Page 73 of To Steal the Sun

Some elements of the ceremony were unfamiliar, but she succeeded in weaving their arms together and circling without tripping over her small train, grateful for their several practice runs the day before. But when they brought out the tubs for washing, she made the mistake of meeting Natalie’s eyes.

The look on the younger girl’s face made it almost impossible not to break out into giggles, and Charlotte spent the entire time she was scrubbing trying not to let them burst free. Henry kept shooting her amused glances as he struggled through the task himself. He had more experience than most princes his age, but apparently scrubbing shirts wasn’t part of his skill set.

Eventually they both had the garments clean, however, holding them up proudly and enjoying the cheers of the crowd. When Count Oswin proclaimed the final words of the ceremony, declaring that what had been done could not be undone, Henry and Charlotte gazed into each other’s eyes, feeling the special weight of the words. No one could dispute their marriage now.

Henry pulled her close and kissed her, leading to more cheers, and Charlotte’s cheeks were flushed by the time she pulled back. Henry grinned down at her unrepentant, though. He hadn’t stopped smiling since she had entered the room and just seeing him gave Charlotte a swell of happiness. How long would it be before she stopped feeling that way every time her eyes fell on his tall form?

The party following the ceremony continued long into the night. Charlotte and Henry had allowed Gwen and Easton to choose the guest list, knowing they wanted to make use of the invitations. There was far too much politics involved in setting up their new court to miss such a valuable opportunity.

Charlotte didn’t mind all the unfamiliar faces. Her family was there, along with the new friends she had made, and Henry was at her side. Nothing else mattered.

But when Gwen had finally finished circulating—having needed to talk to every one of the guests—she collapsed into a chair beside Charlotte.

“Did I know being queen would be so exhausting?” she moaned.

Charlotte grinned back. “If you’re trying to terrify me, know that nothing will ruin my mood today.”

Gwen straightened in her chair. “Of course I’m not trying to do that! I’m sure you’ll love making polite talk with every single person at all those future Arcadian parties.”

Charlotte snorted but didn’t retort since Natalie bounded up to them at that moment, her eyes concerningly bright.

“I’ve been thinking,” she said ominously.

Gwen and Charlotte exchanged a look.

“What are you planning now?” Gwen asked in an even more exhausted voice.

“Charlotte said I can visit Arcadia in a few years, but why stop there?” Natalie gazed into the distance dreamily.

“What do you mean?” Charlotte asked warily.

“It hit me during the ceremony,” Natalie said. “You’re a queen, Gwen.”

“Queen Gwendolyn to you,” Charlotte said sternly. “At least in public.”

Natalie waved a hand dismissively. “But you were born a princess, so it’s not surprising. But Charlotte on the other hand…She’s going to be a queen one day too, but she was born into a family just as ordinary as mine.”

Charlotte winced. Was Natalie’s introduction to Charlotte’s family responsible for sparking this train of thought?

“So if Charlotte can become a queen, then I’m going to become a queen too,” Natalie finished cheerfully.

“You’re going to become a queen?” Gwen asked incredulously. “How would that work, exactly?”

Charlotte could see the connection, though. “By marrying a crown prince, I suppose,” she said.

Natalie nodded. “Exactly. Did you know the old crown historian is one of the guests today? He’s absolutely ancient, but he’s the one who’s been updating the official records since the traders reestablished contact with the Four Kingdoms. I’ve just had a very interesting talk with him.”

“Don’t tell me…” Gwen said weakly.

Natalie continued on, unheeding. “It turns out,” she said triumphantly, “that Crown Prince Frederic of Lanover has a son who is sixteen years old and who will one day be king of Lanover.”

Charlotte wracked her brains, trying to remember the royal family trees she had learned as a child in school. “You mean Prince Leo?” she asked.

“That sounds right,” Natalie said. “Or Leon, or Luca, something like that. Anyway, as soon as I’m eighteen, I’ll come to Arcadia to visit you, Charlotte, and then I’ll continue straight on to Lanover. It’s perfect.”

Gwen and Charlotte stared at her, rendered equally silent by the matter-of-fact plans. Natalie eyed them both as if they were the strange ones before shrugging and bounding off again, perhaps to regale someone else with tales of her glorious future.

“You don’t…You don’t think there’s any chance she might actually succeed, do you?” Gwen whispered in the silence after her departure.

---