Sorry this has taken so long to update. Real life got in the way. Anyway, hope you enjoy, and as always, they aren't mine.
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With a soft sigh, Mia watched as Joe led her grandmother out onto the floor. For the first time all night, she'd been left to herself for the past two minutes, even though she expected that to last no more than one more. Her mom and Patrick were beside her, talking together, making it seem as if she was speaking with them as well, but she wasn't really paying attention to the conversation.
A warm hand pressed gently against her back, and she smiled even before she turned and looked up. "Nicholas."
"Your Majesty." He grinned, stepping back to bow gracefully to her, holding out a hand in question. "May I have this dance?"
She smiled at him, softly placing her hand in his, even as she inclined her head just the slightest. "You may, my lord." She wasn't aware of the rest of the crowd as he led her onto the dance floor. Didn't notice as the rest of the dancers, including her grandmother, cleared the way for them to pass. Didn't care that the whispers started, as she only had eyes for him.
"You look beautiful tonight."
"You don't look too bad yourself." She stifled a yawn.
"Busy day?" He led her confidently around the floor.
She laughed softly, giving him and incredulous look. "What do you think? Do you know I've barely had two seconds of peace since that crown was placed on my head this morning? They even scheduled a nap for me."
"It's what you signed up for though, isn't it?"
"Yes. I may complain, but this is who I am. It's not just what I am anymore."
"True. Do you still want to talk later?" Their dance was ending.
"I'll meet you in the lounge on the 3rd floor?" They ended the dance, bowing and curtseying, respectively, and she tucked her hand in the crook of his arm as he led her back off the dance floor.
"The one you and Lilly seemed to have commandeered?"
Mia nodded.
"I'll see you there."
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With a sigh, Mia pulled her slightly damp hair into a tight braid, shrugging mentally at the image she presented. It was after one in the morning, the ball having ended shortly after midnight, and having been up since seven, with such a full day, it was pointless to just say she was tired. She'd exchanged the ball gown for a pair of well-worn jeans and thermal top, and her heels for the comfortable slippers she'd been dreaming of all day.
"Brigetta, I'm going to the lounge."
"Aye, Your Majesty."
Felling slightly guilty, she stuck her head into the hallway, looking both ways before darting out and down the hall, practically sliding to the double doors that led to the lounge. Giggling softly to herself, and making a mental note to try that when she was more awake and less likely to break something, she stepped into the room, arching a brow at the apparent darkness. "Nicholas?"
Warm arms wrapped around her and a pair of lips was upon her before she even had time to think. She stiffened in shock for a split second, but then relaxed as she recognized the hold, falling into his embrace more fully. With a sigh, her arms crept around his neck, one hand delving into the hair at the nape of his neck. His own arms pulled her closer, aligning their bodies, and she wondered that anyone could fit her so perfectly.
Finally, air became an issue and they broke apart, breathing heavily and resting their foreheads against each other.
"Hi."
It was so incongruous with what had just transpired that Mia couldn't help the giggles that overcame her. With a laugh, she pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "Hi yourself."
His hand found hers in the dark and led her toward the large couch in the corner of the room, turning on the light beside it as they sat. In the brighter light, she saw that he was still in his tuxedo pants, though he'd discarded the jacket, vest and tie. The linen shirt was open over a white wife beater, giving her a tantalizing glimpse of the athletic body his clothes hid. She wet her lips, not realizing that Nicholas was staring hungrily at them as she did so.
Next thing she knew, he'd pounced, cradling her head as they fell backwards into a horizontal position on the couch. It seemed like years later that they came to their senses, finding their limbs entangled, his shirt missing, and her braid in shambles. An apology on his lips, he made to move off her, but Mia just tightened her hold on him, shaking her head.
"Mia, you're a Queen now, you can't just do this sort of thing."
"Nicholas, I'm a 21-year old Queen. I doubt the country really expects me to be demure for the rest of my life. I mean, sure, you're not going to see me purposefully doing the 'girls gone wild' thing on TV or in the tabloids, or anything like that, but I do want to at least try and be able to live my life and see where this takes us." She grinned at him, brushing and errant lock of hair from his eyes. "Anyway, it's after one in the morning on the night of my coronation ball. How many sane people do you think are traipsing around on this level of the palace anyway?"
"Including us?" he asked, brushing a kiss against her throat.
She arched herself against him at the motion, tilting her head to give him better access. "Yes."
"None."
"You got that right."
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