The next day, I was dead to the world when Maxwell woke me with a knock on the door and one of his now-familiar pet names. "Good afternoon, my little budding princess!" I groaned and rolled over, pulling the blankets up over my head. "Come on, now, it's past noon. And, I have a present for you..."

I sighed, but sat up. "Is it something good?"

"It's a new dress for the Beaumont Bash tonight!" He showed me the dress, and I scowled through my sleepy eyes.

"It's very...Disney Princess."

"Well, you are like a real-life Cinderella, right?"

I gave him a small smile, and got out of bed, taking the dress and holding it in front of me while I looked in the full-length mirror. "It is very royal," I agreed. "Are you sure it's not too much?" I ran a hand down the poofy skirt. The dress was bright blue with a layer of sparkling tulle over it. Very Cinderella, indeed.

"Rule number one at a Beaumont Bash. Nothing is too much."

"I thought Rule number one was fun?"

"Right. And this."

I smiled. "You didn't happen to get me some glass slippers, did you?"

Maxwell looked crestfallen. "I've failed you!"

I laughed and patted his shoulder. "I forgive you, Maxwell. This was very thoughtful. Thank you so much."

"I'll let you get ready. But don't take too long, because Bertrand wants me to escort you."

"Escort me where?"

"It's a surprise!"

He left me to it, and I quickly changed, put my hair up, and dug out a decent-looking necklace to go with the dress. I found some flat shoes, not too worried about what they looked like since you actually couldn't see them under the long ball gown anyway. After finishing my make-up, I joined Maxwell, who was practicing his break dancing moves in the hall. He grinned when he saw me. "You look fantastic. Way to represent House Beaumont!"

I smiled back. "Thanks, Maxwell. Now, where are we going?" He offered me an arm and led me through the mansion until we reached a small boutique. "Why?"

He didn't answer me, just grinned like the Cheshire cat. "I need to oversee a few adjustments in the ballroom. Just...be your charming self in here." He darted out, slamming the door behind him, and I looked around. Someone was in the changing room, and I smiled knowingly at the feet peering out.

"Lady Riley," Liam said as he stepped out of the changing room. "What a coincidence running into you."

"Gotta love my devious sponsor."

"Well, I appreciate House Beaumont's wiliness." He looked me up and down. "You look like a princess."

"Oh, you know what they say, 'Dress for the job you want.'" He laughed, and I smiled, loving the way it sounded, and loving even more that I had caused it. "And is this what you're wearing tonight?" I asked, motioning to his black suit.

"I was just deciding that now."

An idea struck me, and I thought Bertrand would be proud of my cunning. "Since we're hosting," I said, "You could dress to match me?"

"That could cause quite a stir."

I saw a white tux on the rack and pulled it out, pairing it with a blue bow-tie that matched my dress. I showed him the outfit. "What do you think? You can blame me for the fallout."

He smiled and took the hangers. "I'm game." I left him to the tailor, who would have to make some alterations for the suit, and ran into Maxwell in the hallway.

"Whew," he said when he saw me, wiping a hand over his forehead. "Those were some adjustments that needed overseeing."

"Uh-huh."

"I hope you found some way to keep busy while I was gone."

"Thankfully, Liam was there to keep me entertained."

Maxwell winked exaggeratedly and offered me his arm. "Now, I really do want to escort you to the ballroom. There's not too much longer before guests will start arriving, and we should be there to greet everyone."

As we stepped into the ballroom, I gasped. Even with all the work we had done the night before, I wasn't prepared for how grand everything looked now that it was all put together. Beautiful bouquets adorned the tables, and white candles flickered, casting sparkling light around the tableware. We spent the next hour or so helping Bertrand with tiny, last-minute details, though the boys wouldn't let me do anything too strenuous, at the risk of ruining my dress.

Finally, it was time. "Places, you two!" Bertrand called, clapping his hands at me and Maxwell. "We must greet our guests with a smile!"

Bertrand threw open the doors of the ballroom, and finely-dressed nobles began trickling in. Servers began circulating the room with drinks and appetizers. "It's been a while since I've seen Bertrand so happy," Maxwell said, watching his older brother's broad smile as he ushered in guests. "Who knows, maybe tonight we'll even get to see fun Bertrand."

"Now that I want to see," I said with a smile.

"It means a lot to me to see him in such good spirits. And I think we have you to thank for that, Riley." I bumped his shoulder with mine and he smiled at me. Just then, Hana bounced over to us, looking ravishing as ever in a pink ballgown.

"Riley! Maxwell!" she sang. "I've never been to the Beaumont estate before. This looks wonderful!"

"Thank you, Hana," Maxwell said.

"And Riley, you look amazing!"

"Aw, shucks. You look beautiful, too."

A server came by with our caviar appetizers, and we all took one. Behind us, we heard Lady Kiara talking to Lady Penelope. "What is this?" she asked, holding up her serving spoon of caviar.

Maxwell didn't miss a beat. He turned and leaned in to Kiara. "What you have there is a deconstructed delicacy of caviar cultivated from pampered hake fish of the Swedish fjords, with paprika harvested from a micro-nursery in Provence."

The ladies took a bit of their appetizers, along with Hana and myself.

"Wow," Penelope gasped. "I like it! Spicy, salty...definitely unique!"

"Mmm," moaned Kiara. "It reminds me of when I dined at the top of la tour Eiffel in Paris! Did you use the same chef?"

"Someone comparable," Maxwell said, and aimed a wink at me.

We left Hana with Penelope and Kiara as we continued our tour of the room. "I can't believe we pulled that off," I told Maxwell as soon as we were out of earshot.

"I told you, it's all in the marketing."

I laughed, but my smile quickly faded as Madeleine and Olivia walked in. We were right by the entrance, so I had to greet them with my most polite hostess voice. "Countess Madeleine, Lady Olivia, it's a pleasure to have you here."

"Lady Riley, Don't you look...well...nice," Madeleine said, sneering a little at my dress. "And the Beaumonts have certainly outdone themselves."

"Yes," Olivia agreed, "This isn't as tacky an affair as I'd imagined it would be."

"I'll take that as a compliment," I said.

"As you should," Olivia replied. "Now, let's get this evening over with. Where's the wine?"

"I'll show you to the drinks," Maxwell said quickly, leading Olivia away. Which left me alone with Madeleine.

Madeleine looked across the room and saw Prince Liam, now wearing his new tuxedo. She smiled tightly at me. "You must be feeling pretty smug."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I've been hearing some rumors that you've become the front-runner going into the Coronation."

I had gotten used to hearing Maxwell, Bertrand, and even the press talking about Liam like some prize to be won. But it still angered me to hear the other ladies talking like that, and Madeleine was the worst of all. "It's not a race," I told her through gritted teeth.

"Isn't it though?"

"No. It's about the Prince and who he wants to marry."

"Right," she said, coolly. She waved her hand in the direction of Liam. "Masterful stroke, by the way."

"What are you talking about now?"

"The Prince is wearing something from the House Beaumont collection. I recognize the label. You truly look like you belong together."

Partly because it made me happy to hear, but mostly to annoy Madeleine, I smiled. "Thank you!"

She continued, as cold as ever, "Of course, looking the part and being chosen are two different matters. You never know what might happen."

I shook my head, but didn't answer her, and she strode away like she had won our conversation. Just then, Bertrand signaled everyone to take their seats, and dinner began. I took my place next to Liam, with Bertrand on my other side and Maxwell just beyond him. We were at the head of the ball room, and I looked out at the other tables, allowing myself for just a moment to imagine that this is what our wedding reception would feel like. Liam looked very groom-like in his white tuxedo, after all. I made conversation with Liam, and his parents next to him, during the dinner, and noticed Bertrand's large smile as he chimed in from time to time.

After dinner, the King and Queen excused themselves, along with many of the older nobles in attendance. Apparently the real party was about to get started, and it was no place for the proper grown ups.

Those who remained – and there were quite a lot of people still in attendance – gathered around the bottom of the grand staircase. Bertrand stood about half-way up, and Maxwell nudged me, motioning for me to follow him. We darted up the stairs as Bertrand gave a nice little speech, and Maxwell told me to choose a weapon. "Why?" I whispered.

"We're going to use them to open the champagne!" He indicated a collection of bottles sitting against the wall. Unsure, I chose the least heavy looking weapon, which was a large dagger with a broad blade. "Sleek and precise," Maxwell said, nodding in approval. He took a flail, which made me very nervous.

"...so now, along with all of House Beaumont," Bertrand said, finishing his speech, "Allow me to propose a toast."

"That's our cue," Maxwell whispered, and grabbed a bottle of champagne, taking it and the flail with him as he joined Bertrand half-way down the stairs. I did the same, standing next to them looking like a lamb being led to the slaughter.

"To our gracious royal family," Bertrand continued.

"To all those here tonight," Maxwell added, using his champagne bottle to gesture at the crowd.

They looked at me. I held up my dagger. "And to the Brothers Beaumont, our legendary hosts, who I wouldn't be here without."

Maxwell turned a manic smile on the audience. "Let's rock this place to the ground!" He set his bottle down, a few stairs above where we stood, and swung the flail wildly. The bottle completely shattered, and champagne ran down the steps, the sweet, bubbly blood of his conquest.

I expected Bertrand to yell, but he was smiling. "We've never let a lost bottle stop us before. Bring out another!" he declared, and the crowd erupted in cheers.

Maxwell held up my bottle of champagne for me and told me to swing at the top. I did, and to my surprise, I managed to avoid hitting flesh. I sliced the top of the bottle, and champagne began foaming out, dripping onto the stairs. Maxwell grabbed a glass to catch some of the overflow, and handed it to me. "It took me much longer to master that move," he told me.

"From all of us at House Beaumont, thank you," Bertrand said to the crowd, and everyone cheered. Servers came from all directions with glasses of champagne and started distributing them to the masses.

Maxwell ran to the top of the stairs. Amid the din of the crowd, I could hear him shouting to someone, "Bring out the blindfolds! Find my bow and arrow! Put an apple on the bust of my great-grandfather!"

Bertrand took a swig out of the champagne bottle I had opened. "Maxwell!" he shouted, and I winced, bracing for the lecture.

"What?" Maxwell asked, peeking over the top of the banister.

"Let the revelry begin!"

Maxwell grinned widely and pumped his fist in the air. "Aw yeah!"

A second later, music started blasting from...somewhere. Everywhere. Of course Maxwell had super surround sound in his house. Maxwell slid down the railing and jumped off right in front of me. I hadn't moved, fixed in place as I watched the surreal scene unfold. Maxwell pointed up, and I followed his gaze to watch as acrobats on silk ropes came spiraling down from the ceiling, along with a shower of confetti.

"I hope you're ready. Cause the Maxwell Special is in the house!" he shouted, moon-walking onto a dance floor that had been laid out on one side of the grand hall. "I am the myth, the man, the legend." He said as he moved. "Witness me!" He threw his head back and arms out, and a new set of cheers raged as people crowded around him, joining him in dancing.

Turning the other way, I saw Drake, Hana, and Liam standing together on the other side of the hall. I skipped up to them, smiling.

"It's been two minutes and my ears hurt already," Drake was saying.

"Come on, Drake," Liam goaded, "You usually give it at least five minutes before tapping out."

"There's so much happening!" Hana said, shouting to be heard above the noise.

"That's the problem," Drake groaned.

Behind us, I heard Bertrand say something about horses, and we all spun around to see several horses being led in through the front doors.

"Hey, that's my horse!" I shouted, recognizing Juliet among the herd.

Bertrand called me over with a smile. "Come, Lady Riley, take a turn about the room with me!"

I laughed and jumped up on Juliet, trotting her around as Bertrand rode another horse. I waved at the crowd like a beauty queen, and blew a kiss at Liam, who laughed heartily, and blew a kiss right back.

When I reached Liam, I jumped down, and someone else came up asking to ride. I agreed. "Just be good to her," I cautioned.

"I wanted to talk to you before I lost you in the crowd," Liam said, leaning close so I could hear him. "We won't get as much time to see one another, after tonight, so I wanted to do something special for us...well, for you."

"Like what?"

"My plan is a relaxing massage in the spa room, along with candles...a jet tub...and me."

"There's a spa room?"

Before he could say too much more, Olivia interjected herself, calling Liam away for a drink. He smiled apologetically to me and excused himself, but not before whispering to me, "After things start dying down, meet me on the third floor."

As I looked around at the rager, I couldn't imagine it dying down, but finally, many hours later, it did begin to quiet. I had paced myself with the champagne, but I think I was the only one. I walked barefoot through the house, enjoying the effects of a legendary Beaumont Bash. Kiara, the ever proper diplomat's daughter, was sprawled out on the floor in a corner of the room, snoring loudly. Sweet Lady Penelope was leaning with her arm draped around a horse, talking to it. Bertrand sat against a column, sword in one hand and an empty bottle of champagne in the other.

"We gave those apples what for," he slurred as he saw me, then closed his eyes and dropped what he was holding as he passed out.

When I reached the dance floor, Maxwell was still dancing. "Break it down, nice and slow," he said, moving into a very slow robot impression.

"You're still going?" I asked in surprise.

"If I stop, the party stops. It's like that Louis the Fourteenth quote, 'I am the party.'" I laughed. He kept dancing as he looked towards me. "How're you feeling? I hope it wasn't too hard on you."

I shook my head. "It was a blast," I said. He smiled and gave me a thumbs up while he kept dancing.

"It's over," Drake said, stumbling into the room. "I'm finally free." He had blue and gold paint on his face and shirt, but not purposely. It was like someone attacked him with a paintbrush and got a few licks in before he fended them off.

"What do you mean, over?" Maxwell said. "The party is just getting started!"

Drake looked around. "Lady Penelope is literally talking to a horse. I think the party has done its job."

"Have you seen Liam around?" I asked, suddenly remembering that I was supposed to meet him. They both shook their heads. "I'm gonna see if I can find him, just to, you know, say good night." They both gave me a knowing look and waved me off.

I ran as fast as I could to the third floor. I peeked in a few doors, not sure where the spa was, exactly. As I passed by one door, it swung open, and Liam pulled me into his arms with a great big smile.

"Riley," he said, hugging me close. "I wasn't sure you were coming."

"Sorry," I said. "I got a little distracted. Things are very Gatsby out there."

"That's exactly what the Beaumont's parties are," he agreed.

"I like large parties, they're so intimate." I quoted the book, and Liam pulled me in for a long kiss. We took a few steps back, still lip-locked, and I kicked the door with my foot to shut it.

After a minute, we pulled apart, and I looked around with awe. "Maxwell's been holding out on me!" It looked like a real, commercial spa. There was a large tub with jets, and a couple of massage tables all set up with linens and everything. Liam must have lit some candles, because I could smell the sweet scent of smoke mixed with vanilla bean. "You keep doing all these nice things for me," I said, turning to gaze at him fondly.

"You deserve them."

I reached up, wrapping my arms around his neck. "And you deserve this," I said, kissing him again.

"You have no idea how badly I've wanted to do this all night," he told me when we broke apart. He held me close, and I rested my head on his chest as he continued. "Seeing you across the room, not being able to touch you – to hold you. I don't know how I can ever let you go."

"Maybe you shouldn't," I said, not moving.

"But how will we get you into the tub?"

I pulled away with a laugh, swatting him gently on the chest, where my head had just been.

"I just meant, you should relax in hot water for a few minutes before a massage."

"Ah, is that all you meant?" I smiled coyly as I wandered towards the tub. "It's big enough for two."

"I know," he said, and as I turned back to him, I saw he was taking off his blazer. I watched as he slowly removed his shirt, then his pants. "See something you like?" he asked with a grin.

"Yes."

He slipped into the tub wearing his boxer shorts, so I removed my ball gown and slid in wearing my bra and panties. "Ahhh," I sighed as the warm water washed over me. "That is relaxing."

"The calm before the storm," he said. He was sitting against the wall of the tub, and I was between his legs, leaning back into him. I turned my head slightly, but didn't move.

"Is the coronation going to be that crazy?" I asked.

"Preparations for it will be hectic to say the least. There's tasks to coordinate, speeches to write, people to meet."

"Sounds like you're the one who needs a massage."

"Maybe, but I wanted tonight to be all about you."

"It can be about both of us." I leaned forward, and made Liam maneuver so that he was sitting in front of me. "Besides," I added, leaning in close to his ear. "I give a pretty good massage." Despite the warm water, I felt him shiver a little as I spoke.

As I worked my hands into the muscles of Liam's shoulders, I felt tight knots everywhere. "It's like kneading rocks," I said.

"I suppose I have been carrying a lot lately."

"Literally. I mean, how much does your crown weigh? I saw your father wearing his, and it looked really heavy."

"It is, by design. So that you can feel the weight of your responsibility."

"Huh. Then you should make weekly massages part of your kingship."

Liam laughed. "You have a knack for finding the most unique solutions." He moaned as I put pressure on a knot. "Although if you're the one giving the massages, I might institute that rule."

After a while, I could feel that Liam was a little more relaxed, if not fully loosened up. But my hands were losing strength, and he turned to me with a smile. "It's your turn," he said. He stood from the tub and then helped me out, giving me a towel to dry off.

Once we were a little less soaking wet, Liam motioned for me to lay down on one of the massage tables. He poured a sweet-smelling massage oil and began rubbing me down, starting at my neck, and working down my back. Then, he picked up each foot in turn and rubbed from my toes up to my calves. I was making all sorts of obscene noises, but it felt so good I couldn't help myself. "Oh, God, Liam, that's so good," I said, sitting up as he finished rubbing my legs down. I sat on the table, his legs spread on either side of where mine hung down. "You are miraculous."

He smiled, and I pulled him into a deep kiss. He wrapped his arms around me and let them trail up and down my back as he deepened the kiss for several long minutes. He nipped at my neck and I gasped his name. "Liam..."

"This has been on my mind all day," he confessed.

"You were the picture of restraint."

"But my restraint is failing me."

I kissed his jaw and slid my hand down his waist, toying with the waistband of his boxers. "Is that a bad thing?"

He moved a hand up towards my chest, tracing a line along the edge of my bra. Suddenly, he pulled away, shaking his head as if coming out of a trance. "We shouldn't," he said.

I frowned. "You don't want to..."

"I do," he said, and I could see the truth of that in his eyes. "I want many things."

"So do I."

"And I intend for us to have them. But...I want it to be perfect. I don't want there to be any lingering questions, or decisions, or...other women anywhere in the picture."

I smiled sheepishly.

"Soon," he continued, placing a soft kiss on the back of my hand. "We'll be able to be together...fully. And then," he grinned the most devilish grin I had ever seen on him. "Oh, the plans I have for us, Lady Riley."

I gave him a quick, gentle kiss, then pulled back. "I'll hold you to that."