Royal Arrangement #4

by Renna Peak

“Wonderful.” I close my hand over Justine’s. “What do you say, wife—shall I show you to our rooms?”

  I don’t miss the way King Max’s mouth twitches again at even this mild show of affection. I’m not sure why he proposed this arranged marriage if he was so opposed to the idea of me showing any affection for his daughter, but I intend to get to the bottom of that, too.

  Justine’s thoughts seem to be trending in a similar direction. As soon as we’ve left the receiving chamber, her smile falls, replaced by concern.

  “I don’t know why he’d lie to me about where he was going,” she says softly, almost to herself. “I mean, he doesn’t normally tell me all the details of his kingly business, but why wouldn’t he tell us he was coming to Montovia?” She starts biting her nail again. “I wonder if Reginald knows he’s here.”

  “Do you think it means trouble?” I ask.

  “It certainly can’t mean anything good,” she responds. “But maybe…maybe I’m just reading too much into it.”

  You and me both. I pull her closer to my side. “Don’t worry—my father knows how to handle himself. He may be dealing with a few health issues, but he can outwit your father any day.” I look down at her. “No offense.”

  “None taken.” She smiles, but the worry still lingers in her eyes.

  It’s still there when we reach my suite.

  “I’m not sure dinner tonight is such a good idea,” she says.

  “But it might give us some insight into what your father is doing here,” I say. “I plan on talking to my father later, too. I’ll feel much better once I know what’s going on.”

  She nods, but she still doesn’t look entirely convinced. I turn and pull her into my arms, drawing her close.

  “We have a long time until dinner,” I tell her, dropping my voice low. “And I plan on doing everything in my power to make you forget about your father until then.”

  That hint of a smile returns. “Do you, now?”

  “I do.” I let my hand drift up her back, my nails grazing her lightly. “And first things first—I think I’d like to fuck you a third time in this dress.”

  That earns me a real laugh. “The poor thing will be in pieces before this is over.”

  “If I do my job right.” I grin. “Then we’ll catch up on sleep, grab some lunch, then maybe this afternoon I’ll show you some of my favorite spots in the city. What do you say?”

  Her smile widens, and she stands on her toes to throw her arms around my neck.

  “I say that this dress suddenly feels very, very hot,” she murmurs. And she pulls my face down to hers.

  Justine

  The rest of the day doesn’t go exactly as William had planned, but I’m sure neither of us would complain. Instead of going out and seeing the sights of the capital city, William and I stay in bed and have lunch served in our room. I have no idea how it happened, but we can’t seem to get enough of each other.

  My bag finally arrives late in the afternoon. Still nestled in William’s arms, I watch as the valet sets the suitcase inside the closet, never even turning to look at us.

  As soon as he’s gone, William pulls me even tighter to him, whispering in my ear. “We have time for another go before dinner.”

  I laugh—I can’t remember the last time I was like this, giggling like a young girl. But I’m also the happiest I’ve been in a long time. Everything that happened only yesterday seems a distant memory, and I can somehow now imagine myself in William’s arms for the rest of my life.

  How did this happen?

  He slides his hand the length of my side, grabbing my ass and pulling it into him.

  I catch him by the arm, still laughing. “We really should get ready for dinner.”

  He pecks a kiss on my forehead. “I suppose you’re right.” He slides his hand down to the back of my thigh, pulling it over his. “We’ll have to do this in the shower.”

  I slap playfully at his shoulder. “As much as I’d like that, I’m not sure we’ll accomplish much if we shower together.”

  “Oh, we’ll accomplish plenty, I assure you.” He grins at me, pecking again at my forehead as his hand caresses the back of my thigh. “I can be very helpful at getting certain things…accomplished.”

  “As you’ve shown me many times now.” I kiss him on the cheek before I try to wriggle from his grasp.

  He holds me firmly, making me wriggle even more, and I struggle with him until we’re both laughing.

  “William…”

  He grins. “Justine…”

  “This is what I’m talking about. If you’ll give me ten minutes, I’ll be back, and I promise we’ll have another—how did you put it? Go at it?” I nod as his grin widens. “After dinner. Perhaps multiple goes.”

  He slides his hands over my bare back. “As delightful as that sounds, I think sharing a shower now sounds even better.”

  “But the point is, I need to prepare for dinner. For some reason, I suspect you may not allow me to do that.”

  He smiles down at me before pecking another kiss to my lips. “Indeed, I may not. But you would get wet. And there may be soap involved—”

  “Ten minutes. And I promise I’ll return to you.”

  “To my bed?”

  I slap again at his chest. “Not to your bed. To you. So that we might have dinner with our fathers.”

  He sighs before giving me another grin. “Right. Though that doesn’t seem nearly as important as other things.”

  Perhaps we should just skip dinner—I don’t believe I’ll be able to confront my father about anything. I never have before, and I doubt very much that tonight will be any different. Besides, I’m not sure I want to know what he’s doing here in Montovia.

  William seems to read my mind. “We could miss dinner. We could just go and see my mother later—I’m sure she’d love to see us. And of course…” His voice trails off and he doesn’t finish the thought.

  “Of course, what?” I look up into his eyes.

  He shrugs. “I hadn’t really thought of it until now. But…” He pauses again. “Andrew and Victoria are sure to be at dinner. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable—”

  I interrupt him by sliding my hand down his back until I’m grabbing his ass, much as he was just doing to me. I pull him toward me, tightening my leg over his. “Why would I be uncomfortable?”

  His grin slowly starts to widen.

  “Trust me, William. I found the right brother.” I squeeze his ass for a second before releasing him.

  “And this is why I love you.”

  It’s like all the air has been sucked from the room. William’s eyes widen to saucers, and his grin falls immediately. He looks at me with his mouth open, almost as though he’s said the worst thing he could have possibly said. His lips begin to move like he wants to say something, but no words come out.

  A few more moments pass before he finally speaks. “That…that…”

  “I love you, too, William.” I smile up at him. “Was that the big proclamation you wanted to make today?”

  He nods, his mouth still hanging open. “Not…not exactly like that, however.”

  I give him a small shrug. “I think I’d have preferred it like this over some big show.”

  “Really?” He tilts his head, looking down into my eyes. “I’d meant to make it quite romantic, if I ever said it. I’d always imagined taking you to the Elizabetta Gardens, kneeling in front of you…”

  “That’s very sweet.” I lift my hand to his cheek. “And you may do that if you wish, but you should know I’ll never need a show. Romantic gestures are lovely, but I much prefer this—what we have at this moment. Something real.”

  “I love you, Justine. I do. I don’t know when it happened.” There are so many emotions in his eyes, and I’m not sure what any of them are. But I know everything about what he’s saying is genuine.

  “I don’t know when it happened for me, either. And I am sorry. For everything I’ve put you through. For being an unbearab
le bitch for so long—”

  He interrupts, grabbing my hand. “You weren’t. Well, you weren’t the only one.” He turns my wrist over, kissing the inside of it. “We should promise now to never make each other miserable again.”

  I laugh. “That’s a ridiculous promise, William. But I will promise to try.”

  He grins. “As will I.” He dips his head and kisses me deeply, pulling away after a long moment. “I’m going to try every day, Justine. You make me want to.”

  I smile up at him. “You make me want to, too.”

  William

  I’m so happy that even the prospect of dinner with our fathers can’t bring me down.

  I’m grinning the entire time as I dress for dinner, and Justine is, too. More than once I interrupt her by coming up behind her and pulling her into my arms, then kissing her on her shoulder, her neck, her ear—anywhere I can reach. Every time, she laughs and wiggles out of my arms. “If you don’t stop that, we’ll be late.”

  Somehow, we both manage to get dressed and out the door on time, and she hooks her arm through mine as we head down the corridor.

  We’ve finally done it, I think, closing my hand over hers. We’ve finally found our common ground. We can finally begin building our life together, instead of fighting our circumstances.

  I look down at her. She’s in a pale blue gown that highlights her dark hair. Her skin seems to glow, and her cheeks are still a little flushed. She looks so beautiful it makes me ache. Suddenly, without warning, I grab her and pull her into an alcove, pressing her up against the wall. Before she even has the chance to utter a sound of surprise, my mouth comes down on hers,

  Heat explodes through me at the first touch of our lips. She seems to be experiencing a similar reaction, judging by the way she pulls me closer. My hands twine in her hair, and my hips press against hers, allowing her to feel how much I want her right now, even after the many, many times we joined today.

  I could take her right here, I find myself thinking. No one ever comes this way, anyway. I could pull up her gown, lift up her leg, and…

  She laughs against my lips and pulls away.

  “Dinner,” she says breathlessly.

  “Fuck dinner. Who cares if we’re a little late?”

  “My father, for one.”

  Her voice is still light as she says it, but the mention of King Max brings both of us back down to earth instantly. Her smile falls, and I find myself releasing her and stepping back.

  Yeah, I suppose it’s important to go learn what my bastard of a father-in-law is up to. I sigh and rub the back of my neck. Nothing kills the mood like a bastard father-in-law.

  We’re much more subdued as we continue down the corridor again. Justine takes my arm once more, smiling up at me, but I can see the concern in her eyes. She’s just as nervous about this dinner as I am.

  When we reach the dining room, neither of our fathers have arrived yet. But my brother Andrew and his fiancée Victoria are there. Victoria grins when she sees me.

  “We’d heard you decided to pop in for a surprise visit,” she says, coming toward me.

  “Yes, our mother was quite delighted to hear you were here,” Andrew adds. “Though a little put out that you didn’t immediately come to greet her.”

  There’s a pang of embarrassment in my stomach. I should have gone to see my mother as soon as we arrived.

  “We’ve been resting for most of the day,” I say. “We traveled through the night to get here.”

  My brother gives a small smile and claps me on the shoulder. “I understand that, but our mother might take a little convincing.”

  “Not just our mother,” comes a voice from the door.

  My stomach sinks even further when I turn to see Sophia standing there, staring at me with murderous intent. “You left me stranded in Berlin with that pompous asshole!”

  Andrew comes to my aid. “You were hardly stranded, Sophia. You had the means and the knowledge to get yourself home. But if we’re laying blame, you and William both left Nicholas in Rosvalia without a word.”

  Sophia’s cheeks go pink. “That was different. It was an emergency. Time was of the essence.” She turns her sisterly glare onto me again and crosses her arms. “And Nicholas wasn’t stuck with some annoying American—”

  “What in heaven’s name is everyone arguing about?”

  Everyone goes silent. My mother has appeared in the doorway, and she’s surveying all of us as if we’re a bunch of disobedient children. When her eyes land on me, though, her expression softens somewhat, and she smiles even as she shakes her head.

  “William,” she begins.

  “I know. I should have come and greeted you the moment we arrived,” I say, moving toward her with my arms outstretched. “It’s good to see you, Mother.”

  “And you.” She pulls me into a hug, gripping me tightly. “Oh, I’ve missed you, William.”

  “It’s only been a few weeks.”

  “That’s a very long time for a mother.” She releases me, and I notice the faint glitter of tears in her eyes as she backs up. “But I’m glad you made it home. And Justine.” She turns to my wife. “It’s wonderful to see you, too.”

  Justine begins to curtsy, but before she can finish, my mother reaches out and hugs her, too. Justine shoots me a startled look before allowing herself to return the hug.

  “It’s so good to have you here, my dear,” my mother says. “You’re welcome any time.” She gives Justine a kiss on the cheek and releases her. “All of my children’s families are welcome here whenever they like. These halls are so much more lively when everyone’s here.” She surveys all of us again, and her grin widens. “Ah, and I can’t wait for the grandchildren to begin arriving! It’s been too long since we’ve had children in the palace.”

  I look at Justine, imagining the four heirs we need to make, trying to picture what our sons might look like. But my wife suddenly appears to be very interested in getting the wrinkles out of her skirt. She doesn’t even glance my way.

  “Speaking of children,” I say, trying to distract myself from the strange sinking feeling in my gut, “are Leo and Elle joining us tonight?”

  “Not tonight,” my mother says. “Elle’s getting close to her due date, and the physician has put her on bed rest. They take most of their meals in their suite, but I’m sure they’d love a visit from you later.”

  “Of course,” I say. I can’t believe that very soon I’ll have a baby niece or nephew—it seems like only yesterday Leo and I were little boys, chasing each other around the palace grounds and playing pranks on Andrew.

  I almost say as much out loud, but a sudden tension comes over me, and I realize everyone else has tensed up, too. When I glance back at the door, I see that my father and King Maximilian have finally arrived.

  “Good evening, everyone,” my father says. “Thank you for joining us for this formal dinner tonight. And may I say what an honor it is to have two such esteemed guests from our beloved neighbor Rosvalia.”

  King Max doesn’t quite manage to hide his sneer as he strides toward his seat at one end of the table.

  This is certainly going to be fun, I think wryly as I lead Justine to our chairs. She’s been placed next to her father, and I’m sitting beside her.

  Everyone else takes their seats as well, with my father sitting directly across from King Maximilian at the opposite end of the table. The jovialness of a few moments ago is gone, replaced by a somber formality.

  Justine’s hand brushes mine beneath the table. The touch is so light that at first I think it’s just an accident, but then I notice the stiffness in her body. Her hand brushes mine again, and this time, I sense the wordless plea. I lace my fingers through hers beneath the table. When I try to pull her hand closer to me, though, she resists. It takes me a moment to realize that she’s trying to keep our clasped hands well out of sight, away from the notice of her father.

  I look at her more closely. She’s smiling, but the expression is forced.
She’s worried about something, and I have a feeling it’s about more than just her father’s presence. I squeeze her hand tighter, then shift my eyes to King Maximilian.

  He’s not looking at his daughter. Instead, he’s studying my family, and if I had to guess from his expression, he’s finding the lot of us well beneath his tastes.

  You’d think he’d at least try to hide his contempt in front of my father, I think. King Max seems especially displeased by Andrew and Victoria, but after the way Andrew publicly embarrassed Rosvalia, I’m not surprised by that.

  Still. My attention moves back to my wife, who’s trying desperately to appear happy and calm.

  There’s something going on here. And I don’t intend to leave this table until I find out what it is.

  Justine

  My father keeps looking at me in a way that makes my stomach churn. I have to believe that the reason he is even in Montovia is because of the arrangement he and I made when I agreed to marry William.

  A few days ago, I would have been happy to have an annulment of my marriage. It would have been a welcome relief from the non-stop torture that seems to have followed us from the day we wed. But now… Now, I’m still not certain we would be ready to marry under normal circumstances, but given that we are already married, it would be silly to end things right when they seem to finally be headed in our favor.

  But I entered into an agreement with my father. I didn’t know the specifics of his plan—I was barely listening to him when he offered to allow me to get out of the marriage after three months. I had been thinking of little other than leaving this life for good. Of having a fresh start, one where I’d have a reasonable chance of living a normal life.

  Of course, nothing about my life is normal, even now, but things seem to have turned around with William. The childish games have stopped. The jealous rages William seems to fly into have ended, at least for the moment.

  It all seems so long ago now—the things that happened in Montovia that caused this whole arrangement in the first place. I glance across the table at Prince Andrew. He doesn’t seem to notice my gaze at all—as always, he is focused solely on his fiancée, Victoria. And while the thought of how Andrew humiliated me on international television still stings, I can’t fault him for wanting to marry for love.