Chapter 45

MILA

My heart sank into my stomach as I continued reading. While most of the articles about our romance were fairly flattering, one tabloid in particular seemed to have it out for me.

“Prince Felix dines with common foreigner with a shady past,” I read out loud. “Many in the media have made the connection between the heir’s latest fling and the woman he was willing to shell out a million to find. Is the Prince’s girlfriend really a Cinderella story, or is she the big bad wolf in fairytale clothing?”

Felix buried his head in his hands. “Oh, Mila.”

I frowned as I read a quote from an anonymous inside source. “Many noble families hate the idea of the heir to the throne being involved with a foreigner and are considering breaking their loyalty to the crown as a result.”

“Who said that?” Felix leaned over to the phone.

“Not sure. They refused to give their name.”

“Then it could be anyone, just pretending to know what they’re talking about,” Felix said.

Charles and Isabella popped into my head, but I shook away the thought.

“Are you okay?” Felix asked. He looked genuinely worried about me.

I hesitated. Something about the framing of all the articles really bothered me–and it wasn’t just the insinuation that I was a thief.

“Why do they call me a foreigner like it’s a bad word?” I asked.

“People in Fresonia are very particular,” Felix said. “They can be a bit unwelcoming to anyone who was raised differently from them. It’s a snobbish thing if you ask me. They can’t stand the idea that I would be in love with someone who’s not royal and not a local Fresonian.”

“Does it matter?” I asked finally.

“There’s a lot of traditionalism in Fresonia,” Felix said wearily. “That’s partly why Lady Isabella was so keen on marrying me–that would be the ideal match for many of the more conservative families in the kingdom.”

“And I’m a commoner from America who doesn’t even come from a wealthy background,” I finished glumly. “I didn’t realize there would be such pushback to us being together. Your parents seemed totally fine with it.”

“They are not as traditional as some of the other noble families.” Felix was calming down a bit from his earlier outburst. “They don’t necessarily care about who I marry as long as I’m happy. And believe me, Mila, you make me incredibly happy.”

I managed a smile. I was glad that his parents were more progressive in their stance on marriage, and that Felix was straight up telling me how happy he was.

“Besides,” Felix continued, “the news cycle only lasts for so long. Soon enough, another story will break, something far more interesting and important, and this will all be forgotten. Don’t worry, Mila. I’ll take care of you.”

“You always do,” I told him. “Thank you, Felix. I love you.”

Felix scooped me up in his arms and carried me princess-style up the stairs to the bedroom. He laid me out on the bed, studying me.

“I wanted our first time in Carnea to be on the beach,” he said in a low, sultry tone. “But I’d rather have you all to myself right now.”

He tugged off his shirt and covered me with his body. Soon, the stress of the day dissolved as he kissed his way down my neck. By the time he had taken off my bra and started massaging my breast, I forgot that cameras had even been invented.

“You’re so beautiful,” he purred into my skin. “I’m so lucky to be with you.”

He had said things like this before during intimacy, but this was the first time I actually believed him.

I wound my arms around his waist and stroked up and down his back with my fingernails, enjoying how the slight touch made him shudder.

“Enough teasing,” he said, his voice gruff. And then he slid inside me.

Our sex was frequently rough and fast, but this was slow and sweet. Felix’s lips traced circles on my face, and his thrusts were steady, deep. I lifted my hips to meet his, allowing him to go deeper.

I swiveled my pelvis against him, and he moaned.

After we were finished, we laid together in the bed, watching the waves through the wall of windows.

“This is perfect,” I murmured, content in his arms.

Felix kissed me, deeply.

“You’re perfect,” he responded.

I was lulled to sleep by the sound of the sea and the feeling of being held in the arms of the man I loved.

The next morning, I woke up in the bed alone. The sun streamed into the room, and I blinked awake. There was a small package at the end of the bed. I crawled over to it and opened it, revealing a simple white sundress and a note in Felix’s handwriting: PUT THIS ON AND FOLLOW THE ROSES.

The roses?

I looked around the room, my gaze eventually falling on a path of rose petals making their way out the door. I changed into the white dress and followed the path of the petals down the stairs and out to the veranda.

What I saw there made my heart stop.

Felix was surrounded by rose petals and flickering candles, framed by the sea behind him, a large smile on his face.

He was holding a small velvet box in one hand, and he was down on one knee. He opened the box to reveal a large, sparkling diamond ring.

My hands flew to my mouth in shock. Tears may have been streaming, but I couldn’t tell. I could only focus on the prince in front of me, in the middle of proposing.

“Mila Benson,” Felix said, his voice thick with emotion. “You have turned my life upside down and made me a better man. I am eternally grateful for your kindness, your beauty, and your passion. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”

It was so soon, so sudden. But my heart knew the truth–there was no real timeline on love, and I knew Felix was the one.

“Yes,” I said, through tears. “Yes, I will marry you.”

I had never been so sure of an answer in my whole life. Felix was a prince who loved me, not a fraud who was going to trick me. It all felt perfect.

Felix placed the ring on my finger and I threw my arms around his neck. His proposal had been even dreamier than a fairytale, and I felt like I was floating.

“We can get married as soon as you’d like,” he said into my hair. I could feel him smiling against my head. “We can even get married tonight, if that’s what you would prefer. I just want to call you my wife as soon as possible.”

“Well, it can be a long engagement,” I babbled. “We don’t have to get married right away! We can talk our time, enjoy being engaged, get married down the line when we’re ready!”

If I wasn’t paying attention, I might not have noticed the shadow crossing Felix’s face when I said that. Surely he was just worried about pleasing the Fresonian fundamentalists.

“Yes, of course,” he said slowly. “Whatever you want. We can continue to talk about it.”

“What’s there to talk about?” I squealed, giddy. “Nothing else matters except this!”

Felix picked me up and spun me around, smiling and laughing.

“We’re getting married!”