Royally Unexpected 2: An Accidental Pregnancy Collection (Surprise Baby Stories)

by Lilian Monroe

  The man nods. “Now, Your Highness.”

  I sigh, gesturing for him to lead the way. When duty calls, I have to answer. I always have.

  Even last night, when I let Cara walk away from my bed, I did it because it was the right thing to do. The responsible thing to do. The dutiful thing to do.

  Not what I wanted.

  We walk across the lush, green lawn and through a garden of succulents and into the palace. The butler leads me to the King’s wing of the palace. Taking a small staircase up to the third floor, we make our way to my father’s chambers. The butler opens the door for me and bows, closing it again once I step through.

  The King, who used to be a force to be reckoned with, is frail. He’s in bed, his hands crossed over his lap as he rests his eyes. My father looks like he’s aged ten years in the past ten weeks, and it pains me to think he’s suffering.

  “Theo,” he says, opening his eyes and spreading his arms out wide. “Thank you for coming. What happened to your shoulder?”

  “We had an incident.”

  “I hear Cara Shoal saved your life.”

  “Twice.” I echo her words. “News travels fast.”

  My father grunts. He motions to the armchair next to his bed, his hand shaking as he points. I take a seat, watching him interlace his fingers in front of his chest to stop them shaking. A roguish smile tugs at his lips.

  “What?” I ask.

  “Well, I think it’s very fitting that Cara would save your life. Very consistent with the storyline.”

  Sighing, I close my eyes. I don’t have the energy to deal with my father’s riddles. Even when he’s frail and sick, he still manages to beat around the bush.

  “What are you talking about, Father?”

  “Well, about your new fiancée.”

  The floor bottoms out, and I’m in free fall. Gravity ceases to exist, and I’m unable to move. I sit there with my feet stuck to the floor, ass stuck in my chair, staring at my father. He stares back, waiting for a reaction.

  Any reaction.

  I’m not giving it to him. I can’t. How am I supposed to react? What am I supposed to think?

  Cara? My fiancée?

  “W-what?” I finally manage.

  “Don’t look so upset,” my father laughs. “She’ll be better than your cheating mother was. I made sure to negotiate an infidelity clause.”

  I shake my head. “No. Absolutely not. I’m not marrying Cara. What about Luca?”

  “If you hadn’t noticed, your dear little brother seems to have decided he doesn’t want to be part of this family anymore. His claim to Cara is no longer valid.”

  His claim? Infidelity clause?

  This doesn’t sound like a marriage. I know I’m not a normal citizen, but I thought I’d have at least some say in who I married, if I married at all.

  “What does Cara have to say about this? When did this happen?”

  The world is spinning. I can’t marry Cara. What about Luca? Reports from Singapore say he’s responding well to treatment, and may even be able to regain his ability to walk. Sure, he pushed her away, but I know my brother. He’ll want her back when he’s through fighting his own demons.

  If he heard about me and Cara…

  …it would destroy him. All his progress, gone.

  Worse, though, is it would devastate Cara, too. She’s about to start her new life. About to move on. About to chase her dreams.

  I would stop all of that for her.

  Still, buried deep in the most hidden, dark corner of my mind, a thought sparks to life. Marrying Cara doesn’t seem so bad.

  If I’m being honest, she’s perfect.

  She’s smart. Has the voice of an angel, even though she doesn’t sing much anymore. Her smile lights up a room. She’s drop-dead gorgeous, and I can’t pretend that I’m not attracted to her.

  But I’m not supposed to be attracted to her. I’m certainly not supposed to marry her.

  My father sighs, shrugging. “I knew it’d take you a while to come around. I didn’t commit to the marriage on your behalf.”

  “Am I supposed to thank you for that?”

  “Yes,” my father answers simply. “You know you need to marry to ascend to the throne, Theo, and time is running out.”

  “Why do I need to marry? Have you ever looked into that? Can’t I marry later? Or not marry at all?”

  “I don’t write the laws, Theo. I have to live by them just like everyone else. You should know that as well as anyone. You’ll be the guardian of this Kingdom. You must abide by its laws more than anyone else.”

  I let out a breath, squeezing my eyes shut. My head is throbbing, sending waves of pain radiating through my shoulder. I press my fingers to my temple to try to make sense of what my father is saying.

  “So, you arranged a marriage between me and Cara while we were on the yacht?”

  “I didn’t arrange anything,” my father says, waving a hand. “An opportunity presented itself. Selma Shoal suggested it, and my ears perked up. It would work, Theo. It would solve a lot of problems and allow me to step down in peace.”

  My heart squeezes. I know I need to step up and be King. I know my status as a bachelor is standing in the way of that. I have responsibilities that need to be attended to.

  But I can’t marry Cara. I’d be asking her to give up her life for me. I’d be telling her not to go on her travels, to stay by my side, to betray Luca.

  It’s too much to ask.

  My father sighs. “Look, Theo, it’s a win-win. Tristan Shoal is the people’s natural leader. He’s the most loved celebrity Argyle has ever had. Marrying his daughter could unite the Kingdom.”

  I sink deeper into the chair, wincing as my elbow hits the armrest. My shoulder pulses with pain, and I lean my head against the back of the armchair. Everything hurts. I’ll have to get more meds from the doctor.

  Through my haze of pain, I realize that my father’s right. Uniting Argyle will be my hardest task, once I take the throne.

  My mother cheated on my father with the King’s brother, my uncle, and then ran off with him. Ever since then, the Kingdom has been divided. Half the citizens think my father drove her out of her home and that he should have shown mercy. The other half of Argylians side with the King, and think the Queen should have been punished with more than mere exile.

  And my brothers and me? We’re stuck in the middle. I’m next in line to inherit a divided throne.

  Tristan Shoal, on the other hand, is loved by everyone in Argyle. He holds the only Olympic gold medal Argyle has ever earned, and has dozens of world records for his swimming exploits. The day that he earned the world record for longest unassisted open-ocean swim is a national holiday in Argyle every year.

  My father is right. He’d be the people’s King, if they had a choice. His daughters are the jewels in his crown. Cara, the youngest and most beautiful, would be the natural choice even if the other daughters were still available.

  As much as I hate to admit it, marrying Cara would help unite the Kingdom. It would make the start of my rule a lot smoother.

  But it would kill my brother. It wouldn’t be easy for Cara, either.

  The King shifts in bed with a grunt, pushing himself off his pillows. His movements are becoming more labored, and I think he’s in more pain than he lets on. He nods to me, his eyes dark.

  “You’ll get used to the idea. You could do worse.”

  “Let me think about it,” I say, pushing myself to my feet. My shoulder aches every time I move.

  “Don’t take too long. This needs to be done.” The King lets out a heavy sigh. His lips pinch, and the weariness in his face is plainly apparent.

  He’s suffering. He needs to step down.

  Which means I either need to marry Cara, or find a legal reason not to.

  “Father…”

  “This is your duty, Theo. You have to take the throne, and you have to take a wife. I’ve done my best to make it easy for you. Now return the favor.” />
  My father levels me with a stare, and I know I can’t protest. With our Kingdom already divided, if the people learned of his condition, it would only weaken our position. Argyle needs a strong leader.

  Me.

  And I need to know if I can ascend to the throne as a single man legally, or if I need to find myself a queen.

  “Call Flanders back in here,” my father says, nodding to the door behind which his butler disappeared. “I’m ready for my dinner.”

  I bow to my father, then head out the door. Flanders heads inside the King’s bedroom behind me, and I turn down the hallway to find my brother Dante. Winding through the hallways, I make my way to the office at the back of the palace where Dante spends most of his time.

  When I enter, the lights are low and half a dozen monitors are blinking with spreadsheets and documents I don’t understand. Dante swivels around in his chair, flashing a smile at me.

  “Big brother.” He grins. “I was wondering how long it would take you to come see me.”

  “Tell me you have good news.”

  “Well, my arms are still attached to my body, unlike you.” He nods to my sling. “Cara saved you, huh?”

  “Twice.”

  “Badass.”

  I grunt, leaning on his desk. My head hurts, and I don’t know if Dante knows about Father’s plan to marry me to Cara.

  “So? What have you found about the marriage issue?”

  Dante lets out a sigh. His smile fades. “Haven’t made much progress. I’ve engaged an independent lawyer to look into it. I trust him,” he adds. “But it’ll take time to figure it out. The legal texts we have to look through are over a hundred years old and a lot of them only exist in the Royal Archives.”

  “I don’t have time.” I rub my forehead and then look at my brother, sighing. I explain to him the conversation I just had with our father, and how time is running out.

  Dante rubs his jaw with his hand and turns back to his multitude of computer screens. “I need at least two weeks, Theo. Can you do that?”

  “Two weeks?”

  Dante nods. “Delay. Tell Father you’ll think about it, that you need to get to know Cara or something. Make up some bullshit he’ll believe about true love and compatibility.”

  I scoff, and nod. “He doesn’t believe in love.”

  “I’m not so sure,” Dante shrugs.

  “I’m going on a pre-coronation tour of the islands for three weeks starting the day after tomorrow,” I say. “I could ask him to wait until after that, but who knows what he’d do while I was away.”

  Dante taps his chin as he thinks. He glances at me, arching an eyebrow. “What if you bring Cara? Then no one can pressure her while you’re gone. You know how Father is once he gets an idea. He could have the whole thing organized while you’re away, but not if neither of you are here.”

  I chew my lip. It’s not a bad idea. Cara is supposed to leave, but maybe it would be better if she was with me. If our parents are plotting to push us together, we might be able to pretend to play along for a bit. It would give me some time to figure things out and would protect Cara from any unnecessary pressure from her family—and mine.

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Good luck.” Dante stares at his screens as he taps something on a keyboard. I retreat from the room, rounding my shoulders as I trudge up to my chambers.

  As the thoughts swirl around my head, I have to admit something to myself. Something buried deep in my heart, in a hidden corner that hasn’t seen the light of day in a long, long time.

  Marrying Cara excites me.

  I can pretend that I don’t want to do it. That I feel bad about betraying my brother. That it’s wrong to marry her. Something has shifted inside me, and Cara isn’t off-limits anymore.

  The simple truth is, I want her. Badly.

  8

  Cara

  “From little old Cara Shoal to a Queen,” my sister Christine titters, spinning circles around me. “I can hardly believe it.”

  “It’s not right.”

  “Oh, come on,” our eldest sister, Cathy, sighs. “Mother did well to get you that match. I had to marry boring old Count Yara.”

  “I’m not marrying anyone, and I’m not going to be Queen.” I sigh, kicking my feet in the sand as my sisters and I walk down the beach.

  “What, you thought that the rest of us would carry the burden of caring for our family? We all had to do things we didn’t want to do. Going off to singing school wasn’t going to help mother and father provide for our family.” Cathy, ever the pragmatist, arches an eyebrow at me.

  “But why? Why did we have to marry well? Who cares? It’s not like we’re royalty. Father’s an ex-Olympian. Mother is a smart businesswoman. Why couldn’t we just do whatever we wanted with our lives? We don’t need a house that big. We don’t need to live like the royal family. Why can’t we just be normal?”

  Why can’t I just leave this place behind and pursue my own dreams?

  “That’s not how it works, Cara,” Christine says, nudging my shoulder with hers. She smiles sadly.

  Waves crash on the shore as seagulls squawk above us. The sun dips lower, and soon it’ll be touching the horizon. It’s been over twelve hours since I left Theo’s company this morning, but I haven’t stopped thinking about him for a minute.

  My future King. If my mother gets her way, my future husband.

  I can’t wrap my head around it.

  If betraying Luca didn’t kill me, giving up my dreams when they’re almost within reach surely would. I’m leaving. I’ve already decided. Even if my mother plots and conspires until she’s blue in the face, I won’t marry someone I don’t want to marry.

  I’m not going to be Queen.

  I’m not going to betray Luca.

  I’m not going to give up all my dreams in order to marry a man that I never saw as anything but a friend…

  …until last night.

  Why am I so against this marriage? It’s not because I don’t want Theo. If the solstice sailing trip was any indication, I’m more attracted to the Crown Prince than anyone, ever.

  My mind keeps circling back to Luca. Sure, we broke up. Yes, he shattered my heart. He pushed me away for months until I felt like a shell of who I used to be.

  But to marry his very own brother?

  That’s low. That’s not something I ever thought I’d do.

  “What about Luca?” I ask my sisters.

  Christine picks up a long piece of seaweed and flings it toward the ocean. “What about him? He left you and refused to let you see him. He ignored you for months. You waited for him long enough, Cara. If you ask me, he deserves any pain that comes to him. He treated you badly, even though you’ll never admit it. You dedicated your life to being his future wife, for what? To be tossed aside when you begged him to let you help?”

  “But to marry his brother? Isn’t that wrong?”

  “What’s wrong is for Luca to think that he can treat you like dirt and then have you wait for him. It’s been three whole years, Cara. He hasn’t called you even once. You went to that silly P.O. box every single day hoping he’d write you. You should’ve seen the disappointment on your face every time you opened it up to see it empty. I watched you break, day by day. You shouldn’t care about him. Luca doesn’t want you.”

  A few months ago, her words would have torn me to shreds.

  Now?

  Surprisingly, they don’t hurt at all. I think that I might have moved on from Luca, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to marry his brother.

  The three of us head back toward my parents’ house, where I’m sure the chefs will have prepared a lavish meal for us.

  My gut twists. I don’t want any of it.

  I want to leave. I want to start fresh. I don’t want to hurt Luca, even if he did hurt me. I don’t want to marry Theo. I want things to be easy and clean.

  Even if I’m not good enough to get into singing school, I still want to see what else the w
orld has to offer. My dreams of becoming a decorated, educated singer might never happen. But who knows? Maybe I could still find a way to make music part of my life.

  One thing I know for sure is it’s not going to happen if I stay here and marry Prince Theo.

  “Well, well, well,” Cathy chuckles darkly, pulling me from my thoughts. “Do we think this is a coincidence?” She jabs her thumb down the side of the house, where a familiar black royal vehicle is parked.

  Prince Theo.

  Christine titters, throwing her dark, curly hair up into a ponytail. She grins at me, shaking her head. “He’s come here to claim his bride.”

  “Oh, please.”

  “When was the last time the Crown Prince came to our house for Sunday dinner? Oh, right. Never. Not even Luca came here. Prince Theo is here for you.” Cathy throws me a glance, shaking her head.

  My pulse quickens as we slip in through the side door. I hear voices down the hallway, and nod to my sisters.

  “You go ahead. I’ll be right there.”

  Cathy arches an eyebrow but says nothing. The two of them continue down the hall as I duck into the bathroom.

  Locking the door, I lean against the vanity and close my eyes.

  My mind and body are at war.

  The independent, adventurous side of me is screaming to refuse the engagement. Leave Argyle. Go sing in a dirty dive bar for a few bucks. Explore the world.

  The impulsive, carnal side of me wants to stay. See what Prince Theo really has to offer.

  I comb my fingers through my hair and re-adjust my clothing. I can do this. I can stick to my guns. I’ll walk out the door and find Prince Theo. I’ll tell him I can’t do it. I’ll say I have to leave. I’ll refuse him.

  Inhaling, I turn the doorknob and step out. As it turns out, I don’t have to go far to find the Prince. He’s standing right outside the door.

  “Hey.” He stares at me in all his brooding glory.

  I jump, startled.

  “Sorry.” The Prince roughs his fingers through his hair. His other arm is still in a sling. My eyes drop to the little strip of skin that is exposed between his trousers and his shirt when he lifts his arm. A deep, muscular V is carved into his lower abdominal muscles, and my mouth starts to water.