Arianna & Finn (Royals of Valleria #3)

by Knightly, Marianne

  From the corner of his eye, he saw her. His light, his love, standing there terrified. Her beautiful eyes were fixed on Finn and every protective instinct he had forced him to push Henry aside and go towards her.

  The police took hold of Henry while Finn ran across the room.

  “You’re too late,” Henry laughed. “Too late! Now you’ll both die and I’ll never see either of you again.”

  “Finn, look out!” she yelled.

  A blast shook the room - there was a bomb in Henry’s office, too!

  Finn pushed people out of the door and away from the blast, when another explosion shook the room. Henry’s laughter rang like a bell in the air after the blast.

  “Arianna!”

  “Finn!” She reached for him, but he was too late.

  Another bomb detonated, this one between the two of them. The force threw Finn back in the air, and he landed on the floor. He saw the ceiling cave in, taking Henry and the police with it. Henry’s laughter suddenly stopped. His brother. His one and only brother.

  His eyes welled with tears from the smoke, dust, and loss in the room, even while he frantically searched for Arianna. Another portion of the ceiling had caved in with the last blast and he couldn’t see her.

  “Ar-Arianna,” he coughed. “Where are you?”

  Ignoring the pain in his leg, he crawled on his hands and knees, death and destruction all around him. His palms were bloody and covered in soot by the time he reached the pile of debris nearby. He thought he saw a flash of blue, the color of the sweater she had been wearing, and he began to dig with his bare hands.

  The air in the room was thick with smoke and he could barely breathe. Those alive around him, conducted their own search for survivors. He dug and dug until his nails were torn, and his chest was sore from the heaving breaths he was forced to take.

  Arianna. Arianna.

  Finally, he saw her hand, and dug even faster. Her uncovered her face, bruised but alive. Her heart beat slow, but true.

  “Thank God,” he cried. “Thank God. Please, Arianna. Please don’t die.” He continued to uncover her, revealing other bumps and bruises. He had to get her to the hospital. She had to live.

  With strength born from sheer adrenaline, he picked her up and carried her away. A medic saw him and took her from him.

  “Save her. Save her,” he whispered before he fell to the ground. “Arianna,” he breathed just before blackness took him.

  ***

  Arianna slowly blinked her eyes open, which squinted against the bright lights of the room. The sound of something beeping nearby seemed to grow louder as it filtered into her consciousness.

  Her body woke just as slowly, but each ache and pain she felt made itself known. She groaned.

  “She’s awake,” a familiar voice said nearby. “Arianna?”

  Her hand was lifted and placed in someone else’s; she knew that hand. “Mama?” she croaked.

  “Yes,” Genevieve sobbed and kissed her hand. “Oh, yes, my darling daughter. Just relax. Your father is bringing the doctor.”

  Doctor? Oh, no. The whole scene came rushing back at once, sending the beeping noises spiking as her heart beat faster.

  “Relax. You’re safe. The baby’s safe.”

  The baby’s safe. Thank God, the baby’s safe. “Finn?” she whispered.

  “He was hurt, too, but he’ll be all right.”

  “Finn,” she moaned.

  “I know, my dear, sweet child. He’ll be all right. Don’t worry about him. Just focus on getting healthy for you and the baby.”

  “I hear our patient’s awake,” a woman said as she walked in and stood by Arianna. Her long white coat covered a gray silk shirt and fitted black skirt, and she stood on reasonable black heels. Her brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, which swung from side-to-side as she examined Arianna and made notes in her chart.

  After the exam was over, the doctor took a seat on Arianna’s bed. “You’re very weak, but very lucky. You’ll have those bruises for a while yet, but with some strict bed rest for the next few weeks, you should be all right.”

  “The baby?”

  “The baby seems to be doing just fine, but that’s another reason I want you on bed rest. I’ll give you some things to look out for; if any of them happen, call me.”

  “Can she be moved to Valleria?” Gabriel asked; he’d come back into the room after the exam had been completed and Arianna hadn’t noticed. “Papa.”

  “There, there, my child,” he said as he took the opposite seat beside her and held her hand. “You’re all right. The baby’s all right. That’s all that’s important.”

  “To answer your question, King Gabriel,” the doctor said, “I think it’s best if she recuperates in Brazenbourg. I wouldn’t want to risk anything happening during travel. We can try bed rest for a week and see how she feels after that, but I make no promises.”

  “Understood. Thank you, Doctor.”

  She smiled. “It was my pleasure. I’m going to see to some of the other patients. Just page me if you need anything, or let the nurses know.”

  After the doctor left, Genevieve took the doctor’s place at Arianna’s bedside. “Oh, Arianna, you frightened us all half to death.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I never thought -.”

  “No one did, my child,” Gabriel said, interrupting her.

  “How many?”

  He knew what she was asking. “At least a dozen dead, mostly citizens of Brazenbourg, but some of the International Police Force lost their lives as well. The bombs managed to take out some supporting columns in the palace, so some of the upper floors were affected as well.”

  “Henry?”

  Gabriel shook his head. Was it wrong to feel relief at his death? “Finn’s really okay?”

  “He is. Hurt, but he’ll be okay. He saved your life.”

  “What?”

  “It’s true. The camera caught it all before it, too, was destroyed by the falling ceiling. He dug through the rubble until he found you, then carried you out to the paramedics.”

  “I don’t remember any of it. I just remember him coming towards me, and then there was nothing.” She’d dreamt of a Finn calling her name, begging her, pleading her to live; had that been real, or just a dream?

  Gabriel squeezed her hand. “Finn’s a national hero.”

  “I don’t know if he’ll like that.”

  Gabriel chuckled. “No, I don’t think he will, but the people love him. Now that they know the truth, they’ll accept him as their new leader.”

  “Oh. I suppose Finn would be the ruling Prince now. I wonder how he feels about that.”

  “Why don’t you ask him yourself?” a gruff voice came from the doorway.

  Arianna gasped. Finn was being helped inside by a nurse. He was wearing a robe over his hospital gown, which didn’t hide the cuts and bruises on his face and hands. He was also walking with a distinct limp; why didn’t he use a cane or a wheelchair?

  Gabriel rose and went over to help Finn. “I’m glad you could join us.”

  “Thank you, Your Highness.” Finn walked slowly towards the bed with their help, and sat down in Gabriel’s place, letting out a sigh of exhaustion when he did.

  “I thought we discussed this. Any man who saves my daughter can call me Gabriel.”

  “And you can call me Genevieve, and I don’t want to hear another word about it.”

  “I’d listen to my wife; she’s a force to be reckoned with.”

  Finn smiled, then winced at the pain it caused. “Of course. Gabriel, Genevieve.”

  Genevieve stood. “We’re going to get some coffee and give the family a call. Why don’t you two spend some time together?”

  “Please stay. I didn’t mean to chase you off.”

  “You didn’t,” Genevieve said with a smile and took her husband’s hand as they walked out the door.

  “They’re subtle, aren’t they?” Finn asked rhetorically before he turned back to l
ook at Arianna. Just the power of his gaze had her heart jumping. As her heart monitor jumped, too, he smiled.

  “I think you like me,” he said as he cupped her face. Bandages covered his hands, but just the touch of his skin against hers had her sighing.

  “I think I do, too. Oh, Finn, I’m so sorry, about everything. I should have trusted you. I should have -.”

  Finn put a bruised finger to her lips. “Shhh. None of that. You’re okay. That’s all that matters.” Finn’s smile turned to worry as he took in her bruises. “Oh, baby, what were you thinking coming here?”

  “I was thinking about you,” she said as she laid a hand over his wrist. “I wanted to help you. I needed you, Finn.”

  Finn leaned forward and gently touched his forehead to hers. “I need you, too, Princess. But, please, for the love of God, don’t do anything like that again. My heart stopped when I saw you there, with the bombs going off around us.”

  “I won’t.” After a pause, she said, “I’m sorry about Henry.”

  Finn sighed as he sat up again. “I’m sorry, too.” She held his hand, letting death and grief have a few minutes.

  “What happens now?”

  “We try to move on, repair the palace, and find everyone who was allied with him. It might take us years to draw them all out.”

  “You’re also the ruler of Brazenbourg now.”

  Finn nodded as he rubbed her legs through the blanket covering her. “I never expected it. Now, I’m not sure what to do.”

  “I could help you.”

  His hand stilled. “Do you really want to?”

  “Yes. I want to help you, Finn.”

  He gave her a searching look before he spoke. “I love you, Arianna; that hasn’t changed. But I’m not looking for a friend to help me out. I want someone to rule with me. I want that someone to be you.”

  “Finn.”

  “Rule with me. Be my partner, my best friend, and Brazenbourg’s faithful Princess. And be the mother of our children.” He put a hand over her abdomen, where their child lay nestled inside.

  She gasped, avoiding his question for the moment. “You know?”

  He nodded. “Your parents told me.”

  “I wanted to tell you. That’s one of the reasons I came to Brazenbourg; I wanted to tell you in person.” She lifted her hand to his cheek, and his hand covered hers against his face. “I wanted to see your face when I told you.”

  “Your parents said that the baby’s okay. It wasn’t hurt in the explosion.”

  “Thank God for that.”

  He kissed the palm of her hand and let it go. “Arianna. I know it wouldn’t be easy being with me. You’d have to deal with the fallout from being engaged to my brother, to being with me and having our child. It’s a lot to explain, and you’ll probably have to explain it for a long time to come. I know I don’t deserve you, but I think you could grow to love me, if you tried.”

  Tears welled in her eyes. “Oh, Finn. I do love you.”

  His breath caught. “You love me?”

  “Oh, yes.” Her hands delved into his hair and combed it back.

  “Because of the baby?”

  “Because of you. I don’t just want you because you’re the father of my child. I want you because you’re you. You’re kind, generous, and a wonderful leader, even if you don’t know it.”

  “Does that mean you’ll marry me?”

  “Oh, yes, Finn. I’d be honored to be your wife.”

  “Arianna.” He swept down and gave her a tender kiss; even when they wanted to devour each other, he still treated her with care and compassion. Finn said he didn’t deserve her, but she thought it was her that didn’t deserve him. She would spend the rest of her life proving she did.

  His lips traveled from her mouth to kiss her nose, forehead, and cheeks, then down her neck and over her collarbone. He took a minute to rest his head against her chest, where her heart beat strong for him and their child.

  She ran her hands through his hair and down his back. “We can have a quick wedding once I’m out.”

  “Certainly not. You will marry in a church with your head held high, and that’s final.”

  “The White Church by the lake?”

  Finn smiled, ignoring the pain this time. “Yes, if you don’t mind.”

  “Well, it does have that handy room for consummating the marriage.”

  “We’ve kind of already done that part.”

  “Does that mean you don’t want to do it again?”

  “Never.” Finn reached into the pocket of his robe and pulled out a small velvet box. She gasped.

  “You’ve already said yes, and a woman who marries me deserves a ring. She deserves a lot more than that, but I figure it’s a good place to start.”

  He pulled out a beautiful ring in a halo setting. Set in the middle was an emerald of several carats, surrounded on all sides by a ring of diamonds, which extended onto the silver band. “It’s beautiful.”

  “It was my mother’s,” Finn said gruffly as he slipped it on. “I wish you could have met her, and my father.”

  “So do I,” Arianna said, marveling at the beautiful ring, when a thought occurred to her. “Uh-oh.”

  “What is it? Are you in pain?”

  “No, no. It’s just, I think you’ll need to ask my father’s permission before marrying me.”

  Finn smiled broadly. “I do, do I?”

  “Yes. I mean, I don’t think he’ll refuse, but you never know.”

  “Stop worrying, Princess. I already asked him.”

  “You did? When?”

  “When you wouldn’t wake up,” he said, brushing back a lock of her hair. “I told your father that I loved you and that I wanted to marry you as soon as you got healthy again. That’s when he told me about the baby, and asked me if I was ready for that responsibility.”

  “What did you tell him?”

  “I told him that I’d been dreaming of that possibility and that there was no way I was turning back from it, and from you. You’re my dream, Princess, you and our babies.”

  “Babies? Plural?”

  “You don’t think I’m going to stop at just one, do you?” He leaned forward and kissed her, this time with a little heat that had parts of her waking up. They couldn’t act on that heat now, but soon. Soon.

  “I love you, Finn.”

  “I love you, Arianna.” Finn slid down the bed and kissed her womb through the blanket. “I love you, too, little one.”

  THE END

  ###

  Want more royals? Royals of Valleria #4 is coming this fall, and Royals of Valleria #5 is coming out this winter. Make sure you’re signed-up for Marianne's newsletter to hear the release dates (along with other news and exclusives) first!

  A Note from the Author

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you so much for reading Arianna and Finn’s story! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you did, you may want to consider:

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  Marianne

  About the Author

  Marianne Knightly is a pen name.

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