by Renna Peak
Royal Christmas Baby
Renna Peak
Ember Casey
Casey Peak Publishing, LLC
This book is a work of fiction. Any names, characters, locations or incidents are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events, or locations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 by Ember Casey and Renna Peak
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
First Edition: November, 2017
Contents
Royal Heartbreakers Reader Team
1. Victoria
2. Andrew
3. Victoria
4. Andrew
5. Victoria
6. Andrew
7. Victoria
8. Andrew
9. Victoria
10. Andrew
11. Six Weeks Before Christmas
12. Victoria
13. Andrew
14. Victoria
15. Andrew
16. Victoria
17. Andrew
18. Victoria
19. Andrew
20. Victoria
21. Andrew
22. Victoria
23. The Night Before Christmas
24. Andrew
25. Victoria
26. Andrew
27. Victoria
28. Andrew
29. Victoria
30. Andrew
Christmas Babies
The Royal Heartbreakers
Royal Heartbreakers Reader Team
Also by Renna Peak
Also by Ember Casey
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Victoria
It’s almost two in the morning when I’m finally able to sit down and have a moment to myself. I’ve spent a lot of time away from Montovia the past several weeks—and I’ll admit, it hasn’t all been bad.
For as much as I miss my husband, I hadn’t realized how much I missed working, too. Trying to balance my responsibilities as the wife of the heir to the throne with writing tactfully about the trouble his younger sister has found herself in has been more than difficult. But somehow, we’ve all managed to make it to the other side of the mess Sophia made. She’s caused quite the scandal with an American rock star these last few months.
If someone had told me two years ago I’d be married to the prince of a European country—to the heir to the throne, no less—I would have told them they were crazy. As an American tabloid reporter, it wasn’t exactly like I could get very close to Andrew at all. His brother, Prince Leopold, was always the one making headlines, but Prince Andrew… Our story has been a complicated one, for sure. I never realized how much my life would change when Andrew asked me to help him hold a pageant to find a wife. And I only could have dreamed of actually becoming his wife.
I haven’t seen much of Andrew the past few months, not that either of us chose for it to be this way. He’s been busy helping his father deal with the day-to-day running of the country, and I’ve been trying to help to mute Sophia’s scandal as much as I can. She’s gotten herself into a lot more trouble than any of her brothers every could have dreamed of, and she needs all the help she can get. Andrew still hasn’t warmed to the idea of me actually working, but we’ve all agreed that having me write the stories about Sophia and her new rock star boyfriend is the best thing for everyone.
Still, I’ve missed Andrew. And as my phone rings right on schedule, I can’t help but feel a warm longing to be in his arms again.
“Hello, my love,” he says before I can say anything. “Have you thought about what we talked about yesterday?”
“I haven’t really had a chance, yet. But I will.”
He’s silent for a moment. “I need you here. I know we’ve talked about it, and I respect what you’re doing for the family. But…”
Part of me understands how hard it still is for Andrew to show his feelings—even through the phone. “I told you, I’ll think about it. The logistics would be a nightmare, though.”
“Many women work from home, Victoria. I’m not asking you to stop working.” Something changes in his voice when he says the word working, almost as though it’s some sort of expletive. “But I need you here.”
“I know.” It makes my heart ache hearing the need in his voice. “I want to be there, too.”
He pauses. “How are you?”
“How…am I?” The sudden change of subject doesn’t make much sense. “I’m okay. Tired. I’ve had a little bit of a stomach bug, but I’m okay. Why? How are you?”
“If you’re ill, you should return to Montovia immediately—as soon as you’re seen by a physician, you need to return home.”
I let out a long breath. “What is this about? Really?”
“This is about…” He sighs. “Surely you can take a small vacation from this…whatever it is you’re doing.”
“Writing about your sister? Following her every move to be sure someone else doesn’t write about it first?” I lift a brow, even though he can’t see me. “Andrew, we’ve been through this all before.”
“I know.” I can almost hear his brooding frown through the phone. “It doesn’t change the fact that you should be here.”
I should probably be upset that he’s so focused on his own needs, but I love that he misses me. And he has no idea how much I miss him. “Have I told you how much I love you?” And I do love him. More than I can possibly say to him out loud. I love everything about being married to him—everything about being a princess—and I wish I could come home for good. But we both know that now is not the best time for that—not with everything else that’s going on with his sister. I wouldn’t be doing any of this if I didn’t love him—and his family—as much as I do.
“It can’t possibly be as much as I love you, Victoria.” He lets out a long breath. “I want you to be seen by a physician immediately.”
“Why? Because I’m tired?” I shake my head. “Andrew, I work twenty hours a day. Of course I’m exhausted—”
“All the more reason to be seen by a physician. I’ll expect a full report on your wellbeing by my suppertime.”
“You want me to go to the emergency room? Now? In the middle of the night? For being tired? You’re being ridiculous.”
“Ridiculous or not, I insist.”
“Why don’t I just fly home for a day, then? Sophia can avoid making news for twenty-four hours, hopefully. Will that get you off this doctor thing?”
He’s silent for a second. “Are you really ill?”
“I…” I can’t really explain it to him—I’ve just felt a bit off for the past few weeks. I’ve told myself it’s the long days and sleepless nights. And not being in my own bed, being held by my husband hasn’t helped anything. “I don’t know. I think I’m just sleep deprived.” But the more I’m thinking about it, the more I know something isn’t right. I spent most of the last six years sleep deprived, and I never felt this level of exhaustion. It’s just…different.
“If you’ll come home immediately, you can be seen by one of our physicians. Come to think of it, that would make me feel much better.”
“And then we’ll go through what we did last time I
came home.” I have to bite my lip not to laugh—I know Andrew still doesn’t find it very funny. I’m not sure why I find it so amusing myself, given what happened.
“I can promise that will not happen again.” There’s not even a trace of a smile in his voice.
“You promise? Really?”
“Victoria…”
“Well, I mean it was pretty flattering, finding myself accused of being an escaped prisoner of Montovia who wasn’t allowed to leave the country. You know, especially after I was once deported…” I can’t help but giggle. My husband certainly knows how to woo a girl.
He growls under his breath. “Are we to relive this every time we speak?”
“Not every time.” I laugh. “It was pretty clever. Putting me on the no-fly list as an escaped convict.”
“Because I knew you were going to leave without saying goodbye—”
“Because I knew you were going to try to convince me to stay. And you’re always pretty convincing.” I pause for a moment. “It’s okay, Andrew. I just want to know that if I come home for a day, I’ll be able to leave without a…show.”
He growls again. “Fine. You have my word.”
“Then I’ll be on the next flight home in the morning.”
Andrew
I’m waiting for her at the airstrip behind the palace, pacing back and forth as I watch the sky for any sign of her plane.
I never should have agreed to let her leave me for so long. So many times these past several weeks I’ve gone so far as to call for my private plane to be readied, been prepared to fly over to America and bring her back here myself. But if there’s one thing I know about my wife, it’s that she doesn’t appreciate being ordered around. She’d never forgive me if I dragged her unwillingly away from her work.
But why is she so determined to work on the other side of the globe? She’s a princess now, and her duty lies here. Why isn’t this enough for her? Why aren’t I enough for her?
I glance behind me, up at the royal palace of Montovia. It’s been my home for my entire life, and I’ve never had to imagine anything else—never wanted to imagine anything else. From the moment I was born, I knew my place in the world. I knew where my duty lay. As the eldest child, I will inherit the throne, and until that day my life is dedicated to preparing myself as best I can, to serving the people of Montovia with my heart, body, and mind.
The only thing that has ever made me question that is Victoria, the love of my life. For her, I was willing to give all of this up, but she wouldn’t let me. For her, I was willing to make room in my heart for something beyond my country. For her, I was able to accept that I wouldn’t be the one to provide the heirs who would come after me—because Victoria can’t bear children, that responsibility has fallen to my next youngest brother, Leopold, and my little nephew Matthew is as charming a child as I ever could have wished for.
But when I accepted all these things, I thought it meant I’d have a life with Victoria by my side—not a life with me here and her all the way over in America. Her happiness means everything to me, but how can she be happy so far apart?
She made me promise I wouldn’t try to keep her here if she returned for the day, but I’m not sure I can hold myself to that.
A moving speck in the sky catches my attention, and sure enough, a small plane is approaching. My stomach is in knots as I watch it fly nearer.
God, I’ve missed her so much. As much as I hate to admit it, I’m lost without her. The world holds so much less meaning when she isn’t here by my side.
By the time the plane lands, I can barely contain my excitement. When the steps are secured against the plane door, I’m there at the foot of them, waiting for her.
She steps out of the plane, and when my eyes land on her for the first time in weeks, it’s like the entire world stills for a moment. My breath catches in my throat.
I forgot how beautiful she was. I didn’t forget the brightness of her eyes, or the shade of her hair, or any of the details, but I forgot how much the sight of her could shake me to my very core.
I don’t wait for her to reach the bottom of the steps. I meet her in the middle, taking her into my arms and pulling her into a kiss. I don’t ever want to let her go.
She holds me close, kissing me back, then pulls away with a laugh.
“That’s some welcome,” she says, smiling.
“That’s just the start,” I say. “Wait until I get you back to our suite.”
First, though, there are other things to attend to. Now that I’m seeing her up close, I notice how much paler she is than usual. My insistence that she visit the royal physician was simply an excuse to get her back here, but now that I’m seeing her in person, I realize I have every right to be concerned.
“How are you feeling?” I ask her as I lead her down the rest of the steps.
“I’m managing,” she answers. “Being on a plane for twelve hours didn’t exactly help.”
“We’ll get you to the physician immediately,” I tell her. “She’ll help.” And God help me if I let her leave Montovia again before my wife is the very picture of health.
I take her arm in mine and quickly lead her over to the electric cart that will take us across the grounds to the palace.
I want to tell her how much I’ve missed her. How much I don’t want her to leave again. How she belongs here, with me. Why can’t she be happy by my side?
But I don’t want to start a fight, not moments after she stepped off the plane. And certainly not before we make sure all is well with her health. Right now, it’s enough to have her next to me.
I don’t let go of her arm the entire way to the physicians’ quarters in the palace. Part of me is afraid that if I release her, I’ll never get her back again. It’s foolish, I know, but I’ve always been a bit foolish around Victoria. I’m not sure how to stop it now.
When we arrive, the physician on duty comes rushing forward.
“Your Highnesses,” she says. “Is everything all right?”
“Victoria is ill,” I say.
“I’m not ill,” my wife insists. “I just feel a bit…off. I probably just ate something that isn’t sitting well.”
“Either way, we need to make sure everything is fine,” I say. “Run every test, make sure—”
“That won’t be necessary,” Victoria says.
The physician gives a warm smile.
“Don’t worry, Your Highness,” she says to me. “We’ll make sure she’s all right.” To Victoria, she says, “If you’ll come this way…”
I start to follow, but Victoria stops me.
“I’m fine,” she says again, giving me what I’m sure is supposed to be a reassuring look. “You don’t need to go back there will me. I’m sure she’s just going to run some tests and tell me everything is okay. I probably just need some more sleep.”
I frown. “I should be back there—”
“Actually, Your Highness, I ask to see patients on their own,” the physician says. “But you can wait here, if you like. I’ll come retrieve you if I find anything important.”
Part of me wants to order her to allow me to attend to my wife, but I’ve been trying to be less of a bully these days. With a sigh, I lower myself onto the settee beside the door, resigning myself to the wait.
“Come and get me the moment you learn anything,” I say.
“Of course.” Victoria steps close to me, leaning down to kiss me gently on the temple. A little lower, she whispers, “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too,” I say.
And God, you’ll never know just how much.
Victoria
My visit to the doctor seems to take forever. I’m only going to be here in Montovia for the day—and I’d prefer to spend it with my husband instead of in the sterile room where they have me confined.
But when the nurse comes in to draw another vial of blood—and won’t tell me what’s going on—I start to panic. Maybe it’s something serious. Maybe I have ca
ncer or some rare disease…
It’s a while longer before the doctor comes back. She’s always been very pleasant, but her tight-lipped half-smile tells me there’s a serious concern.
“What is it?” My voice croaks as I say the words—maybe I’m sicker than I thought.
“We need to get you to the hospital. As soon as possible.” She shoves her hands into the pockets of her white coat. “We need to run a few more tests, and we don’t have the equipment here—”
“What is it you think is wrong with me?” I let out a shaky breath. “And can…can Andrew come with me? Can—?”
“I don’t want to alarm you.” She presses her lips together. “Nor should you get your hopes up.”
“My…hopes?” I wrinkle my nose. “If something is wrong, why would I get my hopes…?” Oh my God. Part of me knows exactly what she’s saying, but I don’t want to believe it.
The procedure I had done several months ago, before the wedding. It would be too good to be true, of course. I’m not supposed to be able to conceive at all—I’ve known for a long time that I would never be able to have children. Before Andrew and I got married, I went to a few fertility specialists, hoping that by some miracle my condition could be reversed, but everyone I spoke to told me it was futile, except the one doctor in Paris. And after that minor surgery, he told me it had failed. That I should give up all hopes of ever having children.