Page 13 of A Royal Arrangement
That one glance was a big mistake. Her expression didn’t give much away, but her eyes…her hazel eyes were filled with hope. He looked away, knowing he would soon crush that hope.
The list of things Colin cared about was pretty slim.
Addie.
Edgemont.
Wes, when he wasn’t being a royal pain in the butt.
Isabella’s parents.
The welfare of his staff.
And…well, that about covered it. Nowhere on that list was a beautiful woman with red hair and hazel eyes.
He didn’t usually care about hurting someone’s feelings. That was a part of life. Disappointment would always come, and the earlier people learned that, the better. But that bright look of hope in Rosalie’s eyes? Colin didn’t know how he would deal with being the reason her hope would fade when she finally realized their marriage would never be one of love.
He moved his gaze back to the stained-glass windows over Rosalie’s shoulder for the rest of the ceremony.
Finally, the archbishop joined their hands. “With the power vested in me, I pronounce you man and wife.”
Colin was thankful that kissing—among other public displays of affection—was frowned upon in the royal hemisphere.
Rosalie beamed up at him, pulling his eyes back to her face. His lips remained firmly pressed together, but he gave her a small nod of acknowledgment. It was the least he could do for his…wife.
He extended his elbow to her, and she wrapped her arm through his, settling her hand on his bicep. His back went rigid at her touch. He made sure to hold his arm out a ridiculously far distance from his body to avoid any additional physical contact.
It probably looked as awkward as it felt, like he was a chicken with his wing stuck straight out to the side. But he would rather cluck like a chicken for all of Edgemont to see than let Rosalie get any wrong ideas.
As soon as they were outdoors, Rosalie thankfully let go of his arm. She turned to face him, still beaming up at him with a bright smile.
“I guess we should formally introduce ourselves.” She extended her hand, and he shook it, his massive manly hand fully covering her small, dainty one. “I’m Rosalie.” A blush climbed her neck, landing on her cheeks, matching her hair.
He released her hand and lifted his chin slightly. “Colin.”
Her easy smile faltered the slightest bit at his one-word response.
“It’s nice to officially meet you, Colin. I think we both would’ve preferred meeting under different circumstances, but we’ll have to make the best of it, right?”
Colin gave her the barest of nods before he continued walking. He stopped after a few steps when he noticed she wasn’t following behind him. Turning his head back, he said, “We have to go take some photos for the press before dinner. Are you ready?”
“Yes, of course,” she responded and hurried to catch up.
He led her to the side of the palace where the staff had set up an arch covered in white flowers and greenery. A photographer, whom he had worked with often in the past, waited across from it.
“It’s nice seeing you again, Your Majesty.” Marco bowed to him before turning to Rosalie and bowing to her. “And it’s a true honor to meet you, Your Majesty. I promise to make this as quick and painless as possible.”
“Thank you, Marco. We’re ready when you are,” Colin responded.
The photographer arranged them into a few different poses. Luckily, they involved minimal touching with Rosalie either wrapping her arm through his or him holding her hand in the air like he was escorting her to the dance floor.
After about fifteen minutes of following Marco’s instructions, he looked down at his camera and smiled. “I’ve got allthe shots I need. Thank you for trusting me to photograph such a big moment for you.”
Colin pressed his lips into a firm line and gave him a curt nod. He turned to face Rosalie. “Are you ready for dinner?”
“I’m starving. I haven’t eaten all day.” She patted her stomach.
Colin started walking, leading them into the palace to the formal dining room.
