by Wilde, Kati
Smiling, she lifted her mouth for a kiss—then drew back to look up at him imperiously. “Many riches we have in this castle, Aruk. Reassure me that I will not find you one day, jerking your cock on a pile of gold coins.”
Heartily he laughed and drew her up for that kiss. “The only promise I will make is that, if I do, they will bear your likeness.” Then his heart filled, and he kissed her again. “It was the only likeness I had of you. And when you gave it to me, still warmed it was from your skin. Now I need no gold at all.”
For the greatest of riches he’d already found in her.
Epilogue
Aruk the Found
Savadon
Here we are again, in the kingdom of Savadon, on the southern coast of the Illwind Sea. Eight months have passed, and on this day, two travelers are escorted from the docks to the palace at the behest of Savadon’s king.
Hardly surprised Aruk was to see Strax, though lack of surprise was not lack of joy, and fiercely the brothers embraced. More surprising was his companion, Mara, who had hated his brother so fiercely—though after Aruk’s own tumultuous path to love, perhaps no surprise it should have been. Full with child Mara was, and the trip across the sea had been difficult for his brother’s new wife. Soon it was settled that the pair would stay in Savadon until she gave birth, and was strong enough to continue home.
No arrangement could have pleased Aruk more, to have the people he loved best in the world gathered together. And so proud he was to introduce his brother to his wife, Queen Jalisa the Ironskin—though some within the palace also called her The Queen Who Rode Her King Into Righteous Battle. No one in Savadon missed her father’s rule, and the pretty princess they’d once called spoiled and selfish and difficult had other new names, such as Jalisa the Kind and Jalisa the Generous.
And soon she would also be called a mother.
Of their sacred duty, Strax told him the gauntlet was still safe in Khides’ keep. Aruk gave to his brother the news that, eight months before, Solegius the tyrant and all of his warlords had been killed, freeing Aremond from the sorcerer’s rule. He saw the look that passed between Strax and his wife, and knew there must be a story there. But Strax laughed and said that a long story it was, and would take perhaps five days to tell—and so for the next five nights, together Aruk and Jalisa sat back, relaxed, and unwound while Strax and Mara spun a tale of a sorcerer’s trap and a midnight wedding, of poisoned lips and skull cliffs and wolf brothers.
Happy months passed in Savadon, with healthy babes born to both couples before Strax and Mara left for her home. But no sad parting it was, for only a few weeks’ journey separated their kingdoms, and Jalisa eager to travel and visit.
As the years passed, that journey Aruk and Jalisa took many times with their four children—and other adventures they had, too. Only once did Aruk’s duty call him again. Just as she had promised, Jalisa accompanied him—and great dangers they faced along the way. But that is a tale for anothertime and anotherwhen. Rest assured that all turned out well, as it always should in such tales.
But this one must come to an end.
* * *
Don’t miss Strax and Mara’s story! Truly sit back, relax, and unwind while it is available as a free audiobook from the Read Me Romance podcast!
And don’t miss the other titles in the Rags-to-Riches series!
Pretty Virgin by Alexa Riley
Pretty Prize by Ella Goode
Pretty Human by Ruby Dixon
Pretty Daring by Jessa Kane
Author’s Note
Hello there, book lovers! I hope you had a great time reading Pretty Bride, because I definitely had a fantastic time writing Aruk and Jalisa’s story. When the other ladies of the Club and I decided to get together to do another themed series, the first thing that popped into my head was the scene with Aruk killing everyone with the chains while Jalisa was…well, you know what she was doing. So I told the other ladies that it didn’t matter what the theme would be—I’d make the story work and write that scene. Luckily, the rags-to-riches theme ended up being an absolutely perfect way to get there!
If you were wondering about Strax and Mara, their story is called The Midnight Bride and is available now as a FREE audiobook on the Read Me Romance podcast! (If you don’t like audiobooks, no worries! It’ll be released as a Kindle Unlimited ebook in September.)
If you’re looking for more fantasy romance and barbarian warriors, don’t miss The Midwinter Mail-Order Bride (which is the story of Kael the Conqueror and his bride.) Coming soon is also The Midsummer Bride.
And of course, don’t miss the other books in the Rags-to-Riches series: Alexa Riley’s Pretty Virgin, Ella Goode’s Pretty Prize, Ruby Dixon’s Pretty Human, and Jessa Kane’s Pretty Daring. These will all be released in June 2019 and available in Kindle Unlimited!
If you’d like to receive a notification when these books release, please sign up for my newsletter! I promise I’ll never spam your or trade your information. I’ll only use it to inform you of my new releases.
Until then, happy reading!
Kati
The Midwinter Mail-Order Bride
Available in Kindle Unlimited
Some might call Princess Anja of Ivermere brave for offering herself up as a bride to Kael the Conqueror, a barbarian warlord who’d won his crown by the bloodied edge of his sword. It was not courage that drove Anja from her magic-wielding family’s enchanted palace, however, but a desperate attempt to secure a kingdom of her own—even if she has to kill the Conqueror to do it. She expects pain beneath his brutal touch as she awaits her chance. She expects death if he discovers the truth of her intentions.
She didn’t expect Kael to reject her and send her back to Ivermere.
Raised in the ashes of the Dead Lands, Kael fears nothing—certainly not the beautiful sorceress who arrives at his mountain stronghold. But no matter how painful his need for her, Kael has no use for a bride who would only tolerate his kiss. Yet the more of Anja’s secrets he uncovers during their journey to return her home, the more determined he becomes to win the princess’s wary heart.
And Kael the Conqueror has never been defeated…
Available for 99¢ or borrow in Kindle Unlimited
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Also by Kati Wilde
Contemporary Romance
Going Nowhere Fast
(a new adult romance)
Secret Santa
(a holiday romance)
All He Wants For Christmas
(a holiday romance)
The Wedding Night Before Christmas
(a holiday romance)
The Dead Lands
Barbarian Fantasy Romance
The Midwinter Mail-Order Bride
The Midnight Bride
Pretty Bride
The Hellfire Riders Motorcycle Club
The Hellfire Riders, Volumes 1-3: Saxon & Jenny
(includes: Wanting It All, Taking It All, Having It All)
The Hellfire Riders, Volumes 4-6: Jack & Lily
(includes: Betting It All, Risking It All, Burning It All)
Breaking It All
(Gunner & Anna)
Giving It All
(Saxon & Jenny)
Craving It All
(Bull & Sara)
Faking It All
(Duke & Olivia)
Werewolf Romance
Beauty In Spring
(a short Beauty & the Beast romance)
High Moon
(
a werewolf romance novel)
Coming Soon
Losing It All
(Stone’s book)
The Midsummer Bride
(a Dead Lands novel)
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews.
PRETTY BRIDE
Copyright © 2019 Kati Wilde
All rights reserved.
First Digital Edition, June 2019
katiwilde.com