Page 132 of Loyally, Luke
Chapter22
Three years ago, Ellie attended her last Wild Hyacinth Ball. Three years ago, she’d been a very different woman than the one staring back at her from the mirror in the royal attendance room, where she waited to step out onto the grand staircase as one of the attendants announced her presence.
Her parents would enter first.
Then the Crown Prince and his wife, followed by Prince Kurt and his fiancée. Then Rosalyn, the Princess Royal.
Then Ellie.
Alone. In front of hundreds to walk down the grand staircase.
She stared back at her reflection in the mirror as the rest of the family moved to the holding room to begin their entrance into the Great Hall.
Her eyes, so large and vulnerable, stared back at her, mocking her decision.
There would be no barriers. No one else to share the attention or on whom to lean.
Only her.
She closed her eyes and breathed out a silent prayer, and Luke’s words came to mind.“Embrace what God says about you.”
Blessed.
Secure.
Worthy.
Rescued.Her palm pressed over her heart as she recalled Luke pulling her from the icy water.
Restored.She smiled on the thought as she considered her ownstory over the past three years and the significance of this evening in her royal life. And then, an hour ago, Father sent her a video of the surprise press conference Luke held. Tears warmed beneath her closed eyelids. He’d done that for her, to fight a veritable reputation dragon in the only way he could.
Why?
She pinched her eyes tighter, smile stretching against her cheeks.
Beloved.
She raised her chin as she drew in a deep breath. Those eyes staring back at her didn’t look as vulnerable as they had a moment before. She turned toward the holding room as Rosalyn and her guest, Lord Devlin Westby, exited into the Great Hall.
Arran should have followed her, but in usual fashion, he failed to arrive with the family.
Collins, one of the royal attendants, dipped his head as she passed, his uniform displaying the national colors of dark green and pale blue. “Happy to have you back, Your Highness.”
Ellie stood a little taller and smiled. “Happy andhonoredto be back, Collins. Thank you.”
She stepped forward, each pronouncement drawing her closer to the top of the grand staircase until Rosalyn and her guest disappeared through the doors. A quote filtered into her mind from a childhood movie. What was it? She almost grinned. Cinderella?“This is, perhaps, the greatest risk any of us will ever take: to be seen as we truly are.”
With a deep breath, she stepped out onto the grand staircase to a ballroom filled with the elegant and important. A hush fell over the room.
“Princess Elliana St.Clare, Duchess of Mara and the North Country.”
She sent a look over the room, pausing for only a second longer, and then... into the fray she went. Each step gave way to morecourage and confidence. Each movement forward, she reminded herself of who she was. Truly. Flaws and all.
Beloved and all.
Without one misstep, she reached the bottom of the staircase and joined her family, breathing a sigh of relief.
The hardest part was over.
