Royal Marriage Market

by Heather Lyons

  “Is that a first, Els?”

  I whirl around in the palace’s vast kitchen to find the Hereditary Grand Duke of Aiboland lounging against the doorway, holding a square box.

  I must be dreaming. Because Christian is supposed to be in Aiboland, attending a groundbreaking ceremony for a new school.

  My knees quiver as I stare at him. My hands have no idea what to do. All I am able to voice is his name. Just his name that holds a thousand questions and hopes all at once within two syllables.

  Three months. We have not seen one another in person, outside of Skype, in a little over ninety days. Our physical time together has been perilously short, and yet . . . over the past ninety days, the feelings I own for him grew exponentially, even as fears that the future we wish for might not come to pass match in growth.

  The love of my life breaks eye contact first, but not before gifting me one of his too divine smiles, all wide and smug and beautiful and delicious, leaving me want to launch myself into his arms and lick the corner of his mouth. “The poor spoon. What did it ever do to you?”

  “Burn butter,” I say. “And no—it’s not a first. I burned the last two attempts at this idiotic recipe.”

  “I meant throwing it.”

  “Oh! Well then, yes. I restrained myself until now.”

  He crosses the kitchen to where I stand. My heart sprints right out of my chest and joins the marathon I know to be coursing through the capitol today. There is a real possibility I am close to passing out, which would be most unfortunate because hope is sparkling through my bloodstream like fireworks in a perfect sky.

  “You didn’t tell me you’d taken cooking up as a hobby,” he says lightly.

  “We don’t tell each other everything. For example, you failed to inform me that you were coming to Vattenguldia.”

  “And ruin the surprise?” He tsks. “I think not.”

  He holds out the box; inside is a pie. I look up at him, my mouth aching from stretching so wide. “Apple?”

  “It was past time we finally cavort with pie. PIN has been far too silent lately for my tastes.”

  I groan at his pun as I slide the pie onto the counter. Then I reach out and press my palms against his warm chest. “Didn’t the Grand Duchess have you on lockdown?”

  “It was very Rapunzel-ish, to be sure,” he teases. “And to think, you didn’t come and climb my hair to save me from my tower. I had to escape and find a pie maker all on my little lonesome.”

  I lift an eyebrow.

  “Fine,” he says. “Parker went out and bought it for me. He’s a handy fellow to have around.”

  I laugh. Seeing him here, in my kitchen, after so long, though . . . While my feelings for him have never wavered, not even in the tiniest bit, I am also quite aware that, realistically, we are in a stalemate. Neither is forced to marry against our will any longer, but tradition looms in the miles between us. Vattenguldia was—and still is—in crisis, requiring its royals to be ever vigilant in the eyes of the public. Aiboland is nearing the Grand Duchess’ Silver Jubilee. There is little time to be selfish and turn our backs on our commitments.

  But here he is. In my kitchen. In Vattenguldia.

  I love seeing this man in kitchens.

  He cups my face. “I missed you, Els. Pie aside, I came here today because I needed to tell you that.”

  Love, sweet, beautiful love for this man swarms every cell in my body. “I missed you, too.” The tiny fairies within my chest begin their dancing. “And I am glad to see you, but I thought you were overseeing a groundbreaking ceremony today?”

  He leans forward, his mouth finding mine. I savor this kiss, and how I feel it all the way to my toes. “Lukas is there in my stead. There is a much more important matter to attend to. An RFC matter, to be precise. See, there’s a bridge we need to finally cross.”

  Time grinds to a halt. Nothing moves, nothing but him and me and the hearts in our chests thumping painfully in miraculous unison.

  “I thought the bridge was guarded,” I say quietly. “Or lost. Or blown apart. Or even no longer in existence, because the MC trolls were guarding the bloody hell out of it.”

  He shakes his head slowly. “I found the bridge, Els. And I know the way across it. It’s simple, really. I don’t know why it took so long for me to understand that.”

  chapter 63

  christian

  “See, here’s the secret: I choose you.”

  Her blue eyes, so beautifully, fantastically expressive, blink in confusion. They hypnotize me just as easily today as the first night she asked if I was a virgin. And I was, I realize now. Not in the literal sense, but metaphorically, because I’d never truly loved anyone like I love this woman.

  “I don’t know what the future holds for us.” My voice is steady. Calm. Assured. “I don’t know if the MC will ever accept a Hereditary Princess and a Hereditary Grand Duke marrying. But I’ve decided it doesn’t matter. I choose you.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means, while I have hope that someday the MC and world at large will accept us being together, I’m tired of waiting. Three months is a long time to not see your face in person, Els.”

  “Yes, fine, I missed your face, too,” she says. “But what does it mean?”

  Our hands twine together. “It means I’m here. We still have a battle within the MC and our respective parliaments, if it comes to that, but good or bad, I’m here. Vattenguldia needs you right now. Let me be someone you lean upon in this time of crisis.”

  Her words are barely voiced. “Are you abdicating?”

  “Officially?” I ask. She nods, so I clarify, “I haven’t formally stepped down. Unofficially?” I smile. “Lukas and I had some lengthy discussions about what will happen if the MC doesn’t allow us to both retain our titles. He’s agreed to take my place if and when it comes to that.”

  “I cannot allow you do that.” She swallows. “You are the Hereditary Grand Duke. Aiboland needs you, especially after the She-Wolf’s rule.”

  I love that she thinks this. Knows about my mother’s duplicity. But more importantly, I love that she believes in me. “Aiboland isn’t in crisis. Vattenguldia is. And I’m not willing to wait it out to make a decision. I love you, Els. I want to be with you. I hope you want to be with me, too.”

  “Are you daft?” she asks. But that gorgeous smile of hers returns. “Of course I want to be with you.”

  “Then it’s settled. I’m here. It might even be a good distraction for the public, seeing you and I in our star-crossed states. Your parents wanted a fairy tale, right? A public one? Besides. I’m rich, remember? Really, really rich. And I’ve got all those nice bank accounts the Grand Duchess can’t touch with money that has nothing to do with the crown.”

  An eyebrow quirks up. “You don’t even know if I want you to stay.”

  Good God, do I love her sass. “I hoped my too-ness would sway you in person.”

  She gasps in mock outrage.

  “That said, if you want me to leave . . .” I motion behind us, taking a step back.

  She tugs me right back. “Damn your too-ness,” she mutters. “Also, will you ever allow me to live that down?”

  “What, admitting you think I have some mystical too-ness?”

  There’s that erotic laughter of hers. “You’re not going anywhere, Chris.”

  “Excellent. Now that we’ve got that settled—”

  “Oh, it is far from settled.” Determination fills her eyes. “Come hell or high water, I refuse to allow you abdicate. If we have to be the ones to drag the MC into the twenty-first century kicking or screaming, then that’s exactly what we’ll do. You and I should not have to choose between love and duty. Tradition be damned. There is room for both. Why couldn’t we jointly rule both countries?”

  I also love her optimism. Actually, I love everything about this woman.

  I love her.

  I take a deep breath and te
ll her what I’ve thought about for weeks now. “Until then, I have a first to put on the table for discussion.”

  “Oh?”

  My hands curl around her waist. “Let’s run amuck and cavort together from here on out.”

  Her eyes widen significantly as she takes in my meaning. “You really are bloody Prince Charming, aren’t you?”

  “No,” I tell her. “I’m just Chris, a guy who happens to be ridiculously in love with a girl named Els.” Because that’s what it all comes down to, really. Crowns and thrones and obligations matter, yes.

  But so does this.

  She asks me softly, “All the best agreements are sealed with a kiss, right?”

  The corners of my lips tug upward at the memory. “Oh, absolutely.”

  In a kitchen eight thousand miles away from the one we shared our first kiss in, my mouth touches hers in sweet promise. We meet in the middle of that bridge we’ve searched for for months, and then we cross to the other side.

  And then, after much kissing and the opening of a celebratory bottle of champagne, we finally share a first of apple pie, just like all good PIN members of the RFC should do when they’ve agreed to spend their lives together.

  New traditions, I’m learning, can sometimes be even better than the old.

  Acknowledgements

  As someone who normally thrives in fantasy worlds while writing, I wrote Royal Marriage Market as a challenge to myself. I wanted to create a book that had no magic, no fantastical worlds. Only, the deeper I got into the story, the more I realized RMM does have a fantastical world (anyone who has been to the immensely gorgeous Hearst Castle will agree), and there is plenty of magic, too—only this time, it’s the real kind.

  I want to thank my wonderful agent and editor Suzie Townsend for her love and guidance for this story. Gratitude also goes out to Danielle Barthel and Jackie Lindert for their work on the book, my lovely publicist KP Simmon, and Daniela Conde Padrón for the beautiful cover.

  Obviously, I must issue a huge shout out to Hearst Castle, as it’s virtually its own character in the story. I spent several delightful days there in 2014 doing research, and I could not love the place more. Thanks to all the staff for putting up with my tons of questions!

  Vilma Gonzalez, Andrea Johnston, Tricia Santos, Jessica Mangicaro, and Cristina Suárez-Muñoz, please know I deeply appreciative for all the time, feedback, and care you gave Elsa and Christian’s story.

  To the fab members of my street team, the Lyons Pride, your support means so much. (in alphabetical order) Alexandra, Amy, Ana, Andi, Andrea, Ashley, Ashley, Autumn, Brandi, Bridget, Candy, Carine, Cherisse, Christina Marie, Courtney, Cynthia, Daniela, Ethan, Eunice, Evelyn, Gina, Ivey, Jenn, Jenni, Jennifer, Jennifer, Jessica, Jessica, Jessica, Jessica, JL, JoAnna, Kate, Kathryn, Kelli, Kelly, Keri, Kiersten, Kristina, Lauren, Leigha, Lindsey, Lissa, Maria, Martina, Melissa, Meredith, Natalie, Nicole, Nikki, Peggy, Rachel, Rebecca, Samantha, Sheena, Tina Lynne, Tracy, Tricia, Vilma, Whitney, Yvonne, and all the rest . . . you rock. Hugs to you all.

  Jon, you are my true Prince Charming. Thank you for believing in me. Love and gratitude are also sent out to my children and family for all their support, and for sharing me with my computer. You all mean the world to me.

  Also by Heather Lyons

  “Each of us here has a story, but it may not be the one you think you know . . .”

  "The most unique, fascinating, wondrous book I've read in a very long time! I was glued to every page."

  -Shelly Crane, New York Times bestselling author

  From the author of the Fate series and The Deep End of the Sea comes a fantastical romantic adventure that has Alice tumbling down the strangest rabbit hole yet.

  After years in Wonderland, Alice has returned to England as an adult, desperate to reclaim sanity and control over her life. An enigmatic gentleman with an intriguing job offer too tempting to resist changes her plans for a calm existence, though. Soon, she’s whisked to New York and initiated into the Collectors’ Society, a secret organization whose members confirm that famous stories are anything but straightforward and that what she knows about the world is only a fraction of the truth.

  It’s there she discovers villains are afoot—ones who want to shelve the lives of countless beings. Assigned to work with the mysterious and alluring Finn, Alice and the rest of the Collectors’ Society race against a doomsday clock in order to prevent further destruction . . . but will they make it before all their endings are erased?

  The series continues with . . .

  "This is not a series for fantasy lovers or new adult lovers.

  This is a series for all book lovers."

  -Book Briefs

  Sometimes, the rabbit hole is deeper than expected . . .

  Alice Reeve and Finn Van Brunt have tumbled into a life of secrets. Some secrets they share, such as their employment by the clandestine organization known as The Collectors' Society. Other secrets they carry within them, fighting to keep buried the things that could change everything they think they know.

  On the hunt for an elusive villain who is hell-bent on destroying legacies, Alice, Finn, and the rest of the Society are desperate to unravel the mysteries surrounding them. But the farther they spiral down this rabbit hole, the deeper they fall into secrets that will test their loyalties and pit them against enemies both new and old.

  Secrets, they come to find, can reveal the deadliest of truths.

  “If I could give a book a million golden stars, it would be this one.”

  -Typical Distractions

  After years spent in Wonderland, Alice Reeve learned the impossible was quite possible after all. She thought she left such fantastical realities behind when she finally returned to England.

  Now Alice has become a member of the clandestine Collectors’ Society, and the impossible has found her again in the form of an elusive villain set on erasing entire worlds. As she and the rest of the Society race to bring this mysterious murderer to justice, the fight becomes painfully personal.

  Lives are being lost. Loved ones are shattered or irrevocably altered. Each step closer Alice gets to the shadowy man she hunts, the more secrets she unravels, only to reveal chilling truths. If she wants to win this war and save millions of lives, Alice must once more embrace the impossible and make the unimaginable, imaginable.

  Sometimes, the rabbit hole leads to terrifying places.

  Be on the outlook for the fourth Collectors’ Society book, coming soon!

  An enthralling mythological romance two thousand years in the making . . .

  "Heather Lyons's The Deep End of the Sea is a radiant, imaginative romance that breathes new life into popular mythology while successfully tackling the issue of sexual assault. Lyons is a deft storyteller whose engaging prose will surprise readers at every turn. Readers will have no trouble sympathizing with Medusa, who is funny, endearing and courageous all at once. The romance between her and Hermes is passionate, sweet and utterly engrossing.

  This is a must read!" –RT Book Reviews

  What if all the legends you’ve learned were wrong?

  Brutally attacked by one god and unfairly cursed by another she faithfully served, Medusa has spent the last two thousand years living out her punishment on an enchanted isle in the Aegean Sea. A far cry from the monster legends depict, she’s spent her time educating herself, gardening, and desperately trying to frighten away adventure seekers who occasionally end up, much to her dismay, as statues when they manage to catch her off guard. As time marches on without her, Medusa wishes for nothing more than to be given a second chance at a life stolen away at far too young an age.

  But then comes a day when Hermes, one of the few friends she still has and the only deity she trusts, petitions the rest of the gods and goddesses to reverse the curse. Thus begins a journey toward healing and redemption, of reclaiming a life after tragedy, and of just how powerful friendship and love can be—because sometimes, you h
ave to sink in the deep end of the sea before you can rise back up again.

  The magical first book of the Fate series . . .

  “Love, love, love this book! Such a fun and exciting premise. Full of teenage angst and heartache with a big helping of magic and enchantment. Can't wait to read the rest of this awesome series! Not to mention... TWO hot boys to swoon over.”

  –Elizabeth Lee, author of Where There’s Smoke

  Chloe Lilywhite struggles with all the normal problems of a typical seventeen-year-old high school student. Only, Chloe isn't a normal teenage girl. She's a Magical, part of a secret race of beings who influence the universe. More importantly, she's a Creator, which means Fate mapped out her destiny long ago, from her college choice, to where she will live, to even her job. While her friends and relatives relish their future roles, Chloe resents the lack of say in her life, especially when she learns she's to be guarded against a vengeful group of beings bent on wiping out her kind. Their number one target? Chloe, of course.

  That's nothing compared to the boy trouble she's gotten herself into. Because a guy she's literally dreamed of and loved her entire life, one she never knew truly existed, shows up in her math class, and with him comes a twin brother she finds herself inexplicably drawn to.

  Chloe's once unyielding path now has a lot more choices than she ever thought possible.