But I feel good about a potential pregnancy, and I know Kristian and Kato do too. Because there’s something amazing about Tina, the sweet smile, the luscious bod, the giving personality, it seems right to see her swell up with our child, see her curvy form become even curvier with a baby inside. Plus, we adore her, the fact that she cooks us dinner after a long day at work at the non-profit, always providing sex no matter how tired she is, letting three men work her over, fill her up, use her body to our heart’s content, even if she’d rather be taking a bubble bath, steaming those sweet muscles, soaking that pretty pussy that’s getting pounded all the time.
So yeah, we’ve done everything by the book as much as possible, treating Tina with care, with love, savoring her company, and lately, introducing Violet. Because we want our mom to like the girl we’ve chosen, and it seems like they get along like a house on fire.
Speaking of which, where was Violet in this crowd? I’d been so busy making small talk at the gala and accepting congratulations that I hadn’t had a moment to spare. I spotted Mom in the corner and made my way over.
“You having a good time?” I asked, replacing her drink with a refresher.
“Oh yeah, absolutely,” said Violet, her face breaking out into a dazzling smile. “You and Kato look so handsome in these white uniforms,” she complimented, brushing an invisible speck of dust off my arm.
I rolled my eyes, moms will be moms. But why wasn’t Violet mingling, why was she standing here, behind a tapestry, keeping to herself? That wasn’t like her, our mom was bubbly and outgoing, friendly almost to a fault.
And it seemed like my brother was thinking the same thing.
“Ma, what are you doing back here?” he asked, coming up with a plate of hors d’oeuvres in hand. “We wanted you to get out and mingle, have a good time,” he said. “I mean, yeah, I realize Georg is here, but it’s not like he’s going to recognize you.”
And here, our mom’s smile faded a little.
“No, he wouldn’t would he?” she said softly, lifting a hand to her face. “I don’t look the way I did so long ago,” she said a little wistfully, sadly. “Back then I was a pretty flight attendant, and now I’m … well, I’m an old lady.”
I shot my bro a dirty look. What the fuck was his problem? WTF? I cut him off before he could say another word.
“Mom, you look beautiful,” I assured her, “not a day over twenty.”
And she smiled at me, a sparkle returning to her eye.
“Honey, you’re very flattering but I’m in my forties now, hardly a spring chicken,” she said mischievously. “Besides, when do you guys get knighted? Is that what you call it? Knighted?”
And I laughed. I was glad the depressing mood had passed, that Violet was back to her old self.
“The ceremony’s going to start in a few minutes, and no, we’re not being knighted. We’re being inducted into a brotherhood, the brotherhood of Legionnaires, personal body men for the royal family. Like the Secret Service is for the president, except here, we’re body men for the Crown Prince.”
And that made my mom’s head turn.
“Is he here?” she said, scanning the crowd, her eyes curious. “Is Prince Kristian here? I don’t see him.”
I just shook my head. I didn’t blame her for her interest. Kristian was our boss after all, so she wanted to get a look, and for a lot of women he was a full-on heartthrob, a Prince Charming straight out of the storybooks. No joke, the dude’s got groupies, screaming women who show up at his public events, begging for autographs. It’s bad sometimes, it’s embarrassing when the Prince was trying to have a serious conversation about nuclear disarmament and there are middle-aged ladies a few hundred feet away with posters reading, “I LOVE THE PRINCE,” and “KRISTIAN TAKE ME, I’M YOURS!” But he handled it well, all in a day’s work after all.
So I pointed him out.
“He’s over there,” I said, gesturing to the left, “See right there, among that gaggle of women.”
And my mom looked long and hard, her face expressionless before breaking out into a glowing smile.
“He’s so handsome, and he looks just like you,” she breathed softly. “Just like you and Kato.”
That was true, more than a few people had commented on our resemblance to Kristian, but then again, we’re all tall and built with black hair and blue eyes – hardly unique, you just had to look close to see differences. But this was my mom, and I humored her.
“Yeah, we’re almost like triplets, right?” I teased.
And my mom took a deep breath, frozen, before turning to us again.
“Right, triplets,” she said softly.
But then trumpets started up and the moment passed, the blaring notes announcing the start of the ceremony.
“We gotta go,” I called to Violet, heading to a stairwell with my brother. “But you can watch from below, don’t worry you’ll be able to see everything.”
And Violet nodded, her eyes sparkling, but also wistful and sad at the same time. I thought I saw a sheen of tears but that was to be expected. After all, her twin sons were moving on, moving onto a new life, a new woman, and a new job. It was all new beginnings from here on out … and yet there was so much to remember.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Kristian
My dad was staring at himself in the mirror as we waited in a hallway, ready to be called out onto the dais. He brushed his grey hair this way and that, rearranging the wispy strands over his bald spot.
“Looking good big guy,” he muttered to himself, “looking good.”
And I shrugged. Georg wasn’t looking good, he was fifty and overweight, with a huge paunch and scrawny legs, but that wasn’t my problem. After all, the King did what he wanted and no one could tell him otherwise.
“Come on,” I gestured to my two body men. “It’s about to start.”
And Kato and Karl made their way forward slowly, their imposing frames heavy and athletic, stepping out from the shadows. They remained still, silent, their faces impassive, impossible to read.
Because Karl and Kato always been curiously quiet around the King. It’s not that they’re rude or insolent or any unprofessional shit like that, it’s that they don’t say much, don’t show much. I’ve always chalked it up to being professional soldiers. Combat makes men hard, I’ve seen it with the vets that I work with, and I guess the hardness can set in early, forming an impenetrable shell. Well, they’d loosen up over time. The quality of our lives with Tina was a balm to our souls, her energy, her light so amazing and uplifting at once, we found ourselves laughing without realizing why sometimes.
And at that moment, the trumpets stopped playing, the crowd growing hushed. That was our cue. My dad and I stepped onto the dais, looking out over the crowd below, Georg all smiles, jovial and red-faced.
“My people,” he declared, waving an arm expansively. “Thank you for joining us at the marvelous event. The White Gala is a tribute to the greatness of St. Venetia, our city-state’s gallant history and rapturous future.”
I tried not to roll my eyes. Most likely, Dad had written the speech himself, it was so ridiculous. Gallant history? Rapturous future? It was so flowery, so over-the-top, so one hundred percent Georg.
But the crowd ate it up, bursting into applause, murmurs of approval running through the air. So my dad continued.
“We are here today to celebrate the induction of two new warriors into the esteemed brotherhood of Legionnaires, established by my ancestor, Karon the Fifth in 1512 as a contingent of personal body men for the royal family,” continued my dad. “We welcome these two gallant knights into the brotherhood as loyal servants of the King, serpents of the staff, and centurions of the future!”
I schooled myself to remain impassive, the metaphors really getting to me. Hopefully people weren’t laughing behind their hands, they realized this was just Georg being Georg. But on cue, Karl and Kato came out, striding onto the dais confidently, their bearing immaculate, soldiers to the core.<
br />
The men dropped to one knee before my father, one arm crossed across their chests. And my dad took a long staff, ready to touch them on each shoulder. It was kinda like being knighted, there was just no title associated with the induction.
“Do you swear to be loyal of hand and of staff, seeking to serve every man as best ye may? Seek ye the fellowship of good men, hearken unto their words and remember them?” My dad droned on and on, reciting the pledge of the Legionnaires, reading off a teleprompter now.
But finally, he got to the end.
“And do you, Karl and Kato …” he sputtered for a moment, eyes bugging wide.
What was the problem? Did the teleprompter malfunction? Did he get a crick in his throat for some reason? Who knew? Georg took a deep breath and started again.
“Do you, Karl and Kato Smith-Venetia, solemnly swear to obey the fiat of the Legionnaires, commit yourself to the Brotherhood wholeheartedly, and become one with the true faith?”
I started then, trying to keep my expression calm. Smith-Venetia? What the hell was that? Where did that name come from? I’d known the twins’ last name was Smith, seen it on countless papers, approved their security clearance based on it. So what was this Venetia shit?
Because Venetia is my last name. Or my accurately, it’s the last name of the Venetian royal family, has been for centuries. Was this some kind of fucking joke? I shook my head. What the hell was going on?
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Tina
I didn’t understand what the uproar was about. Violet and I stood in the crowd, watching the induction, and it was fine as far as I could tell. Kristian, Karl and Kato were so handsome, Kristian standing beside the King as Georg worked his way through the pageantry. I wasn’t even listening, I was so happy and proud to see my men up there.
Of course, no one in the crowd but Violet knew that I had three lovers, the three black-haired, blue-eyed giants commanding the crowd with their presence at the instant moment. But it was fine. I knew our love was pure and true, even if it was hidden from the world at the moment.
But everyone saw the King choke momentarily before he moved on, and a hushed gasp ran through the air.
“What is it?” I turned to Violet, “Why is everyone whispering? Everything’s fine, right?”
And the older woman turned towards me, eyes bright with tears.
“The boys, their last name is Smith-Venetia,” she said slowly.
“Really?” I asked. “I had no idea that they had a double-barrel last name, they never mentioned it,” I shook my head, confused. “I thought it was just Smith.”
“No honey,” replied Violet. “Because my maiden name is Smith, they usually just use that alone. But the second part,” she said, her voice trailing off.
“The second name is their dad’s,” I finished for her. “But why is that so significant now? Is it because he’s here somewhere?” I asked, craning my head.
“Oh he’s here,” she replied, a single tear spilling down her cheek now, “he’s here.”
I couldn’t tell if it was a tear of joy or sadness because Violet was staring at the dais the entire time. And I couldn’t see that anything was wrong per se, except that the King seemed tightlipped suddenly, moving about stiffly as he touched both Karl and Kato’s shoulders with a massive staff, inducting them into the Legionnaires.
And after it was done, Kristian stepped forward, face oddly pale, expression unreadable.
“Welcome brothers, into the fraternity. Let the revelry begin.”
And with that, the ceremony ended, the party starting up again. But what was I missing? Why did everyone look so stunned?
“Violet, what’s going on? What does everyone know that I don’t?” I demanded, swiveling to my companion.
And the older woman looked at me, her face wet with tears now.
“Their last name is Venetia because it’s the last name of the royal family here,” she said simply. “King Georg is their father.”
And I gasped, my outburst drowned out by the din of the crowd, the thin strains of the orchestra. Karl and Kato were the sons of the King? That made them princes too … and half-brothers of Prince Kristian? Holy fuck, I’d been having sex with not two brothers, but three?
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Kato
We gathered in a drawing room, a small group, Karl and I, Kristian and the King, plus our mom and Tina. A couple Legionnaires stood attendance outside the door, making sure no one would enter. And good thing because as soon as the door shut, Georg burst into a rage.
“You ho!” he screeched at Violet. “What are you doing here? Why are you here? To wreck my life like you did once already?”
I stepped forward immediately, glowering, my big form ready to do some serious damage, King or not.
“Don’t talk to our mother that way,” I hissed, hand raised.
And my brother was one step behind, the look on his face twisted and ugly.
“Stand down, fucker,” he spat. “Stand the fuck down.”
And yeah, we’re professional soldiers, I have no doubt of the impression we made. Two huge, athletic men, towering, dominating one fat paunchy dude, it was no match, no match at all. No weapons needed, just give us two seconds flat and he’d be a fucking mess on the floor.
But Violet, despite having two circles of scarlet high on her cheekbones, was no shrinking violet. She gave as good as she got, and this time was no exception.
“They’re your sons, you’ve always known that,” she spat, eyes shooting sparks. “You’ve shirked your paternal obligations for years now, years,” she hissed. “You need to man up and recognize.”
And I expected Georg to make some lame excuse about being busy, how he had a country to run, honor to uphold, all that bullshit. But instead, he turned it right back on Violet.
“I had no choice,” he ground out. “I have to live in St. Venetia, I’m the fucking King! You had to live in buttfuck nowhere, a little town with what? Fifty people? What did you expect me to do? Move to Smallville, USA? Leave my people behind? Give up the throne?”
WTF? Violet had always told us that our dad had had no interest in us, that we were an accident, a literal flying fuck as part of the Mile High Club. So what was this stuff about wanting to know us? Had our mom never given him a chance, keeping us sequestered and out of his reach?
But before I could ask, Violet started hurling epithets too.
“Well I couldn’t take it!” she screeched, “I couldn’t stand the fact that you always had me in the closet, your ho that you fucked whenever it was convenient. All because of you and your need for ‘royal blood,’” she mimed with air quotes. “What the fuck is wrong with being a commoner? I’m human, I’m good enough.”
Holy shit. Georg had looked down on Violet because she wasn’t nobility? I could see why she was so angry, she’s American and there isn’t any real nobility in the United States, just fake royals like the Kardashians.
But that was neither here nor there, and Georg responded from left field, sparring from a completely different angle, making my breath catch, my chest grow tight.
“Stop making this about ‘royal blood,’” he shot back, “because you know it was never about that. I couldn’t date you, I couldn’t marry you because I didn’t have any money,” he ground out. “I explained it to you. My family didn’t have any money, we were living a lie pretending to be something we weren’t, and I had to marry a rich woman just to keep a roof over our heads, so my parents could continue their farce. What don’t you get that? You’ll never understand what loyalty is, what family duty is,” he said bitterly.
“You’re right, I don’t understand,” shot back Violet. “What about your ‘family duty’ to the boys? Why haven’t you reached out?”
And at that, Georg looked ashamed.
“You’re right,” he said, looking off into the distance. “I tried to contact them a couple times when they were kids, but you had them in Nowhereville, USA, home-schooling them as if
you were in a cult,” he said bitterly. “I never heard back so I gave up after a couple years,” he continued. “Maybe I shouldn’t have.”
And a shocked silence descended.
“Mom,” I said slowly, “Is what he’s saying true? I don’t even know where to start, what the fuck this is so messed up.”
“Don’t try to understand,” said Violet, bitterness lacing her voice. “I never got it myself. I just got that I wasn’t good enough, that was loud and clear,” she said, her voice accusatory, still looking at the king.
And Georg sighed then, his shoulders slumped, his air defeated.
“Haven’t you heard anything I’ve said?” he asked tiredly. “I couldn’t marry you, I had to marry for money. It had nothing to do with power, prestige, family name, or ‘the blood royal’ as you love repeating. It had to do with money, and my wife’s family had plenty.”
And now my mom looked like a trapped animal, her face sheet white, turning rapidly in different directions, panicked, fidgety.
“There’s not true,” she said quickly. “Did he tell you that was true? Because it’s not. I did what I thought was best for my boys, I didn’t want you to grow up cloistered here, princes of some small country I’d never heard of, with no future.”
And here, Kristian snorted, interrupting not so gently.
“I’ll have you know that St. Venetia is an up and coming hub of financial services,” he stated. “Small size doesn’t matter when your trade is digital currency and international banking,” he added pointedly.
But my mom just looked frozen.
“Well that wasn’t around when I gave birth to the twins,” she said, her expression rigid. “I did the best I could,”
And here Tina interrupted in a gentle voice. “I’m sure you did, Violet, I’m sure you did. But even if you were stifled here, if St. Venetia wasn’t your place, why didn’t you let Karl and Kato see their father?”
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