by Wade, Jena
Probably a lot. Secrets were hard to keep in the palace. The maids knew everything.
Then again, Kalwin and I had fooled the entire security when we’d switched placed.
Kalwin whistled as we walked in the room. “Well lookee what the cat dragged in here! Looks like we're going to have some real news to share here real soon.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, more than you realize.”
He narrowed his eyes. “What does that mean exactly?”
I shook my head. “Not now.”
“I trust the two of you got everything straightened out?” Cort asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes, we did.”
I sat down on the sofa across from Kalwin. Gus was there as well. He had the baby strapped to his chest, fast asleep and Wendell’s eyes were drifting closed as well.
“Fantastic,” Cort said. “Now we just have to deal with our parents.” He had a handful of darts in his hand and he tossed one at the wall towards the board. It hit nowhere near the center.
Erich plucked it off the board. “You’re terrible at this game. We'll never be able to show our face against Asach in the games if you keep this up.”
“That's a good thing. The royal family isn't allowed to partake in the games,” Cort said.
Erich clapped back. “You can change that. You'll be king.”
It was hard to imagine, but he was right. In a few weeks’ time Cort would be married to Asach’s prince, then, a few months after that his coronation would take place.
“I have a lot of things to change. Most of them are way ahead of the royal family’s ability to partake in the games as far as priority,” Cort said.
“Oh, really?” I leaned forward. Xavier had his arm around my shoulder. I took it as a good sign that he was comfortable around my brothers, enough so that he and I could be honest about our relationship. “And you think our dads will allow your changes?”
We were lucky that the silly marriage rule they enforced on Gus didn’t apply to the rest of us yet. Erich had a few years before he met the cutoff, and Kalwin even longer. Gus had to get married to Wendell when he did because of some archaic rule my parents insisted he follow, else they’d strip him of his title. They were lucky that hadn’t completely backfired and he ended up married to a crazy person.
He was lucky in that he had found Wendell. But it had come down to the final wire. They could have just as easily had Gus’s titled dissolved and him stripped of his royal responsibilities.
And me. I loved Xavier and he loved me. But what if Xavier had not stopped that alpha from taking my heat for himself? Then where would we be? In the same boat, but I would be married to a monster.
“They mean well,” Cort said. “But they're getting ridiculous. And it seems to only get worse. I think perhaps the five of us just have a lot more outside influence than they ever did. We know what it's like in other places. We know that other families, royal or not, are not subject to the rules that we are.”
“You're getting the brunt of it, Cort,” Gus said. “Marrying a man that you've been engaged to since you were, what? Fifteen?”
Cort shook his head. “I was ten when the treaty was signed. That was when Thomas was born.”
“That's crazy.”
Cort snorted, a very un-princelike action and it startled me. Even Xavier jumped.
“You're telling me.” He turned to face me and Xavier, handing the darts to Erich. “So, the two of you, it's official now?”
I looked at Xavier. He pulled me close, until my head rested on his shoulder.
“I mean, it's official in that we're together and our dads are going to insist that we get married right away. And honestly, we will because—”
“Oh my goodness, you're pregnant!” Wendell said.
My eyes widened.
“Sorry!” He put a hand over his mouth. “I didn't mean to spill the beans, but I just put two and two together. That's great.”
“It is.” I grinned. “We're very happy.”
Cort put a hand on my shoulder. “I’m really happy for you, Iain. You’re going to be a great dad.”
“Thanks.”
“And don’t worry, I’ll be sure to build in plenty of family leave time in the advisor position I have for you.”
I pursed my lips, tilting my head in question. “Advisor position. Omegas can’t be advisors to the king.”
Cort scoffed. “Sure, during Dad’s reign. But I’ll take over soon and I have a large set of changes already drafted and waiting for my signature.”
“That’s never been done before,” I argued. It would be an opportunity of a lifetime. My brothers all served as advisors to the king in one capacity or another. Gus headed up the entire Health services sector of Swena.
“Yes, I know. That is what I’m aiming for. The position is yours if you want it. We can work out details later.”
“What would I do?”
Cort grinned. “What you do best, look after the less fortunate citizens of Swena, those that need it. Make sure they’re never forgotten.”
Hope bloomed in my chest. I’d always sought work outside the palace because of the no omega policy, but now… now the future opened up for me and I could do so much more with the power of the palace behind me.
Chapter Fifteen
Xavier
That night I stayed in Iain’s room. It made sense, being that we were betrothed officially. Not to mention, we were having a child together.
But still, it was odd not leaving his room to return to my own quarters, which reminded me… The next day we would have to clean mine out. His parents wouldn't have any issues with me moving in with him now that things were official. Of course, we'd have to have some sort of royal announcement, I was sure of it. Still, there was no way I was letting go of my omega.
He came out of the bathroom after brushing his teeth and smiled at me as I lay on the bed. There sure would be some perks to being a part of the royal family. This ginormous bed for one. I hadn't taken time to appreciate it while I had shared Iain’s heat with him.
“Are you sure about this?” Iain asked as he climbed in next to me.
I pulled the covers over him and spooned against him, his back to my chest, my arm around his waist. “Sure about what?” I asked.
He rolled over so that we were face to face. “Being a part of the royal family. You were very quiet tonight.”
I grinned. “I’m so used to keeping quiet in those situations, it may take me time to get used to being on the other side.”
“Wendell had some shocks to his system based on what I've heard from Kalwin. It’s a huge transition into this life.”
“Well, I know pretty much everything there is to know about the royal family and the protocols you follow and the things that are expected of you. Including the schedules you maintain, since I had a hand in orchestrating them.”
“It will be different though, now you'll be part of the gossip. Your whole life will be dissected.”
“Even though I'm marrying the forgotten prince?”
He slapped my chest. “Yes. I can't imagine being any of my brothers. Especially Cort. The press know his every move. He'd never be able to pull off a stunt like Kalwin and I did. Even Kalwin wouldn't be able to hide like I did in plain sight for that long.”
“I get the vibe that Kalwin's done that a time or two,” I said.
“Still. Are you sure you want this life?”
“I would take any life as long as it’s with you,” I said and I kissed him.
“You won't be able to leave the palace whenever you want. You'll have your own guard assigned to you. No more nights on the town.”
I chuckled. “The other night, at the apartment with you. That was the first time I had gone outside the palace at night in over a year, not on detail. And that was when I was the designated driver for my brother's stag party. I love you and I want this life with you, and with our child. No matter what it is, I will be by your side through all of it. If you want t
o take the position that your brother is offering, I will support you.”
Iain bit his lip and wouldn’t quite meet my eyes.
I tucked a finger under his chin and forced him to look at me. “I support you no matter what.”
“It would be a lot, though. With a new baby. Right?” Iain’s brow furrowed.
“It's what you're passionate about. And I'll be with you every step of the way. Helping in whatever way I can. I can be a stay at home dad, essentially, if that's what it takes.”
“I do want to take that position. I have so many ideas for what we can do, outreach programs we can institute. But I want to be a part of my child's life. I don't want him or her being raised by nannies like I was.”
“Then we will be together. You and I will make it work. Instead of hiring nannies, we’ll hire assistants for your job. People you trust to do the things you want. If you need to take our child to work with you every day, we can make that happen. We will make it work, Iain.”
Iain grinned and relaxed into me. “Yeah, I think we will.”
Exhaustion seeped into my bones and I sunk closer to sleep. I hadn’t slept much at all since my omega was away. With my omega in my arms, my body relaxed and my mind was finally able to rest. With the future we had laid out before us, we would need it.
Chapter Sixteen
Iain
Being a prince had its perks. I had multiple tuxedos in my closet, and for an occasion such as my wedding day, I could just go into my closet and pick which one I wanted to wear and bam, my whole outfit for the day was decided.
“What time do my parents arrive?” I asked Xavier.
Picking a day was easy. We wanted my parents at our small, incredibly informal wedding but we didn’t necessarily want them stressing about it or all the protocols we were breaking, so we decided on getting married the moment they arrived.
“In two hours. At precisely three forty-two.” Xavier still laid in bed. While my parents were out of the country and our relationship still so new, Xavier and I had spent a lot of time inside the palace and as such, he had been on a mini-vacation since arriving home.
Turned out my future husband didn’t mind lounging in bed until mid-day, as long as I stayed there with him.
I’d just gotten out of the shower and I wore a towel around my waist as I stared at the tux hanging on the door of my closet.
“Care to share your thoughts, love?” he asked.
“It’s happening. Today. For real.”
He got off the bed and stood behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and burying his nose into my neck. “Yes, it is.”
“And tomorrow, we get to start an even bigger adventure.”
He chuckled. “Bigger than a new marriage, and a baby on the way?” His hands rested on my flat abdomen like they so often did.
“Well, maybe not bigger, but at least comparable,” I said. We had spent the last few days brainstorming some of the initiatives we wanted to start once we were an official state department. Already we had identified some areas of need that could be rectified simply with some organization and oversight.
I reached my hand up and touched the back of Xavier’s neck, guiding his mouth to mine.
“I’m just so happy,” I said.
“Me too, love. Me too.”
“Do you think my parents will be upset with us?”
Xavier spun me around. He kept his arms around me and his hands made their way to my butt. “For planning a royal wedding without their permission? Oh yeah, they are going to be super pissed.”
I groaned and buried my head in his chest. “Then why did you agree to this?”
Xavier’s chest shook as he laughed. “Because it made you happy and it is what you wanted. Plus they are going to forgive you as soon as you tell them we’re having a child. You’ve seen how they adore Wendell and Gus’s child.”
“It’s true. We do have a great bargaining chip.”
“Yes, a royal bargaining chip.”
I looked up at Xavier, the love he had for me shone in his eyes, then they clouded with desire.
“So, two hours until they arrive?” I asked.
Xavier nodded.
“What should we do to pass the time?” I dropped to my knees, surprising both Xavier and myself.
I pulled his zipper down slowly. His cock grew thicker until it strained against his underwear. I pulled down his pants and it sprang free. Not wanting to let my courage wane before I even got started, I swallowed him down in one fell swoop.
He moaned and his hips jerked forward. I licked along his shaft, cradling his balls in my hand.
Xavier threaded his fingers in my hair as he held my head. “Oh my prince, you never cease to amaze me.”
I hummed as my lips locked around his and I hollowed out my cheeks as I bobbed up and down along the length of him. ‘
“I’m going to come,” he shouted. He tugged at my hair, but I wasn’t letting any of his release go to waste. I doubled my efforts and within seconds his cum shot down my throat and I swallowed every last drop of him.
When he was finished, I sat back on my heels and stared up at him. “Shall we go get married?”
He grinned. “Yes, we shall.”
***
There were two ways the wedding could have gone: my parents would either love that we took care of everything and all they had to do was preside over the event and smile for the camera, or they would lose their damn minds and have Xavier banished to the dungeon.
Being that I was carrying their second grandchild, I doubted they would put up too much of a fuss, but it was still a risk.
We only had four days to orchestrate the event and we had to keep quiet about it. We only included the staff members that we trusted the most to keep things discreet.
Luckily, we kept things incredibly simple. We all had tuxes, Cort was legally allowed to declare us married due to some old law that didn’t make a lot of sense, but it was legal, so I didn’t care.
Cort was the one to greet my parents and usher them to their rooms to get dressed. My omega dad came to my room ten minutes before the ceremony was supposed to start.
“Oh, Iain,” he said as he looked me up and down.
I bit my lip. “Are you mad?”
He shook his head, tears forming in his eyes. “Not at all. Although, one of you boys is going to have to let me plan a proper wedding soon.”
I snorted. “Is Cort’s not a proper wedding?”
My dad waved a hand in the air. “Psh, that wedding is all protocol and zero fun. Between balancing traditions between two countries and working hard on not offending anyone or leaving anyone out, it’s been a nightmare at best. Enough of that though, today is your day, Iain. You look positively radiant. I’m happy that you and Xavier have worked things out.”
“Yes, we did. I love him.”
My dad grinned. “I’m glad. He feels the same. I saw him briefly before coming to see you. Your father is speaking to him right now.”
I groaned. “He isn’t being weird is he? I don’t want Xavier running scared.”
“Oh, don’t worry.” My dad lifted his arm and I linked my arm into his. “I’m sure your father is being perfectly reasonable. Now, let’s go. We don’t want to be late.”
Despite the rush and the lack of a large crowd, the wedding itself was a beautiful set up.
My father met us at the top of the stairwell. He grinned when he saw me and pulled me into a hug. “You always do keep us on our toes, Iain.”
“Someone has to, I suppose.”
“This is what you want, yes?” my father asked.
I nodded. “More than anything.”
He cupped my cheek. “Let’s get to it then.”
My dads walked me down the stairwell to the makeshift alter we had put together in the throne room. It was another room in the palace that was largely for show, only used on rare occasions.
Xavier stood with his friend next to him. Kalwin stood up for me as my best man. And C
ort stood ready to perform the ceremony.
I kept my eyes locked on Xavier’s as I walked to greet him. My fathers kissed my cheek and gave me a hug before sitting down.
“Hi,” I said when I finally stood in front of Xavier.
“Hi,” he said.
There was a pause and Cort cleared his throat. “Well, now that we’ve gotten the pleasantries out of the way.”
The small crowd around us chuckled. My brothers were all here, and Wendell with the baby. My friend Cheryl, as well as Jerome sat behind them. A large portion of the royal guard stood watch, both in support of Xavier and as part of the job since the entire royal family was all in one place.
“Today we are gathered in the great hall of the royal palace. A place where kings and consorts of the past who have loved this country have made decisions and changed history. They blazed the path to the future, making our country what it is today.
“Today, we make history in another way, but no less significant.
“Iain and Xavier, though born of different backgrounds, love each other with all that they are and all that they will be, and both have paid great service to their country.
“I will be proud to be their king, and I know that together they will be stronger, and will make Swena a better place to be.
“Iain, do you take this man as your lawfully wedded husband, to love and to cherish to the end of your days?”
“I do,” I said, not blinking or looking away from my soon-to-be-husband.
“Xavier, do you take this prince as your lawfully wedding husband, to love and to cherish to the end of your days?”
“I do,” Xavier said without hesitation.
My stomach did a little flip and it was all I could do not to bound and jump for joy.
“Then, by the power vested in me as heir apparent of Swena, I now pronounce you husbands. You may kiss and seal your union.”
I met Xavier halfway, his lips descending on mine, his hand holding my neck.