Royal 2 (Book two in my Selection series)

Chapter 26

As we enter the Women's Room eyes switch to us. I look around and some of the girls are talking with their families and introducing them to their friends. My eyes meet Paige's and she waves me toward her and Queen Charlie.

"Come on Kathy I'll introduce you to the queen." I tell her and meet her nervous gaze. I smile gently at her and pull at her hand. "Don't worry, she's very nice."

I don't think I convinced her as much but she follows me to the princess and queen.

"Good evening your majesty." I say to Queen Charlie and offer a smile to Paige as I sit next to her.

"Good evening Lady Autumn. I assume you are her sister?" She asks Kathy and I laugh barely.

"This is actually my aunt, Katherine." I say politely and smile toward Kathy.

"Nice to meet oh your majesty." Kathy says and politely curtsies to her. Queen Charlie smiles and motions for her to sit next to her so we each sat in a short square.

"I'm glad I've gotten to meet you." The queen says to her. Then she continues in with a sweet smile. "Autumn is very sweet and my son seems to be very fond of her."

I look down with a blush pulling onto my cheeks and hope none of them notice, though I heard a slight snort from Paige.

"Seems. Like it isn't obvious." I look up and glare at Paige as she speaks. She laughs and the conversation continues the entire time. I actually liked talking about my relationship with Will with the Queens approving gaze.

•••

That night after hours of chatting with the queen I sit in old pajamas with Colton sitting in my lap with deep dimples and neatly cut hair.

"Did you get to talk to the prince?" I ask him as I brush my hair out.

"Yeah. He's nice." Colton says simply with a short nod. I grin, glad that he liked him.

"Ya think so?" I can't help but get a familiar warm glow in my stomach thinking of him. He nods happily and then returns the question.

"You like him?" He wasn't smiling now but had a rather serious expression on his face.

"I believe so." I say trying to hide my smile. Colton grins and stands up on the bed and pulls my cheeks up gently into a smile and I laugh at the little boy. "I think I love him."

"Do you love me?" He questions still holding eye contact.

"Yes. Very much. I love you more than anything." I say and pick him up and turn him into my lap. I move my fingers quickly over his stomach and tickle him causing him to shriek in laughter.

"I'm going to assume nobody is dying in here." I hear a familiar voice by my door and I bend my neck to look around at Will.

"I don't know. Do you think I'm trying to kill you?" I ask Colton who just grins from my lap. Will walks over to us and sits on the edge of my bed. I hoped he wasn't standing at the door a long time and heard me confess that I loved him.

"Hi Will."  Colton managed with a wave as he stood from my lap. Will flashes a grin at Colton.

"Hey bud." He says to Colton.

"Did you and James get along?" I ask Will and Colton turns to be with a grown. "And you." I say poking him in the stomach to make him smile.

"Yeah very well actually." Will says seemingly surprised himself. "Most of the other brothers and fathers were either shy or very over protective. James was reasonable."

"That's good." I say then add, "glad he was well behaved." Colton laughs and set him beside of me.

"James said if I was good he was going to get me a bunny rabbit." Colton says with a mischievous smile.

"Oh is he now?" I say raising an eyebrow with an amused expression in my eye. "What do you want a bunny rabbit for?"

"To keep momma company. She won't talk to me. Maybe she will talk to a bunny." Colton seemed thoroughly pleased with himself. I can't help but look away from the sweet boy. He had all his feelings and thoughts in the right places he just didn't quite understand them. People like him shouldn't live lives like this. I look up and make brief eye contact with Will. He had the same look of grief as I did.

"That's sweet. Don't feel bad if she doesn't talk to it though, okay?"say and pull him a little closer to me.

"Okay." He says simply.

"What about you go get cleaned up in the bathroom and make sure you brush your teeth." I say to him and lightly nudge him.

"Okay." He says again and slides off the bed. As soon as the bathroom door shuts and close my eyes and sigh.

"How on earth am I supposed to explain that to him?" I ask rhetorically. I can feel Will Love beside of me on the bed and wrap one arm supportively around me. "It's going to be like this for the rest of his life and he might never get why she doesn't say anything to him."

"They'll come a time when you'll know it's the time to tell him. Just trust yourself." He whispers quietly and places a firm kiss on my temple. "I'm always going to be here if you need me and I'm not going to leave you."

Unless he doesn't pick me in the end. Unless he decides someone else is prettier, or smarter, or nicer. Unless he's lied this entire time. But right now I had just felt special and important and I wasn't going to ruin that.

"I love you." I mutter.

"I love you too." Will says quietly in my hair. I wanted it to stay quiet and be like this forever.

I just wanted five more minutes.

A/N

Sorry this chapter looks much shorter than it is because the paragraphs are longer than most of mine but it's about as long as all my other chapters :)