Chapter 37: Miracles Still Happen

Although Mia was careful during her stay in England that weekend, inevitably, the paparazzi found out she was there visiting Andrew, and it all came out in the press. Naturally, the tabloids claimed that the Queen of Genovia was in Great Britain visiting her "lover" for a "steamy sexual encounter," but everyone who knew Mia and Andrew personally knew better than to believe that. While society throughout the world may have been flippant about sexual encounters, Mia and Andrew were old-fashioned, committed Christians and proud of it, and they did not believe in sex outside of marriage. Regardless of whatever kind of disgusting smut the tabloids wanted to print about them, Mia's visit to Andrew that weekend was completely innocent. While Mia was obviously not happy about the tabloids and the press, though, it was undeniable that millions of people in dozens of different countries supported the young royal couple and were genuinely happy for them, and that really meant a lot to them.

But of all the support Mia and Andrew received over the next two years, none was more helpful to them than the support they got from Clarisse and Joseph. Andrew's mother's condition remained mostly the same for two more years, and Andrew stayed in their family home in Britain to care for her. The prolonged separation certainly wasn't easy on them, but Clarisse and Joseph were a constant source of love and encouragement for Mia and Andrew. And despite the fact that the press certainly did not make it easy for either one of them to get away and visit the other, whenever they did, Clarisse and Joseph never hesitated to take care of Gracie for Mia so that she could spend plenty of time with Andrew.

Sadly, in early August of 2016, not long after Mia turned thirty-two, tragedy struck once again in Andrew's adoptive family. After being housebound and almost entirely helpless for over two years following her stroke, Susan Hurst passed away in her sleep. Losing the last of his adoptive family was naturally hard on Andrew even though he and his adoptive parents were never close, and as would be expected, Mia was there for him in every way she could be. She wanted very much to attend the funeral and be by his side, but she knew she couldn't because her presence there would instantly turn everything into a media circus, which of course was the last thing they wanted or needed. Instead, Mia spoke with Andrew several times throughout the day of his mother's funeral, both on their cell phones and on Skype, and although they both hated it that she couldn't be there in person, her presence over the phone and the computer was still extremely helpful to Andrew.

Shortly after his mother's passing, Andrew decided to sell the Hurst family home in Britain since he wouldn't be living there any longer. It took him about three weeks to sell the house and get all the other legal and financial affairs involved with his inheritance taken care of, and then finally, at long last, Andrew returned to Genovia. Fortunately, he had his house in Pyrus cleaned and aired out ahead of time before he came back so the place didn't smell musty, but it was hardly surprising that after his return to Genovia, he did not spend a lot of time at home. Andrew had already frequently spent time with Mia at the palace back in the days when they were just friends with each other, but now, he was there more than ever. Naturally, when it came to Andrew's palace visits, the press didn't miss a beat, and just as it had been years before, the entire country of Genovia was holding its breath once again, waiting for a royal marriage proposal.

"I think it's ridiculous," Mia complained to Andrew one evening in mid-October as she held a popular Genovian tabloid magazine in her hands while sitting back with Andrew on the loveseat in her office. The magazine had Andrew's picture on the cover and a caption on the top that read: Is Andrew Jacoby Trying Again? "You've barely been back five weeks after burying your mother and taking care of your estate back in England. Now it seems that the entire country of Genovia wants to pressure you into trying for another royal engagement with me. I can take it when the media picks on me. I've gotten used to it over the years. But it makes me so angry when they start in on you, especially now after all you've just been through."

Andrew already had his arm around Mia's shoulders, and after she said that to him, he gave her a kind, understanding smile, and then he leaned in and gave her a kiss. "Oh Mia, please don't worry. It's really not that big a deal. Besides, I knew all along what I was in for when I let you know that I was in love with you two years ago. I always knew that the press was going to be like this. It's okay. I can handle it. And besides, you and Gracie are worth it."

Mia returned the smile, and again, they kissed. Then she told him, "I know you can handle it, Andrew. I just hate it so badly that you have to now."

"I won't pretend that the press isn't an annoyance – a huge annoyance – because it definitely is. But like I just told you, I knew all along that being in a relationship with you meant that I would have to put up with the press. I knew what I was getting into, and I can deal with it. I'm a big boy." Mia responded with a nod and another smile. "And besides," Andrew said as he took the magazine from Mia's hands, "you and I are going to have to talk about this sooner or later, you know."

"About what? Us having another royal engagement?"

"Exactly. The rest of the country has already been talking about the subject for quite a while now. I think it's probably time that we started discussing it. I realize I haven't been back in Genovia for very long, but Mia, I want you to know that I'm serious about this relationship. About us. I have been head over heels in love with you for years. I'm not saying I want us to get married tomorrow, but I do want you to know that I have every intention of marrying you someday."

"And I feel the exact same way. I love you, and I want very much for us to get married at some point in the future. I want for you, me, and Gracie to be a family. But now that I finally have you back here in Genovia, I also want the two of us to simply have some time together as a couple in person. And after everything that's just happened to you, I want you to have a chance to just stop and relax. We can deal with all these other issues later. We don't have to deal with it all right here, right now."

"I hear what you're saying, and I agree wholeheartedly. I do want us to be able to just stop and catch our breath for a while. But I also want to go ahead and start laying the groundwork for our future together, too."

"Laying the groundwork? What do you mean?"

"I've been thinking about what I want to do now that I'm back in Genovia. I may not need to earn a living financially speaking, but I hardly want to waste all my time doing nothing throughout the day. I want and need to find a constructive way to spend my time. I suppose I could try to go back to my old position at Pyrus University, but I'm not exactly thrilled with that idea. However, there is one thing I would like to do that I think would be an important first step to take towards our future."

"What's that?"

"I'd like to join the Air Division of the Genovian Royal Guard. You know Genovia's history, Mia. You know that besides you, Genovia has had two other crown princesses that went on to become queens, and that they were both married to titled men from other countries who became officers in the Genovian Royal Guard. The man you marry should do the same. It's tradition. It's what all Genovians expect of the Queen's husband. When we were engaged the first time, there was always an understanding that once I was your husband, I would leave the Royal Air Force, renounce my British title, officially become a Genovian citizen, join the Genovian Royal Guard, and receive a Genovian title of some kind. Now you know that I personally don't care anything about titles, but you and I also know that when it comes to this issue, that is simply the way it has always been done; the way the country believes it should be done. We both know that me becoming your husband means changing my nationality and my loyalties from Britain to Genovia, which I am more than happy to do. And besides, I've really missed serving as a pilot in the Royal Air Force. I certainly don't regret leaving my former military career behind to move to Genovia and be near you, of course, but it is true that I have missed piloting a great deal."

"Well Andrew, if becoming a pilot in the Air Division of the Genovian Royal Guard is something that you really want to do, then I'm totally behind you. I don't want you to do this just because it's something the Genovian people expect of my future husband, though. I don't want you to do it to satisfy other people's expectations, and I don't want you to do it for me. I want you to do it for you, because it's what you want. I do care about my people, but I don't want you running your entire life based on their expectations of you. I don't want you worrying about titles or what other people want you to do. It's your life. You don't have to worry about ruling Genovia with me if you don't want to. I don't have to be married to the Prince of Genovia. I would be perfectly happy being married to a civilian pilot or to an anthropology professor," Mia assured him as she reached out and gave his hand a loving squeeze.

Andrew smiled sweetly and responded, "I know that. And I know that you are a strong, independent woman and that you have never needed a man at your side to be a great ruler. But no matter how outstanding of a ruler you are, it is still one of the most stressful jobs there is on the planet, and I believe that it's only right for the man you marry to do everything he possibly can to support you and help make your daily burdens lighter. I can't do anything to help you with your burdens as Queen if I'm just living my life as a civilian pilot or an anthropology professor. I want to be involved in your life, Mia. I want to be involved in your entire life, including your political life as a ruler. I want to do everything within my power to help you, whether it's making public appearances for you or being a person you can bounce things off of behind the scenes or handling a Parliament session for you every once in a while, or whatever. And again, I can't help you in all those ways if I'm just doing my own thing as a civilian pilot. I've been thinking about this for a long time and believe me, this is precisely what I want to do."

"As I said a couple of moments ago, I don't want you living your entire life based on other people's expectations of you. However, that being said, it is true that the husbands of both queens before me have only been able to share in the ruling aspect of their lives because they served in the Royal Guard and were granted Genovian titles. I guess the bottom line is, however you want to do this, I support you. If you want to just live your life as a civilian pilot and have nothing to do with Genovian politics, that is perfectly fine with me, regardless of what the rest of the country says. And if you want to serve in the Royal Guard's Air Division and eventually deal with ruling and politics after we get married someday, that's fine too. I'm in your corner either way."

"Thank you. I really do believe that this is the best way for us to proceed. I don't care about you granting me the title of Prince of Genovia, but I do care about sharing your life – all of your life – and about supporting you in every possible way."

Mia gave Andrew yet another warm, loving kiss, and then she said, "I do believe I am the most blessed woman on this entire planet."

"You may be right," Andrew teased, and then he planted another kiss on her lips.

"Anyway, enough talk about me and sharing my burdens. You're the one who needs someone to share your burdens right now. You've really been through a lot the past couple of years you've been away. We need to start getting your mind off it all," Mia told him, and then she rose from her seat. Andrew then stood up with her as well and set the magazine down on the coffee table.

"Did you have something in mind?"

Mia then looked over at the portable stereo sitting on her desk and smiled. She often liked to play CDs of classical music in the background as she did all her paperwork in her office throughout the day because she found it to be very relaxing, and that in turn helped her stay focused. "As a matter of fact, yes, I did have something in mind," she answered, and then she looked through her CD collection in one of the lower cabinets behind her desk, found the CD she was looking for, put it in, and pressed play. The familiar notes of the song she'd first danced to with Joseph so many years ago filled the air. He'd danced with her to this song quite a few times when she was younger because she'd really needed the rehearsal.

"Beautiful music," said Andrew, and then Mia led him out by the hand to a more open area of her office where they would have more room.

"I realize it's only been a few weeks, Andrew, but still…I think you've been wearing dark colors too long." Andrew was now wearing a matching black dress coat and pants with a white shirt and a navy blue tie, and he'd been wearing similarly dark colors ever since his mother's funeral.

They shared a knowing smile, and Andrew agreed, "Yeah, you're probably right."

And in that next second, they began to dance. And unlike the first time when she'd danced this dance with Joseph as an awkward girl of fifteen, now, her moves with Andrew were considerably more graceful and refined. Mia was wearing a designer white blouse and light blue skirt, and she looked every inch a queen as she moved in concert with Andrew in the dance. She was clearly not the same geeky, clumsy kid she'd been all those years before. Her appearance and her moves were in fact breathtakingly beautiful now. She was still a bit of a klutz and she did have her spills and accidents from time to time, but when it came to dancing, she had become as experienced, graceful, and elegant as her grandmother.

Unbeknownst to either Mia or Andrew, Clarisse and Joseph began walking into Mia's office in that moment, but when the older couple saw the younger couple dancing and how deeply engrossed they were in it, they immediately stopped dead in their tracks. They were both so very proud of Mia and how far she had come since she was a kid, and it showed on their faces as they watched her dance for a few silent seconds. As they watched them, they knew exactly what they were witnessing – a couple who was very much in love – and nothing could have made them happier. Clarisse and Joseph then looked into each other's faces and knowingly smiled, and as Charlotte had done dozens of times before over the years when she'd accidentally walked in on them dancing, Clarisse and Joseph now quietly backed out of the room to give the young couple some well-deserved privacy.

That was how it remained for Mia and Andrew over the next three months. They really did stop to catch their breath, as Andrew had said, and they spent a great deal of time together, thoroughly enjoying one another's presence. And with the full backing and support of the Royal Family, Andrew officially became a Genovian citizen and joined the Air Division of the Genovian Royal Guard just as he had discussed with Mia. Even though he did have to be away from time to time, thanks to his royal connections, he was often given assignments that were close to home so he was still able to spend plenty of time with both Mia and Gracie. Andrew was invited to spend the Christmas and New Year holidays as a guest at the palace, and he was more than happy to accept the invitation, of course. Mia, Andrew, and Gracie all had a completely wonderful time together, and Clarisse, Joseph, and Isaac really enjoyed having him around as well. Finally, in mid-January of 2017, the moment Joseph had been waiting for arrived. Andrew arrived at the palace one evening, but he wasn't there to see Mia. He was there precisely to have a man-to-man conversation with Joseph. He had phoned Joseph and arranged the meeting ahead of time, so when he arrived at the palace that evening, Joseph was already expecting him. As soon as Andrew got there, he invited him into his and Clarisse's suite for a private conversation.

"Hello, Andrew," Joseph told him as he shook his hand. "Please, come in."

"Thank you, sir," Andrew responded as he followed Joseph inside.

"Andrew, how many times have I asked you not to call me 'sir'? You can call me Joseph. Even Joe, if you prefer."

"I'm sorry. I keep forgetting," he said as he followed Joseph into the living area of his suite and sat down on the couch with him. "And to be perfectly honest, you're the grandfather of the woman I love," Andrew told Joseph as he looked the older man square in the eyes. "For that reason alone, I can't help but want to be as respectful as possible."

Joseph's eyes remained locked with Andrew's as he said, "You know, Andrew, that is precisely what I've always liked about you. No matter what, you have always treated my granddaughter with chivalry and respect. I have very high standards, and earning my trust is never an easy feat for any man, but when it comes to Mia, you have earned my trust. You may very well be the only man on this planet I would ever trust with my granddaughter's heart. And unlike a couple of her previous boyfriends," he said with a groan, "you always understood that respecting a woman also means respecting her family. Unlike Nicholas and Jacques, there were never any headaches with you. Clarisse and I knew all along that we could trust you to look out for Mia's best interests no matter what. You don't know what that has meant to us."

"And you don't know what it means to me to hear you say things like that," Andrew said as his eyes remained locked with Joseph's, and Joseph smiled.

"I think I do."

"Why do I get the feeling that you already know what it is I've come here to discuss with you?"

"How do you think I became the Royal Head of Security for so many years? In my job with Royal Security, I learned early on how to read people pretty well. And the answer is yes."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I know that you're here basically to ask me for my granddaughter's hand in marriage. Obviously, it is up to Mia in the end, but whenever you decide that you want to propose to her, you have my full support. And I'm certain her grandmother feels the same way."

Andrew blew out a very relived sigh, and then he said, "Wow. I don't know what to say. I simply cannot thank you enough, not only for your support, but also for making that so easy for me."

"You're the one who made it easy, by being and acting like a true man of God who is worthy of mine and my wife's and my granddaughter's trust."

"Thank you. That means everything. It really does."

"It's just the truth."

"It is true that I do have plans to propose to Mia in the future, but I didn't want to do it without discussing it with you first, man-to-man. I'd also like to discuss it with Queen Clarisse. I know you just said that she probably feels the same way you do, but I'd still like to speak to her about it in person, and to Mia's mother and stepfather, of course."

"Of course," Joseph concurred.

"I was thinking that after I spoke to the rest of the family about it, I would propose to Mia sometime this summer, and that we could officially announce our engagement to the public in September. Perhaps Mia would fancy a nice, romantic Christmas wedding."

"I'm sure she'd love it."

"If I had my own way, I'd propose to Mia tomorrow and marry her the day after, but I realize that becoming officially engaged to her so soon after my mother's death would be very bad form. I think that despite the fact we weren't close, it would still be only proper to wait at least a year after her passing before Mia and I announce to the public that we're engaged."

"I understand. I hate it as well that you still have to wait so long after you've already waited all these years. I had to wait a while myself until Clarisse was ready to wed again after the loss of her first husband and her son. I will admit that I was impatient because I was so in love with her, but she was well worth the wait. And, like grandmother, like granddaughter. Mia, too, is well worth the wait, even though you've already been waiting so long."

"I couldn't agree more. It is true that I can't wait for the Christmas season to get here, assuming that things go according to plan, of course. But I do understand that there's a certain way that you have to go about doing things, especially with royalty. The last thing I would ever want to do is damage Mia's reputation in any way."

"That's something else I really like about you, Andrew. You think things through. You're mature enough to think and plan ahead, and you understand the importance of protecting the woman you love in every way, including her reputation. Protecting Mia's reputation was certainly not a concept Nicholas was ever able to grasp," Joseph grumbled as he rolled his eyes. "I still remember how he egged Mia on to climb down that vine and sneak away on that date with him just before your almost-wedding. Not only did he put her physical safety at risk by having her climb down the vine when he knew perfectly well how clumsy she can be; he also selfishly put her overall reputation as the future Queen of Genovia on the line. On the other hand, when you took Mia out for that little romantic rendezvous just before your parents' accident, you informed Clarisse, Shades, and me ahead of time what you were doing. And you were smart enough to have Mia use a ladder rather than making her climb down the vine and risk breaking her neck. You're not selfish, childish, or impulsive like that. Mia's well-being is always at the forefront of your mind."

"Thank you very much for saying that, Joseph. And I do agree that Nicholas Devereaux has never been one of my more favorite people in the world. However, if we're going to be completely honest about our first botched engagement, I have to admit that I am partly to blame for it. We both know Mia made her own mistakes, yes, but the cold hard fact is, there were times throughout it all that Nicholas was there for her in ways that I wasn't. I didn't exactly put forth a lot of effort in cultivating a real relationship with her the way Nicholas did, and that was mostly because I was rebelling against the whole thing. I felt forced into the whole situation by my parents, and I really didn't appreciate that. I think it was the same story with Mia. I think that everything that happened with Nicholas was basically her own way of rebelling against the engagement since Parliament was trying to force her into an arranged marriage."

"Marriage isn't something that should ever be forced on anyone; that's true. And the entire thing was grossly unfair to you both. You didn't deserve to be pushed into a royal engagement by your parents, and Mia didn't deserve for Parliament to try and shove an arranged marriage down her throat. It's perfectly understandable that you each rebelled against it in your own way. And the fact of the matter is, neither one of you were ready for marriage or for each other. Now, I think you're both more than ready."

"I know I certainly am, anyway."

"I believe Mia is, too. I can tell that she is very much in love with you. And speaking as a grandfather, I don't think I could have hoped for a better husband for my granddaughter." Joseph then held out his hand, shook hands with Andrew, and told him, "Welcome to the family."

"Thank you so much," Andrew responded as his face lit up at the older man's approval. Andrew stayed and talked with Joseph several more minutes, and then after spending a little time with Mia and Gracie, he left the palace.

A couple of weeks later, around the first of February, Andrew had similar conversations with Clarisse and Lilly in person, and with the O'Connells over the telephone, and they all had the same reaction that Joseph did. Everyone was overjoyed to know that, in Andrew's own words, he was laying the groundwork necessary to officially become Mia's fiancé and eventually husband. Lilly mercilessly pestered Andrew over the following months to "hurry up and propose," and while Clarisse wasn't as bad about it as Lilly was, she did ask him about it from time to time. Joseph, however, well recalled their conversation in January and was a bit more patient than the ladies were.

But thankfully, a couple of weeks after Mia's thirty-third birthday and Isaac's eleventh, Andrew finally ended their long months - or rather years – of suspense. On one July morning, Mia anticipated a long, dull, dreary day ahead of her filled with mountains of paperwork and a couple of meetings with some of her older political opponents in Parliament. What she didn't anticipate was being kidnapped!

It was a quarter after eight in the morning. Mia had just sent Gracie off to school with Isaac about thirty minutes before and had taken the time to enjoy a second cup of coffee before walking into her office and starting in on what she believed would be a monotonous day of paperwork. The very instant after she sat down at her desk, though, Andrew confidently strode inside wearing a mile-wide, mischievous grin.

"You're looking very smug today, Andrew Jacoby," Mia told him with a laugh.

"Well yes, I suppose I am. It only makes sense, though. It takes a very smug soul to just brazenly walk into the office of the Queen of Genovia and kidnap her."

"Kidnap me? What are you talking about?" asked Mia, and without further ado, Andrew literally picked Mia up out of her seat, threw her over his shoulder, and started walking out with her!

"Andrew, what exactly are you doing?" Mia asked as Andrew walked out of the office, still with her over his shoulder.

"You'll see," Andrew replied.

"Oh come, on Andrew! This is crazy! And besides, I have a lot of work to get done today. I don't have time for silly games right now."

"Oh, I think you'll have plenty of time for this one," he said as he walked through the foyer with her, all the while Joseph, Clarisse, and Shades stood by, just calmly watching the scene play out before them.

"Grandma! Joe! Shades! I need a little help here! I'm being kidnapped!" Mia called out to them.

The threesome looked at each other for the next couple of moments and shrugged, and then Joe yelled, "Bye!"

"Bye? The Queen of Genovia is being kidnapped straight out of the palace by a madman, Joe, and all you have to say is bye?" Mia said as Andrew carried her outside. As soon as Andrew walked outdoors with her, Clarisse, Joseph, and Shades had a good laugh.

Andrew then carried her out to his car and took her away to her family's beach house in Mertz. As soon as they arrived, Andrew assured her, "Don't worry. I've planned today's little adventure out ahead of time. Marjorie and Charlotte are going to take care of things for you while we're away today."

"So, what will we be doing during today's little adventure?"

"I thought we'd enjoy a little horseback riding on the beach, followed by a romantic picnic for lunch. Maybe a little dancing. And then after a candlelight dinner this evening and perhaps a walk along the beach, I thought I'd bring you back to the palace for a little trip down memory lane."

"Memory lane, huh? Sounds interesting."

Andrew looked into Mia's eyes and smiled and said, "I think it will be."

Thanks to Andrew, Mia enjoyed a simply wonderful day of horseback riding, walks along the beach, romantic meals, and dancing. It was beyond refreshing for her to be able to get away from it all and enjoy the day with him like that. It was one of the happiest, most stress-free days she'd had in quite a long time.

But all of that was nothing compared to the big surprise that was waiting for her when Andrew finally brought her back to the palace that evening. When they got back, Andrew took Mia's hand and walked with her to the concrete bench beneath Genovia's most famous pear tree. Much to Mia's delight, she saw that right in front of the bench on the ground was a huge heart made of mauve and white rose petals, with lit candles bordering the heart. Both Clarisse and Mia each had their own special rose in Genovia. Clarisse's was mauve, and Mia's was an off-white color, and there were always bouquets of mauve and off-white roses throughout the palace paying tribute to both queens. Mia knew when she saw the heart of rose petals on the ground that Andrew was also showing love and respect to her and her grandmother, which touched her a great deal.

"Oh, Andrew, it's beautiful," Mia whispered.

"I thought you'd like it," Andrew said softly.

"I love it. It's so thoughtful," Mia said, and then she gave him a nice, long kiss.

"You remember what's so special about this place, don't you?"

"Of course I remember. How could I forget? This is where you proposed to me the last time."

"Indeed. But we weren't ready back then. We weren't ready for marriage or for each other." In that breathtaking instant, Andrew then got down on one knee, took out from his pocket the same square diamond engagement ring that he'd given to her before, and told her, "I am ready now, though. It's no secret that I've been in love with you for so many years. I love you more than anything, Mia Thermopolis." Tears came to Mia's eyes when he said that. "And I'm hoping you'll make me the happiest man on earth and agree to be my wife."

"Of course I will," Mia gasped, and then Andrew slipped the ring on Mia's left ring finger, got up, and gave her the biggest, most passionate kiss of his life. Then as he was embracing her, he pulled her up off her feet and started spinning her around. Both of Mia's feet "popped" up as he spun her, and she almost literally felt like she was flying. Her heart definitely was!

The rest of the world had a similar reaction. The very moment Mia and Andrew came into Mia's office inside the palace and announced their engagement to Clarisse, Joseph, Isaac, and Gracie, they all shouted for joy. Not even Clarisse could contain herself. Naturally, Lilly, Helen, Patrick, and Trevor were equally thrilled when they heard the news. And when the royal couple officially announced their second engagement in September, all of Genovia and millions of people all over the world celebrated the news. While the United States and other countries descended into constant political turmoil, Mia's second engagement to Andrew gave people everywhere something happy to focus on for a change.

But even though Mia, Clarisse, and the rest of the palace were enjoying all the wedding preparations taking place, there were other political matters involved in the upcoming nuptials that were a real headache to deal with. For one thing, even though generations of Renaldis had been Catholics for centuries and Mia had naturally been expected to follow suit upon taking the throne, there were a lot of issues with Catholicism that she strongly disagreed with. At heart, she was much more of a Protestant than a Catholic, as was Andrew, and although Catholicism was no longer the state religion in Genovia as it had been centuries ago, Mia still took a lot of heat from older politicians and nobles for never officially joining the Catholic Church as she'd been expected to. All other Genovian royals before her attended mass every Sunday, but Mia had always preferred to simply attend a Bible study session during the week at the palace with her family and friends and was never big on church services because of all the corruption in the Christian church worldwide. And when it came out in an interview in October that Andrew intended to do the same thing and that he had no plans whatsoever to convert to Catholicism, the couple faced further criticism, particularly in political circles. However, thankfully, the majority of the country supported them, as did Clarisse and Joseph – both of whom basically felt the same way about it all that they did – and while there was a bit of an uproar about it in the press, it didn't last too long.

Unfortunately, soon after all the noise in the media over that particular issue died down, another political fight took place – one that Mia was not able to win. Mia had long since believed that it was horribly sexist that her future husband could only be made a prince and not a king. She had always felt that it was quite unfair that while a Genovian king could share his title with his wife and make her a queen, a Genovian queen could not do the same with her husband. After discussing the issue with Sebastian and Charlotte, Sebastian put it to a vote in Parliament and while it was close, unfortunately, the majority of Parliament ruled against the motion to allow Mia to share her title with Andrew after they got married in December. While Mia had become a very popular ruler amongst the Genovian people and with most of Parliament, many Parliamentarians couldn't see past the fact that Andrew had been born and raised in Great Britain. Although many of them had grown to like and respect Mia, they still had their prejudices against her to a certain degree because she had been born and raised in America and not Genovia, and for them, the thought of having both a Queen and a King of Genovia from other countries was more than they were willing to accept. Sadly, there were also still a fair number of old men serving in Parliament who were sexist to their very cores. Thankfully, the issue of whether or not to make Andrew a prince consort or a prince regent laid squarely in Mia's hands and not Parliament's, so even though Andrew would not be allowed to become the King of Genovia after they got married, the future Prince of Genovia would still be ruling at his wife's side.

The next several weeks flew by, and before the royal couple knew it, their wedding date, the twentieth of December, finally arrived. The entire world was either tuned in on their TVs and computers, or was camped outside the doorsteps of the same church where their "almost-wedding" took place over twelve years ago. Just as Queen Clarisse and Joseph had done years before, Queen Amelia and the soon-to-be Prince Andrew had captured hearts and imaginations all throughout Genovia and the world.

And although over twelve years had passed, very little had changed. This wedding was almost completely identical to the first. Mia was brought to the church by a horse-drawn carriage just like before, even though the winter weather was quite chilly, and the wedding gown and veil she wore was almost exactly the same as last time, which of course had been tailor-made specifically for her with Genovia's famous lace. Once again, Lilly was Mia's matron of honor, and once again, she had to wear pink along with all the other bridesmaids – which she didn't hesitate to fuss about. One person who was much more agreeable about her pink attire for the wedding, however, was eight-year-old Princess Gracie, who was quite happy to wear a pink dress and be the flower girl at her mother's wedding. As all the bridesmaids and groomsmen assembled in the church, getting ready for the wedding to start, Andrew, who also wore a red Genovian military uniform quite similar to the British uniform he'd worn at the last wedding, stood at the front and excitedly waited for his bride. One thing that was different, though, was that this time, it would be the retired, seventy-year-old minister who'd been leading Bible study sessions at the palace the past couple of years, Reverend John Tutor, who would be performing the ceremony.

And there was one other thing that was different from the last time, and it was something that meant a very great deal to Mia and to Joseph. This time, rather than walking down the aisle all by herself, Joseph would be walking with her and giving her away. She did have the option of walking down the aisle on her own again, of course, or of walking down the aisle with her stepfather, but it was no secret that since her father's untimely death, it had always been Joseph who had stepped in and filled that void. They had been good friends with each other since day one, but especially after Joseph joined the family, their relationship had really deepened, and the fact of the matter was, Joseph was the only real father Mia had ever had. Therefore, nothing could have been more appropriate than for him to walk her down the aisle on her wedding day.

Moments after Mia arrived, the choir was given the cue to start singing Canon in D, and Gracie, the bridesmaids, the groomsmen, and Lilly all began marching down the aisle while Mia stood in the back with Joseph, her arm linked through his, holding her bouquet of mauve and off-white roses.

"I can't believe I'm wearing pink again," Lilly quietly grumbled as she made her way down the aisle.

"Are you ready, dear?" Joseph asked in a hushed tone a moment later, and Mia looked at him and smiled.

"I'm very ready," she told him with confidence, and Joseph smiled back at his granddaughter. And indeed, she was ready now. They both were. Mia Thermopolis was not the immature, reckless, easily-intimidated little girl she used to be twelve years ago. Now, she was a grown, mature, strong, confident woman, and it showed. Joseph simply couldn't be prouder of her, and the same could easily be said for Clarisse, Helen, and Patrick.

Joseph in his perfect tuxedo then began the march down the aisle with his granddaughter on his arm, and this time, there was no fear or hesitation on Mia's part. Everyone there stood with their eyes glued to their gorgeous young Queen as she proudly and happily walked down the aisle with a smile. It instantly became clear to anyone in the church that day who might have had their doubts that Mia was not going to turn around and run away this time.

When Mia and Joseph arrived at the altar, Joseph lovingly kissed his granddaughter's cheek and stepped aside, and Andrew took his place beside her.

The retired minister, who was a tall, slim black man with gray hair and glasses and was also wearing a nice black tuxedo, stepped forward and said aloud, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony…finally." Naturally, everybody knowingly laughed when he said "finally." "If there is anyone here with any reason why this couple should not be joined, let him speak now or forever hold his peace." After a couple of moments of silence, the reverend continued, asking, "Will the bride and the groom please join hands?" Mia then handed her bouquet to Lilly and took Andrew's hand.

He then looked directly at Andrew and asked, "Andrew William, do you take this woman, Amelia Mignonette, to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you solemnly promise to love, honor, and cherish her in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse, 'til death do you part? And forsaking all others, do you solemnly promise to keep yourself only for her as long as you both shall live?"

Andrew then locked his eyes with Mia's, squeezed her hand, and told her honestly, "I do."

"Amelia Mignonette, do you take this man, Andrew William, to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you solemnly promise to love, honor, and cherish him in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse, 'til death do you part? And forsaking all others, do you solemnly promise to keep yourself only for him as long as you both shall live?"

Mia kept her gaze locked with Andrew's, and a couple of tears fell from her eyes as she answered in an emotional whisper, "I do." In that moment, Joseph's and Clarisse's eyes also locked, and the older couple proudly smiled at each other.

"Then by the power vested in me by God, I now very happily pronounce you husband and wife." The entire church then burst into applause. The letters patent had officially been issued by Mia that morning, which made it possible for Reverend Tutor to then say, "Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to present to you for the very first time, Her Majesty, Amelia Mignonette Jacoby-Renaldi, Queen of Genovia, and His Royal Highness Andrew William Jacoby, Prince of Genovia!" Mia and Andrew then put the rings on each other's fingers, and Andrew gave Mia a long, passionate kiss.

When the Queen and the new Prince of Genovia then turned around and faced the rest of the congregation as a married couple for the very first time, they were greeted by a standing ovation and more thunderous applause. Then young Princess Gracie, who had long since gotten over her former shyness, ran up to her mother and her new father and jumped up into Andrew's arms. Andrew heartily laughed and kissed his newly-adopted daughter on the cheek, and crowd only applauded and cheered that much harder.

A few minutes later, Reverend Tutor hushed the crowd to say something. "Everyone, I just want to say how thrilled I am to have been a part of this. Your Majesty, Your Highness, thank you both so much for allowing me to be the one to marry you today. It was a great privilege. It goes to show that even in a world this crazy in which we actually run the risk of world wars being started by a Tweet on Twitter, miracles do still happen. Miracles happen all around us every day. It just gets so hard to see it because of all the sadness and insanity. There's no doubt about it that it's getting worse, and that it will continue to get worse until the Lord Jesus finally comes back."

"Amen," several people said softly in the background, and Lilly, who had eventually changed her mind and come to faith in Christ, agreed with a nod.

"But no matter how hard it gets, we will get through it as long as we trust in Jesus. And no matter how hard it is, I want to encourage all of you here today to remember to be thankful for all the miracles around us every day. Miracles like a child's smile. Miracles like the love between a man and a woman that we're here celebrating right now. The love between Queen Amelia and Prince Andrew is undoubtedly a miracle, as is the love between Queen Clarisse and Joseph. Young Isaac is definitely a miracle, as is our young Princess Gracie. Sunrises and sunsets and mountains and beaches and children and grandchildren and puppies and kittens and laughter and friends and hugs and tears…they're all miracles. And let us never forget the biggest miracle of all: the fact that the Lord God Almighty loved humanity enough to send His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, to die on the cross to save us from hell. Let us never forget that thanks to God's astounding mercy, we never have to worry about earning our salvation. Let us always remember and be grateful for the fact that Jesus did all the work for us, and let us always be grateful that He is the one and only way to God the Father and that we can always go to the Father through Him. It's a crazy world out there. It's insane. It's messed up. But as Mia and Andrew have reminded us during this Christmas season through their ongoing love, there are still good things in this world. Miracles do still happen."

"Amen," everyone said in agreement. And while it was indeed painfully true that the rest of the world was in sad, sad shape, everybody there still remembered to be grateful for all the miracles in their lives, both the big ones and the small ones. They were all especially grateful to Mia and Andrew that day for reminding all of them that good, wonderful things did still happen in this insane world. As terrible as things remained all over the world, Mia, Andrew, Clarisse, Joseph, Isaac, and Gracie were all living proof that miracles did still happen.

Cherished is lovingly dedicated to the memory of those who recently died in Charlottesville.