by Day Leclaire
“Sweetheart—”
“Don’t sweetheart me.” She gripped his shirt and one of the seams gave way. “You listen to me. I don’t want to hear another word about duty, or honor or responsibility. And so help me, if the word sacrifice ever leaves your mouth again, I swear, I won’t be held accountable for my actions.”
“I am who I am,” he stated simply.
Her chin wobbled. “And I love who you are, Brandt. Even those truly annoying parts.”
He offered a slow smile. “Thanks.”
“If you go in there, I’m going with you. And I’m going as your wife.”
He shook his head. “You aren’t my wife.”
“I will be,” she said fiercely. “I don’t care if I have to tie you up and drag you in front of the nearest church official, we will be married. You will allow me to stand by your side while you face these charges.”
His smile faded. “You made a bargain with me, or have you forgotten?” From the way her face went stark white, he realized she had. “You promised to return to your family and I intend to hold you to your word.”
“Don’t. Please don’t make me leave you.”
She was killing him, slicing off pieces of his soul. “When my name is cleared—”
“No! Not when it’s cleared. Right now, when it counts most. I want to declare my love openly. I want the entire world to know how I feel about you.” Tears choked her. “Please, Brandt. I know you can’t say the words back. Honor won’t allow you to. But I want you to hear them from me. Here. Now.”
Her hands crept to his face, smoothing each harsh line with a tender caress. He’d never seen such blatant adoration on a person’s face before. The fact that it was for him was humbling.
“I love you,” she said. “I love you more than I ever thought possible. I’ll love you until the day I die. And then somehow, someway, I’ll love you for all of eternity. When we go in there and face whatever there is to face, if you’ll let me, I intend to shout my feelings to the entire world. But for right now, in this instant of time, my feelings are private and for you alone.”
He enfolded her in his arms, knowing it was the last time he’d ever hold her. Cupping her face, he brushed away her tears. “If I were a free man, if I were any man but the one I am, I would tell you I love you, too. But I can’t as long as I’m under suspicion. I can’t tell you that I adore you, that you are my life. I can’t tell you that you’re more precious to me than all the amethysts in Verdonia. I can’t tell you that more than anything I want our night together to have borne fruit, to watch you ripen with my child. I can’t tell you how much I long to spend the rest of my life making you happy.” He kissed her, a lingering kiss of farewell. “If it weren’t wrong, I’d tell you that I’ll love you today, tomorrow and every tomorrow until the end of time.”
The guard had reappeared, almost dancing with impatience, and Brandt reluctantly released her. “I have to go, sweetheart.”
“At least let me stand by you through this much,” she pleaded.
“Your Highness?” the guard interrupted. “I thought I should let you know that Princess Miri’s family is in the study with everyone else. They’ve requested her presence, as well.”
Her surprise gave way to sheer delight. “Perfect. You were going to send me back to my family. Now we both get what we want.” She glanced down at herself and gave a small gasp of horror. “We are not facing them like this. I’m sure everyone can wait five minutes while we clean up.”
By the time they’d showered and changed, it was closer to thirty minutes than five. They headed for his study hand in hand. Miri wore her red power suit and mile-high heels, no doubt for courage, and she’d coiled her hair in a sophisticated knot that made her appear every inch the princess.
“Did you have to wear black?” she asked him in a disapproving undertone. “It makes you look like you’re going to your funeral.”
“Entirely possible.” He paused outside his study, stopping her heated response with a shake of his head. “I don’t know what we’re going to find when we go in there, but no matter how it goes down, I don’t want you to interfere.”
Her mouth compressed at the order, but she nodded, worry deepening the color of her eyes. “I’ll try not to say anything.”
Honest, if not quite what he’d asked. Still, it would have to do. Strident voices came from behind the heavy wooden door. Many voices, both male and female. Turning the knob, he pushed open the door. Inside, he found sheer pandemonium.
At first, all he could see were Montgomerys, every last one of the royals, as far as he could tell. Even Joc Arnaud, Juliana’s brother, was present, lending weight to the proceedings. They surrounded the chair in front of his desk where a small cringing man sat, clutching a briefcase to his chest as though it were a lifeline. The chief executive councilman of the TGC, if he didn’t miss his guess. And they were all shouting at him, even Miri’s mother, Rachel. Off to one side hovered Alyssa’s mother, Angela. And holding her in an embrace that looked as intimate as it did comforting stood Erik Sutherland.
“Interesting. I thought Erik was Angela’s stepson,” he said sotto voce. “That hug doesn’t look terribly maternal.”
Miri gave a soft laugh. “Boy, are you out of date. I was just a baby at the time, but maybe you have a vague memory of Erik’s father divorcing Angela?”
“A very vague memory. Alyssa was…what? A year, maybe two at the time? That would have put Erik in his early twenties.”
“That’s about right. Well, the reason for Angela’s divorce from Prince Frederick is hugging her as we speak.”
“So, Alyssa…”
“Is Erik’s daughter, not Prince Frederick’s.” Miri’s eyes narrowed in speculation. “What I’d like to know is why the two of them are here. What do they have to do with all this?”
“I’m almost afraid to ask. But I can’t help wondering if it has something to do with Erik abdicating to Alyssa. If he hadn’t, she wouldn’t be ruling Celestia right now.”
“And you wouldn’t have tried to marry her in order to win the election.”
He winced at the tart edge to Miri’s tongue. “Bygones, love. Water definitely under the bridge.” He scrutinized the group around the councilman. “Hell. I’m not sure I want to wade into the middle of that mess.”
As though his comment caught everyone’s attention, all focus honed in on them. They were instantly enveloped in Montgomerys, every last one of them talking at once. Brandt folded his arms across his chest and waited it out. As soon as it became clear they weren’t planning to stop anytime soon, he held up a hand. To his surprise, they actually fell silent.
“What the hell is going on?” he asked mildly.
The councilman hastened to his feet and offered a small, awkward bow that left him juggling with his briefcase. “I apologize, Your Highness. But I’ve come to inform you a warrant has been sworn out for your arrest.”
Lander turned to confront the man. “And we’re telling you, you’re not arresting him. My wife has evidence—”
“That the documents you have are forgeries,” Juliana broke in, waving a sheathe of papers. “And I can prove it.”
The councilman bobbed his head. “Yes, Your Highness. I understand your position. But we’ve voted and—”
“You’re going to have to take another vote,” Merrick spoke up. “Because my security force has no intention of allowing you to arrest von Folke and that’s the end of it.”
“Please, Your Highness. Your Highnesses,” the councilman pleaded. “You can’t do this. The TGC has proof of these improprieties. Now, I understand you have conflicting evidence, but until this is straightened out, I have no choice. I have my orders. Lauren DeVida had help stealing the amethysts and getting them out of the country. All the evidence points to Prince Brandt. He has control of the mines and is in charge of transporting the gemstones from those mines to Celestia. He must be stopped before we lose any more amethysts. The discrepancies we’ve uncovered point to h
is being responsible for some very serious…er…accounting errors.”
“Accounting errors or thefts?” Brandt asked in a deadly voice.
“Thefts,” the councilman squeaked.
“Erik,” Angela urged. “You have to tell them the truth. Explain about Lauren and why you abdicated.”
Erik nodded, squaring his shoulders. “Lauren DeVida did have help. But it was my father, Prince Frederick, who helped her. After his death, I found documents implicating him. I…I chose to abdicate because of it.” His voice faltered. “It seemed the only honorable course of action. To try and make amends, I did my best to track the woman down and have her brought to justice.”
“Did you find her?” Brandt asked, genuinely curious.
“Two days ago. She’s in custody and being extradited to Verdonia. She’s agreed to cooperate fully with the investigation. We won’t recover all the money, but we’ll get a large portion of it back.”
Everyone started talking at once. Brandt bowed his head, struggling to take it all in. “They supported you,” Miri said in a soft voice. “They defended you. All of them.”
“I…I didn’t expect that.” Unable to resist, he pulled her close. “You were right about them, sweetheart. They are honorable. All of them.”
“Do you finally believe your name—our name—will be cleared now?”
He laughed, the sound a tad rusty, but still a laugh. “I believe.”
“Then do I have your permission to say something now?” The demure question was contradicted by the mischievous gleam in her eyes.
He swept her an elegant bow. “Now that my name is cleared, I release you from your bargain. You’re free to say anything you wish.”
“In that case…” She raised her voice. “Will you marry me?”
That silenced the entire room. Brandt released his breath in an exaggerated sigh. “Considering how badly you’ve compromised me, I don’t see that I have any choice. Yes, I’ll marry you. For real, this time.”
And then pandemonium broke loose again.
The sun broke across the mountains on Miri’s wedding day, pouring its warmth and light across Avernos like a loving balm. The palace overflowed with guests from every corner of Verdonia, all of whom found cause to dart into Miri’s room for a quick visit before the ceremony. Not that she minded. As far as she was concerned, sharing her happiness added to her enjoyment of the festivities.
Finally, it came time to dress and everyone left except her mother, and Juliana and Alyssa, who helped Miri get ready. The wedding gown she’d ultimately chosen was as different from that first ceremony as she could have wished. Dainty, elegant, romantic, it was the sort of gown she’d always hoped to wear when she married. In celebration of the discovery of the largest supply of Juliana Rose and Royal amethysts in Verdonia’s history, the bodice was liberally studded with both gemstones, as was her veil. They were a statement, each glittering flash a promise to Verdonia of future harmony and prosperity.
A few hours later, standing in the vestibule of the chapel moments before the wedding was scheduled to begin, she couldn’t help but compare the two ceremonies she’d experienced here. Only there was no comparison. One had been darkness and despair. This was light and joy. One had been the result of bitterness and the need for vengeance. This was a marriage of love, the bonding of heart, mind and soul.
There was no thunderous processional to escort her up the aisle this time, only the soft strains of a string quartet. Instead of walking the endless length on her own, she clung to Lander’s arm. He’d honored the occasion by dressing in full military uniform, right down to white gloves and a saber strapped to his side. When they reached the altar, Lander joined her hand with Brandt’s. Then he crossed to the front pew where the entire Montgomery family stood in beaming approval and joined his wife, Juliana, and her brother, financial wizard, Joc Arnaud.
Through the layers of lace and tulle, she saw Brandt give her a slow, teasing smile. Snagging the hem of her veil he lifted it and peeked beneath. “Just checking,” he explained to their guests.
Laughter rippled through the chapel. Where before the ceremony had been torturous, cold and deliberate, this time a warmth and lightness permeated. Most poignant of all were the vows, spoken with such love and sincerity, there was no doubting that the wedding was a love match.
Once again they were pronounced husband and wife, and this time Brandt not only lifted her veil, but swept it completely off her head, releasing her hair from its elegant coil. It streamed down her shoulders and back and he thrust his fingers deep into the loosened strands. “I love you,” he told his wife. “You are more important than anything else in my life.”
And then he kissed her, a kiss of promise. Of honor and duty and responsibility. There was only one thing missing in the kiss he gave her. Sacrifice. Instead of sacrifice, they found healing. When he finally released her there wasn’t a dry eye in the chapel.
Turning, they started to make their way back down the aisle, when Lander stepped from his pew, directly into their path. For a long minute the two men faced each other, two men who would be king. The tension grew, stretching nerves to the limit. Then Lander did something that shocked Miri to the core. In a smooth, practiced move, he unsheathed his saber from its scabbard and offered it to Brandt. Utter silence descended on the chapel.
Brandt hesitated. “Are you certain?” he asked in a voice only the three of them could hear.
“It’s time for a change. Verdonia needs you.”
“It needs you and Merrick, as well.” There was no doubting Brandt’s sincerity. “I would appreciate your help.”
“You’ll have it.”
With a nod of agreement, Brandt accepted the sword. He signaled to the musicians, who immediately resumed playing the recessional. Then he and Miri continued their trip down the aisle. Instead of waiting in the vestibule to greet their guests, he ushered her outside. Brilliant sunshine greeted them. Urging her onward, they cut through the courtyard and into the garden. Crossing to the far end, he set the saber on a bench adjacent to the woods.
Miri stared at it. “When Lander gave you his sword…did that mean what I think it did?”
“It was a gesture of fealty,” Brandt confirmed. “By tomorrow the news will be all over Verdonia.” He shook his head in disbelief. “He just handed me the election.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I told you he was an honorable man.”
“With all that’s happened, Verdonia needs him more than ever. As do I. He won’t regret what he’s done today.”
It was then that she recognized the significance of where they were standing. “Do you realize that this is where it all started?” She gestured toward the bench. “That’s where I took Alyssa’s place.”
Brandt folded his arms across his chest. “We’ve come full circle.”
“The perfect ‘happily ever after’ moment?” she asked in an odd voice.
He smiled, that slow, sweet smile of his. “Can you think of a better one?”
“Just one.” She returned to his arms. “Remember our night at the cabin? The night of the fire?”
His breath escaped in a laugh. “How could I forget? It’s indelibly printed on my memory for so many reasons. But mainly…” He took her mouth in a leisurely kiss, one of barely restrained passion. One that hinted of what they’d share when the day was through. “Mainly I remember because of what came after the fire.”
“Something else came of that night. Something very special and unexpected.” She caught his hand in hers and cupped it low on her abdomen. “There’s someone here, my love. Someone who wants to say hello to you.”
ISBN: 978-1-4268-1867-7
Copyright © 2008 Harlequin Books S.A.
The publisher acknowledges the copyright holders of the individual works as follows:
The Forbidden Princess
Copyright © 2007 Day Totton Smith
The Prince’s Mistress
Copyright © 2007 Day Totton Smith
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sp; The Royal Wedding Night
Copyright © 2007 Day Totton Smith
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All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
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