by Leigh Walker
She was correct, of course. “I’m already committed—to a very rigorous schedule of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Not to mention snacks.” I briefly stuck my tongue out, grateful that she couldn’t see my face. “And I want to look like myself on my wedding day, thank you very much.”
“That’s exactly what I want.”
Dominic! My heart soared. “Can you pass a law banning these terrible things, then?” I joked. “Or issue a decree on the matter?”
My betrothed, Prince Dominic Allard of the kingdom, strode into the room. “I just might,” he growled.
In addition to my oxygen supply being cut off by the corset, the sight of him had me breathless. He was very tall and strapping, his muscular chest and broad shoulders encased in a form-fitting black ceremonial tunic. His legs were long, and his thighs, athletic; I could see them bulging beneath his fitted pants. My gaze rose higher, taking in his handsome face. He had a square jaw—which grew taut when he was upset—even features, and an aquiline nose. His close-cropped dark hair framed his face. But my favorite things to stare at were Dom’s eyes. They were a dark, depthless brown, almost black, a color I’d never seen before, framed by a set of heavy black lashes.
I sighed in contentment. Even the corset couldn’t mar my enjoyment of the view. But the prince’s face twisted with sour disapproval once he got closer. He could see how tight the laces were.
“Get that thing off of her.”
“Your Highness, please—the undergarment’s just for the fitting. I promise the lady won’t have to wear it for long.” The seamstress adjusted her glasses again. “And forgive me for saying so, but you’re not supposed to be in here. It’s bad luck to see the bride trying on her dress!”
His nostrils flared. “That’s a silly superstition from centuries ago. And that”—he pointed at the corset—“is an abomination. Get it off of the lady at once!”
She scurried and loosened the laces of the vile device. “Yes, Your Highness.”
She removed it, and I took a deep, relieved breath. Then I grinned at the prince. “You really are my knight in shining armor, you know that?”
“Ha-ha.” But he looked pleased. “I prefer to rescue you while you’re still breathing, my lady. Otherwise, we would be in quite the predicament, with the wedding two weeks from now.”
I grinned at him, and he grinned back. The seamstress cleared her throat.
“Leave us,” he commanded without tearing his eyes off me. “I’ll only be a moment, but it must be a private one.”
She curtsied. “Yes, Your Highness.” She fled the room still clutching the corset, and I hoped she burned the thing.
I wrapped my robe around me and smiled at the prince. “To what do I owe the honor of this visit?”
“I have something for you.” His eyes sparkled.
“Ooh, is it a kiss? I’ve missed you all morning!” I went closer to him and put my hands on his muscular chest, positioning my face so it would be easy for him to oblige me.
He chuckled. “No, but perhaps I can spare one of those as well.” He leaned down and gave me a quick, chaste peck on the lips.
“No fair.” I shook my head. He knew that was not what I meant. “Don’t tease me like that!”
Grinning wickedly, he brought his face closer again, then he brushed his lips against mine. But he quickly pulled back, a smug expression on his face.
“I am not amused.”
He chuckled, deep and throaty. “Very well, Victoria. Let me see what I can do about that.”
Dom ran his hands down my sides and positioned them on my hips, and the room suddenly got very, very hot. We stared at each other for a moment, and time stopped.
The prince loomed over me, and I could feel his cool breath on my face. My heart pounded. Dom leaned down, his hands still planted firmly on my hips, and kissed my cheek, my jaw, and my forehead, holding me close but still making me wait.
Just when I was about to mutiny, he must’ve sensed it—he finally kissed me. He pressed his lips to mine, and I melted against him. Dom delved his hands into my hair, and I arched my back, trying to get as close to him as humanly possible. He opened his mouth, and our tongues connected, making me ache deep inside. I moaned as electricity zipped through me. Not only was the room hot, but I was burning up as well.
I lost myself in the kiss, in his arms. All I wanted was to be closer to him, because I was never close enough. But as usual, the prince pulled away first. He blew out a deep breath and took a small step back, putting some distance between us. “That was…” He shook his head as if to clear it then laughed. “I don’t know what that was.”
“D’you think we should try it again so we can figure it out?”
He laughed again. “Absolutely. But I’m staying over here.”
“Why?” I felt like a small child who’d had their favorite cookie taken away.
“Because we have to be good. Your seamstress is right outside the door, probably eavesdropping on us.”
I had to agree with him on that. She likely had her ear pressed against the door, the nosy little thing. “Fine.”
He stepped a little closer, a small smile on his face, trying to make it up to me. “And I came here because I have something for you—a present.”
Though I wanted to argue that he’d already given me what I wanted, and now I wanted more, the sparkle in his eyes told me that he was excited. My curiosity piqued, I asked, “What is it?”
“It’s something for the ceremony.” Dominic pulled out a rectangular black-velvet box. “I know it’s old-fashioned, but I always remembered the saying: something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.”
“I thought you didn’t believe in silly superstitions.”
He gave me a sheepish smile. “I guess I’m just selective about which ones I choose to adhere to.”
I was touched. “So… people still say that?”
Dominic shrugged. “I think some of the villagers do. I remember hearing it as a child. For some reason, it always stuck with me.” He handed me the box, looking at bit nervous all of a sudden. “I didn’t know if you were familiar with it, but I thought I would be prepared just in case. It’s your something blue. I thought you might try it on with your dress.”
“That’s very sweet.” I opened it and gasped. Inside was a stunning sapphire-and-diamond necklace, fit for a princess and probably worth a large fortune.
The prince leaned forward. “What do you think?”
I gaped at it. “Dominic… I can’t. This is beautiful, but it’s too beautiful.”
“It’s been in my family for generations. As its newest member, the necklace belongs to you.”
“Dom.” I cocked my head. “I’m from New Jersey. I used to shop at Walmart. My favorite restaurant back home served drinks in Styrofoam cups.”
When he looked confused, I continued, “I’m just saying that I’m pretty simple. And this necklace is anything but.”
“Ah. But I think that you are anything but simple. In fact, you are the most complicated person I’ve ever met.” He chuckled quietly.
I arched an eyebrow in response.
His chuckle turned to a cough. “I meant that as a compliment, of course. And I’ve brought this for you because not only do I think it would suit you, but it’s something from my family as yours to keep. I want you to have it. It would mean something to me for you to wear it.”
I clutched the box against my chest. “That’s very kind. Thank you.” I was not ready to be married, but if I were, Dominic was whom I would choose a thousand times over, to infinity and beyond. He was so thoughtful and loyal. If the necklace meant something to him, I would honor that, even if I felt a bit like a fraud wearing something so opulent.
He kissed my forehead. “Thank you.”
Grinning at him, I said, “Now, I want you to stay. In fact, I want you to excuse me from fitting duty and take me back to my room so we can—”
He suddenly bent down and put his lips
on mine. I leaned into the kiss, into him, and the rest of the world fell away. Dom ran his hands down my back, cradling me closer, enveloping me in his strong embrace.
He held my face in his hands when our lips finally broke apart. His eyes were blazing but not in the vampire way. “I would like nothing more than to take you back to your room. In fact, I would throw you over my shoulder right now and carry you back if I could.”
“Oh.” I blew out a deep, shuddery breath. “You should totally do that.”
He smiled at me, and it was like the sun coming out. “I will someday. But today, you need to be fitted for your dress, and I need to get to my council meeting. We’re waiting to hear back from some of the foreign dignitaries.” A shadow crossed his face.
“Is it about…your mother’s plans?” The queen was rallying other powerful vampires around the world to join her in her quest to stop hiding and rule mankind out in the open, master and servant.
“Yes.” Dominic frowned then looked at the door. “But let’s not speak of that now.”
“Of course. And thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for the necklace. That was very thoughtful of you. I love it.”
“It’s my pleasure.” He bowed, still grinning. “I will see you later, Lady Victoria. I’m looking forward to it.”
Watching him stride from the room, I sighed. “Not as much as I am.”
3
The Same Page
The vampire seamstress kept me busy all afternoon. I actually didn’t do anything—I just stood there as she adjusted the lace of the dress and pinned, pinned, pinned. To her credit, she didn’t jab me once. She also didn’t mention me losing weight again. Being engaged to the prince certainly had its advantages.
When I got back to my room, I carefully put the jewelry box in a drawer. I snuck one last peek at the necklace. Its diamonds and sapphires glittered against the black satin of the interior. I was touched that Dominic had given it to me. He’d seemed so earnest about it, so sweet.
I sighed as I closed the box. The necklace was probably the most beautiful and expensive thing I would ever wear in my life. I wasn’t comfortable with that sort of extravagance, but that wasn’t what troubled me most about the gift.
As I regarded the fire, I tried to understand the root of my discomfort. The prince seemed truly excited about getting married. Dominic remembered everything from the last nine years, every time we’d fallen in love. He was also a thousand years old. He seemed ready for the commitment of marriage and didn’t appear to have a doubt or hesitation. I had feelings for him, with a capital F, but my memories of our time together only went back a couple of weeks. Added to that was the fact that I was only eighteen and hadn’t even graduated from high school yet.
My reverie was interrupted by a knock at the door. Mistress Olivia bustled in, her gray dress and spotless white apron starched to perfection. Her hair, dark with silver streaks, was pulled back into its always-immaculate bun. “You’ve been summoned, my dear.”
“Summoned where?”
Her smooth, round face broke into a forced smile. “To dinner with the royal family.”
“Oh crap.” Nothing frightened me more than the queen. The last time I’d dined with her, she’d insulted me, scrutinized my every move, and stared at me as she fed from her slave.
Mistress Olivia pursed her lips. “I know. But I think the queen wants to make sure that you’re coming along nicely. With the wedding so close, she needs to be sure you’ll behave properly.”
“I’m not some sort of pet that’s being trained!”
She sighed. “Well, I know that, but the queen? She views these things a bit differently, I’m afraid.”
I groaned. “I know she does. She would probably be fine with the prince leading me around on a leash, giving me a treat if I sat pretty.”
Olivia nodded. “That may be true, but let’s just do our best, shall we? That’s all we can do.”
At that, she threw the wardrobe open and started moving hangers, searching for a dress. “Something cheerful would be nice. Ah, here we are—blush pink. Always an optimistic color, I think.”
I grimaced as she brought the pretty gown over and held it against me. “Asking me to be optimistic tonight might be…too optimistic.”
She chuckled. “Put on your game face, my lady. I expect you’ll need it. And hopefully it will help keep you off leash.”
“You look beautiful, Victoria.” Dom held my hand as we traveled down the dim hallway to the dining room. “I’m very fond of that dress.”
“Thank you.” The gown fit snugly, accentuating my curves, and its delicate pink satin train trailed out behind me. It was a regal gown, fit for a princess. But dining with the vampire king and queen was also regal and fit for a princess, and that had me quite queasy, so I tried to keep my mind on the present moment, which was much preferable to what came next. “You look very handsome.”
“Ah, I do what I can.” He winked at me, but the playful look slid from his face when he sensed my nerves. “Has dinner with my parents got you stressed?”
“Yes, but I’ll be fine. I’m assembling my game face as we speak.” But my stomach fluttered as we neared the hall. The last time we’d dined with them, the queen had insisted that she and the king drink from their blood slaves in front of us. It had been disturbing, to say the least. The queen had gotten sort of primal with her slave, ravishing her neck, writhing and moaning in enjoyment as the poor slave sat there, terrified. The king had been more restrained, politely drinking from his slave’s wrist. Still, I hadn’t enjoyed watching my fellow human be used as a walking blood bank.
“They’ll have slaves at dinner. My mother insists that she shouldn’t have to hide what she is in her own home.”
“And she shouldn’t.” I believed that in theory if not in practice. “Perhaps she’ll be better behaved tonight.”
The prince just shot me a look. After living with her for a thousand years, he probably knew better than to expect too much.
I took a deep breath as we entered the dining room. It was a grand space with soaring ceilings, an enormous chandelier lit with hundreds of candles, a large table, and a roaring fire. King Declan and Queen Danica were waiting for us on the far side of the room, near the fireplace. The king was wearing a gray ceremonial uniform that showcased his tall, muscular frame. His hair, like his son’s, was dark and close-cut, and he had a neatly trimmed gray beard, the only real visible clue to his age.
The queen was as tall as her husband and was also very fit. Her coffee-colored skin was luminous, as was her raven hair, arranged in intricate braids coiled like snakes atop her head. She was wearing a powder-blue gown covered in gold brocade, with heavy gold bangles and earrings to match. A hint of gold powder showed off her dark-brown eyes, so much like her son’s. Queen Danica was, hands down, the most stunning woman I’d ever met. But pretty is as pretty does, as my mother used to say.
“It’s about time.” The queen’s voice was filled with disdain as her gaze raked over me. “You know I don’t like to be kept waiting.”
Pretty, indeed. Every time she opened her mouth, I felt like I’d bitten into a rotten apple. She never failed to both surprise and disgust me.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness.” I curtsied stiffly—it was a skill I still hadn’t mastered. “The prince and I were catching up.”
“Do not include my son in your excuses,” she said coldly. “If there are problems, you are the one responsible. It is the humans that are the lower form of life, slower both mentally and physically. My son is not responsible for your many deficiencies. Is that understood?”
I felt as if she’d slapped me, but I nodded. “Yes, Your—”
“That’s enough, Mother.” Dom stepped in front of me protectively. “I won’t have you speak to Lady Victoria like that. We weren’t bloody late, and if we were, it was my fault. So shut your mouth, and stop talking about her race that way, or we’ll leave right now.”
“First of all, do not speak to your
mother like that.” Her voice was icy. “Second of all…” She came closer, inspecting Dominic’s face. “You really do seem changed. Perhaps your new engagement has turned you into a man. Or perhaps… Maybe I’ve just never seen what loyalty looks like on you, my son.”
“Maybe. Perhaps Victoria’s the first one to have properly earned my allegiance.”
They faced each other, the tension rolling off of them in waves. I expected to hear hissing at any moment.
“Right.” King Declan cleared his throat. “Let’s have some wine, shall we?”
Both Dominic and the queen shot him nasty looks.
He cleared his throat again. “Let’s have all the wine. I insist. Now, Victoria”—he offered me his arm—“tell me more about what you’ve been up to.”
“Um…” I wracked my brain. Traveling through time? Making out with your son? Trying to vanish a prisoner? Plotting my escape? “I’ve been being fitted for my wedding gown. It’s spectacular.”
“Ah yes, the seamstress has told me about your sessions.”
“She has?” I tried to picture the tiny seamstress gossiping to the strapping king.
“Yes.” King Declan smiled at me kindly. “She said you’ll make a lovely bride.”
“That’s really nice. I hope she’s right.” I smiled hopefully back at him, not wanting him to stop chatting with me. He might be useless with respect to stopping his wife, but he was so much easier to talk to than she was.
“Please, let’s sit.” The king pulled out my chair for me then snapped his fingers.
Two servants sprang forth and filled our goblets with wine. I sipped mine carefully; Dom had warned me that the queen performed some sort of magic on it to make the humans more pliable.
Queen Danica sank into her seat at the head of the table. Her bell was nearby, the cursed thing. She used it to summon her meals—the human slaves who lived on the property and existed, in her mind, just to serve her. “I’ve had dinner prepared for you, Lady Victoria.”
She rang the abominable bell, and its tinkling noise made me shiver. The servants brought out a bowl of steaming chicken soup and thick, crusty bread slathered with homemade butter. They placed it before me with a flourish.
