Playing the Royal Game

‘Your dad’s got the most terrible hangover.’ Angel laughed as she twirled in her bridesmaid’s dress. ‘I don’t think your groom will be feeling much better. From all reports it was quite a heavy night.’

‘Alex?’ Allegra frowned. ‘He was at the palace last night....’

‘How little she knows!’ Angel rolled her eyes. ‘Your fiancé, Matteo and Hassan were out with Bobby and Co.’

‘They came here to the hotel?’

‘No.’ Angel grinned. ‘They went into town. Apparently the locals were thrilled, plying the wedding party with sambuca.’

Allegra let out a gurgle of laughter. She was quite sure Angel must have got it wrong somehow; perhaps Alex had dropped in to be polite or they had somehow run into one another. But it was nice to laugh this morning, especially when there was a knock at the door and Raymond came in with his entourage wheeling the much-coveted dress that was covered in layers of sheets.

‘You’re looking better.’ Raymond beamed.

‘I feel better,’ Allegra admitted.

‘Can I see?’ Izzy asked.

‘No, you cannot!’ Raymond scolded. ‘I am not risking a single eyelash falling onto this dress. I want everyone out—you can see her when she’s dressed.’ And he shooed out the bridesmaids and pulled off a sheet and there it was—full skirt, in at the waist and with a very long train. It glimmered and was absolutely beautiful. The thing was, it simply wasn’t the one that she loved.

‘I’m wearing the other one, Raymond.’

‘Oh, Allegra.’ His eyes widened. ‘The queen...’

‘What’s she going to do?’ Allegra asked. ‘Turn me away at the church?’ She saw the excited grin on her designer’s face. ‘He’s marrying me, Raymond. The “me” he first met...’ And Raymond understood, for he had got back together with Fernando but had decided to end things.

‘You’re wonderful,’ Raymond said.

‘So are you!’ She gave him a hug and then Raymond danced off.

‘It’s so much better!’ Raymond admitted, pulling off the sheet. ‘So, so much more you.’

It was. It was stunning, so beautiful she could hardly breathe. But before she took off her robe, before she slipped it on, she turned to the hairdresser who was pulling out her veil from a large box.

‘I know it’s terribly short notice,’ Allegra said. ‘And I know it’s not what we planned, but is there any chance you could cut me a fringe?’

It was nice to find her power, wonderful, at the eleventh hour, to find her voice, to see the real Allegra returning as she stood in the most beautiful dress in the world. She looked into the mirror and smiled at the bride she was and the princess she would become.

She would be a wonderful wife; she would be loyal to her husband and she would readily give the love that inside burnt, but she would be her own person too.

Would have coffee with her sisters and nights out too, would not walk away from her family—no matter what.

‘Last-minute change!’ A boot-faced florist walked in, cursing in rapid Italian as she added some blue-starred flowers to the heavy white rose bouquet. ‘Erbacce...’ the florist sneered. Allegra knew from her lessons that that meant ‘weeds,’ but they were her favourite weeds in the world. And perhaps, even with the meticulous planning, they had forgotten something blue after all!

‘Oh, Allegra.’ She looked to her father and he took out a hanky and blew his nose. ‘You look amazing.’ And then, in that moment before they walked to where the cars were waiting, Bobby had to make sure.

‘You do want this?’

She nodded, but she couldn’t speak. Tears were terribly close, but despite it all, it was what she wanted.

‘It’s not too late, you know...’ Bobby checked.

‘I love him, Dad.’

Bobby rolled his eyes and then conceded. ‘I know you do. And yep, I thought he was a cold fish, but he went up in my books last night.’ So they had been out! Allegra wasn’t too sure that she needed the details, but she did smile at the very thought. ‘I just want to make sure you’re happy. That you know what you’re getting into.’