Royally Exposed

by Catherine Banks

  “Ain’t that the truth,” Ezio scoffed.

  I smacked his arm. “Hey.”

  He smiled, but didn’t say anything else.

  “Is there a shopping area nearby?” I asked Fox, since he had a house in downtown.

  “Yes.”

  “I need to do some shopping.”

  “For what?” Deryn asked.

  “My final Christmas presents,” I told them. “I still have a couple I need to get.”

  “If you know what they are, you can just tell us and we can have a servant go get them for you,” Kylan told me.

  “I have to get them myself. That’s the whole point of Christmas shopping, you buy presents for your loved ones. I only have a couple of things left to get, so it shouldn’t take me too long to buy them.”

  “We can go with you, to provide additional back up, if you want?” Yukio offered.

  “That would be most appreciated,” Rhys said before I could decline.

  “Seriously?” I asked him.

  “You have a knack for getting into trouble. Taking you to an area that is open to the public will be a huge safety risk, plus, the media is bound to be there, and fans who will pester us,” Nico said.

  “Can’t you just do your final shopping at the dragon’s den? I know you saw a few things you wanted, but didn’t buy there,” Rhys said.

  “No, they didn’t have the last few items I need,” I admitted.

  “Food,” Nico said and set a plate of food in front of me.

  “Did you cook this?” I asked him.

  He nodded.

  “You cooked for a female?” Zelphar asked, his jaw hanging slightly open.

  “Not just a female,” Nico reminded him. “I cooked for my queen.”

  “Thank you,” I said and dug in, moaning as the waffle melted in my mouth. It was super buttery and he had already poured syrup on it. The eggs were also really fluffy and light, just the way I liked them.

  “You’re the best,” I mumbled around the food in my mouth.

  “I think so,” he said with a proud smirk. Everyone else rolled their eyes.

  “Aren’t you guys going to eat?” I asked Nico.

  “Once you’re done eating, we will,” he told me.

  “Why? Please tell me it’s not going to be like this all the time? I don’t want to eat while you guys just sit and watch me. That’s totally creepy!”

  Everyone chuckled.

  “No, it won’t be a normal occurrence,” Fox promised. “For today it is, but we will eat together like we normally do.”

  “What are we having for Christmas dinner?” I asked.

  “Oven roasted goose, mashed potatoes, gravy, brussel sprouts, ham, oven roasted turkey, sweet potatoes, yams, green bean casserole, chocolate mousse pie, and some appetizers,” Nico announced.

  “Can we come too?” Kylan asked with a laugh.

  I actually liked the sound of that. It made me smile to think of having everyone together to eat and exchange gifts. But, I knew my guards wouldn’t appreciate having my ex-boyfriends there. Especially, since we were supposed to mate that week. I knew that males got super possessive the week after they mated. I didn’t want them getting into fights and hurting each other. Maybe next year we could, though.

  “You guys should all come next year,” I said and looked at everyone at the table. “This year is going to be a bit crazy, but next year should be fine.”

  “We’d be honored to,” Ezio said and bowed his head to me.

  “Don’t start bowing to me,” I whispered and went back to eating my food. “I don’t like it.”

  “Well, you do outrank me now,” he reminded me. “You’re the princess.”

  “Still,” I whispered.

  I finished eating and as one, the guys sitting in chairs stood up and the princes took the seats. My exes took turns kissing my cheeks before dismissing themselves. Servants brought out food for the princes and I took my time to admire them.

  They all had dark bags beneath their eyes, something highly unusual in Others. It told me more than they were telling me. They were still feeling the aftereffects of the bonds being removed. Were they also weighed down by our new bond? Did it cause them problems?

  “You are scowling awfully hard over there,” Deryn commented. “What’s wrong, baby?”

  “Does the new bond cause additional issues for you? Or added weight?” I asked, since he had opened the door for me to ask.

  “No, why?” Fox asked.

  “You all have bags beneath your eyes.”

  “That’s because we didn’t get enough sleep last night and the day before was very taxing on us,” Nico explained. “We’ll take a nap today and everything will be back to normal.”

  “Swear?” I asked.

  He nodded. “I swear, my queen.”

  “You were free of her and then you made her your queen again, why?” Rhian, Rhys’s youngest sister, asked.

  “Because I love her, baby sister. You are young yet, so you likely won’t understand for a few more years at the very least,” Rhys replied to her.

  “Many years at the very least,” Emrys said from behind me.

  “Dad,” Rhian complained with a whine.

  “You guys are needed in the coliseum,” Emrys informed us.

  “Do I have to go?” I asked with a pout.

  Emrys walked around my side and into my range of view and smiled. “While your pout is adorable, it won’t get you out of this.”

  “Pouting never works on dad,” Rhian told me.

  “It works on Rhys just fine,” I told her.

  “Really?” she asked, her mouth gaping a second. “I could never get it to work on him.”

  “You’ve got to look as pathetic as possible. You probably just focused on looking cute, but that won’t cut it when it comes to Rhys. You have to look pathetic and vulnerable,” I explained.

  “Hey!” Rhys yelled. “Don’t give her pointers on my weaknesses.”

  “You’ve really got to stick the lip out too,” I advised her, completely ignoring Rhys. “As far out as possible and give him the big puppy dog eyes.”

  “I’ll work on it,” she assured me and smiled at Rhys. “Love you.”

  “Love you, too,” he muttered and shoveled food into his mouth.

  “I’ll see you at the coliseum,” Emrys told me. “You’ll sit in the same spot you have been.”

  “Okay.”

  “I’ve got to keep her away from my family,” Fox whispered. “She’ll tell them all of my weaknesses and they will exploit them!”

  “You could always bribe me,” I offered.

  “With what?” he asked.

  I smirked. “I’m sure you could come up with something.”

  “Choking?” he asked.

  That had everyone laughing and made Deryn choke on the food that had been in his mouth.

  “You all seem happy today?” Dan said as he gripped the back of my chair.

  “Hello, Father,” I said and smiled up at him.

  “Daughter,” he replied in greeting, a huge smile splitting his face.

  “You sure I can’t feign sickness to get out of going to the coliseum?” I asked.

  “Sorry, not today,” he told me, pulling my chair out and helping me to my feet. The boys stood as well, their plates cleaned, and we made our way to the coliseum.

  Dan escorted me to our seats, ignoring the looks we received from Amos, who scowled heavily.

  “Today is the end of the Tournament,” Amos told me.

  “Really?” I asked, sarcasm dripping form my tone. I hated that asshole.

  “A choice has to be made,” he snapped.

  “It has been,” I snapped back.

  The four princes jumped down into the arena to cheers from the stands. They were well-loved by their people, which was something I wanted to learn more about. I knew they were good people, but what had they done to earn their peoples’ respect?

  “Will you four battle for victory?” Amos asked them
.

  “No,” all four said at the same time.

  “We all claim her,” Rhys said.

  “Let it be known that Jolie Bernardo is Queen of the Four Princes,” Foxfire announced loudly.

  The crowd was split between cheering and murmuring. I could understand how they felt, even though I knew what they were going to say. Even though I knew we were now connected. It still felt surreal that I was their queen, completely, now. And, soon, I would become their mate.

  “Jolie,” Dan said to get my attention. “Go down to them.”

  I walked to the edge of the platform and smiled down at my guards. Wings popped out of Rhys’s back and he propelled himself upward, flying straight up in front of me, snatching me into his arms as he went, and then turned and floated down to the others.

  I stood before them, my heart full with their love, as felt through the bond.

  “This concludes the Tournament,” Amos snapped, his anger carrying his words sharply across the coliseum.

  “Now we can go shopping?” I asked Rhys.

  “Yes, now we can go shopping,” he agreed.

  Chapter 10

  Yukio, Zelphar, Ezio, Thor, Martin, Declan, and Kylan joined my four guards and me for my shopping trip. Our huge group made quite the scene as we walked around to the different vendors.

  The town was old and the buildings were beautiful with ancient styles I knew Rhys enjoyed seeing, with his architect experience. The buildings looked to be made out of a stone, but the stone was in colors I had never seen before. I thought it might be painted, but Rhys confirmed the stone was naturally those colors.

  I had had a pre-shopping meeting with my exes, getting them to agree to keep my guards away from me, so I could buy their presents without them seeing the gifts. And, to pay attention to see if they were eyeing any gifts. I was blessed to have these males in my life, continuing to be my friends despite our romantic relationships ending.

  “What are you smiling about?” Ezio asked me. He wore a pair of sweatpants and a tank top, showing off his muscular arms. I found it a bit hard to keep from staring, but I was trying my hardest!

  “Just thinking how lucky I am to have you and the others in my life. A lot of females wouldn’t have their ex-boyfriends helping them shop for their current boyfriends,” I replied.

  “There’s always been something about you. Something magnetic,” he said. “You make me happy just by being near me. You’re easy to be around and my wolf is always calm when I’m with you. Well, except for when I’m having to save you.”

  “A few shifters have said that to me,” I mumbled. Did it mean something? Was there something unique or different about me that called to shifters?

  “It’s not just shifters,” Yukio said from my other side. He held a pendant in his hand that was shaped like the moon and sun together. “You have always made me feel calm and relaxed as well.”

  “I wonder if it effects humans as well?” Ezio asked Yukio.

  “I don’t know. I never spent time with her and other humans,” Yukio replied.

  The jeweler we were standing in front of had many beautiful items, but the one thing I needed, I didn’t see.

  “Excuse me?” I asked the seller.

  “Yes, dear?” she asked. She was an older female with gorgeous grey hair that flowed down to her butt.

  “Do you have any, um…” I leaned forward so I could whisper without anyone else hearing, “bloodstones?”

  “Sorry, no. I would try Klinton. He has a stall about halfway down the alley here, selling potions. He should have some,” she said apologetically.

  “Thank you, so much!” I said quickly. I didn’t want to leave without getting something from here, so I purchased the pendant Yukio had been eyeing, tucking my new purchase into my large backpack I was wearing.

  “I can carry your backpack for you,” Ezio offered for the fifth time.

  “No, I want to carry it,” I told him. Plus, one of his presents was inside the bag.

  “What did you ask her about?” Yukio asked, coming back to us. He’d gone to talk to Zelphar and Nico when I had started talking to the seller.

  “I need a specific item, but it turns out she doesn’t have it. She did tell me one of the other vendors here has some. So, on we go!”

  Fox caught up to me and asked, “Are you sure you don’t want me to give you-”

  “Foxfire, I already told you, no.” I told him. “No.”

  “You’ve spent quite a lot and I know you don’t make that much at your job. I just don’t want you spending a bunch of money on us because of what you think we are going to spend on you. You don’t need to match our prices.”

  “Go back with Zelphar,” I ordered him. “You’re going to see me get a gift for you and it will ruin the surprise.”

  “Yes, my queen,” he whispered, bowed, and stopped to let me continue on without him and let Zelphar catch up to him.

  “You’ve always been stubborn about taking money from others,” Ezio commented.

  “It’s not my money. Plus, it doesn’t really make it a gift from me if I am using their money to buy it.” And, if they didn’t like it, I would feel even worse, because then I had wasted their money on something they didn’t want. No, I would use my money. Even though it meant dipping into my savings a bit. They were worth it.

  I bought a few more items from the vendors, but I was truly looking for Klinton’s stand. I finally found it, and ordered Ezio to keep everyone far enough away that they wouldn’t be able to hear me and the seller speaking. He stood ten feet away from me, his arms crossed, and refused to let anyone approach.

  “How can I help you?” Klinton asked.

  “I need bloodstones and I was told you might have some,” I informed him.

  “I do,” he said with a smile. “How many do you need?”

  “Five,” I said and pulled out my wallet. “How much?”

  “Five hundred,” he said, bent over as he grabbed something from beneath his stand. “Do you need boxes?”

  “Yes, please.”

  “I charge ten for each box,” he explained.

  “That’s fine.”

  He set five black boxes on the flat surface of his stall and slid a clear crystal the size of a grain of rice into each one, into a pocket designed to hold them securely. I was so excited to have finally found them, that I was practically dancing in front of his stand.

  “I’m so glad I was able to find some,” I told him and held out my money.

  “These are actually the last five that I have, so you definitely came at just the right time.”

  “Why are they so hard to find?” I asked. Bloodstones were very popular, used by mates of every race.

  “This time of year, a lot of new matings happen and so, the demand for the crystals is high. I usually have a large enough supply, but I miscalculated and ran out. Hopefully, I will have another shipment coming soon,” he explained.

  “That makes sense,” I whispered.

  “Is there anything else?” he asked.

  “Oh, can I have two healing potions?” They were expensive, but they would give you double your stamina for ten minutes.

  “Sure. They are one hundred each,” he said, grabbed two glass bottles with heart shaped stoppers with pink liquid in them, and added them to my bag.

  I gave him the additional money and put the items into my bag. “Thank you, so much.”

  “Happy Holidays,” he said and waved.

  “Ezio!” I called. “I’m done!”

  Ezio nodded and jogged over to walk beside me. “Find what you need?”

  I nodded happily. “I did! I think my shopping is actually complete.”

  “Jo!” Martin called. “Let’s get some food!”

  “Food sounds great!” I called back, turning to go back to the others.

  “I love seeing you happy and smiling like this,” Rhys whispered into my ear.

  I squeaked, shocked because I hadn’t seen him approach. “You scared me!�
� I snapped.

  He kissed my cheek and said, “Do you think Ezio would let some stranger get this close to you?”

  “No,” I said and glanced at Ezio who rolled his eyes at me. “Your voice still startled me.”

  “Well, that squeak was awfully adorable, so I won’t apologize for it,” Rhys told me and wrapped his arms around my waist as he walked behind me. I had no idea how he was able to walk so well with me, considering our height difference, but he didn’t even stumble as we went.

  “Rhys,” Nico called. The rest of our group stood in front of us, blocking my view of whatever had caused them to stop. Rhys kissed my head and then walked through the rest of them.

  “What’s going on?” I asked Ezio, who had moved closer and stood behind me, so my back was protected. He was tall enough, that he could likely see what was going on.

  “Media,” he growled. “They’re harassing them to get interviews.”

  “They sure are persistent,” I sighed. “And now I’m royally exposed, everyone knows I’m part of the Other royalty now.”

  Soon, they would know I was even more entangled than before. Once we announced being mated, I would be hounded just like they were.

  “Rhys is handling it,” Ezio assured me. “As much as I hate seeing you with someone else, they do love you and are doing everything in their powers to keep you safe.”

  “Oh, my gosh. Was that a compliment? Did you just give another male a compliment? I didn’t even bring my jacket,” I said and rubbed at my arms and tilted my head back so I could look up at him.

  “What? It’s warm,” he said with a frown.

  “Yeah, but clearly hell has frozen over, so the snow and ice are bound to descend upon us any moment.”

  “Ha. Ha,” he replied, his eyes fixed ahead.

  “Why haven’t you taken a mate yet?” I asked him. “And don’t even try to say it is because of me. Yes, I know you still love me, but that’s not the reason. You knew we were over when I left.”

  “I had some hope that you might come back to me,” he whispered. “At first, but you’re right. I just couldn’t find anyone who could match your perfection.”

  “Flatterer,” I whispered and turned my face down to hide my blush.