Page 143 of The Backup Princess

Alex

It’s Christmastime in Ledonia and after months of reports of the country’s hottest couple together, from the slopes of the Pyrenees to the beaches of Spain, our Prince of Sheer Sexiness has been spotted walking hand-in-hand through the snow in Villadorata with his princess. Although it pains this reporter to even type these words, rumor has it we may hear wedding bells in their future, officially making Princess Madeline the luckiest woman on the face of the planet.

#ICalledItFirst

#SomeGirlsGetAllTheLuck

Yours in jealousy,

Fabiana Fontaine xx

The air shimmers with the magic of Christmas as the snow falls gently outside. Towering above us in the toasty living room, warmed by the open fire, the grand tree twinkles with a thousand lights, its branches adorned with glistening baubles and gold ribbons. The scent of pine mingles with the subtle fragrance of cinnamon, the smell of Christmas in Ledonia.

The past few months with Maddie have been nothing short of amazing. After that night at the Lunar Ball, we’ve spent a lot of time together, getting to know one another better and better. With her kindness, sincerity, and heart—not to mention her crazy hot sexiness—she really is the perfect woman for me. And from what she says and the way I sometimes catch her looking at me, I’m the perfect man for her.

Who knew our love story would start with a punch to the nose? Maddie calls it our “meet ugly”, a play on the American phrase “meet cute”.

I call it destiny.

Sitting on the sofa, I swing a possessive arm around the woman I love. Maddie looks up at me, and we share a smile.

We’ve had dinner with my parents, who have already retired for the evening, leaving just us 20-somethings to enjoy a hot chocolate in front of the fire in our matching, intensely embarrassing Christmas jumpers.

This year we’ve all got a garish Santa sitting proud in the center of the jumper, with textured Christmas trees in red and green adorning the arms. Hands-down, it could win any ugly jumper contest, but I admit, there’s something wonderful about Maddie wearing the same jumper, all of us equally dorky.

“This is so exciting. Alex has never brought a girl home, especially not for Christmas,” Amelia says as she sits back in her seat in front of the fire.

“It’s certainly a first. He must be deadly serious about you, Maddie,” Sofia says.

“Are you deadly serious about me?” Maddie whispers, and I plant a kiss on her cheek by way of my answer.

Max lets out a laugh and we all turn to look at him. “What?” he asks.

“You can’t just let out a random laugh out of nowhere and not explain why,” I reply.

“Not unless you’ve totally lost your marbles, that is,” Amelia adds.

“It’s the two of you,” he says, gesturing at Maddie and me. “You’re so”—he searches for the word— “soppy.”

It’s our turn to laugh.

“Love does that to you, little brother,” I reply with a happy smirk. “You’ll find out one day.”

“Ugh,” Max complains as he pats Calypso at his side, one of our Welsh Springer Spaniels. “So cheesy.”

“We might be cheesier than a chili con queso at a Houston restaurant,” Maddie replies. “But we like it that way.”

“Oh, yeah. The cheesier the better.” I tighten my arm around her shoulders.

“Mummy already loves you, Maddie,” Amelia says. “Father? Well, he’ll come ’round.”

Truth be told, I’m not sure Father ever will come around. Not entirely. The day of the Lunar Ball when I told him I was removing myself from the line of succession in order to be with the woman I love, he told me it was the worst day of his life and that he would never recover from my disloyalty. It was dramatic, but then he wouldn't be Father if it wasn't.

Since standing up to him and telling him what I wanted, I've discovered a new-found sense of strength. I may be his son, but I am also a man, and putting Maddie's needs first, diving into loving her, has been the most rewarding decision of my life.

We’ve made small inroads in our relationship, and I for one am trying to chip away at his granite exterior. However he’s treated me in the past, he’s my father, and we love one another, even if he finds it hard to show.

It’s very much a work in progress.

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