The Alpha and His Cursed Princess

Chapter 3

“Archie,” she said the smile widening a fraction when he stopped in front of her.  "This is such a happy occasion for all of us. I've seen such a I've never seen such a blissfully beautiful bride and Harry looks handsome as well, he is so happy and contented.”

A controlled man himself, Archie admired her skill in conveying that her heart wasn’t broken. Indeed, he responded. I believe we're supposed to dance together, now would you like to go and join me.”

Still smiling, she laid a slender hand on his arm, and together they walked into the waiting, shattering circle around Harry and Christina.

Archie glanced down and a phrase from childhood was echoing in his head, mirror, mirror on the wall whose the fairest of them all, hair black and ebony, skin white as snow, lips red as blood, and inner beauty shows, he remembered.

And princess Amelia was an almost perfect snow princess. He looked at his hand on her shoulders and it looked so ugly. He had passed her on one part of the description though; her lips were painted a restrained shade of dark red. It was too provocative for Amelia and her lips were tempting him to crush her mouth with his.

A hunting instinct as old as time stirred into life deep within Archie. He had wanted her ever since he had first seen her but because she was a human he couldn’t cross his boundaries but today yet again the wild animal inside him was provoking him to do something wild. A year had passed since their last meeting but the emotion he felt for her was deeply engraved.

He stopped with Amelia on the edge of the crowd of dancers and sent a disapproving clear glance, sharp as a rapier, to a man a few paces away eyeing Amelia with open appreciation. It gave him a cold pleasure to watch the ogler hastily transfer his appreciative glance elsewhere.

The band sunk into the tune and the crowd fell silent as the newlyweds began dancing. Softly the onlookers began to clap in time to the beat.

Amelia glanced up, tensing when her eyes clashed with a sharp dark gaze. Had breath locked in her throat while she wrestled down an exhilarating excitement? Tall, dark, and arrogantly handsome, Archie had a strangely weakening effect on her. Wearily, because the silence between them grew too heavy, almost significant, she broke the silence with the first thing that came into ahead. “This is a very funny tradition.”

“You mean the bride and groom wedding dance?”

“Yes.”

They observed that neither Kristine nor Harry smiled; their eyes were eyes locked, it was as if they were alone together, absorbed, so intent on each other that Amelia felt a sharp stab of regret.

No, not quite. It was kind of wistful envy.

Just over a year ago she had decided to make it clear to Harry, without being so rude, as to say the words, that she wasn't on the market to become grand Duchess of Varmland. Such a union would have solved a lot of problems and she admired Harry very much, as he was her childhood friend but she wanted more than a convenient marriage.

And she did the right thing because shortly afterward Harry had taken one look at Kristine, whom he had last seen as a child, and lost his heart.

What would it be like to feel that herself? To be loved so ardently that even in public their emotions were barely concealed? She wondered.

Keeping her eyes on them she said quietly. “They look so good together, don't they.” It wasn't a question.

Archie’s enigmatic glance flicked on her for a second and it brought the heat to her skin. What a foolish thing to say about a couple who had just made the wedding vows!

Of course, they would look good together, they were husband and wife after all. For now, anyway, she thought cynically. Somewhere she had read that the flush of love and passion lasted two years, so Harry and Kristen would enjoy perhaps another year of this blissful delight for each other before it began to fade.

"Well, she is funny." Casper commented and Archie chuckled.

“Perceptive of you,” Archie commended softly. “Of course they would look good together, they are a couple.”

The music swelled, accompanied by a whirl of color and movement as everyone joined in the dance, thrilling around the newly married couple.

Amelia breezed herself. Nervous and shy, she rested one hand on Archie's shoulder and felt his fingers close around the other as he swung her into the waltz. Anticipation sizzled through her nerves, compelling her and it was so unnerving that after a few steps she stumbled.

Archie clamped her against his lean, athletic body for breathless seconds before he drawled, “Relax princess.”

His warm breath on her skin sent tiny, delicious shudders through her, a gentler counterpoint to the sultry heat that penetrated deeply within her at the intimate flexing of his thigh muscles. Shocked by the intimacy of her response, Amelia pulled herself a safe distance away and forced herself to ignore the sensual tug until her natural sense of rhythm settled her steps.

This actual physical response was very new to her as the tingling sensation was pounding through her and had sprung into action just like the first time she had met Archie. Gritting her teeth she resisted the tantalizing thrill, sharp and adrenalin charged as though she faced a sudden danger.

Did he feel the same? She wondered.

She risked an upward glance, her heart racing as she met his searching and disturbing intent eyes. His grip did not tighten, but she still sensed a quickening in him that he could not control.

Yes, Oh yes, she thought triumphantly, before a flurry of panic washed over that intoxicating emotion.

Swallowing she said in her most remote tone. “Sorry, I wasn't concentrating” Then wondered uneasily if the admission had hinted at her body's discomfort.

Hurriedly she added. “This has been one of the most charming weddings I have ever attended. Kristen is so happy and it's lovely to see Harry utterly smitten.”

“Yet you seemed a little distracted. Is something worrying you?” Archie, she enquired smoothly.

Well, yes several things, in fact with one in particular which was nagging in her mind she thought but she was not about to blurt out in front of him.

Amelia had noticed that plenty of eyes around the ballroom were fixed on her, some pitting, others malicious. Of the two she preferred spite, although someone had hissed in a pitched voice carefully to reach her ears still stung.

“It must be breaking her heart, yet she is smiling, how pitiful, “one of the Duchess had said.

Her companion had returned on a laugh, “I will bet her brother is furious that she failed to land on Prince Harry's arms and they lost their best chance of clawing their way out of poverty. And losing out to a nobody must be bitter indeed.”

Everyone was commenting about their speculation and did not bother how she felt.

Let them think what they like pride stiffening her spine, she smiled up at Archie. Oh, not too wide, in case those watchers suspected her of acting but with a slow, amused glimmer that should give some of the eager gossipers a few seconds of thought.

“I am not distracted and nothing’s wrong,” she told him with a smile on her face not wanting to give away any of her emotions.

His black brows were lifted for a second. “As you have probably noticed, quite a few people here are wondering whether you are regretting a missed opportunity”

“Must you do that?” Casper whispered angrily and Archie ignored him.

“Oh, there’s no fun in chasing a man who I already belongs to someone else.” She lifted her head and met his calculating scrutiny with unwavering steadiness, praying he couldn't see how brittle she was beneath the surface of self-defiance she had built around herself.

Archie's mouth, unsoftened by its compelling hint of sensuality, relaxed into a smile that was more challenge than amusement. “Indeed?” He whispered.

“Yes, indeed.” she returned infusing the word with complete assurance.

“Good,” Archie said with a smile on his face and Casper was amused as he said.

“She is feisty, I like her more.”