Page 34 of Twisted Royals

She lifted her champagne flute high and said, “To Princess Damaris. Long may she reign.”

Jerome laughed and touched his glass to hers, then took his phone from his pocket. “She’s always been my princess. See? This is her wearing her mama’s crown from a beauty pageant.”

“Daddy!”

“How precious! I have one of Savva in his father’s state robes.”

Their heads close together, Jerome and my mother laughed at each other’s photos. I sent a sigh heavenward and smiled at Damaris.

“Do you think we should leave them alone?”

“Maybe they need a chaperone.” She chuckled and took a sip from her water glass.

My mother tucked her phone away and gave Jerome a fond smile. “We’ll have the palace staff get to work on planning the wedding first thing tomorrow morning. The gardens are lovely in August, but we can move the wedding breakfast to the red dining room if the weather doesn’t cooperate. I’ll contact the archbishop and get an exact date for the basilica.”

“August?” Jerome asked. “Why so soon?”

“Savva’s birthday is the twenty-sixth of August.” To me, she added, “Savva, dear. I trust you’ll meet with the social secretary to discuss the press release and schedule the artist for your portraits.”

“Eliza is coming back early to coordinate the project but will telecommute for most of it.”

“Good. She’ll have things well in hand. Now, Damaris, who do you want to wear for the wedding?”

“Sorry?”

“Who will be designing your wedding gown?”

“Um… I always thought I’d wear Mama’s.”

“Punkin…” Jerome took her hand and squeezed it gently. “Your mama’s dress came from the sale rack at a discount store. She looked awful pretty in it, but I’m thinking you need something a little different.”

After chewing on her lip for a moment, she nodded. “You’re right, I guess.”

“Besides, she stuck it in the barn for storage, and we’d probably never get the smell out.” Turning to my mother, he asked, “Now, what does your son’s birthday have to do with the wedding date?”

“Daddy, Savva has to get married before his thirtieth birthday or Agafonza reverts to Russia.”

Damaris’s words came out in a rush and Jerome narrowed his eyes at me. “Are you forcing my daughter to marry you, son?”

“Sir, I do not believe one can force Damaris to do anything.” I took her trembling hand and brought it to my lips. “I knew she was the one for me when she laughed at my proposal and offered to help me find another bride.”

“I want to do this,” Damaris said, lifting her chin. “It’s my choice. I…”

She glanced at me, wordlessly asking to share our plans. I nodded and directed my words to Jerome and my mother.

“I will be the last prince forced into marriage. With Damaris’s help, I plan to rewrite our constitution and introduce a democratic government with free elections.”

My mother gasped and laid a hand over her mouth. “But… how? Your father died without having found a way out.”

“I’ve already drafted an amendment stating that the choice to revert to Russia will be left to a popular vote. It’s completely legal, and Russia can’t stop it.” I grimaced, then added, “Well, not once I’m married. That’s what I’ve been doing for the last five years instead of looking for a bride. I’m sorry to have worried you, but I couldn’t tell anyone until it was finished.”

I’d learned from my mistakes with Alivia. Her first loyalty wasn’t to me. No, it was to her Russian diplomat cousin.

Aside from Damaris, I’d told no one, and even she didn’t know everything that had gone into my preparations for Agafonza’s independence.

“And you’ve hidden this from everyone?” Jerome asked.

“All but a highly skilled team of international lawyers, without whom I couldn’t have found the loophole in the original documents creating the principality.”

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