Archive of Our Own

Kate is completely, utterly, one hundred percent out of her depth. She knows that. She's known that since the moment she realized she was falling hard for Anthony. Or, as most people know him, His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince. But despite all of his titles and his eventual Kinghood, to her he's only ever been Anthony. Her Anthony. The man who can drive her absolutely crazy one moment and then completely sweep her off her feet the next.

And now they're spending their first Christmas together, even though they've been dating for just over two years. Neither had wanted to put too much pressure on their budding relationship that first Christmas, so they'd spent the holidays with their respective families. And the following year, her parents and sister got sick, and since she'd been staying with them, there was a possibility she'd caught it as well and didn't want to pass it on to the entire royal family.

But now this year…this year they're finally spending the holiday together and she could not be more thrilled. As well as incredibly nervous.

Sure, she's met his family on multiple occasions and enjoys every moment she spends with them, but this is completely different. Usually, when she's spent any time with them, it's been at some kind of formal event out in public. But this will be in the privacy of their own home; their castle. So yes, she's incredibly nervous.

"We're here, ma'am."

Kate smiles politely at the Royal family's chauffeur from the backseat, curling and uncurling her hands into fists to try and contain some of her nerves. She glances down at the floor of the car, her smile softening when she sees Newton curled up contently on the carpet. "I hope you're going to behave while we're here."

Newton simply continues to lie there, not so much as a bark coming from the corgi.

She just shakes her head with a smile and then does her best to mentally prepare herself for what's ahead. She has some idea of what to expect, having seen some of the family's festivities broadcasted on tv over the years, but Anthony wouldn't go into explicit detail. He only told her to bring herself and that she's going to have an enjoyable holiday.

She really, really hopes he's right.

The car jolts slightly as it stops and Kate turns to the door closest to her as it opens a moment later. She accepts the offered hand and steps out of the car, calling for Newton to get out as well. She waits for the dog to be at her side before allowing herself to truly look at the intimidating structure in front of her; Castle Bridgerton. She's only been to it a small handful of times throughout her relationship with Anthony, but it never fails to take her breath away every time she looks at it. It's even more amazing with the outside decorated for the holidays.

"Kate."

Tearing her gaze away from the large castle, her smile widens when she sees the love of her life approaching her across the gravel drive. "Anthony."

She's in his arms in an instant, wrapping hers around his neck and holding on tight, breathing him in and relishing the feeling of finally being back in his arms. It's been too long. She reluctantly pulls back after a moment to look at him. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, love. I'm so glad you finally get to spend Christmas at the castle with us. Everyone is beyond thrilled to have you here. Though, I think Hyacinth is more excited about Newton being back than anything else."

Kate laughs, her nails absentmindedly scratching lightly at the base of Anthony's neck. "Why am I not surprised?"

Anthony smiles, his arms tightening ever so slightly around her to bring her closer. "I don't think I can put into words exactly how happy I am that you're here for the holidays."

Kate smiles, leaning closer and ghosting her lips over his. "I think I might have some idea."

"Excellent." He closes the space between them, his lips sliding perfectly over hers.

It definitely isn't considered proper, the two of them standing in the middle of the front drive, their kiss of greeting and reunion mere moments away from becoming something better saved for the privacy of the bedroom. But she hasn't seen Anthony in person in weeks so she can hardly control herself now that she has him back again.

A throat clearing breaks them apart and Kate skillfully wipes traces of her lipstick off of Anthony as they turn.

She fights to keep the heat of embarrassment from flooding her cheeks when she realizes Anthony's mother, the Queen Consort, is standing several feet away in the open doorway. A guard is standing on either side of the entrance, the family's loyal butler, Charles, standing just behind the matriarch.

"Mother," Anthony speaks up, one of his arms still wrapped firmly around Kate's waist to keep her close. "Kate's here."

There's a sparkle of amusement in the older woman's eyes as she smiles and moves down the steps. "I can see that. Kate," she directs at her, pulling her into a hug, "so lovely to see you again."

"You as well, Your Majesty."

The woman waves her off. "Oh, none of that. You're here as part of the family, just call me Violet." She takes a deep breath. "Now then, enough standing around out here. Everyone is inside waiting, though I think Ben might still be in his studio and your father is held up in a meeting."

Anthony nods. "Right." He smiles softly at Kate, giving her hip a gentle squeeze. "Are you ready?"

"Do I have a choice?"

He chuckles. "Not really. But I promise it won't be that bad. We're just like any other family celebrating the holidays."

"Except you're all royalty," she deadpans.

Anthony's brows furrow slightly. "Yes, there is that." His face relaxes again and he smiles. "I'm serious though, Kate. You'll see that we're just like any other family when it comes to Christmas time. Lots of bickering and old traditions." He gives her a quick kiss and then guides her up toward the door of the castle, following the path his mum went just a moment before.

Glancing over her shoulder, she checks to make sure Newton is trotting along behind them and then turns back to the front, instinctively leaning more into Anthony's side as they walk. It's so easy being around Anthony, she never feels like she has to be more than she is, and he has never once insinuated that he wishes she was. Of course, there's always that lingering thought in the back of her head that arose the day she and Anthony made their relationship official; that the country will never accept her and someone will always be trying to get rid of her in one or another.

Pushing the thought to the far, far recesses of her brain, Kate focuses on just being present in the moment, on enjoying her time with Anthony and his family. That's the most important thing.

Stepping through the doors of the castle, Kate allows herself to marvel at the grandness of it all. She knows how old the castle is, knows that the architecture is exquisite, but it is also incredibly modern in the decor, something she knows the eldest of Anthony's younger sisters had a hand in as she got older.

"Newton!"

Kate's pulled out of her thoughts at the excited shout, stifling a laugh when she sees young Princess Hyacinth and young Prince Gregory darting through the corridor, both sets of eyes locked on the fluffy dog. She shares an amused smile with Anthony and then watches as the youngest of the Bridgerton clan fall to their knees next to Newton and proceed to shower him with affection, running their hands through his fur and allowing him to lick their faces.

Violet sighs from off to the side. "Oh, Hyacinth, Gregory."

Gregory has the decency to look somewhat ashamed as he glances up. "Sorry, mum."

Violet smiles gently at her son. "It's alright, sweetheart. But maybe you two should greet our guest before you're completely distracted by the dog."

Gregory looks at her and bows, barely making eye contact with her, the tiniest hint of a flush to his cheeks. "Hello, Kate."

Hyacinth greets her next, carefully lowering herself into a curtsy. "Hello, Kate."

Kate smiles and does her best to curtsy back at the both of them. "Princess Hyacinth, Prince Gregory, it's nice to see you both again."

"You too," Hyacinth agrees with a smile. "Mum, can we take Newton out to the back to run around?"

"Yes, I suppose that's alright. Just don't get too muddy yourselves, please."

Hyacinth and Gregory run off without so much as a promise to do as their mother asked, Newton hot on their heels through the castle.

Kate just laughs quietly to herself and then follows Anthony into the main sitting room where most of his family is already waiting. She spots Colin and Eloise straight away, the two of them sitting on one of the couches and bickering quietly over something, Eloise with a book open in her lap and Colin with a plate of sweets in his. Daphne is sitting across from them, bouncing her young son Augie in her lap to keep him content, her husband Simon sitting right next to her, the two of them engaged in quiet conversation. Francesca is in the corner of the room with a handful of loose-leaf pages in front of her and a pencil in her hand.

Seconds later, the entire room notices that she and Anthony are there, everyone getting up to greet her, telling her how excited they are to have her over for the holidays. She greets them all just as enthusiastically, shooting Anthony an amused smile when she's immediately dragged through the room by Eloise and Daphne so they can discuss whatever it is the two women have in mind.

Kate's more than happy to go along; spending time with the Bridertons never fails to make her feel warm and welcome. Which is how she knows the duration of her stay is going to be highly enjoyable.

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"So, where exactly are we going?" Kate asks Anthony as they climb into one of the few cars lined up outside the castle the next afternoon.

"Into town," he answers, sitting next to her and draping an arm across her shoulders to hold her close. "I know you said that you've seen some of our traditions online before, but now you'll get to participate in them too."

Kate nods, relaxing back in the seat and his embrace. "Right. But that still doesn't tell me where we're going or what we'll be doing."

Anthony smiles. "Well, I don't know if you know this, but there's quite a lot of us Bridgertons."

Kate rolls her eyes affectionately. "No, I don't think I've noticed."

He scoffs lightly. "Shame on you. Be more observant. Anyways, because there are so many of us, all with different likes and interests, it's not always easy celebrating during the holidays. Which is why, each day, one of us gets to pick what we do to celebrate the holidays, and we all participate."

Kate sits up a bit, her interest piqued. "Really?"

Anthony nods. "Yes. It wasn't always that way, of course. It was much easier for mum and dad to manage the holidays back when it was just me, and then me and Ben. But the more kids they had, the more creative they needed to get." His brows furrow slightly. "I think they came up with this solution somewhere around Daphne or Eloise coming along."

"I think it's brilliant. So, who got to decide the activity for today?"

Anthony breathes deeply and smiles. "That would be me. It's not always in birth order, sometimes we let Greg or Hyacinth pick first since they're the youngest, but I convinced them all to let me have today."

She quirks a brow. "Trying to impress me, then?"

He chuckles. "I might be. And no, I'm not telling you where we're going, you'll just have to wait and see."

"Oh, alright." She lets out a breath and leans against him again. "Just promise me I'm not going to be completely bored out of my mind."

"Contrary to what you might be inclined to think, I do know how to have a good time."

She laughs quietly at the slight pout on his lips. "No, I know you do." She leans up enough to press a gentle kiss to the underside of his jaw. "I'm sorry, my love. I didn't mean to imply you were no fun at all."

He smiles down at her. "I know. I just want this Christmas to be perfect."

"We're together and we're happy. It's already perfect."

His smile brightens a bit as he connects their lips in a gentle kiss.

Kate reciprocates, deepening the kiss as she shifts on the seat to get closer to him. She instinctively tosses a leg over his lap so she's straddling him, her hands sliding around his neck so her fingers tangle themselves in the hair at the base of his neck. She moans into his mouth when his hands slide down her back and land on her rear.

"Kate…" Anthony breathes out, their lips dislodging for a mere moment. "Kate, we can't…not right now."

Kate leans back, breathing a bit heavier and running one hand down his chest. "You sure?"

He chuckles, breathing deeply as his eyes run down her body. "As much as I would really love to, the drive to where we're going isn't that long. And I know I'm good, but I'm not quite that good. Besides, you know I don't like to rush when we're together." He leans up to give her a quick peck. "Later though, I promise."

"I'm going to hold you to that." She kisses him again and then climbs off of his lap and settles herself back on the seat. She takes a moment to fix her hair and her clothes and then leans back, enjoying the relative quiet for the remainder of the drive.

What must only be a few minutes later, the car comes to a stop at their mysterious destination. The door is opened by the driver, a hand extended to help her out, which she gratefully takes.

She stops on the pavement, staring up at the building in front of her, the faint sounds of the rest of the Bridgertons drifting toward her, but she's only focused on the feel of Anthony's hand as it slides into hers. "The hospital?" she asks, turning her head slightly to look at him.

He smiles and nods. "Specifically the children's wing. I'm sure you've seen photos of us here before."

"I have," she admits. "I just didn't realize it was something you decided to do."

"I love coming here," he tells her, gently tugging on her hand to get them moving.

"What do you do while you're here?" she asks, leaning into his side as they walk slowly.

Anthony shrugs. "Whatever the children want. Usually, it's reading to them, or listening to them as they talk about whatever they want to talk about. Sometimes they just need someone to listen because their family can't be there for one reason or another."

Kate's heart swells, her love for this man growing immensely. "That's amazing, Anthony." She leans up to press a quick kiss to his cheek right as they reach the entrance to the hospital.

"Your Highness," the woman at the door says with a smile and a curtsy. "Welcome back."

Anthony smiles politely, nodding his head. "Thank you, Margaret. It's wonderful to be back. And, as I'm sure you can see, I've brought the whole family along."

The woman chuckles. "Well, it is Christmas, after all. Come on in, then. The children are very excited to see you again."

"Of course. Oh, I'd like to introduce you to my girlfriend, Kate. Kate, this is Margaret, she oversees the whole children's wing, and is a marvelous woman."

The woman—Margaret—simply waves off the comment. "I'm nothing special. Now come on." She gestures for them to follow after her, and they do, the echoes of the rest of the family sounding behind them down the hall. "Everything's arranged as usual," Margaret explains. "Those who are able to be there are in the communal room, and the others are in their respective rooms waiting for you."

Anthony nods. "Excellent." He turns to her slightly. "I hate to leave you, but some of the children are a bit shy, and I—"

Kate smiles and shakes her head. "It's alright. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. You go do whatever it is you usually do. I'll figure something out."

He smiles and leans in for a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too. Now go." She gently pushes him away and watches him duck into a nearby room, enthusiastically greeting the child inside. She moves off to the side as the rest of the Bridgerton family makes their way into the communal room that's decorated perfectly for children, with multiple distinctive areas set up throughout for different types of activities.

Kate simply stands in the doorway and watches, a permanent smile on her face the entire time. Benedict heads for a section of the room that is littered with art supplies, Colin and Eloise head toward a space that looks to be piled high with books of varying difficulty levels, Daphne, Simon, and Augie, move toward an area with smaller children and various toys, Francesa heads toward an area set up with multiple musical instruments, Gregory and Hyacinth simply wander around the room from area to area, and the King and Queen watch over the whole thing while answering questions from some of the older kids about what being royalty entails.

"It's wonderful what they do, isn't it?"

Kate turns to smile at Margaret. "It really is. They do this every year?"

Margaret nods. "Without fail. Prince Anthony visits on occasion throughout the year as well, usually by himself. Never any fanfare or the like, simply comes in and stays for several hours with the children. They love having him here."

Kate can't help the way her heart swells again at the woman's words, not at all surprised by Anthony's actions. She's known for a long time how caring he is, especially towards young children. The way he is with his youngest siblings always makes her heart melt.

"The whole family seems to really enjoy being here," Kate remarks as she watches the family interacting with the kids, various barks of laughter coming from all areas of the room.

Margaret nods. "Oh, they absolutely do. None more so than Prince Anthony, of course. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a few children I need to check on."

Kate nods. "Of course. Don't let me keep you." She watches the woman leave and then turns back to the room, casting her eyes all over and trying to think of which small group to join.

Before she can decide, a small tug on her pant leg draws her attention. She looks down and smiles at the small brunette child who can't be much older than five or six, standing in front of her with a stuffed animal clutched in one hand and a storybook in the other.

Kate squats in front of the girl. "Hello, sweetheart. My name's Kate. What's yours?"

"Emily," the girl says in an almost whisper.

"Well, Emily, it's very nice to meet you. What book have you got there?" She takes the book when Emily holds it out, peering at the title. "The Night Before Christmas. Oh, this is an excellent book."

Emily shuffles on her feet, clutching her stuffed animal closer to her. "Um…will you read it to me please?"

Kate smiles gently at the girl. "Of course, I will."

Emily beams and then throws her arms around Kate's neck in a hug, holding tightly.

Kate wraps an arm around the girl in response, and then stands up when it's clear Emily isn't going to be letting go any time soon. She situates the young girl on her hip and then quickly searches the room for somewhere to sit so they can both be comfortable for the story.

Finding an unoccupied couch off to the side, Kate makes her way over to it and wordlessly claims the spot for herself and Emily. Once she's comfortable enough, she holds the book in front of her and opens to the first page. "'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse," she begins, the words of the story flowing easily past her lips.

She can't help the smile that tugs at her lips when Emily turns and curls against her, one of the little girl's hands reaching up to lazily play with a strand of Kate's hair. She hugs the girl closer to her, pressing a kiss to the top of her hair when there's a quick pause in the story, and then rests her cheek there as she continues to read.

Once they've reached the end of the story, Kate sees slight movement out of the corner of her eye and glances up to see Anthony slowly approaching. His hands are in his pockets and a small smile is on his face.

"Don't let me interrupt," he says quietly.

"You're not," she tells him, closing the book and setting it aside. "We've finished. I felt her get a bit heavier a minute ago, is she still awake?"

Anthony shakes his head. "Fast asleep. Or almost there." He stops directly in front of her. "I do have to say that this is pretty unusual for her. Typically only myself or her parents can get her to sleep by reading her a story."

"Oh. Really?"

Anthony nods. "Mm-hm. I shouldn't be surprised that she's so comfortable around you already, though. You're pretty remarkable."

She feels a blush creep up her cheeks and ducks her head in the guise of checking on Emily. Sure enough, the young girl's eyes are closed, her tiny lips parted as she breathes steadily. She looks back up at Anthony. "Is her room close by? I'm sure she'll be more comfortable in her bed."

"I can take her," Anthony says, already reaching out.

Kate simply holds the girl closer and gives Anthony a look. "I am completely capable of carrying her. Just show me where to go."

Anthony opens and closes his mouth a couple of times before straightening up and nodding, a small hint of a smile on his face. "Of course."

Kate starts to move but then stops when Emily begins to wiggle, her head twisting as she slowly sits up. "Hi, Emily," she says softly.

Emily glances up at her, opening her mouth to speak, but instead lets out a gasp and then a squeal. "Anthony!" she shouts, practically leaping off of Kate's lap and then extending her arms to Anthony.

He doesn't even hesitate to lift Emily into his arms, holding her securely against him and smiling brightly. "Hello, Emily. Were you having fun with Kate?"

Emily nods. "She read to me The Night Before Christmas."

Anthony's eyes widen playfully. "She did? That's wonderful. Do you like Kate?"

"Yeah. She's really nice. And really super pretty."

Kate's heart melts again at the little girl's words. There is something so special about having a child's seal of approval.

"You know, I think she's quite pretty as well," Anthony states. "In fact, she's so pretty and so nice that I made her my girlfriend. Two whole years ago."

Emily gasps. "What?"

Anthony laughs. "I know. It's pretty great, right? And you know what else?"

Emily shakes her head.

Anthony glances around the room and then leans closer to Emily and lowers his voice to a playful whisper, "I am madly, and hopelessly, in love with her."

Emily giggles then, glancing over at Kate and then back to Anthony.

Kate rolls her eyes good-naturedly at Anthony's words, a smile on her face. Shifting on the couch, she leans forward enough to see Emily better, lowering her voice to a playful whisper as well, "I'm madly in love with Anthony too."

Emily giggles again, leaning against Anthony with her hands pressed to her mouth.

It's a sweet sight, watching Anthony's hand rub absentmindedly up and down the young girl's back as he holds her close. It makes something in her heart stutter, a feeling that she gladly welcomes.

"Can we open presents now?" Emily speaks up after a moment.

Anthony feigns confusion. "Presents? What presents?"

"Christmas presents," Emily says in a tone that tells Anthony it should be obvious what she was talking about.

Anthony nods. "Oh, right, of course. How could I forget about Christmas presents? Why don't you go see Benedict and ask if he'll help you find them?"

Emily grins. "Okay!" She easily slides down out of his arms and then runs off toward the art area of the room.

Taking a deep breath, Kate stands and moves closer to Anthony, slipping her arms around his waist and hugging him close. "You're great with her."

Anthony smiles down at her, wrapping her in his arms and kissing her quickly. "So are you."

"What's she here for?"

"A rare problem with her heart. Meaning the most they can do is continuously monitor her and hope that a permanent solution comes about one day."

Kate frowns. "Poor thing. She's so sweet. You'd never know she has a heart problem."

"I know. I was surprised to see her out here, honestly. She's been confined to her room the last few weeks, hasn't been her usual self on top of many other factors. I love that she singled you out and had you read to her."

"Yeah?"

Anthony nods. "Yes. I will deny it to any of the children here that ask because I don't think I'm supposed to have favorites, but Emily is definitely my favorite."

"Well, that's no surprise. She worships the ground you walk on, I could see it in her eyes."

Anthony chuckles. "Maybe so. But none of that matters right now. What matters is knowing if you're enjoying yourself."

"I am. Promise," she adds at the look on his face. "I may have only read a storybook to a little girl, but I am most certainly enjoying myself." She leans up to kiss him. "Now let's go help your family hand out these presents."

He smiles and nods. "Yes, ma'am."

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Breathing deeply, Kate runs her hands over the fabric of her gown, an incredibly gorgeous custom piece that she never thought she'd be wearing. When Anthony had mentioned the Christmas Eve Ball his parents host every year, she'd done her best to find a small selection of nice enough dresses that she could wear to it. Not once did she expect to be dragged by Violet and Daphne to the family's tailor for a gown. The woman is a magician for being able to get it done in time on such short notice.

And it came out beautifully. It's definitely the most gorgeous dress Kate has ever worn, made perfectly for her with colors that complement her skin tone and some design elements as a nod to her Indian heritage that made her want to cry when she first saw it. Even though she's not technically a part of the family, she doesn't think they'll mind if she asks to have Genevieve's number so she can get more dresses from her down the line. At least, she's hoping they won't mind.

"Kate!"

Spinning around, she grins when she sees her family walking toward her, accompanied by one of the castle staff, dressed beautifully but not quite as elegantly as Kate is. Understandably so, since they didn't have access to such a prominent seamstress like she did.

She's immediately pulled into a hug by Edwina, laughing quietly when she rocks them from side to side. "I've missed you too, Edwina."

Edwina pulls back then to look at her. "But you're enjoying yourself? You're spending Christmas in an actual castle, Kate, please tell me you're enjoying yourself."

"Of course I am. How could I not? I'm with the man I love and his family has been incredibly welcoming."

"As your father, that is something I am very pleased to hear."

Kate smiles up at her father, stepping away from Edwina to pull him into a hug. "I've missed you too, Appa."

He chuckles and presses a kiss to the top of her head. "Good. I would have been worried if you didn't."

Stepping out of the hug, Kate moves over to the one other person in the space and pulls her stepmother into a hug. "Mum," she says quietly, smiling at the gentle kiss pressed to her temple.

"It's wonderful seeing you so happy, Kate," Mary tells her once they've broken apart, grabbing her hands and holding them firmly. "Your father and I could see it in an instant."

"I am," Kate assured her. "You know Anthony and how wonderful he is. Well, his family is a testament as to why. I know you've both only met them a few times, they're just as incredible as he is. Though, I am a bit biased in saying that Anthony's a bit more amazing."

"Well, that is certainly some excellent praise."

Spinning around, Kate smiles. "How long have you been standing there?"

He grins. "Long enough to know how amazing you think I am."

She rolls her eyes. "Shut up."

He chuckles, stepping closer and winding his arms around her waist. "Never." He leans down to press a gentle kiss to her lips, then pulls away after a moment and takes a small step back, his arms still on her waist. His eyes track up and down her body before meeting her eyes again. "You look beautiful. I don't think I said that earlier."

She smiles. "You definitely did."

The corner of his lips twitch as he tugs her back to him. "Well then, allow me to say it once more. You look absolutely beautiful, Kate. Completely mesmerizing."

"Thank you. You look very nice as well."

He raises a brow. "Just 'very nice'?"

She laughs quietly. "Alright. You look incredibly handsome."

"Mm, much better." He takes a deep breath and then lowers his voice, "Now, I should probably say hello to your family since they've been watching us this entire time."

"Yes. That would be smart." She gives him another quick kiss and then reluctantly pulls herself out of his arms, grabbing one of his hands instead and lacing their fingers together. "Come on, then." She tugs on his hand enough to get him moving forward, pulling him along beside her toward her family.

"Mr. and Mrs. Sharma," Anthony says with a small bow of his head and a smile. "Lovely to see you both again."

"You as well, Your Highness," her dad says. "Thank you very much for inviting us."

"It was my pleasure. And please, it's the holidays, you're my personal guests, call me Anthony." He turns then to her sister. "And Edwina, you look very nice tonight."

Edwina smiles. "Thanks. And thanks for having us, this castle is gorgeous."

Anthony smiles and nods. "Indeed it is. But, I think that's enough standing around, we have a party to get to. I hope you'll all enjoy yourselves."

"Oh, I'm sure we will," Mary says with a smile. "Lead the way."

Anthony nods. "Right then." He shifts slightly, dropping Kate's hand and holding out his elbow, smiling softly at her. "Shall we, my love?"

Kate beams as she loops her arm through his, giving it a small, affectionate squeeze. "We shall."

Needless to say, the room where the ball is being held is exquisite. It's decorated from floor to ceiling with the most elegant, yet festive red and green decorations. A stage is set up at the far end of the room, a live band settled at the back playing light, festive music for everyone to dance to. A large tree is set up in the far corner of the room next to the stage, decked out in various ornaments, turned-out lights, and tinsel, drawing one's eyes right to it. A long table is off to one side along the wall, filled with all sorts of snacks, treats, and drinks for everyone to enjoy during the ball.

And the ball is in full swing, the room full of people in beautiful dresses and handsome tuxedos, milling about the space as they talk, dance, and snack. It's lively, filled with plenty of children, and not just Anthony's siblings, but other children that she suspects are from other royal or noble families, all running around the room having fun.

"Wow," she breathes out, leaning slightly into Anthony's side. "This is incredible."

"I'm very glad you think so. I wanted to bring you here as my date that first Christmas, but I wasn't sure if that would have been moving too fast considering we'd only been together a couple of months at the time." He smiles at her. "But I'm glad you're here now."

"So am I."

He gives her a quick kiss and then looks past her to her parents and sister. "Feel free to explore and enjoy yourselves. We'll be turning on the tree soon which always makes the children happy, so I hope you'll all like it too."

Kate watches her parents hesitate for the slightest of moments, but Edwina darts off immediately, disappearing among the crowd of people. After a moment, her dad leads Mary onto the dance floor, whispering something to her that makes the woman laugh, and then pulls her into a dance.

"Finally alone."

Kate spins toward Anthony, raising a brow at him. "Not technically."

Anthony shrugs. "Alone enough." He wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her closer. "What would you like to do first?"

"I have no idea. What do you want to do?"

He takes a deep breath. "I think…that I'd like to take you for a spin around the dance floor."

"Well, if you insist."

Anthony chuckles, releasing his arms from around her to guide her onto the dance floor among the other couples and young children. He pulls her into his arms again in an instant, holding her close and gently swaying their bodies back and forth in time with the music.

Shifting a little on her feet, Kate steps closer to Anthony so they're standing chest to chest, and rests her head against his, her eyes fluttering closed at the steady rhythm of his heart that she can feel beating against her own. It soothes her, helps calm her seemingly never-ending run of nerves at being around his family during the holidays for the first time.

Deep down she knows she has nothing to worry about, his family loves her. And she loves them in return. But it doesn't stop that nagging feeling that she desperately tries to push down, reminding her that she's not actually part of the family and that this could end at any moment.

She really, really hopes that it never does.

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If there's one thing that Kate is not a fan of, it's waking up without Anthony's arms around her when she knows that she could be. Whenever he stays at her place, she always wakes up with his strong arms wrapped around her, his firm chest pressed against her back, and his breath on her neck. Or his hard chest and strongly beating heart beneath her ear with her arms wrapped firmly around his body and their legs tangled beneath the sheets. But that's when they're at her flat.

Given that they're staying with his parents, and they're still a bit old-fashioned in certain aspects, she's been staying in a guest room. Near Anthony, thankfully, but she didn't want to risk being caught somehow, so she's reluctantly stayed alone in her room every night.

And as much as she's loved staying with Anthony and his family at their castle, she is excited about the prospect of eventually going back to her flat so she can have Anthony over and be able to wake up in his arms. It's one of her favorite places to be.

Doesn't mean she isn't looking forward to actual Christmas morning with Anthony and his family where the two of them can cuddle up together on one of the couches while they all open presents, though. She's genuinely looking forward to seeing what everyone thinks of what she got for them, still a little unsure if everything she got was the right way to go. She's not expecting anything big from any of them, but she does know that Princess Hyacinth and Prince Gregory are especially excited for her to open the gifts they got her and Newton; they'd made it a point to tell her repeatedly.

Soft knocking at the door of her room pulls Kate out of her musings, her gaze tearing away from the mirror sitting on the vanity in front of her. "Come in," she calls out, returning her gaze to her reflection as she brushes through her hair.

The door creaks open, followed by the sound of footsteps muffled by the carpet. "Good morning, beautiful."

She peers to the side, smiling at the reflection of her boyfriend approaching behind her. "Good morning." She tilts her head just enough to accept the kiss on the cheek he leans down to give her. "Did you sleep well?"

"As well as I can when you're not beside me."

"I know the feeling. Once the holidays are over, you're coming to stay with me until I decide to send you back here."

Anthony chuckles. "Whatever you say." He drops another kiss to the top of her head. "Are you almost ready?"

She nods, setting her brush aside and turning on the stool to smile up at him. "I just need to get dressed."

He shakes his head, grabbing her hands to pull her up. "No changing. You're to stay in your pajamas for the entire day."

Her brows furrow slightly. "Really?"

"Yes. Is it so hard to believe that the royal family stays in their pajamas on Christmas Day?"

She laughs and nods. "Yes, actually it is."

"Well, you better start believing it, because it's true. Mum and dad tried to have us dress up when we were younger, I know they did because there's photo evidence somewhere. But I always had a bad habit of ruining whatever clothes I was in as a child."

Kate snickers. "Now that's not so hard to believe."

"Hush you. It only got worse when Ben came along and the two of us would get into trouble and always be missing some piece of clothing or getting another one dirty. By the time they had Colin, they'd given up completely on trying to put us in formal clothes on Christmas. So pajamas all day it was."

"Well then, I'm looking forward to joining in on this tradition as well."

"I'm glad to hear it. Now come on, I'm sure the younger ones are already downstairs waiting to start opening everything."

She leans forward to kiss him. "Lead the way."

By the time they reach the front room, the entire rest of the family is already sitting around the room waiting for them, Hyacinth, Gregory, and even Francesca sitting on the floor, seeming to be inching closer and closer to the tree to try and get a peek at the presents. The rest are sitting on the various couches, loveseats, and chairs, all talking and laughing together, decked out in their festive Christmas pajamas. Even little Augie is wearing Christmas-themed pajamas, settled comfortably in his father's lap and gnawing on a toy. Newton, who'd been staying in Hyacinth's room at the young girl's insistence, immediately jumps up from his spot on the floor to greet her and Anthony as soon as they step into the room.

"Well look who's finally decided to join us," Princess Eloise speaks up from her place on one of the chairs, an open book resting in her lap, though her body is angled slightly toward Prince Colin. "It's about time. What took you so long, hm?"

"That is none of your business, El," Anthony retorts. "We're down here now, so should we get started with opening the presents?"

"Yes!" Gregory and Hyacinth chorus together, making everyone laugh.

She follows Anthony over to one of the couches, falling down next to him and immediately curling into his side. She watches with a smile as the presents start to get handed out to each member of the family, King Edmund being the one to do so. She can see the joy in his eyes every time he watches one of his children open their gift, the gleam getting a little brighter when Augie opens any of his gifts with the help of one of his parents.

It's loud and a bit chaotic, and absolutely perfect. She never would have thought that spending Christmas with the royal family in their castle would be like this, but she is absolutely glad to have been proven wrong. Because it goes to show that they really are just like any other family, with parents who love each other, and a handful of siblings who can bicker like it's nobody's business but still love each other at the end of the day even if they won't admit it. It's beyond perfect.

"Oh, I think this has been our best Christmas to date," Violet remarks later, after all the presents have been opened, a smile on her face as she bounces baby Augie on her lap.

Kate smiles a little brighter as she snuggles further against Anthony's side, her legs bent and resting on the couch with her, an assortment of opened gifts stacked on the small table next to her. "I think you're absolutely right, Violet. I know it's my first one with you all, but it's certainly one of my favorite Christmases."

"Well, we're very glad to hear that," Edmund tells her with a smile. "You're welcome here whenever you like, Kate. Though, seeing how you and my son have been this holiday season, I don't think there'd be a force on this earth that could keep you away."

Kate blushes. "Oh. Sorry if we—"

Edmund merely laughs. "No need to apologize. I was young and in love once too. These days I'm not so young anymore, but still very much in love." He turns to his wife and kisses her.

Kate tilts her head to look up at Anthony. "I hope that we're still that in love with each other one day."

"Me too. And I'm really glad you feel that way, otherwise, this would probably not go over very well."

Kate's brows furrow as she watches her boyfriend. "What are you going on about?"

He breathes deeply, shifting on the couch and sitting up, causing her to do so as well. "I was going to wait until everyone left and we were alone to do this, but I think this moment is absolutely perfect for it."

"Perfect for what?" She narrows her eyes slightly in his direction. "Anthony Bridgerton, what did you do?"

He chuckles. "Nothing bad, I promise. Though, I suppose that depends on how deep your feelings for me are."

She softens, smiling at him. "I love you, Anthony. You know I do, with my whole heart."

He leans forward to kiss her. "Exactly what I wanted to hear." He leans back and looks somewhere over her shoulder. "Hy, could you grab me the small gift box in the tree, please? It's wedged pretty far back there."

Kate turns her head to watch as Hyacinth jumps up and practically sprints toward the tree, carefully digging around in its branches so as not to ruin the ornaments.

"I got it!" the young princess exclaims a moment later, standing tall with a small wrapped box in her hand. She presents it to her eldest brother with a flourish and then wanders back over to the pile of toys she received.

Kate focuses on her boyfriend, fully aware that the rest of the Bridgerton clan is watching them, including Newton, though she tries her best to tune them out and just focus on the man she loves.

Anthony smiles nervously at her, his body shaking slightly as he takes a deep breath. "Here."

She takes the small box from him, raising a brow in silent question.

"It's your last present for the day," he says as a way of explanation. "And I really hope you like it."

Kate eyes him for a moment longer and then tears at the beautiful paper, revealing a plain white box underneath. She removes the lid and tips the contents into her palm, finding a small, black velvet box now in her hand.

Anthony nods when she glances up at him. "Open it."

She does as he instructs, flipping up the lid. And then she gasps.

Sitting inside the box, tucked carefully into a piece of foam, is quite possibly the most gorgeous ring she's ever seen in her life. It's clearly very valuable, though still has a simple elegance to it that she appreciates immensely. It doesn't take a genius to put the pieces together, but she looks to Anthony for confirmation anyways.

"This ring has been in my family for years," he tells her. "It belonged to my grandmother, a woman I loved very much. She gave this to me the night before she passed away, told me that when I found the woman I planned to spend the rest of my life with, that I was to give this ring to her and promise to love her as much as my grandfather loved my grandmother." He shifts closer to her on the couch, looking deep into her eyes. "You are that woman, Kathani. You are the woman I want to spend the rest of my days with, the woman I want at my side when I eventually take up the crown. You are the love of my life and I pray that I'm yours." He takes a deep breath, plucking the ring out of the box and holding it up. "Will you marry me?"

Kate can barely see him through the tears clouding her vision, her heart swelling in her chest with how much she loves this man. So she simply nods her head, opening her mouth to utter 'yes', and hoping it makes it out. A second later there's a new, small metallic weight on her finger, a weight she knows she'll get used to rather quickly.

The next thing she knows, she's being wrapped up in Anthony's arms, his lips pressing against her hair as he holds her close.

She blinks the tears away and then pulls back enough to connect their lips in a slow, sweet kiss. "I love you," she murmurs against his lips, one of her hands caressing his cheek.

"I love you too."

Seconds later, before she truly has a chance to collect herself, a small force is knocking into her. It takes her less than a second to realize it's Hyacinth, the young princess wrapping her in a tight hug.

Kate hugs the girl back, dropping a kiss to the top of her head and then resting her cheek there. "I take it you're excited about this?" she asks with a quiet laugh.

Hyacinth pulls back and grins. "Of course. We're going to be sisters!" She gasps. "Does this mean Newton is part mine now too?"

"It doesn't work that way, Hy," Anthony interjects, one of his arms still around her.

Hyacinth pouts. "Well, it should."

Kate laughs quietly. "I don't see why it can't. I know Newton loves spending time with you. Which is a very good thing because someone will need to look after him while your brother and I are on our honeymoon."

Hyacinth beams. "I can do it! I promise I'll do it really well."

"I know you will, sweetheart."

With the grin still on her face, Hyacinth spins around and bounces back over to where Gregory and their collection of toys are, jumping right back into whatever game they were playing moments before.

"Congratulations, both of you," Edmund says with a wide smile. "Anthony, you've picked a very fine woman."

Anthony smiles brightly at her. "That is something I am very well aware of."

"Personally, I think Kate could do better," Benedict pipes in from his chair. "I don't know what she sees in him."

Kate glances at him, a teasing smile on her face. "Clearly it's something you don't possess, otherwise you might have been able to win me over yourself."

Benedict chuckles and nods. "Fair enough. Besides, I don't think I ever stood a chance from the moment you two met."

"Right you are, Ben," Colin agrees. "They're quite disgusting sometimes."

"Painfully disgusting," Eloise echoes. "Honestly, Kate. You could definitely do better than Anthony."

"He's really not all he's cracked up to be," Francesca interjects with a teasing smile.

"You probably wouldn't want to be with him if you knew what he was like when we were teenagers," Simon adds with a laugh.

"That's enough from all of you," Daphne cuts in with a stern look, though there's a small hint of a smile on her face. "They've just gotten engaged, there's no need for any of that."

Anthony sighs. "Thank you, Daph."

Daphne nods. "Of course. Though, I do have to admit that I'm not quite entirely sure myself what she sees in you, Ant."

Kate laughs at the scowl on Anthony's face at his sister's words. She reaches up to place a hand on his cheek. "Relax, my love. They're just teasing. Don't let it spoil things. We're happy, we're in love, we're engaged. Nothing can ruin this."

A smile tugs at his lips. "You're right." He leans forward for a kiss. "What do you think of a Christmas wedding next year?" he asks as he pulls away and gently tugs on her body to settle them back on the couch.

"How about just after the first of the year?" she suggests. "A Christmas wedding sounds beautiful, but to be honest, I don't think I want our wedding anniversary coinciding with the holidays. There's already so much going on as it is."

Anthony's brows furrow slightly. "Now that I think about it, that's probably smart. Early January it is, then. In a year."

Kate nods. "Yes. Now, as much as I'm looking forward to marrying you, let's worry about the planning later. Right now let's just focus on celebrating Christmas."

Anthony smiles. "Of course." He gives her another kiss and then turns his attention to his youngest sister. "Hyacinth, show me these new books you got that you're so excited about."

Kate simply sits back and watches as her fiancé interacts with his little sister, giving her his full and undivided attention. It's a sight that never fails to make her heart melt, no matter what.

A warm hand on hers pulls her attention and she turns to see Violet smiling gently at her. She smiles back at the woman, her future mother-in-law. "I have a feeling Anthony is going to be more enthusiastic about the wedding planning than I am."

Violet laughs quietly. "You should have seen him when Daphne got married. He kept trying to offer his insight at every step of the process until she ultimately banned him from discussing anything related to her wedding unless she brought it up first."

Kate smiles at the idea. "That is something I wish I could have seen."

"It was very amusing. I'm sure you'll get an idea of what it was like when you start planning your own."

"Well, we've already set a rough date, something he was very eager to do. I am looking forward to planning, though. And to marrying Anthony."

Violet smile. "As his mother, it makes me very happy to hear that. You're going to be a wonderful addition to the family, Kate. And I cannot wait to officially consider you one of my daughters."

Kate smiles with tears shining on the surface of her eyes. "Thank you, Violet. That means a lot."

"Of course, dear. And I—" Violet cuts herself off, her eyes being drawn to something just behind Kate. "Excuse me," she says, looking at her again. "It seems I'm being summoned by one of the staff." She gives Kate's hand an affectionate squeeze as she stands. "And congratulations, I don't think I've said that yet."

"Thank you." She smiles as she watches Violet walk away, then shifts so she's sitting comfortably on the couch again.

The smile remains on her face as she watches the family in front of her interacting with one another. Soon enough they'll be her family too; people she'll come to love like she loves her parents and sister, people she'll spend time making memories and creating new traditions with.

And she can't wait to experience a single second of it.