“Will they? I doubt it. But there isn’t going to be a wedding.”
Karsten’s visage darkened. “So that’s how it is, eh? I think Frederick will disagree.”
Alana spoke up before they came to blows. “I’m sorry, Karsten, but he’s right, I don’t want to marry you. I’m sure you’re a fine man, and I’ve heard very nice things about you, but—someone in your family tried to kill me when I was an infant, and when I returned here, they tried yet again. My guardian has been working diligently to find out who it is, and, in fact, he has uncovered new information that could well exonerate your family, but until we know for sure—”
“No,” Christoph cut in.
She gave him a hard look. “No?”
“Leo even admitted it was only a possibility,” Christoph reminded her. “He has no facts to support it—it’s just a guess, Alana. I even understand why Leonard would draw that conclusion. He’s been away from Lubinia too long. It hasn’t occurred to him yet that within our borders live two queens, not just one.”
Alana’s eyes flared wide. Both of those queens were sitting across the room smiling at her at that very moment, the current queen, Nikola, and the widowed queen, who had retired to the Bruslan Stronghold after her husband had been beheaded. Auberta Bruslan.
Alana didn’t know what to think now. One queen was too young, the other too nice! But Christoph led them farther into the room to stand before her father.
“I was beginning to wonder if you three were going to join us,” Frederick said congenially.
Christoph said, “I withheld information today during my report, Highness, until I could verify it, which I have done. It concerned a message Alana had from her guardian this morning to beware the queen.”
Nikola gasped, hearing that. Frederick said coldly, “I think you had better stop there.”
“Hear him out, Father,” Alana said quickly. “It’s not what you think.”
“I’d like to hear this myself,” Karsten said quietly, standing beside them.
It took a moment for Frederick to nod his approval, but he did, and Christoph continued, “While Leonard was with us today, he told us what he overheard from two Bruslan hirelings. They spoke of a queen who’d been involved in an old conspiracy. And this was to be delivered to her.” Christoph handed Alana’s baby bracelet to the king. “Do you recognize it?”
“Yes, I still remember the day I gave it to her.”
“The person who possessed this bracelet until it was claimed as evidence has twice given the order for Alana to be killed,” Christoph said solemnly before he turned toward Auberta. “Would you like to explain what it was doing in your town house, Lady Auberta? I found it there this afternoon.”
Nikola jumped up, exclaiming, “There has to be some mistake here. Auberta would never do anything so horrible!”
But Karsten, watching the emotions flickering across Auberta’s face, said gently, “Did you really do this, Grandmama?”
She gave him a beseeching look, as if he should understand. “I had to. They took my husband from me, Frederick and his father did. They killed him when he was everything to me! So I took what they loved, a death for a death!”
Karsten looked horrified. “They weren’t responsible. They didn’t lead that rebellion.”
“Of course they did,” Auberta insisted, but she looked confused now, then her eyes turned to Alana and she smiled. “I’m sorry, my dear. But Karsten will make you such a good husband. Don’t you agree?”
Alana was speechless. Everyone was staring at Auberta as if she were crazy, and perhaps she was, harboring misguided hate like that for so long.
Karsten helped his grandmother to her feet to lead her from the room. Alana found it painful to see how shocked he was. He paused before Frederick and said, “I don’t know how she hid this from everyone, but she’ll never hurt anyone again. I promise I’ll see to that.” He also stopped in front of Alana and Christoph long enough to say, “I wish you both a happy life together. I was trying to ignore how obvious it is that you two love each other. But it’s all right.” He tried to smile, but couldn’t quite manage it. “I’m not ready for marriage yet anyway.”
Alana blushed, not because of what Karsten had said, but because her father was swearing! “What a fool I was to not see it myself,” Frederick said, looking first at her, then at Christoph. “Can you forgive me, Christoph? I know there’s no better man for my daughter than you.”
Alana was rendered speechless yet again. Did that mean what she thought it meant? She glanced nervously at Christoph, waiting for him to object. He might not have wanted her to marry Karsten, but that had seemed to stem from some old rivalry between them. Not once had he suggested she marry him instead.
Christoph’s answer was a formal bow to his king. And just like that, Alana got engaged to the barbarian.
Chapter Fifty-Three
MARRIED IN TWO DAYS?!”
Frederick was sharing breakfast with Alana in her suite. He seemed anxious and didn’t keep her guessing as to why. He was worried that Christoph didn’t feel worthy of being given a princess for a wife. But two days! Of course she knew why her father was rushing the wedding, she didn’t have to ask. The possibility of a baby. He didn’t have to say it—and then he did!
“I trust him with my life, Alana. There is no one I would trust more with your life. Even now, you may carry his child, my grandchild. This is why I was so easily swayed to Karsten at Nikola’s urging, though she has admitted now that it was Auberta’s idea, not hers. Don’t blame her for that, please. She loved that old woman like a mother. She trusted her and never suspected—neither of us did. But this is why your wedding to Karsten would have taken place this soon as well. There can be no question of the legitimacy of the future heirs to this throne.”
Alana wondered, could her cheeks get any hotter? Her father was embarrassed, too, but for a different reason.
“If I had not been so angry with Christoph, I wouldn’t have distressed you with Karsten.” He sighed. “I would have realized immediately that Christoph was the better man for you. I owe him so much. He even saved my life, you know. I was never able to think of a suitable reward for him—until now. And you are in agreement?”
She was getting a say in the matter this time? Despite her embarrassment and worry over the obstacle Frederick had introduced, she couldn’t help feeling giddy because she would be getting what she wanted.
So she nodded shyly, and he smiled, continuing, “Your mother’s gown is being searched for as we speak. The nobles who need to attend are being notified. My only concern now is Christoph. I’ve given him what assurances I can. I want him to feel welcomed into our family. But I think he needs to hear it from you to believe it.”
Christoph might have acquiesced to the marriage last night, but amazing as it seemed, she knew he might decline if he had too much time to think about it. But once again, this marriage was obviously important to her father, and she still wanted to make him happy.
“Perhaps I could invite him to dine with me, if it’s permissible for me to be alone with him.”
Her father looked pensive for a moment, then said, “As the two of you will be man and wife in two days, I don’t see why not. Actually, it’s an excellent idea. Tell him what’s in your heart, Alana.”
She couldn’t tell him that, not when she didn’t actually know what was in his. Karsten had made an assumption when he’d said she and Christoph obviously loved each other. Her father made the same assumption. Whether Christoph loved her was too important to her to rely on assumptions. But she would think of something to tell him, even if she only repeated what her father wanted Christoph to know, that he was being welcomed into the family with open arms.
She sent off the invitation, notified the palace cooks to make something special for dinner, dealt with the ten seamstresses that showed up carrying her mother’s wedding dress—it fit perfectly! That left her about three hours before dinner, and she spent all three of them getting read
y. She wanted a long bath, wanted her hair washed. She asked one of the maids if her stepmother might have a nice perfume she could borrow, and the girl came back with a basket full of them. She wanted her hair done up just right. She couldn’t make up her mind what to wear, though she finally settled on one of her favorites, a pale gold silk evening gown with white and gold trimming.
She didn’t even realize how much time she was devoting to her appearance for what should just be a simple dinner until she was reminded that her fiancé would soon be there. But she couldn’t get out of her mind what she needed to tell Christoph, too, that he didn’t have to sacrifice his future happiness simply because he felt compelled to follow the king’s orders. She liked him—no, she thought, tears coming to her eyes—she loved him enough to free him from this marriage if that was his wish. No wonder his feelings were more important to her than her own.
She heard a knock at the door exactly on time. The meal had just been delivered. She shooed out the kitchen staff as well as her maids. They all filed out the door past Christoph before he stepped inside. She waited by the table, suddenly feeling more nervous than she’d ever been in her life.
He came forward. His uniform looked different. The colors were the same, but tonight it seemed to shine. She wasn’t sure why until she noticed the buttons were reflecting the lamplight like polished glass. The sash of his saber was special, lined with studs. Even the hilt of the saber was fancier than normal. She finally realized this was his special evening wear, and he’d worn it for her!
When he reached her, he bowed formally from the waist. If that didn’t amaze her, he also took her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it.
She was so surprised, he laughed. “Not barbaric enough for you?”
She blushed immediately, wondering if he would ever let her forget her first impressions of him. It was a good time to admit, “My father has assured me his people are not barbarians. That would include you.”
He grinned. “You believed him?”
Her mouth formed an O just before he picked her up in his arms, then sat down, placing her in his lap. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to feed you,” he replied. “You can object, but only if you can manage to get off my lap. Do you think you can?”
He was still grinning. She knew very well he could keep her there if he wanted to. “I would guess you’re making a point?”
“Several, actually. It’s going to give me pleasure to feed you, and I choose not to ask permission because I know you will enjoy it, too. It gives me even more pleasure to keep you on my lap, an unfair advantage over you, but if you would shed the propriety you cling to, you might even admit you enjoy that, too. You bring out the barbarian in me, Alana mine. Do you really think that’s such a bad thing when I would never hurt you?”
She couldn’t get rid of her blush because he was right. If it gave them both pleasure, his taking advantage with his strength shouldn’t bother her at all. Was she still clinging to propriety, insisting the marriage come first? When they’d already made love, that seemed pretty silly.
“Perhaps some of my beliefs are wrong,” she allowed.
He smiled. “No, not wrong, just inappropriate at this point. The moment we had your father’s blessing, what occurs between us became no longer a matter of ‘Should we?’ but instead ‘Why don’t we?’ ”
Did that mean what it sounded like? Surely not, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask when her blood stirred simply from the thought! And he didn’t expect any answer. He leaned closer to her, bringing forth a slight gasp from her, but he was only reaching for one of the platters that had been placed on the table, to slide it within his reach.
With his fingers, he picked up something sweet and put it in her mouth. Dessert first? She almost laughed, but grinned instead.
“That’s very good, whatever it is. Try a bite,” she suggested.
“You don’t want to feed me?”
She drew in her breath again, more sharply. The look in his eyes was fascinating. She did want to feed him, actually. She turned slightly to see if she could figure out which type of sweet he’d just fed her.
He whispered by her neck, “Anything will do. We’re going to eat it all—or none of it.”
She shivered from his warm breath. None of it? “Did I pick a time too early for you? You aren’t hungry?”
“I’ve been hungry, very hungry.”
Even the timbre of his voice was causing a pleasant stirring inside her! “Well then” was the most she could say before she thoughtlessly picked up a dollop of something creamy with one finger. Too late, she remembered the night of their first meal, when she had licked her own finger. She turned, hoping he wouldn’t remember that, but she saw it in his eyes, he did. While the intensity in his gaze completely arrested her, he took her wrist and slowly brought that finger to his mouth. She stared, she stopped breathing, while he sucked every bit of that cream off her finger. Something deep inside her began to heat up and flutter, it was such an erotic sensation having her finger in his mouth. When he was done, she still couldn’t stop staring at his mouth, and those feelings inside her wouldn’t subside, either.
“I’m wondering if I have the strength to feed you, after all.”
She didn’t mistake his meaning. He was talking about strength of will now, because eating wasn’t exactly on his mind anymore. But what was on his mind flustered her too much, so she turned again, shoved the dessert platter out of the way, and, stretching, was just able to reach the edge of the platter with a choice of meats on it and pulled it close and picked up one of the plates.
She held it between them and suggested, “Perhaps if we hurry?”
He laughed and picked up a piece of meat with a spicy sauce and held it to her mouth. “Trying to prove you’re stronger than I am?”
She accepted his offering and gave him a piece of the same. “No, I—”
“In this case, I’m sure you are.”
“Maybe. Perhaps.” She didn’t really know what she was saying, but she was staring at his lips too long. “No . . . actually . . .”
She leaned forward and licked a bit of sauce off his lower lip. She could have removed it with her finger, but she wanted to taste him so badly that never occurred to her. His indrawn breath told her he didn’t mind, and suddenly she was kissing him! Sweet, spicy, him, an irresistible combination that she tasted fully with her tongue.
When she finally realized what she was doing, she drew back in surprise, suddenly overcome with shyness. He saw it, tilted her chin until her eyes came back to his.
“You have Lubinian blood, Alana mine. Don’t be afraid of your passion.”
“Is that what it is?” she asked thoughtfully, but then slowly shook her head. “No, I think it’s just you.”
He groaned, and it sounded like real pain when he said, “I’m trying.”
She knew what he meant. He was trying not to overwhelm her with his own passion, to let her decide when they were finished eating. Not very barbaric of him, she thought with a smile.
She said simply, “Stop trying.”
He stood up so fast, she laughed. He carried her straight to the bedroom. She braced herself to be tossed on the soft bed. But he laid her down carefully and kissed her once before he stood and started removing his clothes. She leaned up on her elbows to watch him. He was tearing out of his jacket.
“Can I help?” she offered, feeling a strong need to put her hands on him.
“Not if you want to do this half-dressed,” he warned. “You’ve made me wait too long.”
“It’s only been—”
He cut in with a smoldering look, “Too long, when I want you every minute of the day.”
Hearing that, she had to deal with some impatience of her own. She sat up and yanked off her shoes, stockings, and anything else that would just slip off. She unfastened the back of her dress, too, as far as she could reach, then turned her back to him so he could finish it for her.
“I
hope you didn’t like this dress,” he said as he ripped the rest of it open.
She laughed. “No, what would give you that idea?”
He knelt on the bed behind her, his lips moving from her neck to her shoulder as he pushed the sleeves down her arms, then lifted the dress and chemise off over her head. Whatever pins remained in her hair after that he pulled loose, then ran his fingertips along her scalp.
She leaned her head back against his chest so she could look up at him behind her. He kissed her like that, but it wasn’t a satisfactory connection, so he flipped her over and then under him, to do it right. God, it was so right, giving her just enough of his weight so she could savor the feel of his body, his mouth slanting across hers at a perfect angle, the kiss deepening, igniting those incredibly delicious sensations again that began to course rapidly through her.
She was being so selfish, to let this happen, to not tell him she’d help him find a way around the king’s orders. She couldn’t say the words, not after he’d just convinced her that he did want her. Like this. They would at least have this. . . .
He did some savoring of his own with his hands. At least, it sounded as if he was getting a lot of pleasure from caressing her. She’d had no idea she had so many sensitive spots on her body. Maybe she didn’t and it was just his touch, his fingers lightly stroking her, that made it seem so. Even his golden hair, brushing against the top of her breasts when his mouth closed over them, made her shiver with pleasure while his mouth drew forth a hot sensation from deep within her.
The muscles of his back and shoulders rippled under her fingertips, too. She even thought she felt him tremble once. She wanted to touch so much more of him, but she wasn’t quite bold enough to push him onto his back so she could. She didn’t think it would be long before she lost that shyness, but at the moment she was loath to give up the press of his body on hers, his heat surrounding her, and the awe of what was happening inside her. She had no control over it, didn’t want to try to control it. She just let it carry her along, aware this time of what this swift buildup of passion was leading to.
When Passion Rules Page 30