Chapter 430

The opening was off to a great start. So many people showed up that they were over capacity and had to move many of the guests to the outside patio. The salon was huge, taking up the largest shop along Camden Passage. It was a chic area and quite quaint and vintage. Nora was beaming. She was so excited to have another location where she could help the community and give her passion to her new hometown.

She looked over at her future husband and mouthed the words "thank you" across the crowded room.

Christian nodded and then saw the royal car arrive and he walked out to greet his mother. He watched her walk up to the main entrance of the salon, smiling and looking to her right. He assumed he would see Dylan along side her but he did not. To her right, causing the magnificent grin and light in her eyes that he had never seen before, was Erik.

He felt a bit caught off guard. He knew her driver was to pick him up but he didn't think they would be riding together.

"Mother. I'm glad you have arrived." Christian said, kissing her cheek and greeting her. Pearl smiled. Paparazzi and reporters snapped their photo as they walked through the front door.

"Erik." Christian greeted him with a handshake.

"Hello, your majesty. Look at this wonderful turnout. I told you this would be the perfect location." Erik said, proudly.

"It truly is. Nora is over the moon. Thank you."

The rest of afternoon went well. The ribbon cutting was a splendid moment of excitement. Pearl adored her son's way of handling it all. He was such a regal man and her pride beamed.

"You have done a wonderful job, Pearl." Erik whispered, leaning in to her ear.

"I didn't do this. He did. And you." She said casually.

"No. I mean raising him. You are the mother I always knew you would be." He said. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Thank you." She said.

"You're quite welcome. I should be going soon. My flat isn't far from here, so no worries about a ride home. Thank you, for today." Erik said, kissing her hand.

Pearl nodded.

There were looks from the crowd but Pearl didn't care. She had navigated the press most of her adult life.

She watched as Erik said his goodbyes to Christian and Nora and smiled back at her one last time before walking out the door. He was still Erik. Still tall. Still handsome. Still poised and proper. "And you would have made a wonderful king, as I always knew you would. If they wouldn't have taken it from you before you even had a chance." She said quietly to herself.

She also said her goodbyes and followed her security out to her car and headed back to the palace.

**********************

"Nora. My love." Christian said as he pulled her into his arms.

"Today was… it was just magical, Christian. I can't thank you enough." Nora said, wrapping her arms around him.

"I am so excited for you." He said.

"For us." She corrected. He nodded and laughed.

"What's so funny?" She asked.

"My mother." He said. "Us. This life."

"Christian, that's a pretty vague answer." Nora said with a sarcastic look and eye roll. Christian nodded and sat down, taking a drink of the champagne in his hand.

"My family history is a mess. My mother has so many layers. So many secrets. Stories. But today, today I saw something in her. Something I haven't seen before. A light. I barely recognized her when she was… next to him. They truly loved each other. I could see it today. There's a whole life there that I don't know anything about. That I'll never understand. And it isn't fair. To her. To him. What they threw away. And it made me realize how similar you and I are. And how important it is to me to not let anything or anyone come between us. Ever." He looked up at her. "I love you, Nora. And I want to make you my wife. You're the only woman I will ever want or need."

Nora smiled and walked over to him. "And you are all I ever want or need. I mean it. I knew it even before I found out about what you were. I knew I loved YOU." She said, ruffling his hair and leaning in to kiss him.

"Nothing will ever come between us." She said. He pulled her to him tightly and hugged her.

"Come, my love. Let's go home." He said.