He felt like a fool. When she’d come to see him in The Black City, he’d really thought she meant the things she’d said. But she lied to him. He let the guard around his heart down—the one put up after Phoenix—and she’d crushed it again. He didn’t trust her, not by a long shot.
But now Zwaantie was his life, his wife, and his soon-to-be queen. Someday, he’d have to get over her infidelity. Not today, though.
Sage opened the door, and he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “You look lovely this evening.”
“Thanks,” Sage said, playing with one of the ruffles on her dress. “Nash really outdid himself. Wait until you see Zwaantie.”
She probably looked stunning, not that he wanted to care.
She stepped out of the closet, and his breath caught in his throat. A ruby necklace lay on her creamy skin, drawing attention to her breasts that nearly spilled out of her red dress.
Red. Ari’s favorite color.
This was no accident. He swallowed, anger building in his chest. “You’re not wearing black.” He clenched his fists. How could she do this to him? It was bad enough he had to be reminded she loved Ari. Now she was going to make sure he never forgot it either.
She placed a hand on her stomach. “Viggo told me I wasn’t allowed to.”
Viggo was smart. Was it possible he knew about her relationship with Ari? Even if he did, he’d never let anyone know. Viggo’s whole purpose in life was to protect the royal family from scandal, and he was damn good at what he did.
The red bothered Leo, but he shouldn’t let it. Ari was her husband, and they weren’t allowing her time to mourn. As long as she wore it though, she reminded him she belonged to Ari, and today he needed to pretend she was his.
“What can we expect from the ceremony?” Zwaantie asked.
“I don’t know. I’m told it’s much like the wedding ceremony.”
Zwaantie scowled. “More blood?”
He chuckled. “Probably.”
She met his eyes, and he forgot for a second that she wasn’t really his. There was anxiety there and sadness, but beauty in the stunning blue color. He took her hands in his, pulled her close, and kept eye contact. “I’m so sorry for the way things have gone. If I could go back and put myself in Ari’s spot, I would.”
She squeezed his hands. “I know. Me too.”
A flash ruined the moment. He glared at Sage. “What was that?”
“Feeding the Ticker. Look.”
The picture hovered on the top of her disc. If Leo didn’t know better, he’d think Sage had captured a truly tender moment between lovers. It was sweet and intimate. He didn’t want this floating all over the Ticker. That was a moment for him and Zwaantie alone.
Zwaantie gave Sage a wide smile. “That’s incredible, Sage. Throw it up there. If we’re lucky, by the end of the evening, no one will ever remember they thought I was sleeping with the king.”
Just like that, Zwaantie ruined it.
He held out his arm. “Shall we?”
She tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. He took a deep breath just before they stepped out of the room. He had to pretend they were happy. That she was the love of his life.
Which she was. But he wasn’t hers, and it made this unbearable.
The great hall was crowded. Commoners and royalty alike mingled. He and Zwaantie entered from the front and only greeted a handful of people before taking their places on the stage.
The thrones were empty. They would take them after the ceremony was complete and talk to people of Stella until dinner, where they would entertain the entire royal family. Invitations were extended to anyone with royal blood, which was over two thousand.
His brothers and sisters stood in the front. He met Sage’s eyes and was surprised to see Phoenix standing by her side.
The crowd quieted when Xandria took the stage. She was dressed in a midnight blue dress with diamonds that sparkled like the stars. She didn’t say a word but waved her hands in the air. A clear bubble formed in front of her.
“Prince Leo, please join me on my right. Princess Zwaantie, my left.”
He did as she instructed. Not a sound was heard in the hall. Only those older than his father would have witnessed this before. The crowd was made mostly of Leo’s peers.
Xandria grabbed his right hand and drew out a strand of blood, which she dropped into the bubble. Then she did the same for Zwaantie.
She placed both of her hands on the bubble, and the blood inside swirled around, coating the ball in red. The color changed to purple, then blue, silver, and finally a deep gold.
Xandria pulled her hands apart, and the bubble split in two, leaving a ball in each hand.
“Kneel before your people,” Xandria commanded.
Leo reached for Zwaantie’s hand, and they both dropped to their knees. Xandria moved around behind them.
“Good people of Stella, your king and queen give you a foundation of honor. Do you accept this gift?”
The people shouted out a resounding yes. Leo felt a weight on his head, but he didn’t dare look up.
“To honor, they add loyalty, safety, love, joy, peace, and prosperity. Do you accept this gift?”
Again the crowd shouted yes.
“King Leo, Queen Zwaantie, arise.”
They stood and found Xandria in front of them facing the crowd.
“Stella, meet your new king and queen.”
The entire crowd dropped into a bow. Leo looked over at Zwaantie. An intricate gold crown perched on her head. He guessed he had one on his as well.
He was now king. A position he never wanted. Next to him stood his queen who deserved so much more. A real king. His brother. This was not supposed to be his place.
He had to force his smile. This was what so many dreamed of, and yet he felt completely undeserving of it. King of Stella was a title he didn’t want.
Xandria walked behind him and whispered, “Kiss your queen. Make it a good one.”
He tried to imagine what he would do if Ari had never been in the picture. How would he react?
He pulled Zwaantie into a tight hug. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him. Maybe she was imagining Ari as well, but he tried not to think of that. Leo dipped her down, and she gasped.
“You make a stunning queen,” he said and pressed his lips on hers. She returned the kiss, and for a moment he forgot he was pretending. He was kissing his bride, his queen.
He brought her up and was shocked into reality with the flashing discs. This was for show only. Not real.
Dinner was pleasant. Leo and Zwaantie rarely let go of one another, though they talked with many people. Every once in a while, he’d drop a chaste kiss on her lips, and she smiled. He knew the smile wasn’t real, but it pleased him all the same.
By the time they headed back to their rooms, he was almost happy. He pushed the door open, and he expected her to go icy on him, but she made no move to let go of him once the discs were gone.
She pressed herself into him.
“That was fun tonight, wasn’t it?” Leo asked.
“It was,” she said, removing her crown. “We should put these away.”
“We should. One kingdom down, one to go.”
“I wonder how long we have.”
“Not long if your mother is to be believed.”
“I’m not convinced she was being honest.”
He took his crown off. It looked very similar to Zwaantie’s, but a little larger.
She slipped off her shoes and rubbed her feet. “I wasn’t expecting the crowns to be made of our blood.”
“Me either…” He was about to say more, but his words were lost. The way she bent over, he could see down her dress, far more of her then he’d planned on seeing quite yet. He averted his eyes and swallowed.
“I’ll keep these in the armoire.”
“Okay. I’m going to get out of this dress.”
He put the crowns on pillows on a shelf and took deep breaths. The wall around his
heart was falling, and he couldn’t afford to let it. She’d crushed him twice. He wouldn’t be able to handle a third.
He changed out of his own clothes and put on a pair of pajama bottoms. He would love to sleep in his own bed tonight. He didn’t have to touch her. Plus, she’d seemed upset he hadn’t slept with her so far. If Molly slept in between them, then there wouldn’t be any issues. He didn’t want to sleep on the couch again.
“Leo, can you help me?” Zwaantie called from the closet. A strange sense of déjà vu crept over him. He leaned against the closet door. She was still fully dressed. “It’s been a long time since I couldn’t get out of a dress on my own. Can you get the buttons in the back?”
She turned around and brushed her hair to the side. He stared at the top button. He dropped his head and whispered into her ear, “Do you remember the first time I undressed you?”
She didn’t answer for a moment. His fingers continued to work away the buttons, every once in a while brushing her skin.
“I do. That feels so long ago.” Her voice was breathy.
His fingers lingered for a moment near the bottom of her spine. He wanted to slide his hands inside her dress and pull her against him.
“Tell me something,” he said, running his finger softly along her back. “Did you feel anything for me then?”
She spun around, clutching her corset to her chest. “I would’ve never admitted it, not even to myself, but I did. You were handsome, exotic, and forbidden. I felt guilty for liking the attention you gave me.”
She grabbed his hand with her free one and pulled herself close to him.
He brushed a piece of hair out of her eye, “Zwaantie, I…”
Her disc buzzed on a shelf in the closet, and she jumped back. “Oh goodness, it’s my mother. Could you answer this while I change quickly?”
He took the disc and exited the closet, both relieved and frustrated. He didn’t particularly want to talk to her mother
He answered, and the queen’s face floated above the disc.
“What do you want?” Leo asked, irritated she’d interrupted their moment.
Tears streamed down her face.
“Where’s Zwaantie?” she asked. Maybe she realized Zwaantie was right.
“Changing.”
She brought a tissue to her nose. “Please. I need to talk to her.”
“If you’ll wait just a minute, she’ll be right out.” He didn’t want to ask what was wrong or pretend like he actually cared.
Zwaantie took the disc from his hands. “Mother, what’s wrong?” Her voice was low and tight. She must still be angry. Good.
“It’s your father. He’s dead.”
Zwaantie paled. “Dead?”
“Yes. Zwaantie, you’re queen now. It’s time to come home.”
“It’s not that simple. I’m queen of Stella as well.”
The implication hit Leo in the gut. He was king of both Stella and Sol, of the entire world. Nothing was out of their jurisdiction. This was unprecedented. Nowhere in their histories was the entirety of Stella and Sol under one ruler.
They knew this day was coming, but they’d assumed they would have time before it happened. Plus, they had been preoccupied with Ari’s murder and the Voice trying to kill Zwaantie.
Zwaantie met his eyes, and he knew she’d realized the same thing.
What would they do now?
Chapter 11
The Reality
After Zwaantie hung up with her mother, she sat stunned for a full minute before she said a word. She’d known this was a possibility but wasn’t prepared for it. She’d really thought everyone was lying about her father being sick.
She was fairly certain her father was the Voice, but he was still her father. Maybe she could wear black without drawing suspicion now.
If her father was the Voice, did that mean it was gone? She wouldn’t know until she was able to talk to someone from Sol. Maybe they could take off Phoenix’s necklace and test it. Not in her presence of course. She could also take hers off, but she didn’t want to risk hearing that Voice for even a second.
Leo gave a chuckle, bringing her out of her thoughts. “That put a damper on things, didn’t it?”
She snorted. Here she was worried about the future of their kingdoms, and he was busy thinking about sex. She rubbed her forehead. “What? You thought something was really going to happen? It was all for the Ticker.”
She crossed her arms. She wasn’t going to admit to him he’d stirred up real feelings. She had planned on using those feelings to get him in bed. Tonight had been her best shot. They were a little tipsy and happy. She’d hoped she’d be able to get away with not using those potions.
But now her father was dead, and the full implications hadn’t yet manifested. She had no idea what those would be. Getting Leo in bed now would be impossible.
Leo frowned. “I forgot. You only love men you aren’t supposed to. I don’t stand a chance.”
She didn’t want to fight with him tonight. She needed to prepare for what tomorrow would bring. Everything would be different. She’d be useless if they stayed up all night fighting.
She grabbed her bag and searched for a sleeping potion. Xandria told her those were safe. She couldn’t find it, and so she dumped the bag on the couch next to her. The three bottles from the potions shop rolled next to Leo.
Oh, stars. Not now.
He picked all of them up and read the labels. “What are these?”
She shrugged, moving things around, still searching for Sleep, hoping he’d drop it.
“Were you going to use these on me?”
She shrugged again.
“Why?”
She met his eyes and saw both pain and anger there. It mirrored her own. “You won’t sleep with me.”
“Are you really that desperate?”
She could feel the hysteria building up. Ari’s death, having to hide her true feelings, becoming queen, her father’s death, the Voice, the baby, everything.
“Desperate,” she said in a soft voice. “No. I’m not that desperate. I don’t really want to sleep with you. Every time I look at you, I’m reminded you’re not the man I love, the man that I want to call my husband, the man whose child I carry.”
The words were out of her mouth before she even realized she said them.
He drew back. “You’re pregnant?”
Tears streamed down her face, the weight of everything catching up with her. “Yes.”
“With Ari’s child?”
“Who else?”
He looked down his nose at her. “I don’t know who else you’ve been screwing in the castle. It could be any number of men.”
Her hands trembled. “Every time you open your mouth you say something cruel. Why did I marry you?”
He rolled his eyes and shook his head at her, his irritation evident. “The same reason I married you, because we had no choice. What am I supposed to do now?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m not raising your and Ari’s love child and pretending it’s my own.”
“This child is the heir to the throne, so you will. I tried to do this in such a way you’d never know, but you refused to even give me a chance.”
“Because every word out of your mouth is a lie.” He stormed toward her. “Listen to me. We will play nice in front of the discs. We will smile, and we will pretend we are deeply in love, but when we are alone, we will not touch, will not kiss, I will never sleep with you. Once some time has passed, we will each have our own quarters and live separate lives. You will raise Ari’s child on your own.”
He mercifully stopped talking, but he breathed deeply, hatred in his eyes. Zwaantie spun on her heel and raced out of the room.
She almost went to Sage but didn’t want to explain herself to anyone. Instead, she headed for the tower. Once on the top, she stared up at the stars. Ari was up there somewhere. She ran a hand along her belly. Did he know about his child?
Leo said hurtful
things. Perhaps he meant them, perhaps he didn’t. It didn’t matter. He’d never trust her, and their marriage would always be what it’d always been. A marriage of convenience and treaty. Their purpose was to join the kingdoms, and that is exactly what they did.
Happiness would be too much to ask for.
Chapter 12
The Dawn
Zwaantie couldn’t sleep up on the tower, but she didn’t want to go back to bed. Tomorrow would bring all kinds of questions that had no answers and responsibility she wasn’t ready for. She was queen of a kingdom she couldn’t set foot in.
These thoughts would drive her crazy, and she couldn’t solve any of them anyway. So instead, she took out her disc and studied the stars to distract her. Her disc told her what the stars were called and what purpose they served. Every once in a while, it would find a star that it couldn’t identify, and Zwaantie would pretend it was Ari or Luna.
As the hours wore on, Zwaantie saw something odd on the horizon. A pink light appeared. At first she thought it was some sort of magic far off in the city, but it grew brighter, turning slightly orange.
Zwaantie stopped studying the stars and watched the light. Soon a yellow crescent appeared and the stars grew dim.
Oh. My. Sol.
She whipped out her disc and called Leo. He didn’t answer, and she rolled her eyes. He was obviously still angry. Or asleep. Either way, she needed him.
“Sage,” she said into her disc.
“It’s early. Go back to bed,” Sage said groggily, her hair completely messed up.
Zwaantie couldn’t keep the smile off of her face. “No. Go get Leo and come up to the tower. It’s urgent.”
Sage’s eyes flashed open. “Who else died?”
“No one, just get up here. But get Leo first.”
“This better be good.”
Zwaantie hung up on her before she could say anything else. Zwaantie hadn’t thought anything could ever make her happy again, but she felt twinges of happiness now. This was a moment she never thought she’d see in her lifetime.
The yellow circle continued to rise. If Sage and Leo took too much longer, they’d miss it. A few minutes later the trap door clattered open.
Stella and Sol Box Set Page 56
