Page 35 of His Forever Princess

He leaned in and kissed her, and it was just the same as always—like coming home. Like everything he’d always wanted.

ChapterNine

Alessandra zipped the simple white sheath dress before taking a settling breath and looking in the full-length mirror.

Her hair had been pulled back in a French twist. Her makeup was natural, the way Gideon preferred. The tiniest nerves buzzing along beneath her skin didn't show.

"Mother?" A knock at the door. Tirith.

"Come in, dear." Oof. Her voice was shaking, just the slightest bit. She took another settling breath.

Tirith slipped inside the room. The secluded cottage was sequestered in the Glorvaird foothills, private, and as beautiful as a wild rose garden. Alessandra and Gideon had rented the entire space, creating a haven for their family for this momentous weekend.

"Are you nervous?" Tirith wore a teal calf-length dress that accentuated her figure.

"No." Alessandra ignored the butterflies tickling her stomach at the denial. "Why should I be?"

She and Gideon had been together nearly every moment of every day since that terrifying week almost a year ago.

Gideon had stayed with her in Glorvaird, turning over the ranch operations to Maggie and Scarlette. Alessandra had taken a step back in the number of commitments she accepted at Eloise's behest.

They shared meals together. Slept in the same room. Traveled together.

She'd only been this incandescently happy in the early days of their marriage.

"Why should I be?" she muttered to the mirror, lest Tirith see that she actually was.

"You shouldn't." Tirith came to stand close behind her, offering a quick hug and then stepping back slightly, still visible in the mirror's reflection. "You love Dad. And he loves you."

He told her so every day. When she woke up to find him watching her from his pillow, sleepy and content. When they slow danced together without music on the balcony outside her rooms in the castle. In little notes left in her briefcase, and through his touch when he kissed her.

"And today was your idea." Tirith offered the reminder with a faint smirk that quickly turned into her lips pressing into a white line. She inhaled through her nose as Alessandra whirled in concern. Her daughter had gone a familiar faint shade of green.

"I wondered why there were saltine crackers and ginger candies left in such a sweet display on my dresser when we checked in." She pointed Tirith to the long, low dresser along one wall. Her daughter hurried over and wasted no time in unwrapping one of the candies and popping it into her mouth.

A few moments and a few deep breaths later, Tirith had regained a bit of color.

Alessandra raised her brows. "Something you want to tell me?"

Tirith shook her head slightly. "No. Edward and I agreed that we weren't going to tell anyone this weekend. We want this time to be about you and Dad."

What a sweet sentiment.

She crossed the room to hug her daughter gently. "Congratulations. What does Edward think?"

"He's over the moon," Tirith admitted, the words slightly muffled in her mother's shoulder. "I can't believe the staff delivered my things to your room."

Alessandra felt the prick of tears as she stepped back, though she still held on to Tirith's shoulders. "I'm so very proud of you."

Of course, that was the moment that Gideon chose to knock on the door and then step inside. "You about ready?"

He took in her closeness with Tirith in a glance and a smile kicked up one corner of his mouth.

"I just need my earrings." Alessandra let go of Tirith, who discreetly moved to the dresser and slipped several candies into an invisible pocket in her dress.

From the nightstand, Alessandra saw their daughter kiss Gideon's cheek on her way out the door.

Alessandra slipped one earring in, then the other, feeling Gideon's gaze on her the entire time.

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