Under the King's Command

by Ingrid Weaver

  Her eyes brimmed. "I've seen that, Sam. Love can hurt, but it also heals."

  "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Kate. We're a team, you and I. Together we can do anything."

  "Yes."

  "Yes?"

  "I'll marry you."

  He cupped the back of her head and brought his lips to hers. "Well, what do you know?" he murmured. "Looks like we finally got this part right, too."

  She laughed. "Yes, it looks like we did."

  "But just in case, we'd better practice some more."

  The throne room was decorated with sunshine. That's how it seemed to Kate. The splendor that adorned the rest of the palace paled in comparison to the wonder of this chamber.

  "I have to hand it to these Sebastianis," Sam said, leaning his weight on his cane as he glanced around. "They sure know how to create an effect."

  "It's as if they captured the essence of the Mediterranean." Kate craned her neck and tried not to stare. It was an enormous room, large enough to have appeared cavernous, but the natural light that streamed through the long windows on every wall gave it the warmth of a sun-washed hillside.

  Not that the room was simple. Wealth was evident everywhere, from the gilded pillars to the gleaming marble floor. In the spaces between the windows there were intricate mosaics that told the story of Montebellan history. Color and light collided in a joyful celebration.

  On the other hand, any place would appear joyful to Kate. She was in love. And her husband-to-be was looking so handsome in his dress blues that he took her breath away.

  Sam turned his head and winked at her. "Have I mentioned how beautiful you look today, Lieutenant Mulvaney?"

  "Do you want an exact number, Lieutenant Coburn, or will a round figure do?"

  He chuckled. "Think anyone will miss us if we skip out early and go back to your quarters?"

  She rolled her eyes. "Sam, we can't do that. We're the guests of honor."

  A heavyset man with a face like a bulldog approached them.

  Sam took one hand off his cane to salute. "Admiral Howe."

  The admiral's perpetual frown mellowed into what was likely his version of a smile. "Lieutenant Coburn. I'm pleased to see you on your feet already. I trust your recov ery is progressing well?"

  "Yes, thank you, sir."

  "And I'd like to congratulate both of you."

  Kate and Sam exchanged a smile. "Thank you, sir," Sam said. "We haven't set a date yet. I'm waiting to hear from the base commander at Coronado about a teaching position with the SEALs there."

  "That's why I've put in the request for a transfer back to the States, Admiral Howe," Kate added. "We thought we'd see more of each other if—"

  "What are you talking about, Lieutenant?" the admiral interrupted, looking from one to the other. "What date? What transfer?"

  "We're getting married, sir. I thought that's what you meant."

  "I'm talking about this ceremony, Lieutenant."

  "Ah."

  "It's the first time the Montebellan Silver Star is being awarded to foreigners," Howe said. "That's quite an honor."

  "Indeed it is, Admiral," Sam said.

  "We're very grateful to King Marcus," Kate added.

  Howe nodded, studying them from beneath his heavy brows. "And congratulations about the other thing, too."

  "Thank you, sir," they replied in unison.

  He shook his head and moved into the gathering crowd.

  "You know what he's thinking, don't you?" Sam murmured.

  Kate laughed. "If the Navy had wanted you to have a spouse..."

  "... they would have issued you with one," Sam finished.

  The level of conversation in the room rose to a hum as dignitaries continued to arrive. Navy personnel mingled with people in the black and gold dress uniforms of the Montebellan police and civilians in formal clothes. The ceremony was ostensibly to honor Sam and Kate, but it was also an occasion to bring closure to what had been a difficult time for the Sebastiani family. Many lives had changed forever since Prince Lucas had gone missing almost two years ago.

  There was a flurry of conversation near the entrance. Kate and Sam turned toward the noise. A group of people moved into the throne room. They were dressed formally like the other civilians, yet their bearing set them apart. Kate recognized several members of the royal family whom she had met during her previous visit to the palace.

  Prince Lucas separated himself from the group and moved to greet Kate and Sam. "Congratulations to both of you."

  "Thank you, Your Highness," Sam said. "It's a great honor."

  "I'll say. That's an exceptional woman you're marrying, Lieutenant."

  Kate smothered a laugh. "We're very honored to be receiving the Silver Star as well, Lucas."

  His smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm in complete agreement with my father on this. You both deserve to be honored for your service to my country."

  There was a sudden wail from the center of the royal group. To Kate's astonishment, she saw the petite, dark-haired Princess Anna hurry forward with a baby on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Lucas," Anna said. "You were right, we should have left him with his nurse."

  Lucas scooped the baby from his sister's arms. The child immediately quieted, looking at his father with solemn blue eyes. "No, he's part of this family, Anna," Lucas said. He turned to Kate and Sam. "It's never too early for him to learn the responsibilities that will come with the crown. But rest assured I'll see that my son doesn't disrupt the ceremony."

  Kate looked at the child. She felt Sam's hand on the small of her back, a private offer of support. He was the only one who realized this might be difficult for her.

  Yet it wasn't difficult, Kate thought. When she looked at Lucas's baby, she no longer felt the sorrow and the guilt that had haunted her. She saw an innocent new life. She smiled and held out her hands. "May I?"

  Lucas hesitated only briefly before he passed the child to her. "He's gained almost two pounds since you found him. The doctors say he's doing extremely well."

  As the baby settled warmly in her arms, Kate felt a twinge deep inside. She knew what it was. It was her heart expanding. She was already healing. She looked at Sam.

  The love in his gaze was more dazzling than the sunlight that danced around him. An image flashed into Kate's mind, of a little girl with sun-streaked hair and golden-brown eyes.

  Someday, she thought. There would be many more magic nights ahead. With love and faith, anything was possible.

  Kate was brought back to the present when the baby tugged at one of the brass buttons on her uniform jacket, then squirmed sideways to put it in his mouth.

  "Isn't that just like a man," Anna said, laughing. "They always pick the worst time to decide to mess us up. Here, I'll take him. Now that he's seen his daddy hasn't disappeared, he should be fine."

  Kate handed the baby to his aunt. It was clear the entire family doted on him. She hoped that would help to compensate for the tragedy that surrounded his birth.

  Sam polished her button with the edge of his cuff and caught her gaze. I love you, he mouthed.

  She straightened the knot of his tie and smiled.

  "Good afternoon, Lieutenant Mulvaney, Lieutenant Coburn."

  They turned as one to greet the king and queen of Montebello. The royal couple were resplendent in finery that fitted their position. They were gracious monarchs, putting their guests at ease despite the grandeur of their surroundings.

  "I believe that congratulations are in order," King Marcus said.

  Rather than making the wrong assumption about what the congratulations were for this time, Kate and Sam simply thanked him.

  "And I'm happy to see you looking so well, Lieutenant Coburn," the king said. "According to my son, the injuries you received while apprehending the fugitive were rather serious."

  "Yes, Your Highness. I'm still recovering." Sam shifted both hands to his cane and leaned heavily on it. "Actually, my doctor recommends bed rest."

 
"Well, then, we'd better get this ceremony under way. We wouldn't want to keep you on your feet any longer than necessary." King Marcus signaled to the liveried footmen at the entrance and motioned to his family to take their places.

  Kate put her hand on Sam's elbow and glanced at him in concern. "I hadn't realized you were getting tired. Maybe we should sit down...." Her words trailed off when she saw the glint in his eye. He wasn't tired at all. He had a much different reason for going back to bed. "Sam..."

  "Yes?"

  "Behave."

  A fanfare trumpeted through the chamber. King Marcus offered his arm to his wife. She placed her gloved hand delicately on the crook of his elbow and proceeded to the dais at his side. They ascended the steps to a pair of magnificently carved thrones, then turned to face the gathering.

  Before King Marcus could speak, there was a sudden commotion at the doors. A pair of dark-suited men struggled briefly with the palace guards. Kate couldn't hear what they were saying, but evidently it was enough to convince the guards to let them pass. They hurried toward the dais. The king met them at the bottom step and dipped his head to listen as they spoke.

  A hum of speculation spread through the crowd. Tension grew as the conversation at the dais continued. "What do you think is going on?" Kate asked Sam.

  Sam spoke into her ear. "I don't know, but those two have cop written all over them."

  She agreed. And by the way the color was draining from the king's face, whatever news they had brought was important.

  The two dark-suited men exited as quickly as they had come. King Marcus stepped off the dais and motioned Sam and Kate forward. "I regret we'll have to postpone the ceremony," he said. "Something urgent has come up."

  "Father?" Lucas strode to join them. "What's happening?"

  "Yes, Marcus," Queen Gwendolyn said, holding her gown aside with one hand as she hurried down the steps. "Who were those men? What did they say?"

  "Those were special detectives who have been working with the FBI in the United States," the king said. "They have been following up on the statements we obtained from Ursula Chambers and Gretchen Hanson."

  "Those horrid women," the queen murmured. "Is there no end to their evil?"

  "As a matter of fact, in this instance, there is." King Marcus turned to Lucas. "Gretchen Hanson claimed that her brother murdered Jessica Chambers, so the FBI in Colorado have been questioning Gerald Hanson. For two days now he has denied his guilt, but an hour ago, he finally confessed."

  "So he admits he murdered her," Lucas said hollowly. "It's over."

  "No, son. Gerald Hanson confessed to something else entirely. He's a simple man. Some might call him mentally challenged. His older sister ordered him to kill Jessica the night Luke was born, but he couldn't do it. Jessica had been kind to him, and in his way, he believed he was in love with her. He didn't kill her."

  Kate pressed closer to Sam's good side, needing to feel his warmth. The room had gone completely silent.

  "Because Gerald Hanson was afraid to disobey his sister, he told everyone that Jessica was dead." King Marcus's voice grew hoarse. He cleared his throat. "But instead of killing her, he hid her in a cellar underneath one of the outbuildings on her ranch. He has the mind of a child. He thought he could make her love him and they'd run away together to live happily ever after, just like in his storybooks." The king grasped his son's shoulders as if to help brace him for a blow. "Lucas, the FBI just arrived at the building where Jessica was being kept."

  Lucas didn't say anything. He didn't ask anything. He stood completely motionless and looked at his father as if he could will him to say what he wanted to hear.

  The king smiled. "Jessica's alive, son."

  Lucas trembled. He took a step back. "Alive? She's alive?'

  "Yes, and she's fine."

  "Jess is alive." Lucas pressed the heels of his hands to his temples and spun around. "Oh, God! Jess is alive!"

  "The jet could be ready to go within the hour, Lucas," the king said, clapping him on the back. "I thought that under the circumstances you'd want to—"

  Kate hadn't known an aristocrat could sprint like that. Lucas was a man transformed. His smile not only reached his eyes, it transfused every line of his body. As the rest of the royal family broke out in excited conversation, she turned to Sam. "Isn't that wonderful?"

  He nodded. His eyes were suspiciously moist. "Yeah. Seeing that sure beats getting a medal, doesn't it?"

  "You're right. Who needs a medal?" She put her hand over his heart. "I already have everything I could possibly want."

  "I love you, Kate."

  "And I love you, Sam." She smiled and turned away, then crooked her finger at him to follow. "But I think we're still going to need some more practice."

  * * * THE END * * *