Royally Ever After (Royals of Valleria #7)

by Marianne Knightly

  He felt her slide against the door, and one of his hands reached around her to hold her up. “Now, however, I’ve got five minutes to fuck my wife – blindfolded, in case I forgot to mention that – before we celebrate with the family.”

  Her hands had a fierce hold in his hair as her body rode his fingers. “Alex, please.”

  “May I fuck you, my wife? Claim you now and forever. Claim you in a way no one in that fucking church, no one watching the wedding live, will ever know you’ve been claimed?”

  Her breath itched. “We shouldn’t.”

  “You want me to stop, Mrs. Santoro, all you need to do is tell me. I know it’s not the wedding night you dreamed of, either.”

  She stilled, gasping for breath. “I want the same night as you, my husband. I want hours alone with you.” She leaned closer, her lips brushing his as she spoke. “Right now, though, I want to be full of you. Full of your cock, full of your release. When I walk down that aisle, I want to feel you in every step I take.”

  His cock responded instantly to her demands. “God, I love you.”

  “I love you. Hurry. Oh God, please hurry.”

  He slipped his fingers free of her body, pushing her panties down in the process. He ignored her soft mews to unzip his pants and free himself. Then, in one slick thrust, he was buried deep inside her. He stilled, relishing in the feeling.

  “God, Alex. Oh God. It’s too much.”

  He shook his head. “It’s never too much.” He withdrew and thrust again. “It’s never enough. I’ll never get enough of you.” Another thrust. “You’re mine.” Another thrust, harder this time. “My wife. My life. My love.”

  She strained against him. “Faster. Harder. Alex, please.”

  “As my wife commands.” His other senses compensated for his lack of vision. Each rutting thrust was felt more acutely along his cock. The hitch in her breath was clearer than it had ever been before. Her lavender scent mixed with the scent of his cologne, and their mixed sweat and sex.

  He’d never been harder or more aroused in his entire fucking life.

  As her body began trembling around him, he covered her mouth with his, swallowing her cry of release and moan of ecstasy. More was all he could think.

  More.

  A few more sharp, hard thrusts and he let go, his groan echoing down her throat. Was there any more conquering feeling than releasing his seed inside his wife?

  He slowed his thrusts to easy glides while their bodies calmed and reality washed over them. The sounds of their families down the hall filtered in, along with the cool draught in the room. The staccato ticks of a clock nearby filtered in, too, reminding them it was late and their public wedding was now mere hours away.

  “Was I too rough with you?”

  “No. Never.”

  “Sure?”

  “I’ll admit, it wasn’t how I imagined my wedding night would go, but I can’t find any reason to complain.”

  He smiled, then pressed a kiss into her neck. He slid out slowly, and heard her soft sigh as he did. He used his handkerchief to clean them both up, then she pulled up her panties.

  “You almost destroyed my underwear again.”

  “If you’re expecting me to be remorseful, you’ll be waiting a long time.”

  Her heard her fixing her dress as he zipped up his pants. “It’s hard to find underwear that goes with this corset.”

  “So don’t wear any.”

  She slapped his arm halfheartedly. “I have to wear underwear at our wedding.”

  “You just did.”

  “You know what I mean. We’ll be in a church.”

  “No one will know.”

  “While millions of people watch.”

  “They can’t see through your dress and all those layers.”

  “Alex.”

  Since it seemed she wasn’t going for his idea, he tried another tack. “You said you have other corset sets for the honeymoon. Will none of them work under your frustrating wedding dress?”

  “Frustrating? How is it frustrating? You can’t even see it.”

  “That’s why it’s frustrating.”

  She giggled. “I had to sneak the dress out of my parent’s house, you know. Thank God it wasn’t at the hotel when the explosion happened.”

  He tensed, just thinking about the event that could have killed her. “Don’t talk about that, darling. Not right now, not with so much happiness around us.”

  “Okay, Alex. Anyway, now I’ve got to sneak the dress back, too. You’ll see it in a few hours.”

  “Damn right I will. Are you going to lead me back to the family? Or leave me standing here like an idiot?”

  Her arms pressed against his chest and he felt her lips gently brush his. “Thank you for indulging me with the blindfold.”

  “It’s important to you, and it was within my power to do it for you.”

  “I know. It’s just another reason why I love you.”

  His lips quirked up. “Though, to be honest, I can’t wait to rip this fucking thing off my face.”

  She kissed him. “Do you want to go back to our apartments? Or, if you can manage not ripping off the blindfold, do you want me to feed you? Maybe a piece of cake with lots of yummy frosting?”

  His cock twitched. “You feed me, darling, I’m going to get ideas.”

  “I like your ideas.”

  “You won’t like it when I have them in a room filled with our families.”

  She giggled. “Probably not. Maybe just a few bites, then? Then your father should probably get some rest.”

  His heart melted even more; of course she would think of his father and his family. “Yes, darling. Lead the way.”

  They’d only been in the room for a few minutes when a shout rang out.

  Alex turned his back to Rebecca and whipped off the blindfold; Arianna had cried out via their connected feed.

  “What’s wrong?” Genevieve cried as she rushed over. “Is it the baby?”

  A doctor rushed in and Ethan turned the camera away, giving sight to a corner of the room.

  “It was a contraction,” the doctor said off-screen. “Damn it.”

  “What is it?” Genevieve asked, holding her hand tight to her husband’s.

  Ethan broke in, all business. “Her water just broke. The baby’s coming.”

  Exclamations rippled through the room, and Genevieve put a hand to her chest. “Oh my baby.”

  Arianna was wheeled out, the camera catching the barest glimpse of her and Finn as they left. “It’s not ideal,” Ethan said to the camera, “but the doctors have prepped for this situation. We’ll give you all an update soon. In the meantime, please get Papa to bed, and try to get some rest yourselves.”

  “Good luck at the other wedding,” Carolina chimed in as she stood next to Ethan. “We’ll send everyone updates as we get them.”

  As the farewells sounded, Alex felt Rebecca’s hand at his back. “I need to get back to my parent’s house. Don’t turn around for a minute while I leave,” she whispered and handed him her wedding ring. “Hold tight to this, and don’t forget to take yours off as well. I’ll see you soon, husband.”

  He looked down at the wedding band that matched her engagement ring, then held his breath as he saw his own wedding band.

  It was white gold, made to match her rings, a band of Vallerian amethysts running through the middle. However, the reason they matched was what stopped his heart.

  It was his grandfather’s wedding band.

  Just as Rebecca wore Victoria’s ring, Alex now wore her husband’s.

  “Rebecca.”

  “I asked Victoria if she would mind you wearing it. I wasn’t sure you’d want to wear it, though. I have another band, just as a backup if you’d prefer to wear that instead.”

  “I love it. I’ll treasure it always.”

  “The ring had the initials ‘V&C’ – the initials of your grandparents – engraved in it. I had ours engraved beside it.”

  “It’s
perfect.” He held back a groan; he just wanted to hold her in his arms, and he really did not want to take his wedding ring off, ever. “Darling.”

  “I know. I want to be with you, too. Soon.” She pressed a kiss to his nape, and it tingled through every part of him. “Soon.”

  Sweat clung to Arianna’s hair and skin. Her braid had come loose, hair now knotted and frizzy around her head. Finn’s hand brushed an errant lock from her face. She braced as another contraction came ripping through her and a wave of pain came with it.

  One of her hands held Finn’s in a vice, her other held Ethan’s. Carolina dabbed a towel on her chest and neck.

  She whimpered as the pain receded. “Finn.”

  “You’re doing great, baby.” Finn dropped a kiss to her forehead. “You’re amazing. You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

  She didn’t feel beautiful. She felt tired, exhausted from the contractions and hours of stress. The doctor wanted her to try a natural birth, since her water had broken. However, it’d been ages and she still wasn’t allowed to push. How much more would her body take?

  It also didn’t help that there was no modesty when it came to giving birth. Her legs had been spread wide for what seemed like hours, doctors or nurses peeking and poking at her most private and sensitive areas. Her legs were finally relaxed and covered now, but she knew they wouldn’t stay that way for much longer.

  She belatedly let go of Ethan and Finn’s hands to rub her belly through the thin cotton gown. As it was plastered to her, revealing pretty much everything, she wondered why she even bothered with it, too.

  What she wouldn’t give for a nice, cool bath right now.

  A cool towel came to her forehead and she sighed. She looked up at Carolina, who was dabbing the towel over her head. Drops of cold waters streaked down her skin, providing needed relief. “I could tell what you were thinking.”

  Arianna grinned. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  Carolina gave her a bright smile. “So am I. You’re doing great, you know that, don’t you?”

  “It doesn’t feel great.” She winced as she tried adjusting her body slightly on the bed. “Everything hurts.” She rubbed her belly again and looked at Ethan. “It’s been so long and the baby won’t come. Are you sure everything’s okay?”

  “Your doctor knows what he’s doing, okay? He’d never put you at risk.”

  Everyone was looking out for her and the baby, she knew that. However, she couldn’t help worrying. She wouldn’t let anything happen to this baby. Not one fucking thing.

  “Day’s breaking,” Carolina said. “The wedding will be happening in a couple hours. I bet they’ve got the pre-show on now. Shall we watch?”

  All eyes turned to Arianna, who shrugged. “It’ll be a nice distraction. Let’s put it on.”

  “Look at all those people!” Carolina said when they found the live telecast. “Over one million people, just lining the streets of Valentia between the palace and the church alone. There must be even more spread out across the city.”

  “Across the country, you mean,” Ethan said. “Tourism has seen its biggest spike in modern history. Marcello told me they’d hired thousands of additional guards and security to assist with the wedding. Passport screening at the airports alone has been taking ages, even with additional screeners. Fortunately, the public doesn’t seem to mind.”

  “No one minds a royal wedding,” Carolina said.

  “Do you wish you’d had a grander wedding?” Finn asked as he massaged Arianna’s shoulders.

  She thought back to Christmas, when Finn had surprised her with the wedding as a gift, complete with a gorgeous dress and her entire family, who’d flown to Brazenbourg for the day to celebrate. “No way. I loved our wedding. It was perfect.”

  “Of course it was perfect,” Ethan said. “I was the one who officiated the ceremony, after all.” Everyone groaned. “You know I speak the truth.”

  “You only officiated the first ceremony, not the second, which was done by a local official,” Carolina reminded him.

  “Still counts.”

  “Finn?” Arianna called.

  “Yes, baby?”

  “Could you find a pillow and smack my brother in the head with it?”

  “How about I smack him without the pillow?”

  “Even better.”

  Everyone laughed. “Sure, sure. Pick on your baby brother, why don’t you?”

  “Speaking of brothers, it looks like ours have arrived at the church,” Carolina said and everyone watched as Alex, Marcello, Nate, and Lorenzo exited a car and waved to the crowd. They all wore military dress regalia; all of the Vallerian princes had served at some point and in some way. Ethan was the only actively-serving military prince, a captain in the Vallerian Royal Navy.

  “I can’t believe Lorenzo agreed to wear his uniform,” Ethan murmured. “I never thought I’d see him in it again.”

  “I don’t think he had a choice,” Carolina added, her eyes fixed on Lorenzo. Only his family would notice his fidgeting wasn’t excitement about the wedding, but the nerves of returning memories. “I think he’ll be okay.”

  “Am I missing something?” Finn asked.

  “Lorenzo served in the Vallerian Royal Army, and was deployed,” Ethan said. “His team came under attack. He was one of the few to survive. Wearing that uniform brings back too many memories for him.”

  Finn stepped closer to the television, looking at Lorenzo in a new light. “My God. I had no idea. I never heard anything about that on the news.”

  “It was kept quiet,” Ethan said. “The media knew he was deployed and agreed to keep silent, to protect him and his squad. We couldn’t keep the attack quiet – not when Vallerian lives were lost – but Alex somehow managed to keep Lorenzo’s name out of it.”

  “I think Lorenzo’s doing fine since that movie starlet just arrived,” Carolina said. “He’s already flirting with her! And in front of her husband, too. He looks like he could kick Lorenzo’s ass.”

  “Since her husband is a world-renowned athlete, I’m sure he could,” Ethan added.

  “They got tickets to one of the world’s most exclusive events. I’m sure they don’t mind the attention that much. Arianna, didn’t we watch her in a movie last year, after Cat convinced us? The one that was making the rounds at all the movie festivals? What was the name of it?”

  They all turned to Arianna, only to find her eyes closed and her body unmoving, yet breathing.

  Something wasn’t right.

  Ethan pressed the call button repeatedly to summon the doctor and Finn rushed to her side. “Arianna? Wake up, baby.”

  “Her heart is beating a little more slowly, but the baby’s still has a fairly steady rhythm,” Ethan said as he watched the monitors and took her pulse manually. “She’s been exhausted; it’s possible she just fell asleep.”

  Finn saw the readout of her contractions; if that was true, she’d slept through two of them.

  Icy shards of fear jabbed at Finn’s heart.

  Finn pointed to the readout. “Should she be able to sleep through two contractions?”

  Ethan’s brows furrowed. “No. No, she shouldn’t.”

  The doctor rushed in along with two nurses. The nurses checked her vitals while the doctor did an exam. His face was stony and all business when he turned to Finn after it was complete. “We’re going to have to do a C-section. I wouldn’t recommend it unless it was a last resort. However, I think we’re there.”

  A vise clamped around Finn’s chest. “What’s wrong?”

  “She started bleeding out again and now she’s lost consciousness.”

  Finn squeezed Arianna’s limp hand. “Oh God. The baby?”

  “Still steady, which is why I don’t want to wait. We’re going to prep her now.”

  “I’m going with you.”

  “Your Highness–”

  “Non-negotiable.”

  “I’ll be there, too,” Ethan said, looking jus
t as firm as Finn did.

  The doctor shook his head. “I don’t have time to argue with you. One of the nurses can show you where to scrub in.” The doctor turned to Ethan. “You’re allowed only as an observer. You don’t have a license to practice in Brazenbourg.”

  Ethan crossed his arms over his chest. “I do, actually.”

  “You do?” Finn asked while Carolina gaped at him.

  “When you and Arianna got together, thought it might come in handy. I’ll still attend as an observer – obstetrics isn’t my specialty – but I’m there if you need me.”

  The doctor nodded and signaled one of the nurses, then strode out. The room emptied within seconds, Arianna wheeled away, the men running down the hall with a nurse, and Carolina sending an update to the family on her way to the waiting room.

  No one noticed the television remained on, nor the sounds of the crowd cheering as more guests arrived for the wedding of the century.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Hardly anyone slept, least of all Alex. He’d thought knowing he was already married – a secret no one would ever know but the family – might make the larger ceremony easier and more relaxing.

  He couldn’t have been more wrong.

  If anything, Alex was more anxious. Anxious for his father. Anxious to see his wife and finally call her that in public. Anxious to see the whole messy thing over with.

  Not that he’d ever tell anyone that, least of all Rebecca.

  When his phone buzzed in his pocket, he withdrew it quickly; he’d been messaging with Rebecca all morning. Since he was in a side room, away from the alter and the two thousand people filtering in for the wedding, he risked taking his phone out.

  Lorenzo tugged at the collar of his uniform again. “You know, you could try giving your wife some breathing room. She’s already got you by your balls.”

  “My balls are in no better hands than hers.” The men chuckled. “Besides, this message isn’t from my wife; it’s from Carolina. Damn it! Arianna’s been rushed to surgery.”

  Everyone whipped out their phones and saw the message she’d sent everyone. “Ethan’s in surgery with them,” Lorenzo said. “They’ll be okay.”