Shaking his head Ryder leans down his breathe hitting against my lips. "No, you are so beautiful but you always are. Today you're just extra beautiful and I just want to kiss you but I don't think we have the time." With the feeling of having his lips so close to mine without him actually kissing me I get lost in my thoughts and I only just recognise what he says before he's pulling back away from me. Before he can get away from me I hook a finger through the belt loop of his dress pants my finger rubbing against the expensive leather or his belt. "One more thing, but this can't be handled by anyone other than us, the royal family or anyone that directly serves us like your guards and Ellie, ok?" My head seems to nod itself as Ryder pulls me into the walk in wardrobe. "Close your eyes," Doing as he says I almost groan when I feel the warmth of his touch disappear. With one sense out of use I concentrate on my hearing which had been enhanced by my mate bond with Ryder. I hear his soft breathing as something heavy slides out of the way. There's a small pause before there's a soft clinking noise and it's another second later that I sense the shift in the weight of his feet as something heavy is placed on top of my head. I hear the heavy sliding again before Ryder steps up behind me his hands skimming over my waist as I feel his breathe now glazing over my neck. "You can open them now." His voice is directly in my ear and I supress a moan from the close contact. When my eyes open I'm met by my reflection and I look so different from what I had only minutes ago when I had first gotten a look at myself. I had felt more mature. I had actually felt that I could be what Ryder had wanted me to be. What everyone had wanted me to be and it was all because of the ring of diamond ivy leaves and single stoned berries that had been placed within the frame of my dark her perfectly. I had a crown and I knew I was a Queen. I could see why he had said that it could only be handled by only a small number of people. Judging by the weight of it, it isn't cheap. The delicate diamonds catch every fracture of light throughout the room as I tilt my head to get a look at it at different angles. "This is the smaller crown that you will wear to functions like this but for the coronation and other things that will be associated with our family and our country you'll wear the larger one and that is to only be handled by you, me or Ellie, no one else." His voice is still soft in my ear as his hands ghost over my hips in a light caress. If this was the smaller crown then I was nervous to be seeing the larger one. I was nervous about protecting something valuable in a room that was going to be full of people. "Reynolds and Cole will never be more than two meters away from you tonight and your other guards won't be far behind. I'm going to try to not leave your side at all but I might have to and if I do, do not talk to anyone that Cole doesn't approve of." Nodding my head gently so I don't disturb the already secured crown I agree to his words. I'm not comfortable with talking with people I don't know anyway. Ryder smiles at the movement his hands taking a more secure hold on my waist as he turns me to face him. Tilting my head back so I can look him in the eyes he lifts his hand again so he can play with the loose curl. "Everyone else can just wait." His voice is husky and comes from deep within his throat hinting at what he's feeling as he leans forward to press his lips softly against mine. His lips softly caress mine as his hands stay rested on the small of my back holding me into him for nearly two whole minutes before someone is knocking against the door to get us back on the schedule that we were now running late on. When he disconnects the contact he smiles at the soft sigh I release at the loss of his connection. I let out a small chuckle as I lift my hand to wipe at the small colouring of lipstick on his lips. He smiles softly at my touch before his hand is pressed against the small of my back again. His arm moves to wrap around my waist and secure me to his side as he leads me out of the room and towards the lift, the head to toe black suit clad guards only a step behind us. They're faces are stern and hyper aware of everything that is going on around them readying themselves to fight the inevitable. "When we get out of the car there will be photographers and I wanted to be pictured with you by my side if that's okay with you." He says with a smile squeezing my hand. I don't have the words to reply to him so I just give him a single nod back. *** Ryder and I were sat in the back seat of the limo again that had the Jordenian flags on the front of it. Cole and Reynolds were in the SUV in front of us and the others were behind us and that was all lead by a police escort. I had both of my hands wrapped around one of Ryder's which was sat in my lap. He was watching me carefully as my nerves over what was about to happen grew by the second. I had jewellery on but the large diamond of the engagement ring were where my eyes were drawn to and it was making me a little self-conscious that everyone's eyes would be drawn to it and the relationship that I have with him now will be in such a large spotlight. The only way I was getting through all of this was because of him and I think he realised how much I needed him by my side at this point of my life. His thumb gently runs over the back of my hand the small shocks that only travels a short distance up my arm are a calming source as we wait to arrive. "We can go in through the back if you want. Everyone that will be at the ball are private people and won't bug you if you don't want them to."