Alexander & Rebecca (Royals of Valleria #1)

by Knightly, Marianne

  The boys - Nathaniel, Marcello, Lorenzo, and Ethan, the youngest of them all - came to tease Alex and congratulate their new sister. The girls - Arianna, Sarah, Carolina, and, of course, Cat - also came to congratulate them. Rebecca felt overwhelmed and incredibly loved at the same time. It was a heady feeling.

  “A toast,” Gabriel said as he lifted his glass and everyone followed. “To the lovely couple. May you both be blessed with a long, happy life, and may Valleria be blessed with prosperity under your reign.”

  “Hear, hear,” several voices called out, and they all took a drink, Rebecca sipping gently through a straw.

  “Dinner is served, Your Royal Highnesses,” a butler called, and they all began their journey down the hall to the dining room.

  “Doing all right?” Alex asked as he kept her behind while the others flooded out of the room.

  “Yes,” she said as she wrapped her arms around him. She wanted to rest her head against his chest for just a moment, to solidify the memory they had just made together.

  “It’s still not official, you know.”

  “What isn’t?” she asked as she tilted her head up to look at him.

  “Our engagement.”

  “Is there some official royal ceremony we need to do?”

  “Official, yes, but not exclusively royal.”

  At the quizzical look on her face, Alex bent on one knee and pulled a velvet box from his pocket. She gasped as he flipped the lid open and she saw the most stunning antique ring. It was several carats, with a large emerald-cut amethyst at its center surrounded by tiny diamonds, with the band in a pave setting.

  “Alex,” she breathed.

  “Rebecca, light and love of my life, will you allow me the great honor of becoming your husband?”

  Tears began welling in her eyes, despite her attempts to maintain her composure. “Yes, Alex,” she said as she kneeled down and wrapped her arms around him. “I already said ‘yes’, but I’ll say it a million times more. Yes.”

  Alex’s arms were tight around her for a minute, before he pulled back. Clearing his throat, he said gruffly, “Let’s see if this fits.”

  He slipped the ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger. It was slightly loose, but Rebecca preferred it that way; for her, it was a perfect fit. “It’s stunning.”

  “It was Nonna’s,” he said. “I told her all about you and I asked her if I could give you her ring.”

  “You did?” This ring was full of history and family and love; Rebecca couldn’t believe it was hers now.

  “She loves you,” he said as he kissed her forehead and helped her stand.

  “She does?”

  Alex chuckled. “Surely, you noticed? She loved it when you came to visit her, even if you were just tagging along with Cat.”

  “I didn’t realize. I’ll have to thank her.” Her brows crinkled in contemplation. “How do you thank a former queen?” she asked as they began to walk slowly towards the dining room.

  “You say ‘thank you’,” he said as his arm wove around her waist.

  She hit him lightly with her hand. “Funny. It’s not like she had me over for tea. She gave me her engagement ring. She must be so sad to lose it.”

  “Point of clarification: I gave you her engagement ring, which is now technically your engagement ring. She was happy to see it go to another woman in love, and she’ll tell you so herself after dinner.”

  Rebecca could not take her eyes off of it. Who could stop looking at their engagement ring once it had been slipped so lovingly onto their finger?

  She was, however, walking too slowly for Alex, who lifted her into his arms and began to stride down the hall. “What are you doing? I can’t show up to dinner like this.”

  “Everyone knows I stayed back to give you the ring. Trust me, they really won’t be all that surprised.”

  They weren’t. Though the family was seated when they entered, they all broke out into applause when Alex carried her inside. Rebecca hid her bright red face against Alex’s neck as he walked her to the table.

  Alex set her down, kissed her forehead, and then held out a chair for her near the head of the table. Alex was her partner on one side while her mother was seated on her other. As soon as they sat, the waiters served the first course and conversations broke out across the friendly table.

  “Let me see,” Francine said. “My God, what a beautiful ring!”

  “It was his Nonna’s ring,” she said as she gestured to the woman in question, seated near Gabriel.

  “Are you happy?”

  “So happy, Mama,” she said, quickly reassuring her. “Terrified, but completely and utterly happy.”

  Chapter 22

  Alex watched his family and fiancée with a great sense of contentment. Dinner was lively, as it always was when they gathered together, but it was the easy acceptance of his bride-to-be into the fray that eased some of the tension in his shoulders.

  He never would have told Rebecca this, but he had been concerned some would think as Cat initially had and disapprove of her. He was beyond thrilled that everyone else seemed to welcome her with open arms.

  “So when’s the wedding?” Ethan asked from his perch between Arianna and Lorenzo. “We may be shipping out soon.” Ethan, a doctor and Lieutenant in the Vallerian Naval Forces, was steadily working his way up the officer ranks.

  “It’s not for a year, at least,” Arianna chimed in as she reached for her wineglass.

  “Really? Did you set a date for them we are unaware of?” Lorenzo asked as he lifted another forkful of food.

  “Don’t be silly, Lorenzo,” Sarah said. “Don’t you remember your Vallerian history?”

  “I was never very good at history,” Lorenzo said with a grimace.

  “You’re not much good at anything,” Nathaniel joked. Lorenzo, seated beside him, punched him in the arm. “Don’t damage the goods, brother. I got a hot date this weekend,” Nate said.

  “You’ve always got a date,” Ethan said as he stole food off Lorenzo’s plate; Ethan much preferred the food at the palace than the food on his ship, however much he loved the Navy.

  “As Sarah was saying,” Arianna said. “If you bothered to study our history, you would know that Alex and Rebecca’s marriage is bound by the Marriage of Royal Heirs Act of 1702.”

  “That’s a real thing?” Lorenzo asked.

  “It is, my son,” Gabriel said with a small smile, thoroughly enjoying the interplay between his children. “The law requires consent of the current ruling monarch for any heir aged twenty-five or under.”

  “That doesn’t apply to Alex, Papa,” Carolina said as she sat back in her chair and asked for some coffee. She had been working too hard on her latest painting and was simply too exhausted at the moment to really enjoy the meal.

  “You are correct,” Gabriel said. “In the case of Alex and Rebecca, for their marriage, they must notify the Royal Council of their engagement, and they may wed no sooner than one year after that date of notification. This is aptly called the ‘Royal Marriage Notification Year’.”

  “Since I do know my history,” Alex said with a pointed look at Lorenzo. “I had already planned to call a special council meeting tomorrow and announce it, and Papa will follow just after with a press release.”

  “A year will pass like nothing at all,” Genevieve said. “A royal wedding, particularly the wedding of an heir, will take at least that long to plan.”

  “You hear that, Ethan?” Marcello interjected. “By the time we get to your wedding, you could probably just elope.” Marcello had a great fondness for Ethan, as they all did.

  “Bite your tongue, Marcello,” Genevieve said sternly. “No child of mine is going to elope, and that’s final.”

  “I second that, my dear,” Gabriel said with a stern, and much more foreboding look, of his own.

  “Besides,” Ethan said. “Just because I was born last doesn’t mean I have to wait for all of you to get married first, and the Notification Ye
ar only applies to Alex anyhow. I’m definitely beating Nate down the aisle.”

  “I have to agree with the kid,” Nate said, calling Ethan by a pet name he clearly disliked, based on the scowl on his face. “I’m having too much fun to get married.”

  “Trust me,” Alex said as he took Rebecca’s hand. “You can have plenty of fun with just one person, if they’re the right one.”

  “Alex!” Rebecca said as pink stained her cheeks again. God, how he loved to make her blush.

  “Does that mean you’re moving in together?” Sarah asked as the kitchen staff brought out a soft, fluffy cake for dessert. Alex was pleased to see Rebecca diving into it with gusto even though, as a touch of whipped cream coated her lips, his thoughts took a much more lascivious direction.

  “Yes, we’re moving in together,” Alex said without breaking his gaze at Rebecca. “Or rather, she’s moving into the palace with me.”

  Arianna frowned. “Do you think the public will have a problem with that?”

  “I’ll make sure they don’t,” Alex said simply, and no one could doubt his abilities.

  “I’ll happily assist,” Gabriel said. “Valleria is a modern country, with modern rulers. There’s enough of our old world charm that will last the ages, I’m sure. However, I doubt the public will say two words against it when they see the ridiculous way the pair of you are looking at each other.”

  “My father just called the way we look at each other ridiculous,” Alex said to Rebecca. “Should we be insulted?”

  With a smile, Rebecca said, “Well, your parents still look at each other in the same ridiculous way, so I don’t think he meant it as an insult.”

  ‘Oohs’ and murmurs slid around the table. A moment later, Gabriel let out a long, full belly laugh and everyone joined in as well.

  Alex simply slipped his hand around her and pulled her towards him, giving her a kiss on her cheek. “Well, now you’ve done it,” he whispered. “My father’s in love with you. In fact, if I’m not mistaken, I think my parents may like you better than me.”

  “Since I’m potentially their first source of grandchildren, it’s not hard to see why.”

  Alex chuckled. “Want to start trying for kids in a few days after you’ve recovered? No sense in wasting time.”

  Rebecca pushed him away with more show than force. “Don’t you dare talk like that. I won’t be a pregnant princess waddling down the aisle, thank you very much.”

  “Technically, you won’t be a princess until after you walk down the aisle, and,” he said against her ear. “I bet you’ll be a very sexy waddler.”

  “Oh, shut up,” she said laughing. “Seriously, Alex. I want our children but I can’t think about that right now, not until after the wedding.”

  “No problem, darling. I do think we should at least practice until we get serious about the whole thing.”

  “Nothing wrong with that,” she said then frowned. “Are you sure the public won’t have a problem with us living together before marriage? I could just move in with my parents and we can abstain until our wedding day.”

  His eyes grew dark and his heart lurched at the thought of her asleep anywhere but in his arms. “If they try it, the country will learn the wrath of their future king.”

  Rebecca laughed again. “You mean the wrath of their sexually frustrated future king.”

  After a moment, Alex sighed and brought her against him once more. “Stay with me,” he said softly against her ear. “No matter what they say. I was serious when I said I didn’t want to spend a night without you.”

  Rebecca smiled. “I know. We’ll work it out,” she said as she leaned her head against his shoulder.

  “Yes, we will,” he said as he kissed her head and glanced around the table; no one had taken any heed of their conversation. He noticed Cat deep in discussion with his mother; he hoped they weren’t wedding planning without Rebecca. He’d have to make sure they knew that Rebecca had the final say on everything.

  Chapter 23

  Cat could not believe the words coming from her mother’s mouth. “Are you serious?”

  “We are very serious, Catharine,” Genevieve said with a quick glance to Gabriel, who did not look entirely comfortable with the conversation. “You have one year, starting tomorrow. By the time we reach the end of the Royal Marriage Notification Year, you should be engaged.”

  “Mama! This is ridiculous. We’re living in modern times. I don’t need to be engaged or married before my elder brother weds.”

  “People are already beginning to talk, and I just want you to enjoy the wedding without having to deal with all the gossips.”

  “I don’t care what the gossips say and neither do they, quite frankly.”

  “I know, Catharine.”

  “Shall I go and pick someone off the street, then?” Cat said as she took a long drink of ice cold water to clear her head. Perhaps this whole conversation was just a figment of her wine-induced imagination.

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Genevieve said. “You needn’t agree with the first person who comes along. Choose, but choose wisely.” She took Cat’s hand in hers and held it tight. Cat always felt comforted when her mother held her, even now when Cat was angry at her. “I just want you to be happy, more than anything, and I don’t want you to be afraid to take risks and open your heart. Alex took a risk and look how happy he is.”

  Cat glanced at her twin brother. His fiancée was tucked under his arm, and both were whispering to each other as lovers were prone to do. He did look exceedingly happy.

  Truthfully, Cat wanted that kind of happiness, too. She sighed and said, “I’ll do my best, Mama, but that’s all I can say at this point.”

  “One year, dear,” Genevieve said and kissed her daughter’s cheek before turning to Gabriel.

  “What was that all about?” Marcello asked next to her. “I couldn’t really hear with all the noise in this room.”

  “You mean you tried to eavesdrop and were unsuccessful,” Cat said.

  “I’m in charge of Valleria’s national security; of course I was eavesdropping.”

  Cat chuckled. “Maybe I’ll tell you later.” Right now all she wanted to do was escape for a while. She knew once the engagement was announced, they’d all have to give statements to the press and such. After that was over, she was taking a week off.

  “You’re planning something,” Marcello said.

  “You’re far too observant for your own good.”

  “Don’t change the subject.”

  “I’m thinking of taking a vacation.”

  Marcello crossed his arms over his chest and gave her a critical gaze. “Didn’t you just spend three weeks with Nonna during the national holiday?”

  Cat winced. It wouldn’t look good if she left on vacation again so soon. “Don’t you have some business or other coming up, someplace far away where I could tag along?”

  “Well, I do have to go to London soon. There’s a meeting of various European and international security heads.” Marcello knew he would be the butt of snide comments and innuendo the entire time due to the security issues that had led to Rebecca’s kidnapping. Not going, however, was not an option, either. He would need to go to assert Valleria as a strong and secure country.

  “A trip to London sounds perfect,” Cat said as she grabbed his arm. Her mind was already making plans. “I still haven’t seen the new royal baby, and I’m sure we could set up some royal visits and things while I’m there. Oh, it’s perfect! I could even drop in on Grace.”

  “Grace?” Marcello asked, wanting a distraction from his own worries.

  “Lady Grace is a friend of mine from university. She became a widow not too long ago. I wasn’t able to go to the funeral, and I’d love to spend some time with her.”

  “She’s your age?” Marcello asked, becoming curious about a woman he’d never met.

  “Yes, a little younger actually. She started university early. She’s whip smart.”

  Marcello wonde
red about Cat’s intelligent friend who’d lost her husband so young. Had he been a soldier, like him? “Do you know how he died?”

  “An accident, I think. I haven’t really heard any of the details.”

  A rough life for someone so young. He wondered what she looked like. “Sounds like she’s had a tough time. She must have been married young.”