“I have a great idea,” he said, only partly joking. “You should marry me. May I ask you now?
She parted her hands to give him a glowing smile . . . and nodded.
Omar went down on one knee right there on her doorstep. “Marielle—my dearest Ellie—will you marry me? Please be my wife!”
He looked so hopeful and sweet and uncertain that Ellie bent down, took his face between her hands, and kissed him. “Yes! Oh yes, I will marry you, Omar!”
He stared up at her, dazed and startled, though he appeared not at all displeased.
Ellie stood up straight, took a step back inside, and laughed again. “My first kiss, and I stole it!”
He blinked, stood up, swallowed hard, then grinned sheepishly. “It was my first kiss too. And I didn’t mind having it stolen. Not at all.” He stepped forward, took her in his arms, and said, “But I’m stealing the next one.” And he proceeded to kiss her thoroughly right there in the doorway, making up for lost time.
After a few minutes, Ellie pulled back slightly and blurted, “But this changes everything. Now I must become queen someday, unless I abdicate and let Briar be king. And what will your parents think? They might accept me now, but I hate to think I’m acceptable only for my rank.”
He nodded soberly. “I suppose we can never know for certain, but my father told me, only minutes ago, that they had already decided to allow me to marry whomever I chose, and I believe them. They understand that their own happiness in an arranged marriage is a rare blessing and . . . well, while you and I danced, I saw my mother watching us, and she looked pleased, like the cat who stole the cream. I didn’t stop to analyze at the time, but now I think I understand: She recognized love when she saw us together.”
“Then we are officially engaged to marry,” Ellie said in wonder, gazing up at him. “Omar, I have loved you for so long! I want to marry you soon. I don’t want to be apart while you finish school. After tonight, I don’t think I could be comfortable working at the resort even if Madame would take me back.”
He smiled in mild amusement. “I expect you will travel to Auvers with your parents and spend the next few months learning how to be Crown Princess. Your life is about to change in major ways, my sweet Ellie.” He placed one hand on her cheek and kissed her forehead.
“I know, and that frightens me.” She turned her face into his caress, sighed, then slid her arms up around his neck and pressed close. “The only change I really want is to be with you all the time.”
“I want that too.” He rested his cheek on her hair and sighed. “But many other changes must come first. We could elope, but I don’t want to alienate your parents from the start.”
Ellie sighed. “You are right, of course. I hope Briar comes along to help me adjust to Auvers. I have some memories of it, but I’m sure it will look entirely different to me now.”
They held each other for a long moment, soaking in the closeness. But Ellie’s brain could not relax. “Are you sure you want to be prince consort someday? You’re already a prince, so you won’t need a new title—that’s good. I don’t remember my parents well enough to know what it’s like for my father. I seem to remember my mother being rather . . . forceful. And that frightens me too. What if she objects to our marriage?”
“Ellie, don’t borrow trouble. Let’s meet them first, tell them of our betrothal, and see where things go from there. I’m sure objections and impediments will come, but we’ll handle things together, all right? Being prince consort will be a challenging adventure, true, but I already expected adventure in marrying you. You’ll make a great queen someday.”
“Do you really think so?”
“I know so.” He held her close, and she relaxed against him, though he could almost feel the tumult of her thinking.
“Do I hear cinder sprites?” Omar asked after a moment. “I thought the Gamekeeper came to take them.”
Ellie tipped her face up and smiled. “You do, and he did, but some decided to come back. I have so much to tell you about my visit to the Gamekeeper’s house and how I was able to come to the ball! I even met the griffin that stole me. That was the weirdest part of a very strange day.”
She paused, grimaced, and shuddered. “I think I was happier not remembering some of my past. But most of today was incredibly good. And I am so exhausted I can hardly think straight.”
She rose on tiptoe and regarded him earnestly. “Omar, will you mind terribly if I keep a few cinder sprites around our house? They won’t start fires or stink of sulphur, I promise.”
He laughed, quickly kissed her again, unable to resist, then answered, “My poor brain is galloping all-out, trying to keep up with your train of thought. And I suppose having magical creatures around the house comes with marrying a magical-creature wrangler. Credit where credit is due: I might never have worked up nerve to speak to you if a sprite hadn’t lured you into my bedchamber.”
Laughing, Ellie hid her face in his shoulder. “What a crazy story to tell!”
“If we don’t spread it, my little brothers will.” Grinning, he said, “The children will be beyond delighted to have you in the family, Ellie! We do need to return to the ballroom and let everyone know.”
She smoothed the back of his hair and sighed. “I know, but it was lovely to stretch out this time together, just the two of us.”
“The first of many times,” he said with manifest satisfaction.
Ellie ran to fix her hair and makeup, donned the glass slippers, then returned in a rush to take Omar’s arm and walk back to the castle. They entered the lobby through the main doors, and their entrance caused a stir. Rafiq, Yasmine, Karim, and Rita rushed to surround them before they were halfway to the ballroom door.
“We heard the news! Ellie is a princess!” “You two can get married now, right?” “Ellie will be our sister!” “Did you kiss her yet?” All four Zeidans talked at once, and not until Ellie bent to kiss each one in turn did they settle down.
“Yes, darlings, we are going to get married, and you are the first to officially know,” she told them quietly. “And you will be my brothers and sisters forever and ever.”
Rita and Karim hopped around, squealing and waving their arms. Yasmine clasped her hands beneath her chin and beamed for joy, bouncing on her toes. Rafiq shuffled his feet, his expression shifting from a smile to a frown to a smile with dizzying rapidity until it finally settled into satisfied lines and remained. “Good going, Omar. You finally got her.”
Ellie took Rita and Karim by the hands, and the six of them entered the ballroom together, all glowing with happiness.
King Aryn and Queen Sofia hurried forward to meet them. The king glanced back and forth between their faces and smiled. “It is settled, then.”
Omar’s mother faced Ellie squarely. “I hope you may someday forgive our behavior toward you, my dear. We gladly welcome you into our family and our hearts, and I only wish we had revealed our change of heart before your heritage was made known to us. May we”—she glanced from Ellie to Omar and back—“announce your betrothal tonight?
Ellie let go of the children’s hands and reached both hands to the Queen, who grasped them quickly. “I forgive you freely, Your Majesties, and you have my permission to tell the whole world!”
Any remaining fear or resentment slipped away when she saw the genuine joy in Omar’s face, as well as the relief and pleasure so evident in his parents’ smiles. Word was sent to the band, which interrupted its song and played a flourish to demand attention.