Royalty

8| Unprepared

Chapter 8: Unprepared (Nicholas' POV)

While we stood up in front of everybody to well... get engaged, my heart rate picked up. My mother and her father walked with us. We had two staircases leading upstairs which met at the top, so I took the one to the left with my mother, and Ella and her father took the one to the right and we met at the top, in the middle, right under the chandelier. 

"Mrs. Williams," Ella whispered, kind of breathlessly. 

"Yes, honey?" my mom asked while taking out the ring I'm supposed to put around her finger, simultaneously, her dad took out the one she's supposed to put around mine. 

"I feel a little unprepared," she cleared her throat, whispering even though everyone watching from downstairs couldn't hear us. 

"So do I," I said, Ella and I looking at each other in a panic. 

"Unprepared?" her dad asked in confusion. 

"Yes," we said in sync. 

"Both of you, take a deep breath," my mom suggested. And we both did. "Little better?" 

"No," we said quickly. 

"Don't think too much," her dad shrugged. 

"Now, both of you already know this... The engagement ring goes onto the ring finger on your right hand and once you're married, you put the engagement band over the wedding ring. Nicholas, you go first." She handed me the ring and I stared at it then at Ella. 

"Just do it," Ella said. 

"Ella," her dad said scoldingly. 

"Sorry," she mumbled. I stared at her, biting back a laugh. She held her right hand out and I grabbed it gently, slipping the ring onto her ring finger. Her father then handed her the ring for me and I held my hand out. She slipped the ring on slowly before looking up at me in confusion. "Now what?" she whispered. 

"Now kiss," my mom whispered. 

"Huh?" we mumbled together, ignoring the applause from the crowd. 

"Kiss her, honey," she chuckled at me. 

"We're unprepared. Especially for that," I cleared my throat. 

"Why don't we save that for the wedding?" Ella questioned. 

"All right," my mom shrugged. Both of us faced the crowd, smiling at everyone before slowly coming back down. This engagement couldn't have been any rougher. We wanted it to be smooth sailing, this was far from that. But maybe tomorrow will be better. 

Oh god, please let it be better. 

*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:

We waved the final guests goodbye and then it was just us and the Smiths. 

"We should plan out tomorrow even, how are the decorations coming in your palace?" my dad asked while our parents started walking to the entrance of the house since they were leaving too. We walked behind them in awkward silence. 

"I'm sorry," she said. 

"What are you apologizing for? You didn't do anything wrong." 

"That could have been a lot smoother if I just... if I didn't freak out, so... I'm sorry." 

"I was panicking just as much as you were, Ella. It wasn't your fault, don't apologize," I shook my head. 

"No, really. I was panicking unnecessarily, we were aware of what we were getting ourselves into and I-"