Stefan turned to her. “I don’t think it’s anywhere close, in fact.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Nicki’s flare of anger shorted out at the intensity in Stefan’s face. But the infernal man kept talking. “I’ve arranged to have a medical evaluation tomorrow that both Nicki and myself will undergo, and if there is any reason to be concerned she will be transferred to a cardiac facility in Zurich at the same time we transfer the prince.”
“Cardiac!” the queen nearly shouted, aghast. Nicki turned and saw the woman go pale.
“Really—it’s nothing.”
“It is potentially nothing to be concerned about,” Stefan agreed. “However, Nicki’s family has a history of cardiomyopathy, and Nicki has not undergone the required screening for several years, so her condition remains in question.” His gaze was like granite. “It will no longer be in question shortly.”
“You knew—” the queen seemed to have trouble breathing. “You knew that your heart was not stable, and you insisted on going on this mission? Why?”
“I—” Nicki tried to speak, she did. But her heart really did feel too full all of the sudden, and she would have given a lot to fake a dizzy spell at that moment. When the words wouldn’t come, however, Stefan was there once again, ready to step into the gap.
“Because she knew she was the best equipped to help the prince,” he said. “She had the contacts, the training. She knew the city. She had the best reason to be there, and therefore provided the best cover.”
“But you could have been killed.” The queen’s soft words drew Nicki’s attention back to her, and when Catherine walked forward, it was all Nicki could do not to run away.
“You sacrificed yourself willingly, for a family you didn’t know existed until a few short weeks ago,” the queen said. “You…” She swallowed. “You helped bring my son home to me. I can never repay that—ever.”
“You don’t have to repay me,” Nicki said, lifting her hands to slow the tide of emotion flowing out from the queen.
“Yes I do,” Catherine said, shaking her head. “You will receive the Rite of Garronia, with my blessing. And my eternal, desperate thanks.” She closed the final feet to Nicki, and then her tears did give way. This beautiful, serene woman, so strong in all her actions and words since the moment Nicki had met her, crumpled in front of Nicki like the relieved mother she could finally allow herself to be. Nicki automatically put out her arms and the queen stepped into them, though Nicki was unsure as to who was giving and who was receiving the greater grace in that moment.
“Thank you,” the queen whispered. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Around them, there was movement—talking, walking, industry. But Nicki paid no attention to anyone but the queen for a few more moments, giving her back all the strength she had left in her body, giving her every beat of her heart, broken or not.
“Of course,” Nicki said. “He’ll be okay—he’s going to be okay.”
“I know.” The queen leaned back, and her expression had totally changed in those bare moments. Despite being streaked with tears, her face was stronger, almost ebullient. “He is surrounded by those he loves, and that love will sustain him, even if his mind has forgotten why.”
She squeezed Nicki’s shoulders. “And now we have to make sure you are healthy too.”
Nicki nearly groaned. “I’m good—really I’m good.”
“You are sick though?” the queen asked, and the question was so gentle, so unexpected, that Nicki blinked at her.
“I’m…I’m maybe sick,” she said, the admission almost a relief. “I definitely have a disconnect going on. I get too dizzy, I black out. I—my family has a history of heart problems, as Stefan said. I guess…” She shrugged. “I guess I didn’t want to find out I did too. I wanted to live my life going full out.”
“Being smart doesn’t mean being an invalid, you know,” Catherine said, and though her voice was stern, her eyes were soft. “And I’m not only pressing on this for your benefit, although of course that is important.”
She turned, still not quite letting Nicki go, until they both could see the cluster of men at the far end of the room. Dimitri and Kristos were practically coming out of their skin with electric energy, Stefan was arguing with Cyril—and Jasen, now that no one was watching him, had allowed his expression to soften. He gazed across the room at his wife, vibrant with joy, and a hope that Nicki hadn’t ever realized she’d missed firmly reflected in his face. Queen Catherine gave Nicki’s arm a squeeze, her smile radiant as she beamed back at her husband.
“Love is too important to squander, too precious to miss out on,” the queen said. Nicki turned to her in surprise, and she nodded to the men again. Specifically, to Stefan.
“Oh—you have the wrong idea.” Nicki shook her head brusquely. “Stefan and I—I mean—we barely know each other. We couldn’t fall in love, not that quickly. We’re just…friends.”
“Friends,” the queen said soberly. “And do you regard all your friends with your entire soul in your eyes, ready to give and give and give until there is nothing left? Do you stand as if your hands are reaching out to connect with the other, ready to offer your whole life up in that one touch, when you haven’t even moved?”
“I…” Nicki winced. “I didn’t realize I looked like that.”
“You don’t,” the queen said. “Stefan does.”
She hugged her more tightly as Nicki froze. “I have known that boy since he came to our halls as an orphaned teenager, ravaged with grief and rage. I have seen him grow up and into his own person under our roof, filled with the fire to serve. He was so icy, so sure of himself at every step, it nearly drove me mad. I have seen him look at women, too—beautiful women from all over the world. And none of them can compare with how he looks at you.”
She turned to Nicki, and her eyes were filled with tears again. “Ari wasn’t the only man you’ve helped find his way home again, Nicki. Stefan has too. Please don’t ever let him go.”
Stefan glanced up as the queen finally stepped away from Nicki, his stomach churning over what the queen might have said to her. Clearly she hadn’t explained the Rite of Garronia, since Nicki hadn’t fainted.
He excused himself from the knot of strategizing that he suspected would go on far into the night between Kristos, Cyril, Dimitri and Jasen, and strode across the room. The queen smoothed her hands over her eyes, whisking away tears, and took her leave of Nicki, stepping toward Stefan with purpose.
He knew Catherine’s ultimate goal was the men behind him, but her focus was fully on him, her stare intent as he met her in the center of the sitting room. She paused briefly, then speared him with a glare.
“If you don’t tell that woman you love her, I will personally make your life miserable for the next five years,” she said. “She’s a national treasure, and I have every expectation that you will make her our national treasure.”
Then she was gone.
Stefan didn’t break stride, sparing only a moment to blink a few times as he assimilated the queen’s words. He’d known from the start the queen had an incurable penchant for matchmaking, but he hadn’t expected it to manifest so…clearly. He waited for the flash of resistance to come in the wake of the queen’s high-handed command, as it always did when she made completely unreasonable requests with the full confidence that her dictates would be followed.
But no resistance came. If anything, his mind instantly set to work, going through the possibilities, considering the angles.
Nicki, for her part, was smiling gamely at him as he reached her.
“So it’s going to be okay, right?” she asked, and he quirked her a glance.
“They’re—happy,” she said, waving at the knot of people across the room. “Glad that you found the prince, that he’s here safely, despite that he’s not quite right yet. He will be normal again one day, or whatever will become the new normal for him. And he’s safe.”
Stefan nodded. “They’re
happy. They’re beyond happy. Their son is safe, he is returned. I suspect that even if he’s unable to remember who he is—who they are—that disappointment will pale in comparison to the reality that there remains a lifetime of new memories to forge.” He glanced back to where the royal family stood, arguing exuberantly over the best course of treatment for Ari’s recovery. “The queen will win her battle to ensure Fran becomes party of the therapy team. Do you know if she’ll be prepared for that?”
To his surprise, Nicki didn’t answer right away. Instead she frowned thoughtfully.
“I think she will,” she said at last. Her natural tendency will be to say yes, of course—especially if she’s not acting in an official capacity. But Fran has always been the quietest of all of us. She studied a lot, and she didn’t really go out much, and then she was gone with her training and thesis work overseas. I don’t know as much about her as I do Lauren and Emmaline, that’s for sure.”
Stefan frowned, and Nicki rushed in with reassurance. “But she’ll be great in whatever the family and doctors decides should be her role, seriously. She’s dependable, really she is.”
“There seems to be a fair amount of that going around.”
Nicki’s smile was genuine. “What can I say—I’ve got good friends.”
“And they’re lucky to have you,” Stefan said. They’d moved to the far end of the room, where the windows overlooked the sea—a dim patch in the darkness as the night fell swiftly over the island. There were several more beautiful locations in the villa, but few that were so private. And privacy had been critical for this conversation. The entire family would retire to the other houses soon, keeping out of sight of Ari.
But Stefan found he couldn’t wait another second for what he wanted to say—what he needed to say. He turned to Nicki and took her hands in his. “I’ve been very lucky to have you, too,” he murmured.
Nicki froze in Stefan’s grasp, the light hold of his fingertips somehow too strong for her to escape—and she didn’t want to escape, if she was honest with herself. Stefan seemed to be waiting for her to say something though, and she stammered out a response. “Well—I mean, thank you. I’m lucky to—”
“No, I don’t think you understand.” Stefan squeezed her hands, seeming to send warmth directly to her, through her fingers, into her veins, swirling in a tight protective whirl of strength and focus. “When you first walked into my life, you turned it upside down. Inside out. I’d never met anyone like you, and I didn’t want to know you.”
Nicki blinked. “Oh,” she managed, stung to the quick. She tried to pull her hands away, but Stefan wouldn’t let go.
“I realized instantly how much you would change me,” he said instead. “How you would smile at me and brighten my whole world, how you would challenge and provoke me, irritate and frustrate me. And most of all, how you would make it impossible for me to live for even one day without knowing that you were safe, you were healthy. That you were mine.”
Nicki jolted, jerking her gaze up to meet Stefan’s when she realized she’d been staring at his mouth, as if she couldn’t quite process the words that were coming out of it. His eyes were the color of a winter sea, a turbulent blue gray, and she felt her heart kick up its pace, not frantically, not erratically…but as powerful and true as Stefan himself, standing like a rock in the storm that was building around her.
“I—I don’t—I didn’t mean to upset you,” she finally said, and Stefan’s fierce expression wavered, a warmth coming into his eyes as his lips curved into a tender smile—a more gentle smile than she’d ever seen on his face.
“But you did upset me, Nicki. You changed everything for me by walking into that room. I know you have a life beyond these walls, beyond the four corners of this kingdom. You have an entire world of adventures to live. But I’d be lying if I told you that I didn’t want you share those adventures with me. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want you to stay with me—by my side—to see what we could find if we explored this world together. Not racing each other to the finish line, not seeing who ends up first at the top of the hill, but seeing how fast and how well we can run together, pulling and pushing each other if need be, or simply holding each other close. That’s…” he swallowed, and his smile faltered a little, his expression suddenly a little dazed, as if he hadn’t expected to say all those words at once. “That’s what I wanted to say. To ask you, really. If—if you’d consider remaining for a while longer in Garronia.”
Nicki wanted to respond—she really did. She wanted to speak with the same flowing and beautiful words that Stefan had. Words that no one had ever said to her, no one could have probably imagined saying to her, even if she’d slowed down long enough to let them. But the tears welled up in her eyes and she shook her head, hard, her voice barely a rasp as she finally managed speech.
“I—yes,” she said, her heart overflowing with its own set of tears, dissolving and breaking all the tight web of protections she’d built up around it for so many years. “Yes, Stefan. I don’t have to go home right away. I can live anywhere in the world, I think, as…” She let her gaze fix on his, his beautiful eyes steady and true, staring back at her. “As long as you’re there too.”
Her words were barely a whisper, but it didn’t seem to matter as Stefan bent toward her, claiming her mouth with his.
“It’s going to be all right,” he said, when he finally broke away from her. “You’ll have to trust me on this.”
Only then did she hear the sound of applause.
Nicki’s head came up, as Stefan turned with her, his arms around her as if he thought she would fall. But he stood with her, not before or behind her, as she looked out at people she had come to care about impossibly much over the past few weeks. The king and queen, standing together with hands clasped. Dimitri and Kristos and even Cyril, all of them watching Stefan as if he had six heads.
And Queen Catherine, her face radiant with delight, her hands clasped to her heart as if her every wish had somehow come true.
“Welcome to the family, Nicki,” she said, beaming. “Thank you for bringing us home.”
Epilogue
Nicki lay collapsed on the chaise beside a crystal blue pool, every muscle in her body screaming in muted agony. Beside her, Stefan lay with a towel draped over his head. A tray between them held fruit juices and a collection of sugary pastries, but neither of them had the energy to stretch that far, not even for food.
“Those people were barbarians,” Nicki groaned.
“They were…certainly thorough.” Stefan sighed as he pulled the towel down his face, his starkly beautiful features appearing untroubled, as if they hadn’t just run the equivalent of a marathon uphill carrying bricks. “They’ll have preliminary results soon, I suspect, but I consider the fact that neither one of us collapsed a good thing.”
She didn’t miss the concern threading through his wry comment. If it were possible to hover from a treadmill across a gym floor, Stefan had hovered. First through the bloodwork, then through the VO2 max stress test, then through the window as they’d been taken in separately to be scanned. Nicki had undergone an echocardiogram test, sort of an ultrasound for the heart, and the techs had retained professionally neutral expressions throughout the entire procedure—the same kind of expressions that the diabolical personal trainers had worn as they put them through every muscle, sprint and endurance stress test Nicki had ever heard of, and a few she hadn’t.
But Stefan was right. She’d not passed out or gotten dizzy. She’d taken every challenge up to the point where she felt uncomfortable, and then backed off, determined to do only as much as she could without pushing herself to a limit that no one asked of her—a limit no one wanted her to hit. It was strange, not going all out, but it was right too. She had a reason to protect herself.
She smiled at Stefan. “It’s been one good thing after another, it seems.”
He nodded, but his expression turned more serious at her words. “It has,” he said. “And there’
s something I really do need to explain to you.”
As if on cue, all of Nicki’s neuroses leapt to the fore. She and Stefan had retired to separate rooms the night before, but she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about his words in front of the royal family. She opened her mouth to tell him it was okay, that he could take it back, that he could—and then he said something that made the words die in her throat.
“You’re going to receive the Rite of Garronia, Nicki. Do you know what that means?”
She frowned at him. “The what?” Then her eyes widened. “Oh, right! The queen said that yesterday.”
“Do you know what it is?” he asked again.
From the severity of his face, she decided honesty was the best policy here. “Umm…no. Is it bad?”
He shook his head. “Not at all. It’s—it’s perhaps best stated as an honored position within the borders of Garronia. You’re not a citizen, but you’ll enjoy the benefits of one.”
“Oh!” Nicki considered that. “That sounds good.”
“And a yearly stipend,” Stefan continued, holding her gaze. “And a home, fully paid for, in your name. So that you would always feel welcome here.”
“A…” Unaccountably, Nicki’s eyes felt wet. She blinked, hard, to clear them. “Are you insane?” A home? A home here, with Stefan? Was that even possible?
His smile was infinitely tender. “There’s more—but you get the idea.”
Nicki gaped at him a moment longer, then stiffened as Stefan’s expression changed, his gaze focusing over her shoulder.
“It’s a doctor,” he murmured.
As one they sat up on their chaises, and Nicki did reach for the juice then. If she was about to get bad news, she deserved some sugar in her system.
The doctor who strode up was part of the medical team assigned to Ari, not one of the techs who’d worked on them, and Nicki went cold inside. This wasn’t someone who knew her. This was someone who could only see tests and numbers and statistics, who could make decisions without knowing her spirit or soul, who—
Claimed: Gowns & Crowns, Book 3 Page 22