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“Uncle Lambert, Uncle Lambert, come on! We can’t be late!” The little blonde, dressed in all her princess finery, tugged at Lambert’s hand. For all she was seven years old, she could be quite strong when she put her mind to it. Like now, for instance.
Lambert bit back a laugh. “We’ve got plenty of time. Let it go, Elsa.”
Ciri rounded on him. Her ringlets may have bounced, pretty as a picture, but her eyes flashed lightning. For a moment Lambert wondered if that princess boutique gave her Elsa’s icy powers along with the dress and makeup, but no. This fury was pure Ciri.
“Uncle Aiden is waiting for us at the castle, and we’re meeting Cinderella for lunch. Don’t make jokes.” Before he could answer she was pulling him down Main Street, USA again, chattering away about everything they still had left to do that day. The list was long, and included the carousel, a ride on Aladdin’s magic carpet, shooting aliens with Buzz Lightyear, and yet another voyage into the magical land of “It’s a Small World.”
“How many times have we been on that one today, kiddo?” Lambert asked hesitantly, curious to see if she’d been keeping track. He’d stopped counting after four.
“Seven,” Ciri answered, her voice redolent with pride. “A girl in my class said she rode on it nine times when she was here over spring break, and I know we can do better.”
“Great!” He did not feel as enthusiastic as he sounded.
But this girl, this tiny scrap of blonde hair and freckles… Well. Lambert had been lost the day Geralt and Jaskier brought her home from the hospital, and he’d been giving her the world ever since. Which is how he and Aiden had found themselves in Florida in early June, at the beck and call of a tiny princess, while his brother and his husband had a second honeymoon in New England.
Lambert was glad they could have the time away–they both worked so hard and rarely took any time off that didn’t revolve around their daughter–but it had only taken a few hours to realize that there was a difference between taking Ciri for a few hours and taking Ciri on vacation. Just taking her through security in the airport (who knew kids could put so many random things in their pockets?) had been an adventure.
The first of many.
“Look, there he–” Ciri started, and then for the first time since the start of their journey, Ciri was speechless. Lambert glanced at her, then caught Aiden’s eye and winked.
Aiden was resplendent, all in lace and silk. Truly princely, his Aiden. Also likely thankful that the tunic and breeches were lightweight and airy, despite what looked like many layers. He’d been assured that the getup would be just fine for a Florida summer, and he looked perfectly comfortable. And perfectly sexy, a little voice in his brain piped up. Aiden truly looked the part of handsome prince.
Well done, he mouthed, so Ciri couldn’t see. Aiden winked back, then bowed to Ciri.
“Princess Cirilla?”
Ciri’s mouth was hanging open. When Lambert nudged her she looked at him, then back at Aiden. “Uncle–” she started to ask, but before she got any further, Aiden spoke again.
“My name is Prince Aiden, and I’m here to escort you to your luncheon with Princess Cinderella. She’s quite pleased to make your acquaintance today.”
Eyes wide, Ciri clapped her hands. Then, as if remembering herself, she smiled and sketched a wobbly curtsy. “So lovely to meet you, Prince Aiden.” She glanced at Lambert. “Can my uncle come too?” She bit her lip. “My dads told me to stay with my uncles the whole time in Florida, on account of sometimes I get lost.”
Aiden tilted his head and squinted at Ciri. “What is this Flo-ri-da of which you speak? You are in the land of Long Ago and Far Away! A place of magic and adventure, the perfect place to, as you said, ‘get lost.’” Winking, he added, “But I think I’d like your uncle to accompany us. He looks like he knows a thing or two about adventure himself. Perhaps a bit of a troublesome youth?”
Ciri giggled, a hand over her mouth. “Grandpa says Uncle Lambert was in trouble more than he was out of it.”
Clapping briskly, Aiden said, “That settles it, then. Onward to the castle, your highness.” He offered Ciri his elbow, which she took with all the nobility her seven years growing up in rural Kansas could muster. Lambert fell in beside Aiden, who turned and whispered, “How’m I doing?”
“Perfect. She’s half in love with you, I think.”
“Too late, I’m already taken.”
And before Lambert could answer, before he could acknowledge–even to himself–that Aiden’s words had made it through one of his many layers of self-protection, Aiden was back to Ciri again, regaling her with make-believe tales of his princely daring do.
Not that he needed them. The protective layers. He and Aiden had been together for three years, and they’d been sharing an apartment for nearly two, and Aiden had only ever treated him with gentle love and care. But he’d been hurt so many times, been abandoned, been treated like so much nothing. Vesemir had helped with that, taking him in when his mom died and his dad just up and left even though he’d been barely in his teens, but it had been a long, slow process, and he’d been guarding his heart too closely for too long to just let someone all the way in now. Hadn’t he?
Even if Aiden was his Prince Charming.
At Cinderella’s Castle Ciri took charge, as she was wont to do. Aiden calling her “Princess Cirilla” and “your highness” wasn’t helping any in that regard. She marched right up to the reservation window, after they’d stood in the queue, and said, “Her highness Princess Cirilla Rivia and two guests. Princess Cinderella is expecting us.” Being this was Disney World the maître d' didn’t miss a beat, just bowed gravely and said, “Of course, your highness. Right this way.”
It was a dream come true for Ciri; she forgot all her princess manners when she saw Cinderella, squealing with glee. Aiden, however, stayed in character the entire time, and for the rest of the day as well. He gallantly helped Ciri onto her mount on the carousel, offering to “hold your stallion’s head, lest he decide to bolt and toss her royal highness into a meadow or stream.” He made up stories about the lands they visited on the It’s a Small World ride…several more times. And he valiantly protected her from the aliens on the Buzz Lightyear ride.
Ciri ate it up. When they were waiting for the evening parade to start, Ciri wearing her new Minnie Mouse ears, she threw herself into Lambert’s arms. “Thank you,” she whispered, her mouth almost touching Lambert’s ear. “This has been the best day of my whole life. You and Uncle Aiden are my favorite people in the whole world.” She pulled back, looked him in the eye, considering. “Well, ‘cept Daddy and Papa. And maybe Grandpa Ves.”
Trying to hide a smile, Lambert said, “As it should be.” He kissed her forehead and said, “You’re one of my favorite people too, princess.”
And it was true. Ciri had brought joy to Lambert from the moment she’d arrived, just a bit of fluff and nothing but completely ruling all of them. Geralt had teased a little, said all it took was a baby to soften Lambert up, but he didn’t think it could have been just any baby. Ciri had a way about her, she was almost magic.
Look what she’d done to Aiden! Aiden had been a happy-go-lucky kind of guy when they’d met, almost the exact opposite of Lambert in some ways, but he’d never had siblings, never had younger cousins or friends with kids. But a couple years around Ciri and he’s spending an entire day dressed like a fairy tale prince at Disney World, just to make the kid’s day a bit more memorable.
Who does that?
As the parade was going by Aiden snaked an arm around Lambert’s waist, tucking himself neatly into his side. Ignoring the floats and the flashing lights, Lambert nuzzled his nose into Aiden’s curls. “You were brilliant today. She’s never going to forget the day she spent in Disney World with a prince.”
Aiden hummed a little, either enjoying the nuzzling or at Lambert’s words, Lambert couldn’t tell. After a somewhat long pause, he finally said, “Well, I didn’t do it just for her, did I.” At Lambert’s confused sound, Aiden aid turned his eyes to Lambert’s and said, “I mean, I got to spend the day with my own prince, too.”
And a thought struck Lambert: maybe fairy tales can come true.
“Aide, I…” he started, but his voice cracked and he had to start over. “I love you, Aiden. Do you want to… I mean…” He felt his face grow hot. This should be easier. He would make it easier.
Taking Aiden’s hands in both of his, he got down on one knee in front of him. It ached a little, his knee, but it was worth it, seeing the look of awe and surprise on Aiden’s face. “Will you marry me, Prince Aiden?”
And then Aiden was smiling, and the smile turned into a laugh, and the laugh turned into the kind of laugh that won’t stop even when the guy who just proposed is begging you to “stop laughing and just answer the damn question, dammit.”
By way of an answer, Aiden put his hand into the pocket of his fancy tunic and pulled out–
Oh. A ring. An engagement ring.
“You mean you were going to–?”
“Yes!” Aiden said, still laughing.
“Does that mean you’ll–”
“Yes!”
And then Ciri, who had been paying rapt attention to everything since her Uncle Lambert got down on his knee to propose, burst into spontaneous applause. And so did everyone else nearby.
Apparently when you get engaged at Disney World, people pay attention.
“Kiss me,” Lambert said to his prince. His voice was gruff with emotion.
As soon as their lips met, the fireworks began.