

The spot.

Where her whole life changed.

She stared across the valley at the trees on the other side, willing the tears to stay in place. Alexander opened the door for her, taking her hand when she finally felt ready.

“Have you ever been here?” he asked quietly, keeping his hand around hers.

Christiana had to clear her throat twice before she could speak. “No. I may have driven past when I was too young to realize where I was, but to my knowledge, I never have been.”

He led her to the plaque. She reached out and ran her fingers over the inscription.

In Loving Memory

King Richard George Louis V and Queen Consort Marissa Christiana

Their son, Crown Prince Nicklaus David Richard Antonio,

and Michaela Engel, beloved nanny

December 23, 1999

May their Maker receive them into His loving arms

We are poorer for having lost them so young

We are richer for having them as long as we did

Commissioned on behalf of their beloved daughter

Queen Christiana Elizabeth Marissa Abigail I

“Who had this put here?”
Not my uncle. Please not my uncle.

“I believe the Prime Minister at the time had it commissioned on your behalf.”

She felt a breath of relief leave her body.

“I thought you might like to lay some flowers?”

“We do not have any.”

Alexander squeezed her hand and turned, motioning to someone. She looked to see Diana bringing over the bouquet Christiana made the day before with some children. She’d thought they were for a Christmas pageant.

Christiana took it from her, not bothering to stop the tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Usually, the Prime Minister comes for a flower laying ceremony, but I thought you might want to today.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her tight to his side and kissing the side of her head.

“You were right.” She had never thought about it, never even knew there was a marker here. Alexander helped her fit the flowers in the vase put there for just such a purpose. After a minute of fussing with them, trying to get them “just so”, she moved to the side of the marker. Her hands rested on the railing as she stared across the valley. It took everything in her not to look down, to see the actual spot where it all came to a screeching halt.

Alexander moved behind her, his arms wrapping around her waist. His chest solid against her back. Here, in the place where her parents and brother died, she felt safe and protected. Something she rarely felt, even before the plots came to light. When she was still oblivious.

Did she have to leave his arms?

She did not want to, but she could not stay in this place any longer.

“I am ready to go.” Christiana moved away from Alexander and headed for the car.

When they had made their way another mile down the road, he spoke. “Was it too much?”

With a shake of her head, she replied. “No. It was good. I just could not take it any longer.”

“I understand.” Another mile passed in silence. “We will stop at the hotel room first and freshen up. Poppo and the family will meet us for lunch in the private dining room.”

“Thank you, Alexander. I appreciate all you have done for me.”

He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips, kissing her knuckles above her wedding ring. “My pleasure, Your Majesty. As your husband, it’s my job to do those things for you. I am glad to.”

* * *

Her husband. The man who had slept in the same bed with her for two months, rarely coming in contact with her. But today, he hoped to ease some of the pain buried deep inside. The pain she let no one see, but he knew existed.

A few minutes later, he pulled to the rear of the hotel. They had purposely shared misinformation with the public and the press. He knew she wouldn’t want anyone to see her after a crying jag. From there, they went into a nearly empty corridor to an elevator and then to the plush royal suite they would call home for the night.

His wife disappeared to the bedroom and into the bathroom beyond without saying anything else to him.

“Is she okay?” Diana walked in, satchel in one hand, coffee in the other.

“She will be.”

“Thank you, sir. If the people knew how much pain the death of her parents still caused her, it would rip their hearts to shreds.” She glanced through the open door to make sure the queen was still gone. “That’s why tonight will be such a success.”

“Thank you again for all your help with the arrangements.”

“My pleasure, sir.” She headed for the bedroom. “I’m going to help her get ready for the luncheon.”

Diana took good care of the queen. Somehow, despite the machinations of her uncle, people who cared deeply for Queen Christiana surrounded her. The next hour flew by and before he knew it, her hand was tucked in the crook of his arm as they walked into the private dining room. The first person he saw, the first person he knew she saw, was Poppo.

Poppo held open his arms and the queen gladly ran into them. Alexander had no problem releasing his wife into the other man’s embrace. Turning, he shook hands with the rest of the family members, giving Mrs. Engel a kiss on each cheek.

Five-year-old Annie tugged on his shirtsleeve. “Are you a king now?”

He knelt on the ground next to her. “Nope. Even though I married the queen, she’s the one in charge, not me, so I don’t get to be king, and I’m just fine with that.”

“Are you a prince then?”

Alexander nodded. “I am. And I’m a duke, too.” He still didn’t quite understand the reasoning behind that title, but it officially belonged to him.

“I’m glad you married Queen Christiana. She’s nice. You’re nice, too.”

“Thank you, Annie.” He kissed her cheek. “You’re super nice. I like you.”

Whoever did the seating arrangements set it up so he was nowhere near Christiana. He wished to be seated next to her, but there were reasons for it. Even though he knew that, he couldn’t keep from watching her closely.

There was a new sadness around her eyes, but there seemed to be a bit of hope in them as well. She laughed with Poppo and Nanny. He wished he could be the one to illicit that kind of response from her more often. One day he would.

He enjoyed talking with Poppo’s daughter and son-in-law. The lunch wasn’t one where they would linger. The whole family would accompany him and the queen to a local rec center where they would wrap presents for several hours. The knots in his stomach tightened every time he thought about the plans for the gathering later in the evening. Alexander hoped it wouldn’t be too much and overwhelm her.

They did ride together to the rec center, though Poppo and his wife accompanied them. The parade through town was similar to so many others before it. He was proud of his wife, putting on her smiley face and waving, doing her best to make eye contact with each of those lining their route. He would do his best to keep her busy to keep her mind off the significance of the date.

It was also the anniversary of the day she became queen. Seventeen years since she became the monarch of Ravenzario. Had they ever celebrated that? Had she ever had a real coronation?

These were things he needed to look into. To see what he could do without making her uncomfortable or the people feel either one of them was being pretentious. They pulled up in front of the rec center. He and the queen both spent several minutes shaking hands with and talking to the children gathered in the foyer. Several of them gave her flowers that she gushed over. Alexander was getting to know her well enough to know she was genuinely thankful for them.

The later it got, the more his stomach tied in knots. Tonight needed to go perfectly. It would be difficult enough for his wife anyway. He wanted to make it better, not worse. It was too late to change the plans, though. So he prayed for grace, and for it to go well.

So the queen could finally remember the things she’d never been able to before.

Chapter 12

Christiana wished she knew Alexander well enough to have him find a way to get out of the dinner reception. Really, she wished he knew her well enough to get her out of it without needing to ask. Instead, she slid a deep blue silk wraparound dress on, tying it on the side before slipping into heels.

Last year, she had spent this day wallowing like she never had before. Finally out from under her uncle’s thumb.

She was asked to put flowers at their gravesites, but refused. She wished this year could be the same. When she walked out into the living room, Alexander sat in one of the chairs with a tablet, scrolling through something.

“Anything interesting?” She settled into a chair across from him.

“You know there have been a few official pictures released every day, right?” When she nodded, he went on. “Hundreds of others haven’t been released. We’ve been approached about putting together a coffee table photo book telling our love story through Christmas this year.” She started to protest, but he held up a hand. “I just found out about it. Diana and Justin said they wanted details before passing it on to us to decide. The proceeds would go to a charity or charities we designate. The photographer gave me access to all of the shots he’s taken since the Royal Scouts meeting.”

Christiana did not know what to think so she asked his opinion.

“I think we should consider it. Skip the love story part, mostly. Perhaps include a few pictures from our earlier lives and start the day we agreed to get married. There are some great shots.”

“When do we need to decide?”

“Soon, I think. They’d like to release it as a commemorative edition for our first anniversary but these things take time. I can ask Justin when they need to know for sure.” He set the tablet on the side table and stood up. “Are you ready?”

“Do we have to?” Christiana knew she sounded like a whiny child.

Alexander held out his hands. She took them and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet and into his arms. Resting her head against his chest, with his arms around her, she felt safe. She never wanted to leave.

“We have to go.” She felt him press a kiss to the top of her head. “I promise it’ll be worth your time.”

A discreet knock at the door ended the moment. She moved back and turned, needing to put some distance between them. A minute later, they rode down the elevator and walked into the hotel ballroom. Just before they entered, Alexander slid his hand around hers, the warmth lending calm to her frazzled nerves.

The voice over the loudspeakers introduced them. The doors in front of them opened. Rather than the applause and line of people she expected, the room was nearly silent. Everyone stood next to their chairs, but they just watched as she and Alexander moved through the room. Some smiled, some bowed their heads, but all remained quiet. It was more than a bit disconcerting.

They reached the front of the room, where the head table sat on a dais. Poppo’s family stood there along with a few others. In front was a stand of flowers, the kind you’d see at a funeral, with a ribbon across it.
In Loving Memory
. She glanced up at Alexander who let go of her hand and rested his on her back, using pressure to turn her toward a microphone set up on the side.