Page 15 of The Royal Princess

"Then all that remains," he said, his tone laced with hopeful levity, "is for me to ask the question of you once more."

Her laughter, bright and unguarded, filled the room, echoing off the high ceilings. "Make sure it's a grand proposal, Prince Bernard. I've become rather fond of grand gestures."

"Nothing less would suffice," he assured her with a playful wink. "After all, we're crafting a love story for the ages."

Together, they turned back to their reading, the lines on the pages blurring before Eloise's eyes. For in the quiet sanctum of the library, amidst leather-bound legacies and the silent witness of bygone kings, she recognized the truth of her own heart's narrative. Eloise knew she awaited only one thing: Bernard's renewed plea for her hand in marriage.

Chapter Seven

Eloise stood by the grand staircase, her travel bag perched beside her like a loyal subject awaiting orders. The week's whirlwind of public engagements had left her exhilaration mingled with a touch of fatigue. Yet, as the evening cast its purple hue over the palace gardens, a surge of anticipation coursed through her veins at the thought of the impending journey to Allenia with Prince Bernard.

"Shall we?" came the deep, resonant voice of Bernard from behind her. He carried himself with an ease that belied his royal stature, though his attire—a crisply tailored suit that managed to flirt with casual elegance—reminded Eloise of the man's obligations.

"Absolutely," Eloise replied, her heart skipping a beat as she turned to face him. She noticed the keys to the car he dangled with a playful flick of his wrist. "No driver, then?"

"None," he affirmed, a conspiratorial glint in his eye. "I thought it might be refreshing to escape the formalities for a while, just you and me."

Eloise smiled, appreciating the gesture. It was a rarity for royals to abandon their chauffeured routines. "It does sound liberating," she said, her voice laced with a mirth that matched his own.

Bernard approached her father, who had been overseeing the preparation for their departure with a protective hawk's gaze. "Sir, I vow on my honor to keep Eloise safe. You have my word."

Her father's stern expression softened into a smile, the lines of responsibility easing around his eyes. "I trust you, Bernard. Take care of each other."

With a respectful nod, Bernard scooped up Eloise's bag and led her to the waiting convertible parked at the back of the palace. The car was a sleek machine, its contours shimmering under the fading light, promising a ride as smooth as silk.

Eloise settled into the passenger seat, the leather cool against her skin. As Bernard revved the engine to life, a sense of freedom washed over her. They were embarking on a journey not just to another kingdom but toward understanding each other more fully.

The car rolled forward, and the palace gates receded into the background. Eloise watched them disappear, feeling a chapter closing and a new one beginning. With the wind tugging playfully at her hair and the open road ahead, she felt the constraints of royalty dissolve, if only for the duration of this drive to Allenia.

"Here's to our little adventure," Bernard said, a teasing tone in his voice as he shifted gears smoothly.

"An adventure is exactly what I need," Eloise echoed, her laughter mingling with the purr of the engine. They were two royals driving into the promise of shared secrets and whispered dreams.

The twilight deepened into a velvet sky as the sleek convertible glided along the serpentine roads toward Allenia. Tucked inside, Eloise felt the world outside blur into a mosaic of dusky hues and twinkling stars. The engine's gentle hum was a lullaby to the day's end, and the soft leather seat cradled her in comfort as she turned toward Prince Bernard.

"Tell me," she ventured with a playful lilt to her voice, "what grand visions does His Royal Highness harbor for the future?"

A spark ignited in Bernard's eyes. "Ah, where to begin?" he mused, his hands steady on the wheel. "For one, I dream of opening channels between our realms that go beyond mere trade or diplomacy."

Eloise listened, enraptured by the earnest fervor that underlaid each word he spoke. Within his words, she recognized a kindred spirit—someone who also bore the weight of responsibility with grace.

"You know," she said, "I've always believed that we are more than the sum of our titles. We have the power to sculpt the bedrock of society, to be architects of a world that thrives on compassion and progress."

Bernard's gaze found hers in the dim glow of the dashboard lights, holding it for a heartbeat. "Exactly," he affirmed. "We stand on the cusp of a new era, you and I. One where our actions could echo through generations."

Their conversation ebbed and flowed like the winding road they traveled, with laughter punctuating the heavier tones of their dialogue. Eloise's earlier apprehension had dissipated, replaced by this ineffable sense of belonging beside Bernard.

As the miles passed, Eloise allowed herself to relax fully into the seat, the proximity to Bernard no longer a source of rigid formality but rather a welcome warmth. She marveled at how natural it all felt, the ease with which she could be herself without the layers of ceremony standing between them.

"Comfortable?" Bernard asked, a hint of mischief in his tone.

"Immensely," she replied, her smile genuine. "Your chariot is quite the noble steed."

"Only the best for Princess Eloise," he teased.

And so, they continued under the cloak of night, their journey a shared secret between two hearts slowly aligning. A prince and princess, not bound by duty or decorum in this fleeting escape, but by the laughter and light that spilled from their candid exchange, forging a bond stronger than the steel of the car that carried them forward.

The wind played with the hem of Eloise's dress, an impish dance that only seemed to embolden her resolve. She turned to Bernard, the moonlight casting a soft glow on his attentive face, and took in a deep breath.

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