Chapter 217

I hadn't even caught my breath when Charles scooped me up in the hardest hug I'd ever gotten from him. It was so hard that it almost drove the remaining air from my lungs.

The rest of that morning flew by as Charles and Gwen helped me to avoid questions I couldn't answer from the press while Theo, David, and the other four guards pushed a path through the paparazzi so we could navigate our way back to the safehouse.

We decided it was better to stay there than go back to our apartment, yet, at least until we made sure that any of the king's remaining supporters were under control.

Gwen wore a mysterious smile on her face for the rest of that night and into the following morning. But I couldn't get her to confess to what she was up to. We'd barely finished breakfast when someone knocked on the door.

Gwen hurried to answer it and admitted two people who took my breath away. One of them was Cathy!

Since I didn't know the other, I ran straight to Cathy, hugging her as tightly as I could. The two of us cried for the sheer joy of seeing each other.

Once I'd gotten that out of my system, I turned to Gwen. “Who's the other woman?”

Gwen smirked at me. “She’s just the person to take your mind off of things while you wait for the judge's ruling. Because I know that the jury ruled in your favor, and the king is under arrest, but that doesn't mean that all strife is over.”

“So I thought the best way to take your mind off of it was to get you thinking about something better.” Gwen shot me a smile. “I'd like you to meet the best wedding planner in all of Orlune.”

A smile spread across my face. “Really?” I asked.

“Really,” she said, confirming.

The woman hurried over, offering me a hand to shake. “Elena Laurentia? I am so pleased to meet you.”

She took a big sniff of me, smiling. “Your scent is amazing as everyone is talking about,” she gushed. “I never imagined that I'd actually get to work on a royal wedding.”

I gasped and staggered back. “I hadn't thought about that.”

Gwen chuckled and patted my arm. “Yes, dear. You do get it now, don't you? You are royalty.”

“Probably not…” I garbled out, “but I'll try.”

Charles huffed. “I'm leaving the wedding business to you ladies.” He gave the other guards a meaningful look. “How about we let the ladies take over the bedroom, and we can set up a poker game out here to pass the time?”

“That definitely sounds better.” They all agreed.

“Before we do this, though,” I said, “there is one other person that I can't plan the wedding without. I want to text Jasmine and have her join us.”

“Absolutely,” Gwen said with a smile. “Any friend of yours is welcome.”

I pulled out my phone and dialed Jasmine's number. She squealed when she answered the phone. “I heard the verdict! That's amazing,” she said. “I'm so happy for you.”

“It feels good to be vindicated,” I agreed. “Especially in the public eye. But that's not what I called you about.”

“It's not?” she asked. Her voice sounded concerned. “Is there something else wrong?”

“No, not at all. But until the judge finishes deliberating this weekend, Charles' mother is helping me plan my wedding. My best friend from Lustrum is here, and I would love for you to meet her and to help me plan the wedding.”

She let out a squeal that hurt my ears. “There's no way I would say no. Hold everything. I'll be over there in ten minutes. Is that too long? I can get there faster.”

“Don't speed or anything,” I warned her with a laugh. “We're not going anywhere. I think we have the woman's attention for the whole weekend.”

The wedding planner nodded and gave me a thumbs up at this.

“We'll just see you as soon as you get here.”

“Then, in that case,” Jasmine said, “I'm stopping for something yummy on my way. I’ll bring enough for everyone to celebrate. Do you have a taste for anything? How about anyone else who's there?”

“I could totally go for pizza,” I admitted.

“I was thinking more along the lines of donuts,” she said. “Or pastries of some sort. Isn't it a little early for pizza?”

“Not according to my stomach,” I said through a laugh. “But whatever you decide to order, don't tell them who it's for when you place the order. My guards and my taster have really been on me about making sure that I eat only what they fixed.”

“Even now?”

“Just because the king is jailed doesn’t mean he doesn’t have people who could do his dirty work for him. I doubt I’ll be fully safe until after he’s dead. So, if we're going to bring in outside food, the only way to do that is if you pick it up anonymously.”

“Done and done,” she agreed. “I would never put you in harm's way.”

The phone call ended, and I turned my attention back to those in the room. “Sounds like it's going to be a bit of a party,” I explained. “I hope that's all right with everyone here.”

“I think we could all use something to be happy about,” Gwen confirmed.

That was the start of one of the happiest weekends of my life. Even curiosity about what was going to happen with the king couldn't interrupt our little bubble of happiness that we created inside the safehouse.

We went over dresses and locations, and it dawned on me that with the budget that Gwen had set for me, I could have not just the wedding of my dreams but the wedding of every little girl's dreams.

Despite my friend's best efforts, I tried to rain in my impulses. I didn't want to take advantage of her generosity. And I had no idea what sort of income awaited me when I finally settled in as an official princess.

My guests stayed through Monday morning, joining me on my way back to the court.

This time, when the judge entered the room, rather than taking a spot behind her desk and sitting down and inviting us to sit as well, she stood behind the desk and addressed the court.

“As I said at the opening of this trial, these events are unprecedented. Never before has a king of Orlune or any alpha king for that matter been convicted of treason against his own Kingdom.”

The king hissed from his seat, but security guards stepped close, making a show of putting their hands on their weapons. The king sat back, a murderous look on his face.

The judge ignored this and continued. “It is a sign of the times that we are enlightened enough to hold even the most powerful people to the law when their actions go against the laws of the land and the common good. The problem isn't simply the king's threats against his own heir, the princess Elena. But his complacency in the death of his first queen and his negligence in his marriage to the current luna queen. And his disregard for the stability of our country.”

“For all these reasons, I find him to be guilty of crimes against Orlune and an utterly unfit ruler. He also has a history of putting those around him in danger. I have decided on a punishment that will take him out of reach of those he might wish to harm. The king is hereby sentenced to exile, never to return to Orlune. On pain of death.”