Page 33 of Once Upon a Royal Summer
Henry’s family had been a source of comfort and good will for the people of Bella-Moritz for thirty generations. In good times and bad, the monarchy had been a consistent, reliable presence in their quaint principality. The citizens knew they could count on the Chevaliers. The noble family stood for resilience, especially in times of stress or uncertainty. The economy in Europe had been turbulent lately. People weren’t traveling as much they used to, and tourism was the backbone of Bella-Moritz. So far, they’d been fortunate enough to avoid any serious layoffs or unemployment. But people were scared, and if Henry and his family could make people forget their worries for a day by showing up with smiles on their faces and riding down the promenade toward the palace, then that was what they needed to do. Their traditions weren’t about just going through the motions—they meant something.
Which was precisely why Rose riding in the royal procession was so important. God willing, there wouldn’t be any surprises during that esteemed occasion. But for now, Henry would do his best to embrace the joy of the unexpected. Rose was sure to love whatever Lacey had in mind.
It was Henry, though, who was rendered speechless by her surprise. At first, he saw what looked like a circus tent in the distance, a striped awning in pink and purple shades to match Ever After Castle. A gold flag perched at the very top. But as they moved closer, he spotted horses—so many beautifully carved, wooden horses—moving up and down on shiny brass poles. There were white horses, gray horses, brown, and black. Henry even saw a pink one, and they were all painted with whimsical flowers, streaming ribbons and tassels in every shade of the rainbow. No two were alike.
He slowed to a stop in front of the carousel, his throat growing thick with emotion. Lacey’s special surprise couldn’t have been a coincidence. This was intentional. He’d confided in her about Rose’s fear of riding in the procession, and now she was trying to do what she could to help.
His heart jerked as his eyes met Lacey’s. A look passed between them—some unspoken sentiment that wrapped around Henry like a blanket.
Lacey cleared her throat and crouched down to Rose’s eye level. She took both of Rose’s petite hands in hers. “Would you like to ride one of the carousel horses with me, Princess Rose? I thought it might be fun if we shared one and rode together.”
Rose nodded, although she seemed a little more hesitant than she’d been on most of the other rides.
“The carousel has over ninety horses to choose from. You can pick whichever one you want. Why don’t we take a look?” Lacey stood and waited for the carousel to grind to a stop before she walked onto its base, hand-in-hand in with Rose.
They wove in between rows of carousel horses pawing at the air, mid-prance. Following Lacey’s lead, Rose ran her fingertips along their smooth, glossy backs.
Beside Henry, Ian nodded, a smile tipping his lips. “You told Princess Sweet Pea about Rose’s difficulty with her riding lessons, didn’t you?”
“Maybe,” Henry said. “It’s not a state secret.”
“I know it’s not. I’m surprised, though. You don’t usually share that kind of thing with…” Ian’s voice drifted off and his brow furrowed.
“With whom, exactly?” Henry lifted a brow.
“With anyone,” Ian finally said. “It’s about time you started opening up to someone. Other than your favorite protection officer, of course.”
“Don’t read anything into it,” Henry said, unsure who he was trying to convince—Ian or himself. “It was just a conversation.”
“Well, it certainly seems as if Princess Sweet Pea took it to heart.” Ian jerked his head in the direction of the carousel, where Lacey was lifting Rose onto the back of a pale silver horse with painted pink ribbons woven through its mane and decorated with a huge wreath of red-and-pink roses around its neck. “That horse looks a little bit like Daisy, doesn’t it?”
Henry nodded, not quite trusting himself to speak as Lacey climbed onto the horse behind Rose and wrapped her arms around his daughter’s waist.
“Are you two going to join us?” Lacey called, beckoning to Ian and Henry with a wave.
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Ian said. He positioned himself astride a sleek black carousel horse with its head tossed back and tail held high.
Henry chose a snow-white horse right next to the gray one Lacey and Rose shared.
“Ready?” Lacey asked as the organ in the center of the carousel began to play and the horses slowly started bobbing up and down.
“Ready,” Henry said. “Aren’t we, sweetheart?”
He winked at Rose. She had a white-knuckle grip on her horse’s brass poll, but as the ride began moving round and round, and as the carousel horses pranced in place, she gradually began to relax. Little by little.
Rose’s big breakthrough came when the organ in the center of the carousal launched into a sonorous version of “Happy Birthday to You.” Her eyes flew open wide and she gasped. Too stunned to remember to be afraid, she bounced on her carousel horse’s back and swayed in time with the music, grinning from ear to ear.
They rode the carousel four times in total. By the end, Rose rode solo, and Lacey switched places to a pink horse just to the left of Henry’s white steed. As the organ music wound down a final time, he caught Lacey looking at him with her head tilted and her eyebrows squished together.
“What?” Henry said, narrowing his gaze at her. “Is something wrong?”
“No. I just realized that you’re—” she dropped her voice to a whisper, “—well, you’re a prince and you’re riding a white horse right now.” Her bow-shaped lips tipped into a frown.
“Too cliché?” Henry asked, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Not at all. Someone recently told me a prince wasn’t about to come charging into my life on a white horse, and yet, here you are.” Lacey blinked.
“Here I am,” Henry said. He had a feeling there was more to the story, but she didn’t seem to want to elaborate.
