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“You may, Your Highness,” she replied, placing her hand in his.
As he led her onto the dance floor, all eyes followed their movement.
The next song began, and Keira found herself swept across the floor in Alexei’s arms. She was so grateful for Alexei guiding her through the steps with gentle pressure at her waist. He made her look
good.
She’d never considered herself much of a dancer, but with him leading, she felt almost elegant and
not so helpless.
“You’re getting better,” he murmured.
“Liar. But I appreciate the lie just another thing I’ll have to improve on.” She followed his lead through
a turn. “Everyone’s watching us.”
“Let them watch.” His hand tightened on her waist.
“Where did you learn to dance like this?” she asked.
“Royal education includes all the proper social graces.” His eyes sparkled with mischief. “Though I must admit, I paid more attention to dancing lessons than history. My instructor was considerably
more attractive.”
Keira laughed. “Of course she was.” He hadn’t lost his playfulness.
As they moved across the floor, Keira noticed Amelia and Niko dancing close by. They looked beautiful together, but she could see the distance between them.
“I hope they work things out,” she said quietly.
Alexei followed her gaze. “They will. They genuinely care for each other.”
Alexei pulled her closer she could feel every hard line of his body. For a moment, Keira forgot about the watching crowd, she simply enjoyed the feeling of being in his arms. The last time they had danced together the night had turned into a nightmare.
The orchestra swept into a waltz that filled the ballroom, his hand tightened slightly on her waist.
“Come with me.”
Before she could question him, Alexei expertly guided her through a complicated turn that brought them to the edge of the dance floor near a set of French doors that led to a terrace.
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“What are you doing?” she asked as he smoothly maneuvered them toward the doors.
“Trust me,” he replied, his eyes gleaming with mischief.
Alexei led her through the doors and out into the night. The terrace was dimly lit with small lanterns, offering a beautiful view of the palace gardens below. Music from the ballroom drifted out, but they were suddenly, blissfully alone.
“We can’t just leave,” Keira protested, though she made no move to return inside.
“We’ve done our duty,” Alexei said, still holding her close. “They’ve seen us, toasted us, watched us dance. Now I want a moment just for us.”
He led her down a few steps to a secluded corner of the terrace near the stone balustrades.
Alexei’s hand reached up to brush a lock of hair from her face, his touch lingering against her cheek.
“Keira,” he said softly, his voice almost reverent. “There’s something I need to do.”
Before she could respond, he stepped back and, to her complete shock, lowered himself to one knee before her. “Holy-” she thought, heart suddenly hammering against her ribs. She really hadn’t thought he would do this… being royal and all.
“I know we’ve done this all backward, but I could only do this after the announcement tonight.” he said, looking up at her with an expression she’d never seen before almost nervous.
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. But it wasn’t the one that had held his mother’s pendant… this was different.
“When I gave you my mother’s pendant, I was giving you a piece of my past,” he continued, his voice steady despite the emotion in his eyes. “But this is about our future.”
He opened the box to reveal a stunning ring… a large sapphire surrounded by diamonds.
“This isn’t my mother’s engagement ring,” he said, his eyes holding hers, “That belongs rightfully to Amelia as the future queen. This is my grandmother’s. And now, I hope, yours.”
Keira couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. This wasn’t the planned announcement or the diplomatic solution to a scandal. This wasn’t duty, it was real.
“Keira Warner,” Alexei said, “you are the most infuriating, challenging, and extraordinary woman I’ve ever known. You’ve never been impressed by my title or my wealth. You’ve never hesitated to put me in my place when I deserved it and sometimes when I don’t. You make me want to be better, to be worthy of you.”
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He took a deep breath, and for the first time since she’d known him, Alexei looked genuinely
uncertain.
“Will you marry me? Not for show, not for politics or scandal management. But because I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”
Keira stood frozen, overwhelmed by the sincerity in his voice. This man who commanded rooms with his presence was kneeling before her, offering her his heart along with a ring.
“Alexei,” she finally managed, her voice barely above a whisper. “Are you sure? This isn’t just about duty or ”
“I’ve never been more certain of anything,” he interrupted, his gaze never leaving hers. “I don’t care what my father wants or what protocol demands. I care about what I want. And I want you, Keira. Only you.”
Tears pricked at her eyes, threatening to ruin her carefully applied makeup. “Yes,” she said, a smile breaking through her shock. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
Relief and joy transformed his face. He slid the ring onto her finger, then rose to his feet in one fluid motion. His hands cupped her face, thumbs brushing away the tears that had escaped despite her
best efforts.
“I love you,” he whispered, his forehead touching hers. “I should have said it before now.”
The words hit her like a physical force, stealing what little breath she had left. “I love you too,” she replied, the admission finally spoken aloud. “God help me, but I do. Even though you drive me crazy
sometimes.”
His mouth found hers, tender at first, then deepening as her arms wound around his neck. The kiss
was a claiming.
When they finally broke apart, both breathing hard, Alexei’s eyes were dark with desire. “We should go back,” he said, though his tone suggested he’d rather do anything but.
“Should we?” Keira replied, her fingers tracing the line of his jaw. “They’ve seen us dance. They’ve heard the announcement. Haven’t we fulfilled our duty?”
His laugh was low and warm. “Eager to escape, Miss Warner?”
“Eager for privacy, Prince Alexei,” she corrected, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “You still owe me for this morning remember.”
“As tempting as that is,” he said, pressing another quick kiss to her lips, “we can’t disappear just yet. A
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few more dances, a few more conversations, then I promise we’ll slip away.”
She sighed dramatically, but her smile remained. “If we must.”
He offered her his arm, and they started back toward the ballroom. But as they reached the French
doors, Alexei paused.
“Wait,” he said, his expression suddenly serious again. “Before we go back in, I need you to know
something.”
“What is it?”
“No matter what happens in there, no matter what people say or think about us, what we have is
real.” His eyes held hers, intense and sincere. “I chose you, Keira and nothing else matters.”
The raw honesty in his voice made her heart swell. “I chose you too,” she replied softly. “Despite all
the reasons I shouldn’t have.”
He smiled then, that devastating smile that had first caught her attention even when she’d wanted to strangle him. “Ready to face the wolves?”
“With you? Always.”
They stepped back into the ballroom, the bright lights and music enveloping them once more. Heads turned in their direction, curious glances and whispers following in their wake. But Keira found she didn’t care anymore. The ring on her finger showed everyone what they had been up to.
As they rejoined the crowd, a flash of dark hair caught Keira’s eye. She turned to see Maria standing near the entrance, having somehow gained admission despite Alexei’s ban. The woman’s face was pale with fury as she stared at Keira’s hand, now adorned with the royal ring.
“Don’t look now,” Keira murmured to Alexei, “but we have an uninvited guest.”
Alexei followed her gaze, his jaw clenching when he spotted his cousin. “I’ll handle this.”
“We’ll handle it,” Keira corrected, her hand tightening on his arm. “Together.”
Before they could move toward Maria, however, the crowd parted to reveal the King making his toward them, flanked by Niko and Amelia.
“There
way
you are,” King Theodore said, his eyes sharp. “I was beginning to wonder if you’d abandoned your own celebration.”
“Just taking a moment to breathe, Father,” Alexei replied smoothly. “And to do things properly.”
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He lifted Keira’s hand, the sapphire ring glittering under the ballroom lights.
The King’s eyebrows rose slightly, recognition flashing in his eyes. “I see.”
“It seemed fitting, to give it to Keira tonight.” Alexei replied.
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“Indeed, it is,” he agreed. “Alexandra would have approved.” The subtle blessing wasn’t lost on either
of them.
Amelia stepped forward, her eyes bright with genuine happiness. “It’s beautiful,” she said, squeezing Keira’s hand. “And it suits you perfectly.”
“Thank you,” Keira replied, grateful for the warmth in Amelia’s voice.
As the royal family moved back toward the center of the ballroom, Keira noticed Maria had disappeared from the entrance. She was both relieved and wary. Maria’s absence meant no immediate confrontation, but it also meant the woman was likely planning her next move.
“Don’t worry about her,” Alexei murmured, reading her thoughts. “She has no power to touch us.”
The rest of the evening passed in a blur of dancing, champagne, and congratulations. By the time they were finally able to slip away, it was well past midnight.
AD
