CHAPTER 24

He clasped his arm around hers and led her to the center of the crowd. They greeted everyone they could along the way and saw where she was taking him. The first lady greeted them both.

“Violet, you arrived. I'm finally at ease.”

“I wouldn't trade this experience for anything in the world.”

“Neither do I. Now, this is?”

“Dylan Dark, my date for today.”

“You have excellent taste. He is very attractive and young.”

“Yes, I'm just afraid he'll end up fleeing with some little girl.”

“Now that I know him, if he ever does that, I will have the entire country hunt him down for you.”

“Really? If that happens, I will certainly notify you and seek a hand.”

"My husband is waiting for you, so let's go. The ceremony will begin shortly.”

“Let's get this over with quickly.”

When the ladies were talking, he simply stood there and said nothing. He could tell from this conversation that Violet's influence was far greater than he had imagined.
They arrived at the President's residence and exchanged greetings. After that, the three of them went to the bride's side and were thoroughly scrutinized by the Grants' family.

“Please don't make my date shy,” Violet said abruptly, and they both looked away.

The ceremony began, and the bridegroom was the first to enter. He looked nervous but happy; after all, it was a big day for him. The bride entered as the wedding march began. How could she have changed so drastically?

Suzy appeared to be a phony to him, but since he didn't know her well, she could be the real thing. Mr. Grant Snr. looked at Violet, who kept smiling as her little sister walked down the aisle holding her father's hand.

“Now that you're smiling, you look different.”

“Does it seem strange?”

“No, it's fantastic. Did you make amends with her?”

“In a way.”

“My family and I are still at odds. I'm sure they'll freak out when they find out I was with you.”

“So, what are you going to say to them?”

“The reality.”

“Which is it?”

“I love you.”

“Stop!”

“You asked, and I simply responded.”

“Okay. Okay! Let us hear the vows.”

“Whatever you say, ma'am.”

“I hate you.”

“I know you don't,” he said, staring her down, and Violet backed away for the first time.

He had triumphed in this round. They listened to the vows, which sounded both sincere and funny, but they were still young and understandable.

“Let us have a bigger wedding than this.”

“Whose wedding, is it?”

“It's yours and mine. I will marry you in a way that no one has ever seen before.”

“I have not yet agreed to your proposal.”

“I understand but you'll soon come around. I am that endearing.”

“You've got a long way to go, darling. Now behave yourself before I freeze you.”

“You know how I feel about that.”

“I understand.”

He then noticed Lucy eavesdropping, and when she was caught, she simply smiled and said, "I can help you."

He returned her smile and nodded his head. After all, things were heating up.
The ceremony went off without a hitch, and now everyone was mingling at the reception. She made her way over to where the President was; after all, she had a date with a princess.

“Your Excellency,” she bowed in front of him, and he seemed taken aback, but she simply smiled at him.

“It's a good thing you came, Violet; otherwise, I would have gone looking for you. I'll make the introductions. This is Princess Nia from Tawland, your biggest fan, according to her, and she really wanted to meet you, so I arranged for this,” he explained.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Princess Nia.”

“It's an honor to meet you as well. May I address you as Violet?”

“Of course, you can.”

"How about we leave here and go to your club? It's said to be out of this world.”

“You know a lot of things.”

“I arrived well-prepared.”

“All right, we'll go. Let me bid my family farewell, and we will depart together.”

“Do you mind if I meet your family?”

“Sure,” she replied to the princess, turning to face the President, “I'll take my leave. You'll get her later.”

“No problem, just make sure she's well cared for. I'll send some secret service agents to accompany you for added security.”

“That is not a problem; please do so.”

“Okay.”

Violet walked away from the princess and introduced herself to her family. She wished she had a camera to capture the expressions on their faces.

“I'm going to leave first, mother. I kept my word and came.”

“Please call me when you arrive.”

“All right then tell Suzy I won't be able to see her off.”

“I will inform her.”

With that, she summoned Dylan and Anne, and they exited the statehouse. After an hour, they arrived at the club, where she took the princess on a tour, which she thoroughly enjoyed.

She took the princess to her mansion, where the princess investigated every room and, because she had secrets to hide, she made the majority of the rooms appear to be illusions.

Even if she was royalty, she was not stupid enough to reveal her secrets to a stranger. The maids served tea and snacks following the tour. While Anne and Dylan were at the club, she and the princess were in the gazebo.

“I hope the tour didn't ruin your mood.”

“No, I'm glad I showed up. I can now tell everyone about what I saw today.”

“You are flattering me, princess.”

“You should come to my kingdom; I will make you feel very welcome.”

“It's not necessary, but since you invited me, I'll make time to attend.”

“How about next month?” the princess asked.

“What about next month?”

“Yes, my birthday is coming up next month, and I hope to see you there.”

“How old will you be in a few years?”

“Twenty-four.”

“It's a good figure, then I'm not going to say no. I'll pay you a visit then.”

“When I return home, I will begin planning for your visit. I wish I could stay here longer.”

“You are free to stay as long as you want.”

“I suppose I could do that another time. I'm currently in charge of national affairs.”

“Is that so? I should not have kept you so long.”

“It's fine, I've already spoken with your President; I won't speak with him again until I see you. I can tell he put in a lot of effort.”

“I suppose, we are now all family after all.”