“I don’t know what you mean, dear.” Her smile was almost predatory, and he knew that she couldn’t wait to see everyone’s reaction to his engagement being announced.
Only a handful of people knew that he was supposed to wed Myf, and he knew that most of them had thought the engagement would never come to fruition. Basically that he would do something so horrific that the Welsh would drag their princess back and she would be hidden away from all of them. Now seeing the way that she was, and knowing that something just wasn’t quite right, made him think that being hidden away in Wales would be the worst thing that could happen to her.
Thankfully, it seemed that his grandfather was at least going to wait until after everyone had eaten to make any kind of announcement. Something which Myf must have also realized with how she was becoming more and more pale as the evening stretched on, answering any question that was directed towards her politely, but not actively engaging in any of the revelry. Concerned that something had gone wrong, or that somebody had said something nasty or rude that he hadn’t caught, Johann let his foot brush against her shin, as she was sat across the table from him. When she looked up with a shocked expression on her face, he mouthed ‘are you alright?’ to which she simply nodded her head before looking back down at her food.
However, as the meal drew to a close and people were starting to gather their brandies and prepare to get up from the table, Mauno stood up from the head of the table and gestured for everyone else to sit back down. “Now, as you all know, we have just celebrated the union of my darling granddaughter Kai, and her gorgeous wife Steph.” He held up his half empty glass of champagne and practically saluted Kai with it. “Yet I have another joyous occasion to announce.” Johann almost swallowed his tongue when his grandfather’s gaze landed on him. “The engagement between Johannes and Princess Myfanwy.”
Everyone seemed to start talking at once, yet Steph’s cry of, “arranged marriages are so archaic,” rose above the chatter.
At her words there was complete silence in the cabin, during which Johann glanced across the table at Myf who was staring down at her plate with a bright flush to her cheeks. It was clear that she didn’t like having people’s attention on her, and certainly having her secret engagement announced to the assembled thirty-something people of various monarchies would be the worst kind of attention. He himself sat further up in his seat, glaring down the younger members of the family that looked as though they were planning on either laughing or jeering about the situation. Johann didn’t care about what people would think or say, their opinions meant absolutely nothing to him nor how he viewed his future. However, he had a feeling that anything could cause Myf to hide herself in her shell at this point, and he didn’t want her to distance herself from him.
They had spent six years apart; he didn’t want to be separated from her any longer. Not even if that separation was in mind only.
“It will be a good match.” Queen Astrid of Ukonsaari raised her glass of red wine. “I approve.”
Johann found himself smiling at her in relief, somebody had needed to break the ice and you could always count on Astrid to do so in a positive manner. She was in her mid-forties, a blonde bombshell with a killer figure despite having had five kids, and a great lover of the finer things in life. He adored her. Beside her sat the Prince Consort Olani Kansk, the man Astrid shared a husband with, though Johann had a feeling that their relationship was a fair bit more complicated than that. In fact, it was the worst kept secret in the family that Astrid’s eldest daughter Arndis was actually Olani’s. Not that it seemed to affect their dynamic.
It appeared that Myf was also feeling a bit more comfortable, because even though the blush was still on her cheeks she was looking up from her plate and even gracing Valto, who was sitting next to her, a small smile.
“It is a good match,” said Valto.
They were right, on paper he and Myf were a perfect match. The third in line for the Finnish throne marrying the second in line for the Welsh throne, it was an amazing political alliance especially since Valto was marrying the future Queen. It strengthened an alliance that had started to fade while Myf’s father had been alive. Not only that but Johann’s future sister-in-law Anna, the woman his older brother Heikki had been dating for years, was a gold digging bitch and was likely to drag Heikki into ruin. Johann had a feeling that his children would have to be there to pick up the pieces, and so having pure royal blood running through their veins was essential.
He looked up at where his grandfather was standing at the head of the table, his own glass raised in response to Astrid and a twinkle in his eye that spoke of his amusement at the reaction his announcement had caused. When he caught Johann looking at him, the King’s gaze narrowed slightly and he knew what that meant, ‘Don’t fuck this up.’
Despite everything and the way that he had acted over the last few years Johann had no intention to fuck up either his engagement or his future marriage. He had always known that no matter what he was going to have to make the best of what cards had been handed him, but he knew it would take some time for his family to realize that.
The dessert course seemed to go by quite fast with the only difference being that those assembled at the table were watching Myf like a hawk, clearly trying to figure her out. They were all so used to dealing with her fiery and high maintenance sister and it was clear they had no idea how to act around this shy and quiet woman in their midst.
“She is beautiful.” His mother’s voice was softly spoken as she sidled up to him after they had finished their meal, handing him an opened bottle of his grandmother’s infamous homebrew. Johann looked up at her in surprise, only to find that she was inclining her head in Myf’s direction. Following her gaze he found his fiancé chatting with Steph by the nearest bonfire, and he had to admit she was striking looking in her light blue sundress and with her hair in a loose braid down her back. “Don’t you think?”
“She’s not what I expected that’s for sure.” He took a mouthful of the beer, trying hard not to flinch as the bitter taste flooded his senses. Once you got past the taste it was almost impossible not to get drunk on it.
There was a deep sigh from his mother’s direction, and he spied her shaking her head out of the corner of his eye. “I know she’s nothing like your usual girls, but then again she’s a princess and one from a very traditional family …”
“They’ll do each other good.” It seemed like his grandmother had decided to weigh in her opinion on the matter, and he groaned when she draped an arm over his shoulders. “From what I understand she’s been far too introverted for far too long, it’s not healthy for a woman of that age to have never been on a date before. For all anyone knows she’s never even been kissed.”
“She has.” Johann wasn’t able to stop his own words before they had left his mouth, and he pretended not to notice the wide-eyed look he was getting from both women.
“And how do you know that?” It wasn’t quite a demand from his mother, but he could tell that she was both intrigued and angry. This combination did nothing but make him give them both his most smug grin before striding across the field to stand with Myf next to the bonfire. He liked to think that her face lighted up when she saw him approach her, however Johann was not a fool and he knew that it was unlikely that she would feel anything for him at this point. Meanwhile, he knew that he wanted to lead his future wife into the trees and fuck her up against the nearest tree. He remembered that his cousin Hans had told him that Cat had a habit of crying out in Welsh in the height of passion. Johann really wanted to find out if Myf did the same.
“I think I’ll leave you two alone.” Steph gave Myf a quick hug before turning to Johann. “Behave.”
With that she stalked across to her wife, leaving him alone with Myf for the first time in over six years. They were however, standing in the light of the largest of the bonfires, and Johann could all but feel his mother’s eyes burning into the back of his head as she watched them li
ke a hawk. “Come with me.”
He reached out and took Myf’s hand, noting that she seemed quite nervous around him when there wasn’t other people’s conversation for her to hide behind. It kind of made something inside him sink and he was beginning to think that maybe he should have sought her out at some point over the last six years. After all, he had spent his entire life knowing that he would marry this woman. Despite that knowledge, or maybe because of it, he had been sharing himself with just about everyone but her. Maybe if he had been more attentive and thoughtful towards her, then she would not have become this meek and introverted creature that he was desperate to get to know.
Pulling gently on Myf’s hand, Johann led her away from the bonfire and into the shadows that bordered the woods that surrounded the field. In doing so, they almost tripped over Astrid who was straddling Olani’s lap and kissing his neck whilst he held tightly to her hips. They were both clearly quite drunk, and Johann felt like it was quite sweet that they were both holding themselves in a way that spoke of them missing a third. Myf’s eyes were wide at the sight of them, but Johann simply gave them both a smile and pulled Myf off in another direction.
It was just on the edge of the light, close enough to everyone else that nobody would think he was off doing things inappropriate, but not so close that their privacy would be disturbed. Letting go of Myf’s hand he settled himself on the grass, patting the spot beside him until she joined him with a swish of her skirts. For a few moments she arranged her long legs into a comfortable position and then clasped her hands in her lap, a move that he was already beginning to recognize she did when she was nervous or uncomfortable. Unable to stop himself, Johann reached over and took her hand again finding that he wanted her comfortable in his presence. The last thing he had ever wanted from this unusual and difficult situation was to be married to a woman who didn’t want to be with him, or who acted like he was a stranger in her bed. Oh, he let his eyes rest on the creamy skin of her thighs that were revealed by her rucked up skirt, how he wanted to be in her bed.
“So, since we’re going to be married maybe we should get to know each other.” He tightened his grip on her hand when she tried to pull away. “Don’t you think?”
Myf slowly shook her head. “I’ve read the contract.” She pushed her hair out of her eyes with her free hand. “We don’t need to get to know each to fulfil the stipulations.”
“I never bothered to read the contract.” Johann shrugged. “It’s just a get married and live happily ever after contract … right?”
She laughed again then, carefully untangling their fingers so that she could clasp her hands in her lap and look down at them. “No, Johann, that isn’t what is in the contract. We’re expected to have children; we can’t even consider a divorce until we’ve had two.”
Johann wasn’t all that surprised. Certainly he had an older brother, but at the time of the arrangement there was no guarantee that Heikki would ever have children, there wasn’t even any guarantee that he had would survive to be old enough to even have kids. A morbid thought but Johann knew how the minds of monarchs and their advisors worked, and unfortunately keeping the family line continuing was of the upmost importance. “All the more reason to get to know each other.”
Myf looked up at him then, one eyebrow cocked. “I will admit that I don’t know much about the finer details of the act itself, but I’m pretty sure we don’t actually need to know each other to make children.”
He gave a deep laugh and then leaned back on his elbow, moving so that he was facing her. “No, but it’s so much more fun.”
A blush came to her cheeks then and he watched as she looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “Well, I wouldn’t know about that.”
“So you’ve never had sex?” There was something about that which made the familiar ball of lust settle in his lower stomach. The idea of being the first person to touch her, to show her how much pleasure she could get from the act of sex was more than a little arousing.
“I’m a virgin.” She uncrossed her legs and then re-crossed them again nervously.
“I gathered as much.” A look of confusion came across her face, and Johann couldn’t help but move closer to her and let his hand rest on her thigh. He expected to be brushed off, however he simply felt the muscle tense beneath his hand but she allowed his touch. “You didn’t seem all that experienced at kissing.”
Myf shrugged her shoulders. “There have been a few. However, I always knew that I was going to marry you, it seemed unfair to both myself and another person if I was to start any kind of relationship.”
“You don’t have to be in a relationship to have sex,” said Johann, letting his fingers stroke even further up her thigh. He was surprised really that she had managed to keep her virginity for so long when it seemed so easy to simply feel her up.
She glared at him then, something that gave him hope for her not just being this meek and mild woman that seemed to have been dropped in his lap. “I know that.” He watched as she looked down at his hand on her leg, and he saw her throat move as she swallowed. “I’m not a complete idiot, but I needed to remain a virgin.”
Well that made absolutely no sense, nobody was forced to be a virgin, and if Myf had found someone that she wanted to experiment with before their wedding then he was sure nobody in his family would care. To be honest he probably wouldn’t have even noticed if she hadn’t said anything about it first. “Needed?”
“You really haven’t read the contract have you?” Johann shrugged at her words and then shook his head.
For a few moments they sat there in complete silence while Johann marvelled in the silkiness of the skin beneath his fingertips. However his mind finally came back online at her words, and he found himself staring up at her in shock. “Are you trying to tell me that it’s in the contract that you have to stay a virgin?”
Myf nodded her head. “It’s one of the primary stipulations.”
There was something about the sadness in her voice that made him sit up. From what he was understanding here, she had spent her entire life waiting for him, and though she didn’t love him she had always been there in the shadows. He supposed she was just like everyone else in his life, just waiting for him to grow up and finally take some responsibility. Except whereas the rest of his family could turn their back and ignore his behaviour, poor Myf was moving forwards with him no matter what that meant. “I don’t care if you’re a virgin or not.”
“Either way.” She glanced sideways at him. “It belongs to you.”
With a swift move Johann cradled the back of her head, tangling his fingers into her hair and drawing her down so that he could press their lips together. He was waiting to let her go the moment he felt her flinch away from him, however she didn’t instead she seemed to sink into him and even moved her lips. It was then that he understood, that she wanted to explore and experiment but she had spent all of her adult life believing that she wasn’t allowed to. Except he was the one man that she felt like she could do anything with; and it seemed that despite her harsh words about what relationship she did or did not expect from him she was willing to be open sexually.
She was clearly uncertain about what she should be doing, her hands fluttering uncertainly at her sides before resting on his shoulders. With a smoothness that came with experience Johann tilted their heads just right and deepened the kiss. There was something endearing about the way she trembled beneath his touch, and he carefully guided her to lie beneath him on the grass so that he could rest on his elbows above her. Myf’s lips parted and for the first time he swiped his tongue into her mouth and tasted the woman who was to be his wife.
There was the sweet taste of the cider that she had been drinking at dinner, but underneath that there was something heady that almost made his tongue tingle. Johann had a feeling that this taste was one hundred percent Myf, and it was one he was going to get to know very well. She made a soft noise into his mouth before her tongue also came up to softly touch
his, as though she knew the basic mechanics of what he wanted from her but wasn’t entirely sure how to go about it.
He kissed her slowly, moving their tongues together in a way that had her panting and he could feel her chest moving rapidly beneath him, and he moved his hand from her waist and slid it up her side. Johann wasn’t a fool, he had been with enough women to know when he was going too fast, so when his fingers brushed the side of her breast and she inhaled sharply he knew to back away.
“Are you alright?” He whispered the words against her lips, only to feel her exhale shakily against them.
“Honestly.” She lifted a hand from his shoulder to touch his cheek. “Not really.”
Chapter Three
It had been Kai who had first mentioned that maybe since he was now in the middle of an official courtship that he should break off any understandings he had with other women. Such a thing hadn’t even occurred to Johann who had assumed that the women in his life would understand when he simply stopped sleeping with them, after all he didn’t have anything serious going on with any of them right now. Yet his cousin did make a certain amount of sense that he owed it to Myf if nobody else to set the record straight with his other lovers, and so he did. For the most part he was able to handle the situation with a few text messages or even a phone call, but there was one woman he knew would want more than that from him.
Cornelia was a beautiful, rich socialite that he had known for a couple of years now. They had been nothing more than friends with benefits from time to time for a while, but Johann had been getting the idea recently that she had wanted to be something more. He had been considering it before the walls had closed in on him and he had realized that his days of choosing his own relationships were coming to an end.
“You’re what?” There were a few things that Johann had never really like about Cornelia, and the way her voice became extremely high pitched when she was excited or angry was the one that annoyed him the most. It was something that he had used to ignore while they were intimate for the sake of her amazing bedroom athletics, but now he just found it an annoyance.
Dusk (Equinox Book 1) Page 2