Royal Playboy: The Prince's Choice

by Leila Haven

  “Where’s Anna?” Rick asked after a quick greeting. Just as he mentioned her name, Anna entered the room carrying a plate of food.

  “I’m right here,” she said, sitting.

  Our small audience of two was apparently everyone Rick was looking for. “I have found my wife. Thankfully, she has agreed to marry me.”

  The queen and Anna both looked from him to me and back again. They did this a few more times before the queen spoke. “Oh, Ricky, I’m so happy for you.” She stood and gave him a hug before moving onto me. As she pulled me close, she whispered in my ear, “I always knew it would be you. I’m very happy.”

  My eyes started to sting with tears unexpectedly. I hadn’t realized the queen felt that way toward me. I thought the whole palace would have preferred someone more like Violet.

  “Thank you,” I replied quietly.

  She returned to her seat. Anna didn’t rush to congratulate us, she said the word but there was no feeling behind it. She didn’t like me, it was blatantly obvious.

  “You have to join us for lunch,” the queen said. “I’m sure you’re starving.” She gave Rick a knowing look, had she figured out he had gone to get me back? I got the feeling the queen saw and knew much more than people gave her credit for.

  We had lunch and I tried to remember that these people were going to be my family now. The great Queen of Illium would be my mother-in-law. She would be the grandmother to my children. Anna, well, she would probably have some role in the palace and I would see her regularly. The palace would be my home, I had to find a way to be comfortable here.

  The queen excused herself once we’d eaten and Rick followed her out to have a quick word. That left me alone with Anna.

  Now was my chance. “I want you to know that I really love Richard. I’m not with him for any other reason.”

  “I didn’t say you were,” she replied frostily.

  “But you don’t like me.”

  She gave me the fakest smile I’d ever seen. And that was saying something considering the women in the competition I’d just been through. “I think there were better candidates for Richard’s wife.”

  “That stuff I told you, it was a lie. I wanted you to not like me so you’d throw me out of the competition.”

  “And that is supposed to make me like you?”

  “No, but can we just wipe the slate clean, please?”

  “My memory isn’t that short,” she said before standing and taking her plate into the kitchen. So much for that conversation going well. Anna would be someone I had to look out for in the palace. She could cause trouble where there was none.

  Rick returned. “Mother says we must speak about the announcement immediately. Then we are free for the rest of the day.”

  I smiled again and longed for a shower. It seemed a long way away at that moment. Rick led me through endless rooms once more and we ended up somewhere I could finally recognize.

  Unfortunately, it was Anna’s office. She was already typing on her computer when we joined her. I hated that small room.

  “We shouldn’t waste any time,” she started, all business. “I will inform the other women today that they may return home. Unless I should keep them in the city for a few days?”

  Rick replied immediately. “No, send them home. Give them a gift to make sure we are grateful for their time and participation.”

  “Okay. I will prepare the engagement announcement and we will slot it to be released in two days’ time. Then there will be the engagement ball, media involvement, and official photographs. Once they are done, we will commence the wedding preparations. I hope you are ready for a lot of hard work, Melody.”

  “I am,” I replied.

  “Good, because you can’t put a foot wrong from here on out. We need to make the country fall in love with you, otherwise you will cause irreparable damage to the crown.”

  “The people will love her,” Rick said.

  “I hope so,” Anna replied.

  She reeled off another plethora of things that needed to be done in the upcoming weeks and months. The whole thing made my head spin. Maybe I’d made a big mistake in accepting Rick’s proposal. Maybe I was the wrong girl for the job. I was certain Violet would have taken it all much, much better than I was.

  It seemed like I wouldn’t have time to even see Rick – or sleep – over the next few months. Anna was scheduling out all my time. If her aim was to freak me out, then she was definitely succeeding.

  “I think we can talk more about this later,” Rick said, stopping Anna in her wake. “For now, let’s wait for the announcement and then we’ll get to work. I’m sure we can allow Melody a few days to settle into the palace.”

  “Yes, of course, Your Majesty,” Anna replied graciously. She sure knew how to play him. I definitely needed to watch her closely.

  Rick stood and I followed his lead. “I’m going to show Melody to her room and then we will not be disturbed for the rest of the day. Please let the staff know that we will be resting.”

  “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

  He took my hand and we left the office. The sound of Anna typing followed us out, telling me she was already getting to work. I got the feeling there wouldn’t be much about the wedding that I would be able to have a say in. Anna and the queen would probably want to plan it all out themselves.

  But, then again, I had always dreamed of planning my wedding. I wasn’t going to let them make all the decisions. It was my wedding too and I planned on only having one so I needed it to be right.

  I would take on Anna and make sure she knew I wasn’t somebody she could push around. It was going to be a challenge, but I would do it.

  For Rick.

  For us.

  “Are you okay with everything?” Rick asked once we were alone and heading toward his quarters. “I know it’s a lot to take in.”

  “I didn’t realize everything was so formal.”

  “We have traditions to uphold, the public expects so much from us. If we didn’t have a certain way of doing things, it would be chaos.”

  “I’ll get used to it.”

  Rick stopped, forcing me to do the same. He tugged on my hand so I turned to face him. “If it’s too much—”

  “I’ll handle it.”

  “Melody, you need to talk to me.”

  His tired eyes were sad with concern. I didn’t want him worrying about me. A princess needed to be strong and I would learn to be. I would be the royalty the public expected of me.

  It was just a learning process.

  One I would master.

  Eventually.

  I clasped his hands between mine own, warming them. “It’s overwhelming, I’ll admit that. But I’ve been in overwhelming situations before and handled it. I can do this, I promise.”

  “I know you can, it’s not that. I want you to be happy. That’s at the top of my priority list.”

  “I am happy. I have you.”

  It only took a moment for that to sink in. His lips quirked up into a smile that I kissed lovingly. He pulled me into a hug. “You make me unbelievably happy. I will always be here for you, make sure you talk with me about anything on your mind. Promise me that.”

  “I promise.”

  He was satisfied enough to continue on and eventually we ended up in his bedroom. Rick started peeling off his clothes as he headed for the bed. He looked dead on his feet, the poor man.

  I stood by the door, unsure what to do.

  Rick was naked by the time he reached the bed. Gloriously naked, making me forget about my fatigue and think all kinds of naughty thoughts.

  “How about we rest here,” he said, climbing into bed. I had to stop looking at his cock before he noticed. “Then, when we’re not so tired, I’ll show you to your room. Protocol says we can’t live together until we’re married. But I can’t have you staying anywhere else, so separate rooms will have to do. I’ll show you yours later.”

  I rushed over to the bed, stripped down to my panties,
and climbed in next to him. “That sounds fine to me.”

  He pulled me against him, kissing the nape of my neck. “I’m already looking forward to sneaking into your room every night to have my way with you.”

  “You’d take my virtue like that?” I teased.

  “Every fucking night,” he whispered back.

  Thank goodness I was facing away from him, otherwise my new fiancé would have seen the ridiculous smile on my face that I couldn’t remove.

  Chapter 17

  Richard

  ҉ ҉ ҉ ҉ ҉ ҉

  Waking up with Melody in my arms was truly a dream come true. I’d wanted her, craved her, yearned for her every day since the ball. Now she was mine and I would put a ring on her finger to prove it.

  I slowly repositioned her head on the pillow, taking it from my arm gently so she wouldn’t wake up. It was early evening so we didn’t have to be anywhere, she could enjoy the sleep.

  Her naked form in the bed tried to lure me back between the sheets. Waking her up with my cock was an option I tried really hard not to think about. There would be plenty more opportunities for that, we would have the rest of our lives to fuck away the days.

  I took a shower and dressed while Melody continued dreaming. My parents’ quarters were on the other side of the palace and I hurried over with a sense of excitement and dread in the pit of my stomach. Every time I saw my father, I hated to see what his disease had done to him since my last visit.

  “Congratulations,” my father croaked. It took most of his energy. The wedding was going to have to be very soon, we didn’t have time for a long build up.

  “Thank you, Father.”

  “Your mother tells me she is quite the woman. I said she would have to be if she agreed to take you on.”

  “I’ll bring her up soon so you can meet her.”

  “Please do.”

  My mother joined us. “What can we do for you, Son?”

  “I need an engagement ring. I was hoping Grandmother’s would be available?” It was a lot to ask, the ring was worth ten million dollars. But it would look so much better on Melody’s hand than in the vault. She wouldn’t lose it.

  “Are you certain that’s the one?”

  “Yes. The sapphire is as exquisite as she is.”

  Mother smiled and tenderly patted my arm. “Go ahead. You know where it is.”

  The vault was my next stop. I spoke with my parents for a while more before heading off. The vault was next to the display vault where the crown jewels were stored. It was much smaller, but protected the highest valued gems we had.

  I found Grandmother’s ring and held it up to the light. It still sparkled, ready to blind anyone that looked at it for too long. All I hoped was that Melody liked it. If she didn’t, I would buy her a brand new one. Anything she wanted, she would have.

  Melody was awake when I rejoined her in the bedroom. She had put on a shirt of mine, her shoulder bare as the collar fell away. She was absolutely fuckable looking like that. I had reign in my thoughts and remember my purpose.

  “I have something for you,” I said, holding the ring behind my back.

  She pushed a stray hair behind her ear. There was nothing this woman could do that didn’t make her look sexier by the second. “Can you give it to me naked?” she asked slyly.

  “I could, but we should probably wait.” I went to her and pulled her to her feet. Then, I dropped down on one knee. Showing her the ring, I waited for a reaction. “Will you marry me?”

  Her eyes bulged as she looked at the ring. It was the reaction I was hoping for. “Oh my god. It’s beautiful.”

  “It was my grandmother’s. I’d really like for you to have it.”

  She started nodding and that was enough for me. I slipped it onto her finger and stood up to take her in my arms.

  “It’s gorgeous. I’m never taking it off.”

  “That’s what I want. You’re mine and now everyone will know it.”

  It was easy to push her back onto the bed. It was even easier to rip off her clothes and make love to her. Sex with Melody felt different with us engaged. She gave herself to me completely, allowing me to possess her in a way no other woman had.

  I owned her, she was mine. Just as I now belonged to her. If we never left the bedroom again, it would be too soon. I wanted to fuck Melody every minute of every day and I would make sure I had a good go at doing that.

  We were unavailable for the rest of the evening and night, plus the next day. However, the following morning we had no choice but to accept our fate.

  I stood at the door to the balcony, my fiancé’s hand in mind as I mentally prepared myself to step outside. There were thousands of people assembled in the large courtyard outside. They were all waiting for a big announcement, but clueless as to what it was.

  Anna stood at the side of the door. “Are you ready?”

  I nodded for all of us and the procession commenced. The king and queen spoke first, followed by myself. Melody remained where she was for the time being.

  My father spoke into the microphone. He had to really work to remain steady and standing. We only needed a few minutes and then he could rest behind the scenes where the rest of the kingdom wouldn’t be able to see his illness.

  “Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for coming today. I won’t beat around the bush because the news is too exciting to hold in. I would like to announce the engagement of my son, Prince Richard III to Miss Melody Parker.”

  Right on cue, Melody stepped onto the balcony and walked to my side. I held her hand and leaned in for the obligatory kiss.

  The crowd below erupted.

  We waved and I took over the microphone, thanking the crowd and talking of my excitement. It was all formalities but my words were true. This was only the start of our journey, but it felt good standing there with Melody at my side.

  We were going to do it. We would reign in this kingdom together. My sexy princess at my side. She would be perfect in public, and a dirty tiger in the bedroom. Just what I always wanted.

  Want more?

  There’s lots more where this came from! If you enjoy steamy romance, why not spend a few minutes browsing over Leila's entire catalog?

  Follow Leila on Book Sprout

  Get notified on your phone/tablet whenever Leila releases a new book or runs a deal! Follow her on Book Sprout.

  Mailing List

  Join thousands of other erotic romance lovers on the Smutpire Press mailing list!

   Never miss a new release from Leila.

   Never miss a limited time offer.

   Get a free book from ALL of our authors just for joining!

  Special Thanks

  ҉ ҉ ҉ ҉ ҉

  First off, I'd like to thank you for reading! I truly hope you enjoyed this story and I look forward to hearing any feedback you have on it by way of review, email, or on my website.

  Special thanks goes out to everyone who has been in contact with me about my previous stories. I wouldn't have continued writing if it wasn't for the awesome feedback/reviews from you! :)

  About The Author

  ҉ ҉ ҉ ҉ ҉

  If you’re interested in short erotica, check out Leila’s other pen name, Kenzie Haven!