A Royal Secret: Book 1 (Bad Boy Princes of Malvidence)

by V Vee

  Then again, he would have to be.

  With a sigh, Valerie looked down at the dark screen of her iPhone as she closed the door of her sanctuary and locked it behind her. Unlocking the screen with her thumbprint, she opened her messenger app and noticed the three unread text messages, knowing exactly who they were from. She wanted to be upset with the sender. To maintain a cool response to him, but the smile that spread across her face, and the butterflies that quickly took flight in her belly made a liar out of her. She was happy to hear from him, just as she always was. Regardless of their somewhat heated disagreement the night before.

  Pressing her finger to his name, she smiled as soon as she read his first message:

  Algie: The sun shone not as bright as when you are near. Nor do the birds sing as sweetly. My mind can not let me sleep as peacefully when you are not in my arms. I hope your night was as miserable as mine was, my love.

  Valerie wanted to roll her eyes at his flowery, purple prose, and indeed, she would, had he been anyone other than who he was. After so long together, she knew this was just the way he spoke. And was in fact the way he had been taught to speak. And though she would never admit it to him, it often made her feel as if she were the main subject, the beautiful maiden, of a Shakespearean sonnet.

  Algie: I hope you are not responding because you are sleeping and not due to my callous words from last night. You know you are my every heartbeat, Val. You and the kids. I wish things were different. You know I do.

  Valerie closed her eyes against the burning sensation of unshed tears. She did know. For thirteen years it had not been an issue, the first two years they had spent in a blissful bubble, but within the last year, AJ and Beaumont had been getting in fights with kids at school and Valerie was helpless as to what to do. She’d disciplined them, talked with them, comforted them, had her father and her brothers talk with them, spend time with them, but nothing worked. Nothing worked like spending time with their father, which happened so rarely. And while they were always so happy to see him, it was hard on Valerie to not be able to claim their love, she could only guess how difficult it was for her sons to not be able to claim their own father in public.

  Besides, who would believe that two young black—or rather, mixed race—boys, much less their younger siblings, were all the children of Algerone Smythe, the Crown Prince of Malvidence? And that not only was he their father, but that he was secretly married to their mother? Valerie had a hard enough time believing it herself.

  After running with the bulls fourteen years ago in Spain with her girlfriends—a thrilling, dangerous, exciting, wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime experience—Valerie had gone out that evening and met up with the gorgeous man she’d only known as Algerone. The man who had run with her and her friends, along with a few other gorgeous men, had made sure to find out where she would be later that night.

  After a night of shots, laughter, and conversation, Valerie and Algerone had shared one passionate kiss. That was it. No sex. No over the clothes. Just one, brain-melting, souls-intertwining, hearts-connecting, images of them walking down a wedding aisle filling Valerie’s mind, kiss.

  Yes. It was that good.

  Algerone made sure to get Valerie’s contact information, and after turning her in the direction of the hotel’s elevator and making sure she got onto it, he’d left. Valerie had never been so turned on in her life. She’d also never masturbated so many times, had so many orgasms, and still felt unsatisfied before either. She was almost certain that Malvidence was filled with warlocks and witches who used magic on the princes to make them bewitch poor, helpless, American women with kisses.

  However, when Algerone had shown up at her gallery opening, and Valerie felt the huge grin on her face, and saw the answering smile on his? She’d known she wasn’t alone in feeling the way she did. She was hooked; and nothing was going to make her look back.

  And now, fourteen years later, while she didn’t regret her decision… completely, she did feel a twinge of—what was that? Guilt?—that she and Algerone had brought children into their secretive, and untenable, relationship.

  Algie: You are taking quite a long time to answer, my love. I am on my way to you and the children. The plane is being fueled and I am packing now. I shall be with you all as soon as possible and we will talk then. This silence from you is ripping me apart and I can’t take it any longer.

  Valerie knew she could respond back to Algerone and simply tell him she’d been trying to sleep and had only just woken up, but as her thumbs hovered over the screen, she hesitated. While having him fly all the way out there just to talk when they could easily do so on the phone was selfish on her part, she also knew that their children needed to see their father, even though they’d seen him only three months before. Besides, it was either this month, or the next when he would return for “domestic relations” with America.

  Having come to a decision, Valerie put her phone down and walked over to her shower to turn on the hot water. If her husband was coming, then she should try to look acceptable.

  A knock sounded on the door and Valerie called out, “Mommy’s in her sanctuary!” before stepping inside.

  Fourteen years ago

  At Valerie’s gallery opening

  “Thank you so much for coming out this evening,” Valerie said with a broad grin on her face. She hoped no one could tell that the stretching of her lips was fake. It had been three hours, and while a number of her artistic works: from paintings, to photography, and sculptures, had been sold, Valerie hated this part of being an artist. The networking and selling of not only her talent, but of herself, was exhausting, and if she were not essentially working for herself, she would just walk away.

  Nodding at a passing waiter, and accepting a glass of champagne from him, she lifted the rim to her lips to take a sip; but paused when the doors of the gallery opened and a group of gorgeous men entered. At the front of them was the handsome stranger from the run she’d met… Algerone. Valerie felt her skin heat as she remembered herself pressing her lips against his. She’d felt embarrassed when she’d woken up the next morning and had remembered the way he’d rejected her attempts to get him to come up to her room. Seeing him now? Valerie had every intention of running.

  However, when he turned in her direction, the unexpected excitement and happiness that filled her body, caused a genuine smile to cover her mouth. When she saw him return her expression and head directly for her, Valerie knew, on some sixth sense, that it was all over for her. She’d never truly believed in love at first sight, and she still didn’t, but this was, what their third or fourth sight? Yeah, that was okay, her mind told her.

  Love at fourth sight was totally feasible.

  Algerone took a deep breath and tried to will away the thick erection that pushed against the zipper of his trousers. Valerie was even more beautiful than he remembered. Her umber skin glowed in the fluorescent lighting of the gallery, the reddish tones evident as he drew closer. He was fascinated by the smoothness of her flesh and his fingers tingled as he restrained himself from reaching out to touch her. He was determined to take things slow with her. It was why he hadn’t taken her up on her invitation to sleep with her the night of the run. He’d felt a definite connection with her and he wanted to pursue it. Though his best friend, Gabriel Worth, had teased him incessantly about his “chivalrous” actions.

  It had nothing to do with chivalry, however, and everything to do with the fact that he was pretty sure that Valerie was the person, the woman, he was destined to spend the rest of his life with. He was not, by nature, a sentimental fool. As a matter of fact, he spent most of his time teasing his friends Gabriel, Farhad, Hank, Antwaun, and Chung-Li about the way they all seemed to be completely enthralled by their wives. For years, the six of them were all bachelors. Happy bachelors. Wealthy, and traipsing around the globe sleeping with as many women as they could. Though they were all in different professions: from military, to law enforcement, to business, to politics, to Chung-Li’
s “the less you know, the better”, and Algerone’s royal ties, the friends had all met in college. They had become practically inseparable, even when life, graduation, and circumstances, and Algerone’s duty to the crown, had pulled them in different directions. They’d kept in touch and made sure to meet up, hang out, and as Antwaun had said, “slay some ass.”

  However, one by one, his friends had all fallen in love. In the most unlikely of ways, with the most unlikely of women. He grimaced slightly as he remembered how he’d almost cost Farhad the love of his life, though the man hadn’t realized it at the time. He could only hope his friend didn’t do the same to him. It truly had been an accident, but Farhad wasn’t the type to forget, and he loved revenge and pranks.

  Coming abreast of Valerie, Algerone took her hand with his own and bent over it, placing a gentle kiss on her fingers.

  “You look ravishing tonight,” he told her.

  “Oh,” she breathed. “Thank you.”

  “You really do,” Gabriel replied. “I mean, my wife My’chell would probably castrate me if she heard me saying this, but you look exquisite. It’s quite easy to see why Al was so eager to get here this evening.”

  Valerie’s eyebrows lifted in surprise and a grin of delight brightened her face. “Oh really?” Gabriel nodded, and Algerone felt his face heat. He knew his neck and cheeks were a deep, dark red in embarrassment. “Well, we wouldn’t want your wife to maim you, and render you even more useless, so perhaps no more compliments from you huh?”

  Gabriel’s jaw dropped at Valerie’s words, and Algerone’s mouth followed. Valerie’s head fell back as she let out a musical, harmonious, and husky sounding laugh that flowed over Gabriel’s skin, causing him to shiver slightly, before settling low in his groin, and caressing his balls. She quieted after a moment, wiping the wetness from just below her eyes.

  “Oh my gosh! You should see all of your faces! The way you looked at me just now! That I would think men were except for sex, and even more so without your, um…” she cleared her throat, “low-hanging fruit.” She shook her head. “Men are so ridiculous.”

  She waved her free hand, and that was when Algerone realized that not only was he still hold her hand with his own, but that she didn’t seem to be in any hurry to let his go either. The thought filled him with pleasure. That feeling was taken away from him almost instantly, when her friend from the race quickly raced over. She barely spared them a glance, before she tugged Valerie’s hand out of Algerone’s grip.

  “Val! C’mon! There’s some very wealthy business guy over there. He wants to commission a few pieces from you, and buy a lot of your art, also. You can talk to these,” Valerie’s friend, Algerone couldn’t remember her name, sniffed at them as if, even though they were wearing expensive, custom-tailored suits, they were somehow beneath her dear friend Valerie and therefore shouldn’t be wasting the artist’s time. “gentlemen later.”

  “I’ll be right back?” Valerie stated, but as a question.

  Algerone nodded. He didn’t care what her friend said, he was no one’s commoner. No one’s bottom of the barrel. He was a prince for fuck’s sake! Women threw themselves at him! Not the other way around.

  “Damn,” Antwaun said with a smirk in his voice. “She put you in your fucking place man. That shit was kinda sexy, dude.”

  “Aren’t you married?” Algerone gritted out.

  “Hell yeah, and my wife is the sexiest goddamn redhead in the world. But Honey Rose know I’m not fucking blind. Besides, I don’t want nobody but her, anyway. And don’t try to deflect. That girl Val that we came in here for. She wants you, yeah. Like bad. But her girl? She is going to be trying to cockblock you all the way,” Antwaun predicted.

  Algerone grinned slowly, the reality of Antwaun’s words piercing the haze around his thoughts and finally, finally giving him an idea.

  Valerie thanked the businessman in front of her again for purchasing her art and tried not to be obvious when she attempted to look around the room for Algerone. The slight—but very painful—pinch to the back of her arm by Helen that made her gasp, let her know she wasn’t too successful. Dammit. It was probably too much to hope for that Algerone was still in the gallery, waiting for her as he’d promised. Valerie had been gone, chatting with customer after customer, for more than thirty minutes. Helen had taken her job as Valerie’s manager seriously and hadn’t allowed her to move from her side for an instant.

  Just as there seemed to be a lull in prospective and actual buyers, the gallery owner hurried over to them, a beaming smile on his face.

  “Senoritas! I have Buena news for you!” he said, his excitement was contagious and Valerie felt herself grinning and reaching out to clutch Helen’s hand.

  “What is it Mr. Pietrio?” Helen asked.

  “Senorita Hall’s art it is all gone! It has all been purchased. All the rest of it!”

  Valerie and Helen gasped and turned to look at each other. Valerie blinked in stupefaction. How was that even possible? They’d both expected to take some of her pieces back to the states with them. Or to possibly have to sell her wares on the streets, especially with the ridiculous prices they’d put some of them at. Helen and Mr. Pietrio had both come to consensus that putting some of her better works at higher prices would appeal to some of the wealthier clientele who had money to burn but who knew nothing about art. They also knew that some of the art that had the most exorbitant price tags would not sell, which would make it seem more desirable, and make her a household name.

  But it had all sold? Who would do such a thing?

  “Who purchased it, Mr. Pietrio? Was it more than one person? I need to go and thank them, personally,” Valerie stated emphatically.

  Mr. Pietrio shook his head. “There were multiple gentlemen, but the more expensive pieces were bought by one man. Come, come. I will introduce you now.”

  Valerie followed Mr. Pietrio over to one side of the gallery where one of her statues was displayed. It was of a black woman, carrying a baby on her back, with a basket of laundry under one arm with books inside, while she comforted a man who rested against her bosom. She’d entitled it: Magic. Standing in front of the statue was none other than Algerone, who turned as they walked up. Valerie saw Helen stiffen next to her, but Valerie smiled widely at him.

  “Senor! This is the artist, ValHal. Senorita, Mr. Algerone, the buyer,” Mr. Pietrio introduced them, though it was unnecessary.

  Valerie held out her hand. “Thank you for your support, Mr. Algerone,” Valerie said with a soft laugh.

  “It was my pleasure. You’re extremely talented,” Algerone replied. “I purchased quite a few items. As did my friends. They are around here somewhere. Probably completing their sales.”

  Valerie inclined her head. “I am extremely flattered and grateful that you would do such a thing.”

  Helen huffed. “Yes, we appreciate your patronage.”

  Valerie quirked her eyebrow at Helen. She was surprised at her friend. Helen was the nicest person she knew. She’d never known her to be rude to anyone, so why was she behaving this way towards someone she didn’t know. When Helen simply glowered at Algerone, Valerie held up a finger and took her friend’s arm to walk her away.

  “Helen? What is going on with you? I have never known you to act like this before. Especially not with someone who is not only buying my art and seems to be able to afford it, but is being extremely complimentary and has friends who is doing the same. This is extremely helpful to the both of us. What gives?” she asked.

  “Don’t you know who that is, Val?” Helen asked.

  “Yes, that’s Algerone…” Valerie’s voice trailed off as she realized that she had no idea of the handsome man’s last name though she’d given him her last name.

  “Smythe. Algerone Smythe. Crown Prince of Malvidence,” Helen supplied.

  Valerie snorted in laughter. “Yeah right.” She continued laughing, but her amusement trailed off when she realized her friend did not share in it. “Wait, serious
ly?”

  Helen nodded. “Yes. I recognized him and looked him up. He’s one of the infamous Bad Boy Princes of Malvidence. He’s not the worst one, but he throws money at women he wants, sleeps with them, and then tosses them away like trash, and the most grotesque thing? Their reputations never recover afterwards.” Helen shook her head. “I’m sorry, Val. I know he’s gorgeous, and I know he seems really nice, and it’s great that he bought some of your art, but don’t let him get any closer to you than he already is. I’m afraid that if he does, he’s going to put you through hell and you’re going to be the one to suffer, not him.”

  Chapter Two

  Present Day

  V alerie really should have listened to Helen. As much as she loved Algerone, and as much as she loved their children and couldn’t imagine her life without them, her reputation had suffered. No, not her professional one. ValHal, the artist had never been so popular. Her art was the most sought after in the entire world. She sold paintings, photography, sculpture, and she’d even moved into publishing children’s books as well. More than once she’d been an Oprah’s Book of the Month pick for children’s books, and even for the two times she’d ventured into writing adult romances using only art to depict the stories. She’d been on countless podcasts, been interviewed in magazines, on radio, and even made a few television appearances. She made quite a lot of money in her own right, without the substantial amount Algerone sent to her and the children for food, bills, clothing, entertainment, property taxes, and comfort. She was doing well for herself professionally. It was a dream as an artist.