Page 82 of Once Upon A Royal Christmas
And then she squared her shoulders, lifted her chin, and stepped out onto the frozen ballroom.
The snowflake-shaped platform was just a few steps away, and Gracie carefully navigated her way toward it, waving to the audience with her exaggerated party princess flourish. Everywhere she looked, she saw children wearing plastic snowflake crowns. Gracie did her best to soak it all in and bask in the sweet display of affection. She loved San Glacera, and San Glacera loved her right back, but no matter how hard she tried to avoid it, her gaze went straight to the royal box. She scanned the red velvet seats, searching for a glimpse of Nick. All she wanted was one last look, even if he glowered at her like he’d done on the opening night of the Ice Festival.
He’s not there.
Reality crashed into her just as the opening bars of her song started. She was alone out here. Really and truly alone. She’d been so sure Nick would be there, watching. Once her parents had shown up, she’d even started to believe that somehow, some way, she and Nick could work things out before she left to go back home. They could start over and build something real. She could take back all the things she’d said the night before.
Gracie hadn’t realized how much she’d hoped for a second chance until right then, as her eyes settled on the empty chair next to the king. Her gaze bore into it, and then the strangest thing happened. She spotted a flash of copper and white and then the tilt of a little spaniel’s head.
Mittens? Gracie squinted to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. Nope, the dog was really sitting proudly in Nick’s seat.
She forced herself to look away. Clara stood right at the edge of the ice, smiling so wide that it almost felt like she knew something Gracie didn’t—some wonderful Christmas secret. Gracie blinked. Her thoughts were spinning, and she needed to get them under control in three, two, one…
Then it was time. Gracie closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and remembered who she was. She was Princess Snowflake—winter royalty, friend of reindeer, daughter of Frost and Spring, granddaughter of Father Christmas. She was the girl who believed in love so much that she wasn’t afraid of what it might do to her. Frozen, fearless…ready to melt if that’s what it took to find her happy ending.
Her voice rang out, as clear as a bell.
The crowd clapped with such force that Gracie wasn’t sure she could make herself heard above the cheers. But she kept on, her tone growing more rich and powerful with each line of the Christmas carol. When she reached the chorus, she pulled back, letting her voice go breathy and fragile, infused with the tender emotions that were so unique to this time of year. Before she knew it, she was halfway through the song, and she caught Clara’s gaze again, fully expecting her friend to have her iPhone pointed in her direction.
It was, of course. But Clara was recording everything blind, not even paying attention to the screen. Instead, she cast a purposeful look to a spot just over Gracie’s left shoulder and smiled. For a second, Gracie thought she might have seen tears glistening in Clara’s eyes.
She turned to see what had captured Clara’s attention just as she reached the song’s chorus again, and this time, she didn’t need to try to make her voice go tender. It went there all on its own as she took in an impossible sight.
Nick.
But was it really him? Instead of being clothed in his fancy military regalia, he wore what looked more like a costume than anything a Crown Prince would actually put on. The red trousers and white jacket didn’t remotely resemble the exquisite ensemble he’d worn the night they met each other at the side castle gate, and the sash across his chest definitely looked a little wonky. As he drew closer, Gracie realized the medals attached to the sash weren’t even real coins. They were just round cardboard cutouts that had been spray painted gold.
The truth hit her in the moment Nick’s eyes found hers and he winked. It was a costume. Prince Charming hadn’t stood her up, after all. He was right here, taking his place at her side.
Again, the audience cheered. The applause started as a roar and then, as the spectators recognized that Prince Charming was, in fact, the Crown Prince of San Glacera, they rose to their feet in a rousing standing ovation. Gracie finished the song with a smile in her voice and tears in her eyes. The microphone slipped from her hand, and she threw her arms around Nick as if no one was watching.
“What are you doing? Is this real?” she whispered into the crook of his neck.
He tipped her chin with a gentle touch of his fingertips so he could meet her gaze.
“It’s always been real for me, Princess. As for what I’m doing?” He let out a laugh. “I’m trying to show you that I’m in love with you. Is it working?”
He’d said it. He’d actually said the words.
I’m in love with you.
Gracie’s heart overflowed. “It’s definitely working.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and rose up on tiptoe to whisper in his ear. The cheers were so loud, she wanted to make sure he heard what she wanted—needed—to say. “And I love you, too, Prince Charming. Forget everything I said last night. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good, because I was going to ask you to stay through New Year’s Eve. We’ll spend the next few days with your family and then we can celebrate the new year together, just you and me. No more pretending, no cameras, no PR. Just us. How does that sound?” His voice rumbled through her.
She inched up closer, and closer still, breathing in his Christmas tree scent. And then she whispered one last thing before the Crown Prince kissed his party princess, right there, for all the world to see.
“Like a fairy tale come true.”
EPILOGUE
One year later…
Gracie grinned up at Nick as she smoothed down the blue sash stretched across the cheap white material of his Prince Charming jacket. “If we’re going to do this every year, we’re going to have to invest in a better costume for you.”
Nick looked down and gave himself a once over. “What’s wrong with this one?”
Gracie bit back a smile. “Nothing at all, if it’s what you prefer. I’m just not sure it’s going to last another decade of the two of us playing Prince Charming and Princess Snowflake on Christmas Eve.”
