Father grinned. “There’s actually a visitor waiting for you in the gardens.”
“A visitor?”
“Yes. If I were you, I wouldn’t keep the doctor waiting.”
I practically lunged at my father as I circled my arms around him, trapping him in the tightest hug ever. I was so unbelievably happy that I couldn’t find the right words to thank him. The overwhelming relief and joy that surged through me had the corners of my eyes watering and my pulse galloping like a free stallion in a wide field. Father placed his hand on my hand and chuckled. “Get going, Princess. The poor man’s been waiting almost an hour. I’m sure he’s quite eager to see you.”
23
Leo
I couldn’t remember the last time I was this nervous. Maybe right before my doctor’s exam, perhaps? Or when I was deployed into the field for the first time under fire from heavy bullets and artillery shells. Or maybe when I first saw Giselle on the Obsidian Vow, and I realized I’d been blessed just to be in her presence. I paced back and forth in the gardens along a cobblestone path, focusing on the sound of my shoe heels clicking beneath me as I stepped. It was the only way I could keep myself grounded, kept myself from panicking. I knew if I let my mind wander for even a second, I’d be a bumbling, chaotic mess. That wasn’t how I wanted Giselle to see me.
If she came to see me.
For what must have been the seventh time that minute, I wiped my palms on the fabric of my pants to dry them. I was shivering, though I wasn’t cold. There was just so much nervous energy building up inside my chest that I couldn’t stop moving about, intentionally or not. I kept fiddling with my hair, kept adjusting the collar of my shirt. I wanted everything to go perfectly for when Giselle showed up. She deserved nothing less. Moments of doubt would creep into my thoughts, but I forced my mind to blank every time my feet began to feel cold. I silently cursed myself for not having written anything down, for not having a speech prepared. Maybe if I knew what I was going to say, I wouldn’t have felt so terribly underprepared.
I would have laughed aloud had I not been so worried about making a fool of myself. For some reason, being a doctor on the battlefield was easier work than trying to propose to the woman of my dreams. Maybe my time away from the Navy had really made me soft, but I knew that couldn’t have been the case. It was just that Giselle meant everything to me. Her smile, her laugh, her every spoken word made me feel happier than I could ever possibly think to explain. I only had this one chance to ask her to marry me. Perhaps it was the thought of losing her altogether, of having her say no and turn away that had me shaking so hard.
I took a seat on the edge of a concrete planter, only to immediately shoot up again when I heard footsteps approaching. I whipped around, heart drumming loudly in my ear. The air around me was too thin to breathe, so I felt like I was drowning on dry land. When I caught a glimpse of long brunette hair over the tops of the garden’s perfectly trimmed shrubs, my stomach nearly bottomed out to leave me feeling hollow. I couldn’t see the person’s face yet because there were too many flowers and trees in the way, but I was certain it was her.
I’d recognize Giselle anywhere.
She rounded the corner and stopped, leaving a good yard or so of distance between us. My whole body ached to move closer, but there was so much uncertainty pumping through my veins that it left me frozen in place. Giselle looked gorgeous. She always looked gorgeous. But today, especially so. Surrounded by a canvas of colorful flowers and perfectly highlighted by the golden rays of the sun, she looked nothing less than supernatural. Giselle was in a silk dress of royal blue and peach. The flowing fabric looked lighter and softer than the clouds above us. When she walked, she looked like she was floating.
Giselle laced her fingers together in front of her and smiled at me. “Leo,” she said calmly. “I wasn’t expecting you to visit.”
I swallowed. My throat was dry and raspy. “I’m sorry to just drop in like this,” I mumbled, my voice uncharacteristically shaky. “I had something I needed to tell you.”
Giselle nodded, but was the first to open her mouth to speak. “Before you do, I need to tell you something first.”
“Um, okay?”
She gestured gracefully with an open palm to a nearby bench beneath a peach tree. None of its fruits had ripened yet, still taking their time to blossom. We sat together in the middle, a healthy space between us. I had to wonder if we were being watched. Since we were still on palace grounds, I had to assume that Giselle’s personal security detail was close by.
“I just got out of a meeting with the royal matchmaker,” she explained slowly, softly. Even though I didn’t like the words coming out of her mouth, I could appreciate the sweet tone of her voice. I would listen forever if she’d let me.
I pressed my lips into a thin line and did my best not to lose my composure. “I’d heard.”
“The truth is, no matter how many candidates I was shown, I couldn’t pick one.”
My heart rose up and gripped onto the inner walls of my throat. “Oh?”
“I spoke with Father at length about it. What it ultimately boils down to is…” Giselle trailed off, almost like she was unable to find the right words. It took her a moment before she said, “It goes against tradition for a commoner to ask a member of the royal family to wed.”
My whole body went cold. My guts were solid ice, my lungs were cold metal. This wasn’t how I pictured things going at all. After everything we’d been through, after my conversation with the king, was it really going to end like this? King Maximillian was right. It was going to be Giselle’s choice. But I couldn’t stand the thought of her putting her duty before her own happiness.
“Giselle, I–”
“But,” she interrupted me quickly, “there is nothing against a member of the royal family asking a commoner to wed.”
I held my breath. “Does this mean–”
Giselle reached out and took my hands in hers, smiling brilliantly. Her cheeks and the tips of her ears were flushed pink, and the corners of her eyes were welling up with tears. She looked just as nervous and shaky as I felt. “Leo,” she whispered, “our year apart lasted much too long. I want you to answer honestly. If I… If I were to ask you to marry me, you’d no longer be allowed to work as a doctor. You’d have to leave your private life behind and face constant scrutiny for everything you do. It’s not all fun and games. Life by my side is a never-ending list of responsibilities and keeping up appearances.”
I squeezed her hands. “Giselle, I promise you that as long as I get to be with you, I’ll be the happiest man on Earth. I’ll do right by you. I’ll do what has to be done. Because to me, you’re worth it.”
Giselle took a deep breath. “Then, if that’s the case…” She worried her bottom lip before proceeding. “Lieutenant Commander Leonard Pratchett.”
“Yes, Princess Giselle?”
“Would you… Would you do me the honor of…” A light, breathy giggle escaped her lips. “Would you do me the honor of marrying me?”
I nodded, happier than I’d ever been in my entire life. I reached out and cupped her face in my hands, leaning in to press my mouth to hers. Everything clicked into place. I couldn’t believe what was happening. After waiting for so long to have Giselle in my arms again, I was finally going to be able to have her for the rest of my life. If I was dreaming, I didn’t want to wake up. I pulled away slowly and chuckled against her lips, “Absolutely, yes.”
Giselle smiled and kissed me again, breaking away when she just couldn’t help but giddily laugh. “Let’s take this inside,” she suggested.
I stood immediately, scooping her up into my arms. “As you wish, Princess.”
24
Giselle
We weren’t hiding. There was nothing to hide anymore.
The news of our engagement spread through the palace like wildfire. It was only a matter of time before the rest of Idolia found out too. But in the meantime, the house attendants and the royal guards all
seemed to be keeping their distance to give Leo and I some much-needed quality time.
We were practically tripping over ourselves by the time we finally reached my bed chambers. The second we stepped inside, Leo spun me around and pinned me against the door, kissing me feverishly as his hands explored every inch of my body. I melted into his touch, desperate to have Leo as close as possible. Ever since our kiss at the hospital, I’d been burning to have his weight against me. He’d awoken something almost animalistic, something that sought out pleasure and release like a frantic cause.
I almost ripped his shirt right off of him, immediately kissing his bare chest and breathing in deeply. Leo smelled as delicious as I remembered, and the warmth of his skin filled me with a yearning I could barely describe. I wanted him so badly, and now that nothing was standing in our way, I could finally relax and show him exactly what he meant to me without fear of being caught. We were in the clear, and I was going to make the most of every second for the rest of our lives.
We fumbled over to my bed. It was covered in the fluffiest pile of pillows and the softest silk-covered duvets. Leo and I fell into bed together, hastily stripping out of our clothes like our lives depended on it. He held my hands down above my head against the mattress, lips locked together. I became more and more aware of the blossoming heat between my legs as Leo kissed his way down my neck, teased my breasts, snaked his way down my navel, and finally positioned himself between my knees. With a quick and firm flick of his tongue against my swollen clit, an uncontrollable jolt of electricity seized my body as I gasped.
Leo firmly grabbed me by the hips as he drew little circles with his tongue, somehow knowing exactly when to apply more pressure and when to ease up. My whole body was trembling beneath his attention, a building heat in the pit of my stomach growing in intensity. Heavy moans rose up out of my lungs as I threw my head back, closing my eyes so that I could focus more intensely on Leo’s clever work.
It was when I felt the press of his fingers at my entrance that a massive shiver shot up and down my spine. Leo began to curl his fingers inside me, passing over my sweet spot again and again. Accompanied with his adamant tongue, I grew incredibly dizzy, panting his name until it didn’t even sound like I was making sense to my own ears. The surge of pleasure that exploded and radiated outwards left me shaking, moaning so loudly that the rest of the world momentarily faded out. My head was fuzzy, thoughts of Leo the only thing on my mind. He pulled away slowly and got up on his knees.
I could finally drink in his sight. He was just as strong and muscular as I remembered. His long, throbbing cock stood erect, its head red and swollen and eager for release. Leo gazed down at me in something akin to awe, pupils blown wide as his lips were parted to accommodate his heavy breathing.
“You don’t happen to have a condom around, do you?” he asked quickly.
I shook my head. “It’s not proper for a princess to have such a thing in her private bed chambers.”
Leo licked his lips. “Well, we could always just–”
Before he could go anywhere, I hooked my legs around his waist and grinned up at him. I adored the way the sunlight painted his skin golden orange through the window curtains. “You said you wanted a big family,” I giggled. “What do you say we get a head start?”
Leo’s beautiful eyes lit up like fireworks. “You mean that?”
I nodded. “I really do.”
He let out a short laugh before laying on top of me, scooping one of his arms behind my neck to support my head. Our lips found each other in an instant, tongues sweeping over one another like a well-rehearsed dance. The taste of his mouth was just as sweet as I remembered it. As we kissed, Leo shifted and lined his throbbing cock with my entrance, taking his time to press in against my tight walls. He groaned into my mouth, and his voice vibrated in my chest, momentarily distracting me from the blunt stretch as he entered me.
I couldn’t describe in words how perfectly complete I felt in that moment. With Leo holding me so close, his hot length pulsing inside of me, I’d managed to find myself in a state of total unadulterated bliss. Leo started to shift his weight forward, snapping his hips into me slowly at first, like he was testing the waters. But it didn’t take very long before his rhythm picked up, his greedy cock in search of delicious friction. I wrapped my arms around him and allowed him to kiss the air right out of me. With every thrust, he managed to hit me in my sweet spot. A tightening pressure within me started to build up, and even though I was still exhausted from my first climax, I was more than excited to come all over again.
“I love you,” he whispered against my mouth. “I love you, Giselle.”
I tightened my grasp around him. “I love you too.”
With a few more snaps of his hips, we both came undone, groaning and moaning each other’s names in a breathy, euphoric haze. I could feel Leo pulsing inside me, filling me with his seed. We lay there for what felt like hours, gazing into each other’s eyes with the intent of getting lost together. We shared lazy, unhurried kisses. There wasn’t any need to rush. Now that I had made up my mind and chosen the love of my life, I didn’t intend on hurrying anywhere except into Leo’s open arms.
“Oh, I forgot something,” he said after a moment.
I raised my eyebrows. “What is it?”
Leo unfortunately had to get up from the bed and tread across the room to locate his jacket, which had been discarded over the back of my vanity chair. He reached into the pocket and pulled something out, a small item that fit in the palm of his hand. Leo returned to me, just as I was sure he would a thousand times more, and lay down beside me. He placed a little velvet ring box down on the mattress between us, pulling open the lid to reveal a gorgeous diamond ring inside.
“It was my grandmother’s,” he explained. “I was just so happy you asked me to marry you that I forgot to give you this.”
I giggled as I plucked the ring from the box and slipped it onto my finger. It sparkled in the lazy light of the afternoon sun, capturing my attention and filling me with a sense of belonging and surety. Never in a million years did I think I’d get to marry a wonderful, sweet, courteous, handsome man like Leo. When he was near, I felt instantly calmer, safer. I couldn’t wait to spend the rest of my days as Queen with Leo ruling by my side.
“I can’t wait to marry you,” I whispered sleepily.
Leo smiled and nodded in agreement. “And I, you.”
“There’s going to be a lot of changes around here,” I hummed quietly. “Lots of planning. Should we have a spring wedding? Or maybe a winter wedding? Idolian winters are fairly mild.”
“Before that, there’s actually something we need to take care of.” He spoke firmly, which led me to feel a slice of concern.
“What is it?” I asked. “Is something wrong?”
“I mean, in a way.”
I sat up in bed and looked at him, brows pulled together. “What? Are you worried about what Father will say? Because I’ve already had a discussion with him at length about this. I know what I want, and that’s you.”
Leo sat up with me and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. He shook his head and said, “No, this has nothing to do with the king. I actually spoke to him before I went to wait for you in the gardens.”
I blinked, genuinely surprised. “Really? And you lived to tell the tale? I would have thought he’d kick you out or something.”
Leo laughed. “I used my big boy voice. He was quite understanding.”
“Then what is it?”
“It’s still family related. I’m afraid my sister and my niece would like to meet you. Now that you’ve agreed to marry me, it’d be best if it was sooner, rather than later.”
I beamed. “You mean I get to meet your family?”
“I didn’t think you’d be so excited.”
“Of course, I’m excited! You’ve already met mine. I’d say it’s only fair.”
Leo chuckled and leaned in to place a soft kiss on my forehead. “That’s ve
ry true. And for what it’s worth, they’re very excited to meet you.”
25
Leo
Giselle was right. There was a lot to take care of before the wedding. And that included my fiancée meeting with the other two most important women in my life. It took a few weeks to work out all of the details, but Giselle and King Maximillian were able to schedule a brief tea with my sister and niece. Jenny kept tugging at her shirt sleeves to make sure they were straight and wrinkle-free. Ava was fidgeting nervously, shifting her weight from one leg to the other as she bit her fingernails.
I chuckled. “Would you two relax?”
“What if she doesn’t like us?” asked Ava.
“Giselle is going to love you,” I assured. “She’s the sweetest person I know.”
“Are you sure it’s okay for me to wear this?” Jenny questioned. “I feel so… I don’t know. Underdressed? Informal? I’m meeting a princess, for goodness sake. I knew I should have done my hair up or something.”
“Mommy? Does this mean that Princess Giselle is my auntie?”
I laughed. “I mean, yes. I guess she is.”
We were waiting just outside in the royal gardens, surrounded on all sides by gorgeous flowers and topiaries. A patio table and five matching wicker chairs had been set up for us. On the table were several teacups, ornate saucers, a similarly patterned teapot, and a tray of sandwiches, biscuits, and muffins. I’d been informed by one of the security guards that Giselle and King Maximillian were finishing up in the throne room after a long day of meeting with the public. Ever since the news of our engagement broke out, the people of Idolia had been coming in massive hoards to wish Giselle and I happiness and good fortune. It was part of the reason why her open throne counsel sessions had been taking so long lately.
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