Page 29 of The Echelon (Spy Girl 7)
“I’m going to bow out,” Blake says. “I’m just not comfortable, being on live television—not so much because of my facial scarring, but because of my former life as a spy. I have a very special seat scoped out in the upper level of the church.”
“They could blur out your face,” I offer.
“Lorenzo suggested the same,” he says. “I’m here because I love you, Huntley. But please respect my wishes.”
I nod and give him a hug before he slips into a side door.
“And I’m just out here, so I can see my baby sister before everyone else,” Ari says with a grin.
“Baby sister? I’m, like, thirty minutes younger than you.”
“Ha. I know.” He stops smiling and takes a deep breath. “You are a beautiful bride and will make a wonderful queen.”
I give him a tight squeeze. “Thank you, Ari. I love you.”
“You do?” he says, emotion overcoming him as I realize that I’ve never said those words to my brother before.
“Yeah, I do. And I’m really glad that we found each other.” I turn to our father. “Well, I’m glad you found us.”
“I am, too,” Ares says, wrapping his arms around both of us.
Ari wipes the tears from his eyes and says, “I’d better get in there, so we can get this party started.”
“Guess it’s just you and me, kid,” Ares says. “After everything we have been through, the fact that you and I are here, where we always should have been, helps to set the world right. Lorenzo’s father loved you from the moment he met you, didn’t he?”
“We hit it off quickly,” I agree. “I didn’t understand at the time that I really was your daughter, but now, it makes more sense.”
“Your mother would have also been very proud of you.”
“Thank you. I’m a little mad at her, still, but like you said, here we are.”
Although Lorenzo touched on it in his speech, I tell Ares how my mom yelled, embarrassing me, during the castle tour. How she told me I could be a princess someday. And how I locked eyes with Lorenzo. I also remind him about how Lorenzo and I serendipitously met in the tailor’s shop at the start of my first mission rather than because of an elaborate scheme on my part.
“I know you weren’t sure if you had done the right thing for me once you realized I was your daughter, but you did. Blackwood was where I belonged. My journey might not have been the easiest one, but it’s part of what makes me who I am today. I still can’t believe I’m going to be crowned queen after this.”
“Keep dreaming, Huntley, and more great things will come to you and those you love.”
“Speaking of that, any chance Ari and I can talk you into moving to Montrovia? You didn’t get to experience our childhoods. I’m hoping you can be here for your grandchildren.”
“In the future, that’s a possibility,” he says, patting my hand and possibly slightly patronizing me.
“You have until this spring,” I whisper. “Lorenzo doesn’t even know yet, so you’d better be able to keep a secret.”
He turns to me, eyes now completely full of tears. “We taught you to trust no one.”
I let out a chuckle. “Yeah, well, that didn’t stick, obviously. Come on, old man, let’s get me married.”
The bridal march starts playing, signifying our upcoming entrance.
My face is beaming when the doors are opened, and my heart soars when I see Lorenzo standing at the front of the church, waiting for me. He looks so handsome. His hair is slicked back, and he’s wearing a white military uniform. It has elaborate heavy gold braiding, thick light-blue trim, and numerous gold medallions. And on his face is a wide smile.
The decor inside the small chapel is over the top. I was expecting the chapel to be doused in red roses, much like the city streets were. And, while I do love wearing red gowns, I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite color. I planned to use subtle pastels like the names embroidered on my veil, so I’m shocked when I step into a fairy-tale-like setting. As I walk further down the aisle, taking in my surroundings, I realize that’s not what this is. I notice the swirling designs from Lorenzo the Magnificent’s tomb etched into the grass aisle runner. You can’t see the walls of the chapel, as every inch is hidden by a forest of trees, each one with pastel floral vines running up their trunks and interspersed throughout their branches. A hanging garden dangles from the ceiling. Attached to all the branches and vines are glass orbs lit with glowing candles. The ends of the pews offer a tall pole with a large nautical lantern atop, each decorated with floral vines and filled with candles, lighting my way. More floral-filled branches swirl across the ceiling, looking like they are growing toward something.
And they are.
The branches meet above the altar, forming a circle and revealing an ancient painting of the place the decor reminds me of. A place with peaceful rolling hills, green grass, and views of an ocean beyond.
When I step onto the altar and take Lorenzo’s hands in mine, he whispers, “You are my Arcadia.”
I am nervous when it comes time to say our vows. Since we never discussed the intricacies of the ceremony, I didn’t let him know that I had no desire to repeat the words we’d said to each other during our wedding at sea. Thankfully, he must feel the same way, wanting to keep them private, because we simply repeat traditional church vows, promising to be faithful and love each other through both happy and difficult times. And, although I have felt officially married to him since that day and would have been happy to have another private ceremony with a justice of the peace to make it legal, I know this is important to his family, the monarchy, and to his country.
After the wedding ceremony, we leave the chapel together via horse-drawn carriage and follow the twisting path up the hill to the castle. The entire way is littered with rose petals, and if I didn’t already think I’d seen the most extravagant part of the wedding, I’m seeing it now.
We’re dropped off at the palace’s rose garden where there are new structures adorning the entrance. Beautiful metal arches join together to form a covered walkway. The arches are entwined with green vines with ribbons of flowers dangling from them, making you feel like you’re walking through a shower of petals as they blow gently through the breeze.
The interior of the garden has been refurbished. The old marble statues are gone, as are the formal raised box planters, replaced with large swaths of grass where children could happily run free. There are small pools of blue water set with stones to jump across and a cross section of lush floral beds, mixed with tall wildflowers.
“This is incredible, Lorenzo. What made you change it?”
“When I was a boy, I was raised to always act properly.”
I stifle a laugh. “Did it stick?”
He laughs along with me, taking my hand and continuing to lead me through the garden. “Until my teen years, yes, for the most part. I was allowed to ride horses and play futbol, but I wasn’t allowed to run through the palace or around the grounds. Someday, I want a more relaxed life for our children. And, for us, now. Since this is the start of our reign, I desire for things to be a little more casual. A little less stuffy and proper, if you will. But, most of all, I want you and our future children to be safe, so my goal is to create our own little piece of paradise.”
“I can’t imagine anything more perfect,” I tell him as tears threaten, and I wonder if I should tell him that our future children will be coming sooner than he probably thinks.
He continues, “We will be renovating areas of the palace to include some less formal spaces as well. A family wing. I’m even putting in a theater room, and I might have ordered bean bags.”
“You’ve been very busy. I don’t know how you managed to do this, plan a surprise wedding, move the treasure back to Montrovia, and start The Echelon anew.”
“I have had a lot of help,” he says with a grin and then gives me a kiss.
Our sweet kiss is interrupted by the ding of his watch. “It’s time,” he tells me, pulling his l
ips away from mine.
“For what?”
“Your coronation, my darling.”
We leave the rose garden behind and enter the palace through a new set of French doors, making our way to the throne room.
“Your coronation, like our wedding, will be open only to close friends and family, but there will be photos and live streaming. Although you must change.”
“Out of my wedding dress? No way! I might never take this off!”
He laughs. “Blair and I had an argument about that. I said you would want to wear the dress. She said you could change back into it after the coronation. She had a custom coronation gown designed for you by a very well-known couture house.”
“Hmm,” I say, thinking. “Maybe I need to see the dress before I decide. Have you seen it?”
“I have not. My only request was that it be either a brilliant red or a rich golden color. But I’ll tell you a little secret.”
“You’re awfully full of them. I’m a spy. You shouldn’t be able to do anything without my knowing,” I tease.
“The spy who is about to become queen of Montrovia,” he states, pulling me close and looking into my eyes. “There were times when I thought this day would never come. Yet I imagined it every night before I went to sleep. That we would get through this. That Montrovia would survive. That I would not be remembered in history as the last monarch but rather a progressive king, like Lorenzo the Magnificent.”
“I think you will be an amazing king. Remember when I told you, when you dropped all the prince bullshit, I liked you more. Your people will love you simply because you are an incredible man.”
“Thank you,” he says as he moves his hands to my waist and then feels around.
“What are you doing?”
“At the last minute, I asked the dress designer to remove the skirt on your dress and add another one underneath. There are supposed to be some secret buttons. Oh, here,” he says, undoing them.
His stripping away the cathedral-length train is somewhat freeing and certainly makes the dress lighter. It’s still beautiful with the same flowers, but with the train gone, I can actually move around.
Dr. Kate joins us in the hall along with four members of the household staff, who carefully take the train away.
“What did she decide?” Dr. Kate asks Lorenzo.
“I’d like to see the coronation dress,” I answer.
“I think that’s a good choice,” Lorenzo says, kissing my hand before I’m led to what she tells me is going to be the new informal dining room.
