Royally Ever After (Royals of Valleria #7)

by Marianne Knightly

  Alex had just shrugged on a shirt when Rebecca paused in his closet doorway. She leaned against the doorjamb, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her plush robe. “You should eat something before you go, Alex.”

  “There isn’t time. I want to be sure my parents hear about Arianna from me and not the press or hospital staff.”

  She walked over and helped him button up his shirt. “Please, Alex? Won’t you take just a few minutes?”

  “Darling, I need to go.”

  She pursed her lips, but didn’t say anything further. She helped him with his cufflinks and went to pick a tie for him while he slipped on some pants, socks, shoes, and a jacket. She came back with a tie diagonally-striped with alternating Vallerian purple and emerald green.

  “What color are you wearing you today?”

  She draped the tie around his neck and underneath the collar of his shirt. “Something purple. We both need to be seen wearing it, and people will appreciate seeing the green, too.”

  He began to tie it when she brushed his hands away to do it herself. “We don’t need to wear purple. It’s the color most associated with our country and monarchy, just like green is with Brazenbourg, but the people won’t think less of us for wearing something different.”

  Her hands stilled. “Should I get a different one? I’ll get a different one.”

  He gently grabbed her arm as she tried to slip away. “Don’t. This is lovely. I just don’t want you to feel as though you have to wear purple or green.”

  She paused, her top row of teeth worrying her bottom lip. “Okay. Listen, don’t worry about me.”

  “Too late for that. I’m going to worry about you for the rest of our lives together.”

  Her face softened. “Promise?”

  “Promise.” He kissed her forehead, then her lips. He held her in his arms and took a deep breath, inhaling her and her strength, before letting go on the exhale. “I’ll see you tonight.”

  “If not before. Let me know if you need anything, Alex.”

  “I will, darling.” After a last look, he strode from the room and towards the hospital, to give his parents some devastating news.

  Chapter Five

  As soon as Alex left, Rebecca grabbed her phone and sent a message both Tavin and Corrado, ordering them to force some food into Alex. If they mentioned it in front of his parents, he’d have to comply. He hadn’t eaten anything since early yesterday, before they’d gone to the church for the rehearsal.

  She was so worried about him.

  Not to mention the worry she had for Gabriel and for Arianna.

  And for herself.

  How could she be a blushing bride with two people she loved in the hospital?

  Would she even get to be a bride at all with everything going on around them?

  She took a deep breath and decided to take her own advice. She’d eat a little, then get started on her day.

  An hour later, she was seated in her small dining room with Mara, a cooled cup of coffee next to her, and lists and binders surrounding her. Weddings were usually full of a thousand little details; a royal wedding must have at least two-point-five million.

  Rebecca scrolled through her checklist, Mara updating her as they went along. “Did you contact the vendors for the wedding reception?”

  Mara shifted through some papers, stopping on a neatly clipped stack. “Yes. I contacted them just this morning to let them know a final decision would be made today regarding the wedding. They’re all on standby. Further, all but one agreed to honor the contracts at a later date, should the wedding be postponed.”

  “Which one didn’t?”

  “The linen company. They hired quite a few temporary workers to assist with the wedding, and they won’t be able to do that again if there’s a postponement. Unfortunately, they are currently the only royal-approved linen vendor.”

  Another linen company had been complicit in a plot to ruin Cat and take down the monarchy in the process, so they were blacklisted by the royal palace. Other companies were making their way through the approval process, but it was now lengthier and more stringent. None would make it through before the wedding.

  If there was a wedding.

  Rebecca closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, Mara was waiting patiently for her. “I think we should plan for the reception to be cancelled, even if the wedding goes forward.”

  Mara’s mouth fell open. “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. We’ve still got the traditional wedding breakfast after the ceremony. All of the world leaders will still be able to attend that, so we should be all right politically.” Rebecca shook her head. “I know it seems a bit drastic, but we can’t be seen partying all day with two of the family in the hospital.”

  Mara sagged in her chair. “Of course. It’s just, well, it’s your wedding day. You deserve the chance to enjoy it.”

  “Thank you for that. That’s very sweet. I’ll still want to run the idea by Alex. Actually, could you speak to Tavin about it? See what he thinks? We can loop Corrado in as well.”

  Mara cleared her throat. “Er, yes, of course. I can speak to Tavin.”

  Mara was flustered. She was never flustered. She was often hurried, sometimes high-strung, but rarely flustered. Come to think of it, she was only ever flustered when Tavin was near, or his name was mentioned.

  Interesting.

  Too bad she didn’t have time to focus on anything interesting at the moment.

  Rebecca patted Mara’s hand. “Thank you so much for your help the last few days, really the last few months. I’d be totally lost without your help.”

  “You’re more than welcome. I’m very grateful for the opportunity.”

  Rebecca smiled. “Anyway, let me know what Tavin and Corrado think. I’m fine with cancelling the reception. I think a smaller family dinner – one that the king can attend – is best. We can even do it at the hospital, if he hasn’t been discharged by then.”

  “That’s a lovely idea.”

  Both Rebecca and Mara shifted towards the voice. Cat entered wearing a comfortable yet stylish dress; Rebecca hadn’t heard her come into the apartment.

  “Not cancelling the reception – I don’t think Mama will like that – but the family reception with Papa. I’m sure he’ll love it. I know he’s sad he won’t see the two of you walk down the aisle in person.”

  So was she.

  “Should we run the idea by the queen’s chief of staff?” Mara asked.

  “No”, Rebecca said, at the same time Cat said, “Yes.”

  “Scared of my mother?” Cat asked and sat down.

  “Damn straight,” Rebecca replied, and Cat chuckled. Rebecca pivoted back to Mara. “Just check with Tavin and Corrado. If they don’t see an issue with it, then we’re all set.”

  Mara nodded. “Why don’t I start fresh pots of coffee and tea, and get some food from the kitchens? Some fluffy pastries sound like just the thing while we finish going through the wedding details.”

  “Thank you, Mara,” Rebecca said. Mara rose and stepped away, leaving Rebecca and Cat alone.

  “What else are you doing, besides making massive decisions about the wedding that will upset my mother?”

  As if Rebecca needed another reminder Genevieve wouldn’t be happy with her. Rebecca would be queen one day; she’d need to make these decisions on a regular basis, yet no one trusted her to make them now.

  She set the thoughts aside, deciding to worry about them later. “You know, I am sorry about the reception, but only because I won’t get to show off the beautiful dress you designed for me to wear for the occasion.”

  “You could still wear the dress to the family dinner. We could all get glammed up. It is a fabulous dress, if I do say so myself.”

  Rebecca bit back a smile. Humble was not typically a word she’d use to describe Cat, particularly when it came to Cat’s fashion skills. “Since you’ve started your own fashion house, everything you’ve designed has been great. Th
ough, with Arianna in the hospital, too, I just don’t think it’s right to wear it. We’ll save the dress for another time.”

  “You’re probably right. Listen, do you need help with all this? I could call the other girls in, too.”

  Rebecca had practically lectured Alex to allow his brothers to help; she should take her own advice and let the girls help her now. However, now she could see why Alex did not want to utilize their help; it could make her look weak, as if she wasn’t up to the task of being queen one day.

  She shrugged away those thoughts, too. She didn’t have time to indulge her own insecurities. “Thanks, Cat. I’d really appreciate it. Are you doing okay with everything?”

  “As well as I can, I suppose. I’ll never forget the way Papa looked in that hospital bed. And now Arianna, too? I can’t imagine what she’s going through.” Cat sighed. “I’m sick of hospitals.”

  Since Rebecca had been to the hospital for a multitude of fertility tests over the last few months, not to mention all the problems that had landed their various family members in the hospital over the last several months, she could relate. “Me, too. I’m glad I’m done with doctor’s visits for a while, at least.”

  “Oh my God. I totally forgot about that. How is all that going? Have you heard back yet?”

  “All of the tests have come back negative so far, which means there shouldn’t be anything to prevent me having a child.”

  “That’s wonderful!”

  “I know, though I can’t shake this feeling that the doctors are missing something.” And she’d tried to shake it, by God, but she’d tried. She’d just have to keep going and hope for the best. “I haven’t had a chance to tell Alex about the latest results yet. I was going to tell him after our rehearsal, but everything changed then.”

  “You shouldn’t wait. He could use a bit of good news. Not that he’d care if you couldn’t have children. You’re stuck with him no matter what.”

  Since Alex had essentially told her the same thing, she just smiled.

  Sarah, Carolina, and Grace came by to help, as did Charlie who brought some freshly baked treats with her. As Charlie had been Head Baker before she took charge of the palace kitchens, her food was always delicious.

  Despite the support she received from the women in her life, Rebecca couldn’t help but worry about the man who was her entire life.

  “Papa, it won’t do any good for you to attend the Council meeting,” Alex said, standing by his father’s hospital bed. “The Council accepted the required paperwork making me acting-king.”

  “That doesn’t matter, Alexander. You know the politics at those meetings.”

  “Yes, I do, as I’ve often run them in your stead when you couldn’t be present. It’s a fluff meeting. They’re just trying to show the monarchy is weak.”

  “They’d be wrong, but that doesn’t mean they’re not effective.”

  Alex was growing increasingly annoyed by his father, which in turn made him feel guilty for being annoyed at his hospital-bound father. Didn’t he have enough pressure on him right now, without his father questioning his tactics and undermining his confidence? “It’ll be fine, Papa. Nate, Marcello, and Lorenzo will be there with me. We’ll make sure the meeting stays on topic.”

  Gabriel sighed and nodded just as Genevieve entered the room. “All right, my son.”

  Genevieve took her place at Gabriel’s bedside again. “Well, Arianna’s scared, though she didn’t say that. They’ve managed to stop the bleeding, but she’s still having some pains. They’re doing more tests.”

  “How’s Finn doing?” Gabriel asked.

  “I only spoke with him briefly, but he’s worried. Really worried. Oh, Gabriel, I wish we could be there. They must feel so alone.”

  “I know, my dear. As soon as I’m out of the hospital, you’ll go.”

  “What about the wedding?” she asked. “If we postpone it, I suppose I could go. We should ask Rebecca.”

  “Ask me what?” Rebecca asked as she entered the room dressed in gray pants with an emerald green scarf for the belt, and a sleeveless purple silk shirt. She greeted Gabriel and Genevieve, then turned to Alex.

  “Mama wants to go visit Arianna.”

  “Of course she does.” Rebecca eyes darted between Alex and his parents. “She could go after the ceremony. You’ll need to be at the wedding for appearances sake, but you could skip most of the wedding breakfast and leave right after. That is, if we continue with the wedding as planned.”

  “You’re moving forward with the wedding,” Gabriel said firmly.

  Alex blinked. Another decision his father made for him. “Papa, I don’t know if that’s best. Now, with Arianna in the hospital, if we have the wedding, we’ll look like heartless bastards.”

  “Trust me, it’s for the best, my son, whether or not I’m still in the hospital or at home on bed rest. You two will be married.”

  Rebecca toyed with her scarf. “We couldn’t. It wouldn’t be right.”

  “I’ve already told Corrado he’s to issue a statement that the wedding will go on as planned with or without me.”

  Irritation burst up in Alex. Not only had his father made the decision for them, but he’d acted on it without discussing it with them first, either. “Papa.”

  Gabriel held up his hand. “Alexander, you must marry. If something happens to me or, God forbid, to Arianna, the wedding would only get delayed longer as you bided the period of national mourning. The wedding occurring after that would be bittersweet.”

  “Gabriel,” Genevieve warned.

  “It’s true, my dear. We must be realistic, my son. Marry the woman you love. The event will bring joy to the nation, and it will make me happy to see it, even if only by television.”

  Alex waited a beat, but knew he had to follow his father’s wishes. He nodded.

  “Good. Your fiancée deserves her day, and so do you.” Gabriel turned to Rebecca again. “Change what arrangements you need to, but get married. I assure you, I’ll be there in spirit and watching you on screen while you marry. Genevieve will be there in person.”

  “If I went to Brazenbourg after the wedding breakfast, there’d be neither Gabriel nor I at the reception. That wouldn’t look right.”

  Rebecca took a deep breath and gave Alex a furtive glance. “I think we should cancel the reception. I’d already made plans to do so, regardless of whether the wedding moved forward.”

  Alex staggered back a foot, as though he’d been punched in the gut. Their reception cancelled? She hadn’t spoken a word about that to him this morning.

  Would he have to deal with his fiancée making decisions for him, too?

  “Rebecca!” Genevieve cried. “We can’t do that.”

  “It’s practically done already.”

  “You should have consulted with me first. Now, you’ll need to rebook everything.”

  Rebecca’s shoulders stiffened. “Genevieve, I’m sorry, but I feel it’s for the best. It wouldn’t look right.”

  “We have thirty world leaders, not to mention almost two thousand guests coming to the ceremony.”

  “Yes, and all of the world leaders will also be at the wedding breakfast afterwards. I ran the idea by Tavin and Corrado this morning, and they both agreed it was fine.” Rebecca gently picked up Gabriel’s hand. “I thought it might be better if we did a family dinner that night, either here or at home, so that you can join us. I want you to be part of our wedding day, however you can.”

  The entire room went silent. His mother’s eyes blurred with tears and his father was also clearly moved.

  His own heart filled, irritation at his father and Rebecca washing clean away.

  God, he loved her. Was it any wonder they belonged together?

  Gabriel cleared his throat. “Thank you, Rebecca. That’s incredibly thoughtful, and we both appreciate it very much. The doctors have told me that I’ll likely be home in a day or two.”

  “Yes, we do appreciate it,” Genevieve agreed. “Cance
l the reception if you feel that’s best.”

  Rebecca let out a sigh of relief. Had she been worried about this in the morning? Was Alex so wrapped up in himself that he didn’t see his love was hurting? Why didn’t she reach out to him?

  “I’ll take care of it when I leave.” She tipped her head to Alex. “I didn’t mean to intrude. I just wanted to stop by and see how everyone was doing.”

  “You’re not intruding,” Alex said. “I told them about Arianna, and Papa and I just finished discussing some state business while Mama called Arianna.”

  “Gabriel,” Genevieve admonished. “You’re not supposed to be discussing work. Alexander can handle it.”

  “Of course he can, my dear. I was merely advising on a few things.”

  “Well, I could use your advice,” Rebecca interjected. “Both you and Genevieve’s. If you’ve got some time. I know Alex has to go prepare for the Council meeting.”

  “That I do, though I’d like a few minutes with you before I go.” With a quick goodbye to his parents, Alex left the room, Rebecca following. They stopped in the hall just outside the door. “How are you doing, darling?”

  She blinked. “I’m fine. Are you okay? Do you need anything? I can–”

  He kissed the words from her lips. “All I need is for you to tell me how you’re really doing. You were worried this morning and you didn’t say anything to me.”

  She slanted her head to the side, away from his eyes. “Everyone’s worried.”

  “You’re not everyone.” He took hold of her chin and shifted her face back to meet his. “You’re my fiancée. You’re the love of my life. If you can’t share things with me, and I can’t share them with you, we’re doing something wrong.”

  “You were worried this morning, too. I didn’t want to distract you with my worries or problems. I can handle them.”