Page 40 of Once Upon A Royal Christmas
“It never occurred to me that you wouldn’t recognize her. And for the record, I tried to talk to you about her before you went running off to meet her. My plan was for you to get to know her, so you’d soften to the idea of incorporating her princess character into our Christmas celebration, not for you to ask her out.” The corners of Emilie’s lips crept upward.
Nick narrowed his gaze at her. “I didn’t ask her out.”
“Are you sure? Because I definitely noticed some Cinderella vibes when Gracie ran up to the castle gate. If she’d lost a shoe, you looked like you would have moved heaven and earth to find it.”
“When I’m king, I’m banning romcoms and Disney films from the castle. Mark my words,” Nick muttered.
Emilie snorted.
“I thought she was Princess Alana, and I merely suggested that we take a walk together before the opening of the Ice Festival since we were supposed to be seated next to one another in the royal box,” Nick said quietly.
Really? Was that all there was to it?
There had been more to the invitation than simple convenience, and Nick knew it. Things were just so complicated now that he knew who Gracie really was…
Not to mention the fact that she’d clearly decided she despised him.
“It’s kind of a funny misunderstanding when you think about it.” Emilie pressed her lips together, as if trying not to laugh.
“Pardon me if I fail to find the humor in the situation,” he said stiffly. He’d hurt Gracie’s feelings, which was the last thing he wanted, no matter how he felt about inserting Princess Snowflake into San Glacera’s holiday festivities.
He needed to find her and apologize. And he would…just as soon as he managed to forget that she’d called him a beast, right to his face.
“Oh, come on. Can you just let it go and have a little fun with your kid sister while you have the chance? This week is going to be nuts. Let’s go get lost in the Christmas trees.” She nodded toward the entrance to the maze.
Nick sighed. “Fine, but we’re following the same rules from when we were younger.”
“We go our separate ways and the first one to get to the center wins. Loser sneaks to the kitchen to make midnight ice cream sundaes later tonight.” Emilie nodded.
“Let’s do it,” Nick said.
The moment the words left his mouth, Emilie took off running toward the maze, ponytail swinging and boots kicking up puffs of snow as she went. Nick paused for a beat, then chased after her.
He’d let himself get talked into doing this. He may as well do it right.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Were All Princes This Annoying?
Gracie let her fingertips graze the stiff needles of the Christmas trees as she wound her way through the maze. Just about every variety imaginable was represented—bushy noble firs, moody blue spruce trees, and bright green Scotch pines. Gracie’s favorites were the white spruce trees. Tall and elegant, with softly needled branches sloping gently downward, heavy with snow.
She took a deep breath, grateful for the respite. She could breathe out here, surrounded by the peaks and valleys of the Alps. It reminded her of home. If she tried hard enough, she could almost convince herself that she was out for a hike in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
She wasn’t, of course. Every so often, a group of locals would pass her on the footpath, chattering in French or German. Gracie would immediately remember where she was, and a knot would form in her stomach.
Clara was right, though. Professionally, things were going great. Far better than Gracie had anticipated. She just needed to hold it together until Christmas Eve and get through the vocal performance, so she could accept her prize money and go back to Colorado.
Maybe if she practiced a tiny bit more, she’d be able to relax. It couldn’t hurt. She’d have to give it a go in San Glacera eventually, and now, out here all by herself, seemed like the perfect time. Definitely better than waiting until her rehearsal tomorrow morning. So she wrapped her arms around her middle, closed her eyes, and with the evergreen trees as her only audience, she began to sing a Christmas carol. “Winter Wonderland,” the obvious choice, given the setting.
She started out quietly at first, her voice little more than a whisper floating gently among the trees. With each line of the song, she grew more confident, and her voice became louder. And louder still, until it echoed back to her. Lyrical and delicate, almost like a wind chime.
Joy welled in Gracie’s heart, and for a brief, shining moment, singing felt like it used to. Natural, free…glorious. Without anyone listening, she could almost let loose.
She spread her arms out wide and let the echo wash over her, an angelic chorus. When she got to the part of the song about the parson asking if the couple in the lyrics was married, her eyes drifted open.
And Gracie realized she wasn’t alone, after all.
She blinked. It was him—Nick. Or technically, His Royal Highness, Prince Nicolas. He stood just a few feet away with his royal hands in the pockets of his jeans, watching her intently. Like she was giving him his own private concert.
