She was Shirley, a Certified Public Accountant who had a big problem in terms of money. She needed money to help her family escape the poverty they were suffering. Her job under an old hotheaded boss was not enough to satisfy all their necessities...
The short hand of the clock strikes at five while the other lands on twelve. I tense up, thinking the possible scenarios thirty minutes from now. This is it. I will name as Prince Alexander's fiancé, not only in the entire England, but also in the world.
Actually, there is no marriage proposal from him. He just said last week that we would be having engagement party tonight. Therefore, I make myself beautiful and wear my best dress for this eve's event.
After three months of our reunion, many things change. As a request of my beloved prince, my family and I migrated to London. The royal family gave us a house-almost a mansion in size-a few kilometers near the palace. My family will live there alone once Alexander and I get married. My siblings, Elena, Hana and Chance have scholarships to go to college and grade school in England. It has given by my ever-supporting future-husband.
Although we have not talked the past anymore, the king and queen at least accepted my children. My twins visit them once a week and, as what I heard from Alexander, his parents are being childish and playful in front of Cassandra and Jared. I am happy that my little princess and prince finally went to the palace where they belong.
The makeup artist makes the final touch and leaves, when Prince Alexander enters the room and the twins are on his either sides. He holds the small hands of our children. What a perfect picture?
"Kiss mummy," the always-handsome prince, who makes the black suit and gold necktie too damn good, says.
My twins run to me and kiss my cheeks. "My babies are so sweet," I embrace them and look at my prince, "How about daddy? Where's the kiss?"
He chuckles and gives me a deep, full of love peck on the lips. "You're beyond beautiful, my princess."
I roll my eyes and playfully push him. Cassandra and Jared find magazines on the couch at the corner of the room and they busy themselves there.
Prince Alexander gets a chair and put it beside me. He sits without breaking his stares on me. I cannot wait to tell him my big surprise.
"We're going to have our engagement later, but I'm not wearing any ring," I show him my empty fingers.
He snorts and places a small box on the table. He shrugs, "There's your ring."
"Wow, how sweet," I sarcastically states and reach the small box. Rolling my eyes, I open it and the contents stun me.
There are two rings. Sitting above the other is the circular object, which the exterior filled with diamonds. He gave it to me when he proposed in Bel Canto. The second ring shouts to me that it worth a lot of UK Pounds. A half-inch, oblong in shape, emerald pastes on a golden ring.
"So, you're giving these to me without kneeling on the ground and have a proper proposal," I questions him. I am too sensitive these past few weeks especially to him.
He furrows his eyebrow, "I don't think we need another proposal. I proposed to you three years ago, and this wedding is only for tradition. We're already married, remember? All people know those facts."
That is true. He revealed to a press conference two months ago about the twins and me. So calling me, a fiancé is not appropriate anymore. He told the crucial situations in our life, except things relate him to Princess Emily and his mother to the accident. For the royal reputation, putting those secrets in the grave is much better. It is a common knowledge that we are getting married again for the royal tradition.
I sigh, feeling disappointed, when he speaks once more, "We don't need proposals like what other couple do. We don't need this wedding anymore because you're already my wife. All I need is you and you alone." He touches my cheek, "I'm so grateful to have you and the twins in my life that I could not ask for more."
His lips lands on mine for a few seconds before he pulls away. He wears to me first the ring he gave three years ago and next is the foreign object. My ring finger looks more than expensive.
"I have something to tell you, but first, will you please get that shoe box first," I tell him while pointing to a baby shoebox on the table.
Confusion appeared on his face. I gestured to him to open it and he does. As soon as the white pair of baby shoes greets him, he looks at me and gets the thing between the small shoes. The pregnancy test kit.
"Care to explain?" Uncertainty can hear from his whisper.
"I went to ob-gyn earlier after I used three PTs to make sure that I'm really pregnant," I put my palm over my tummy, "The doctor says that we have eight weeks old healthy baby. The gender cannot be seen yet."
He hugs me carefully as if he might hurt our new baby, "Why didn't you tell me earlier so I could accompany you to the doctor?"
I move back a little and cover his jaws with my hands while his remain on my hips. "I want to surprise you," I say with a big smile.
"What name do you want?" The amusement on his face is so visible.
I act like thinking, but I already have name for a baby boy, "I want Nathan."
He cocks his head, "I want Stanley if he looks like you."
I nod and continue our sweet argument, "I want Alexandra if she is your girl version."
He put my face on his chest that I hear the fast beat of his heart. "Then, I want Sophia if she resembles you."
I nod again and I cannot fight anymore because his heart becomes my own radio. I cannot imagine how fast the time flies that we are already sitting here in one of the room of the palace and everything occurred in the past years are already history. I cannot imagine how blessed I am to be with the man whose name is Prince Alexander.
I stare up at him and mutter, "I love you, Alexander."
He tucks my hair behind my ear and replies, "I love you more and more and more, Shirley."
He pushes himself down to me, and without a further ado, he kisses me.
He was a scandalized prince before. He is my ever-loving prince now. He was a womanizer before. He has an only woman now and that is Shirley. He only thought about himself before. He is a father of very charming children now. He was heart-broken before. He is deeply in love with me now.
If ever there is next life, I might be a farmer, doctor, teacher, fisher, or anything other than an accountant, but I'm sure that I'm going to fall in love again and again with the same person.
"Are you ready?" He asks between our kisses.
I answer, "More than you think."
This is just the beginning of our beyond happily ever after.
T H E E N D
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