Epilogue

THE STRATHLAND STAR

ROWDY ROSAMUND NOT SO ROWDY ANYMORE

Crown Princess Rosamund was seen out for tea in Àverness with her fiancée, Lady Lorena, duchess of Glencore. The crown princess and the duchess traveled throughout Europe last month in an extensive engagement tour before returning home for the former crown prince’s dressage event this Saturday. It seems the princess has finally found her match in her matchmaker.

 

Eight months later

 

Lorena García Fernández—now Lady Lorena, duchess of Glencore—crawled out of her fiancée’s drowsy embrace, showered, and dressed for the day in a nautical tea-style dress with matching navy heels. In the extra-large pet bed in the corner, Amado and Iver napped back-to-back. From the human-size bed, a nude Rose admired her with sleepy eyes. “I love that outfit on you. Come here, and I’ll help you out of it.”

Lorena rolled her eyes with a smile. “You’re insatiable.”

“And you’re sexy.”

Lorena perched on the edge of the mattress, but only to tap Rose on the tip of her nose. “Come on; you need to shower too. Your brother’s dressage thing is in three hours.”

“Ughhh. I suppose you’re right.” Rose pushed herself upright with a yawn. “I hate when that happens.”

“Yes, I know; it’s a real trial for you. Now please go wash the sex smell off yourself.”

Rose rolled out of bed and shuffled toward the adjoining bathroom. Her outfit already hung by the door—a dark blue skirt suit with a buttoned jacket. “Also, for the record, it’s a dressage competition,” she called over her shoulder. “If you call it a ‘thing,’ you’ll hurt his feelings.”

Lorena pursed her lips. “I wasn’t planning to say it like that to his face.”

Rose raised her eyebrows and closed the bathroom door.

Once they were both clean, dressed, and ready to go out in public, they took a limousine to the Ìovorian Equestrian Center in downtown Blairhill. Rose led Lorena through the expansive facilities to the arena where the competition was to take place. Lorena was surprised to see Queen Catriona in her own special box—since when did she support Callum’s riding?—but even more surprised when Rose led her into that box and curtsied to her mother with a smile.

“Afternoon, Mum.”

Catriona gave Rose a regal once-over. Lorena expected some censure, some fault-finding, but the queen nodded once. “Rosamund, that outfit is lovely. Good choice.” She inclined her head toward Lorena as well. “Good afternoon, Lady Lorena.”

“Good afternoon, Your Majesty.” Lorena curtsied and, after Rose sat beside her mother, sat down as well. She was still learning the orders of everything, and the rules by which the royal family had to live, but she wasn’t doing too badly, if she did say so herself. Catriona had even personally invited her to family breakfasts.

“Okay, do you remember what they’ll be judging on?” Rose murmured. She’d given Lorena a run-down on dressage in the limo, which would have been more helpful if Lorena had had any personal experience to relate it to. She had never been around horses except when driving past them and saying, “Ooh, look! Horses!” So, an entire event focused on the creatures was not exactly her cup of tea. But here she was, supporting Rose in supporting Callum. The things we do for love.

Lorena struggled to recall the training scale they’d discussed. “I know there were six categories.”

“Aye.”

“Uh…” Lorena stuck out the tip of her tongue as she thought. “Rhythm… suppleness… contact…expulsion?”

“Impulsion.”

“That’s it. Impulsion. Straightness and…correction. No! Collection.”

Rose beamed. “You got them all! Now what are the German names?”

Lorena glowered.

“Kidding. But they are originally German. What’s the name of the federation—”

“I’m gonna kick you out of this box.”

Rose smiled winningly. “But who would explain everything to you?”

Lorena pushed up her glasses with her middle finger.

Catriona shushed them. “Ladies, the competition is about to start.”

When Callum was announced, he came out astride a pretty chestnut horse with its mane plaited. He wore a black top hat, a black hunt coat, full-seat white breeches, white gloves, and tall black boots.

“The white gloves will make any shaking or mistakes more obvious than black gloves would,” Rose murmured. “It’s kind of a power play to show off your hands like that.”

Lorena hummed and nodded, completely lost.

They trotted around the arena, his horse’s legs extending out on beat with the music playing from the speakers, and then trotted in place, the stationary movement calm and collected. “That’s a piaffe,” Rose whispered. “And—ooh! That’s a canter pirouette they’re doing now.” They’d started a rhythmic pivot as the horse cantered in place. It became a 360-degree turn. Even Lorena had to admit it was pretty cool, although she couldn’t imagine dedicating her life to this sport. But, hey, whatever made Rose’s brother happy.

Callum continued his freestyle, with Rose whispering helpful explanations to Lorena. After he finished his performance, he did one last lap around the arena, waving and patting his horse while the audience applauded. Even Catriona clapped, though it was more of a golf clap than anything. Rose cheered, earning her a reprimanding look from her mother, which she ignored. Lorena kept her mouth shut out of self-preservation, but clapped loudly; that felt like a happy medium.

At the end of the competition, Callum graciously accepted the Best in Show award for himself and his horse. Rose rushed up to him afterward, and when he tried to bow to her, she hugged him tightly. “Well done!”

“Heh, thanks.” He hugged her quickly, then disentangled himself from her embrace. “All right, off, before Mum kills you dead.”

Lord Ewan, duke of Lochenleil, approached and bowed to Rose. He smiled at Callum, and the softness in his expression left no question as to their relationship. “Sweetheart, you and Highlands’ Pride did amazing out there.”

Callum beamed. “Thanks!” He glanced at Lorena, and his smile slipped into an embarrassed grimace. “Erm, Lady Lorena, you remember…Lord Ewan.”

The barrel racer Callum had thrown a fit about, vowing it would never work because dressage was an art. Yes, Lorena definitely remembered Lord Ewan. She breathed out through her nose, smiled at Ewan, and dipped in a small curtsy. “Pleasure to see you again.”

The duke bowed in return. “Thank you for setting me up with Callum. I know things got off to a rough start, but I’ve really enjoyed getting to know him as a person, rather than as a prince.”

A rough start? Lorena blinked and cocked her head, her eyes wide at the understatement.

Rose coughed to hide her laugh.

My entire career almost went down the drain. The country literally lost its heir apparent. But, okay, your relationship had a rough start.

“Well,” Lorena managed, “I’m glad things are going well now.”

Callum patted Highlands’ Pride and adjusted her ribbon. “Lord Ewan still likes barrel racing, which I don’t understand, but he comes to my events even though he doesn’t understand dressage, so we call it even.”

Lorena pressed her lips together in a wry smile and nodded. Despite the history, she was glad to see Callum and Ewan happy together.

After lunch with the two men, Rose and Lorena returned to the palace in Àverness. There, they walked Iver out into the orchard and down the rows of pear trees until they reached the white gazebo. Rose let Iver off leash, and he trotted off to sniff around, always staying within eyesight of his owner. Rose laced her fingers with Lorena’s, and Lorena rested her head on her fiancée’s shoulder.

“Thanks for coming with me to my brother’s dressage thing,” Rose said, her tone teasing on the last word. “I know it’s not your idea of a good time.”

“My idea of a good time is being with you.” Lorena smiled at her fiancée. “The actual thing we’re doing is secondary.”

“You’re so sweet. What did I do to deserve you?” Rose leaned in and kissed her lightly.

Lorena cupped her cheeks and held her there, deepening the kiss. Finally, she let Rose go. “You don’t have to do anything. It’s not—”

Her phone buzzed with an incoming text. She pulled it out of her purse.

NATASCHA: I’m having trouble with a client. Can I get your input?

Officially, Lorena had given up all association with Love, Lorena upon accepting Rose’s proposal. But if Tascha occasionally called her to ask a question or two…no one had to know she was their secret consultant.

LORENA: Sure. Can I call you in five minutes?

“Iver!” Rose called. “C’mon, buddy, we’re heading in.” The cairn terrier trotted over obediently. As they walked toward the palace, the clouds overhead broke, loosing a light drizzle on them. Laughing, Rose sped up. “Bet I can beat you inside!”

“Not a chance!” Lorena bolted ahead with a laugh as the rain came down harder, spattering on her glasses. She squinted through the blurriness, to no avail. “Okay, there’s a slight chance now. I can’t see.”

Giving up on the race, Rose grabbed her by the hands and spun her in a circle there in the orchard in the rain. Then she drew her in, brought her hands to her lips, and kissed her knuckles. “You,” she said, “are my fairy tale. I love you.”

Lorena’s cheeks warmed. “And I love you.”

If anyone could make her believe in real-life fairy tales, it was the princess in front of her. And Lorena was beginning to think maybe, just maybe, they were on their way to a happily ever after.