Claiming My Duchess

by Jessica Blake

  Speaking of arranged marriages, I’d still managed to avoid having to see my almost bride these past few days, but I knew my luck would probably run short soon. I’d have to bite the bullet and speak to Reina, and aside from that, I’d have to properly warn Iliana that she was working in the communication department — a job that worked closely with the photography department.

  Which was still odd.

  Although Nate had been investigating the reason for Reina’s sudden appearance in the palace, so far, her arrival appeared to be nothing more sinister than her working in a field in which she’d gotten her degree several years before.

  And from what Nate had also learned, Reina’s contract was only for one year, which appeared to be her normal stint. So far she’d spent a year in Paris, Crete, Barcelona, and Milan. All major fashion cities.

  So why Cassia?

  It didn’t make sense.

  As I thought of the woman I’d so narrowly avoided marrying, I listened with one ear as my uncle spoke to the one woman I wasn’t totally appalled to the idea of settling down with. Iliana and my uncle talked about the photographs of the royal pets and gardens. He seemed to be pleased, and Iliana beamed as she spoke of other ideas, and I allowed my mind to wander back to security concerns.

  The king cleared his throat, and I snapped back into the conversation. “Sorry, sire?”

  He gave me an amused look. “As charming as Iliana is, I don’t imagine you’ve sought out an audience with me to speak about our social media campaigns.”

  If it was possible, I sat up even straighter. “No, that’s not all.” He raised an eyebrow, so I just blurted it out. “We’re expecting.”

  The king’s face didn’t change. There was no instant rage or immediate glee. He simply stared at me for what seemed like an eternity before a small, secret grin lifted one side of his mustache.

  “And when will this joyous occasion take place?”

  “Mid-February.”

  The brow remained lifted. “And the other joyous occasion?”

  Just as I was about to ask him what he was talking about, it hit me.

  Marriage. He was talking about marriage.

  I looked over at Iliana, but from her wide-eyed expression I knew she couldn’t help.

  Just to make sure I was truly understanding his meaning, I asked, “Are you speaking about a wedding?”

  My uncle threw up his hands. “Of course a wedding.”

  He had me, and he knew it. It was what he had wanted for the longest time, and I’d basically walked right into the trap. No… I’d set the damn trap myself.

  Except, as I looked over at Iliana, I didn’t necessarily view it as a trap. Not yet, anyway. Things were new and still undefined, but I didn’t see Iliana as trying to trap me into anything. As it was, I felt like I was constantly trying to convince her of decisions that would keep her closer to me.

  “You’re an heir to the throne of Cassia, Sebastianos. And any child born of your line is too. But even more importantly than that, a child needs both parents, don’t you think, Miss Costas?”

  Even as he said that, I knew he was thinking of Aunt Helena, and my chest constricted.

  The woman beside me didn’t appear to catch the sadness and longing in my uncle’s expression. She was too busy gripping her hands together so hard that her knuckles were turning white.

  “Yes, Your Highness. Having both parents highly involved in a child’s life is optimal.”

  Uncle Dem gave her a steady look. “And what is your opinion on marriage, my dear?”

  I knew my uncle was teasing her, but I was growing fearful that he might push it too far and Iliana might hyperventilate. In a short space of time, we were essentially changing everything about this woman’s life. All of her plans and dreams were being forced from her grasp, and by choosing to be with me, her life would change dramatically.

  I squeezed her hand in support after practically prying them apart. “Speak your truth, Iliana,” I encouraged her.

  She gave me a small smile. “I think marriage between two people who love and are committed to each other is a beautiful thing. My parents are such an example.” She cleared her throat and raised her chin. “But if what you’re really asking is what I think about marriage with Sebastianos, then I’m afraid your question is a bit hasty. I’m not sure we’re at a point where we’re ready for marriage. We’re trying to establish something that’s very new. I would hate to rush a wedding and have either of us regret it.”

  King Demetrius considered her words a moment, and miracle of miracles, seemed to agree with her. Which made me immediately suspicious.

  “You’re right, Miss Costas,” he said. “Nothing worse than rushing a budding romance with something as overwhelming as a wedding, I suppose. But I still want something. Even a token promise or a short engagement. It protects Sebastianos, it protects you, and it protects the child. We’ll be able to assign a larger security detail to you and give you access to the royal physicians.”

  Tricky man. He’d gotten us just like I’d gotten Iliana to agree to return to the palace with me.

  “This is important not only to me but to the country,” he said. “I simply will not take no for an answer, my boy.” He drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair as he considered his next move. “I decree that a wedding will take place in two months’ time. You will take those two months to get to know each other as you plan the ceremony.”

  From the corner of my eye, I could see the startled look on Iliana’s face. Hell, I could feel the startled look on my face. I had thought he was going to give us much more time. Like a few years. Our little darling could be walking his or her mother down the aisle when we were ready. The public would love it.

  The king clearly had other ideas.

  “The time will pass anyway, and this way, the press will be off your back with speculation and won’t prove to be too much of a distraction. If anything, it’ll be good for us to have a plucky American show up and set us to rights with a royal engagement. Oh, what fun!”

  I shouldn’t have been surprised for him to use the old bait and switch. The king was wily and a master negotiator, after all.

  What surprised me was that Iliana hadn’t run screaming from the palace just yet.

  “What say you, Miss Costas? Do we have an agreement? Agree to a royal engagement, be part of our little royal family for the next couple months, and let’s see if we can’t make an honorable man out of my nephew, shall we?”

  It was funny that he wasn’t even offering me a chance to give my decision, but the truth of the matter was that I’d have said yes with no arm twisting.

  No, I might not have been ready to marry Iliana right this second, but I couldn’t imagine anyone else I’d want to be in some sort of archaic, arranged engagement with.

  The fact that I didn’t have to chase her from the room was a good sign, but there was something amiss with Iliana. I could tell instantly. Apparently, so could my uncle.

  “What is it, dear?” he asked.

  “If you’ll excuse me for speaking so frankly, Your Highness,” she said as she gave me a look from the side of her eyes that I couldn’t read. “Is this fair to Sebastianos?”

  Both the king and I sat in stunned silence a moment while we worked out her question in our heads. My uncle spoke first. “What do you mean?”

  Iliana drew in a deep breath and paused a moment before speaking. “When I first realized that Sebastianos was the same man I met in San Diego, I’m sure you can imagine my surprise. And then my further surprise to learn of the unintended pregnancy.” She cleared her throat. “What didn’t surprise me was Seb’s desire for freedom, and I heard the rumors of how you had to practically force him back to the palace to take over his royal duties.”

  I bit back a groan. Where was she going with this?

  “I refuse to be a ball and chain,” she said, looking from him to me. “An added weight he is forced to carry simply because of his birth.”

  I was stun
ned at where Iliana was taking this. She was sticking up for me, knowing that the king was trying his best to get me engaged and married off as quickly as possible.

  “Besides, the media scrutiny will be brutal, and I’m sorry that our circumstances will bring embarrassment to the crown. But even though a hurried up marriage would ease that embarrassment a bit, I think you should allow Seb to decide what he wants and when he wants to do it.”

  The room grew so quiet I could hear a bird whistle outside. I was silent because I simply couldn’t believe that Iliana was defending me. She wasn’t demanding I put a ring on her finger. She wasn’t making any threats of any kind.

  “I want this engagement.”

  As I said the words, Iliana’s eyes grew even larger, the green becoming more luminous as emotion surged to her face. She blinked, fighting it back. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to regret anything.”

  I turned to her more fully. “I don’t want you to regret anything either. In truth, it is you who would be giving up the life you had planned. You would be moving countries and living under the intense scrutiny of being in the palace. You will have your life picked apart by the media. Your friends and family asked to spill juicy details. Every hairstyle and clothing choice will be examined in microscopic detail, judged ruthlessly.”

  She laughed. Well, a breathless little sound that I thought was supposed to have been a laugh. “Thank you for making it sound so attractive.”

  I laughed too, shaking my head. “I don’t want to dissuade you. I just need to make sure you understand the dramatic shift your life will take if you choose to be with me permanently.”

  She searched my eyes, and I felt that pull toward her that I always did. I remembered my panic at the thought of her flying away from me, of how I’d already made the decision to go after her.

  I wanted her in my life. I didn’t know why, but I did. And now, because of the baby, it just meant that our relationship hit warp speed.

  “I understand, Seb.”

  I pressed both of her hands between mine. “I understand too.”

  We both jumped when my uncle clapped his hands together. “It’s settled then. I give my blessing and consent on this union.”

  I shot him a you’re a clever bastard look, and he practically laughed with glee.

  “We’ll make the announcement next week,” he said and called for his secretary. “Make an official statement and deliver it to the communications office so they may set up the details for the press conference around the announcement.”

  The woman nodded and scurried away to type up the document. And that was the moment it hit me — an order to the communications office. Where the woman my father first wanted me to marry worked.

  Shit.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Iliana

  I’d known going into this, to the best of my ability anyway, that Sebastianos tended to create a bit of a media circus just by being who he was. But I hadn’t planned on what happened once rumors started trickling out about a royal engagement. Three days after our little meeting with the king, there was a shift of sorts in the air.

  Suddenly, the streets outside the gates were lined with reporters, and at one point, I heard Thierry mumble something about news crews arriving from overseas. My boss had taken the news with only a blink as I tearfully explained to him and Marta the chain of events that had led me to be a knocked-up future duchess.

  “There are always leaks,” Thierry told me after that difficult admission. “Without a doubt, even the most closely monitored staffs are going to have at least one or two who will sell a tip or a rumor to some gossip site. So far, it’s about an impending engagement announcement, and since the duke is the only one in the royal family likely to be getting married anytime soon, there’s serious speculation.”

  At least one thing was still secret. So far, at least.

  I placed my hand over my belly, wishing I could protect the baby from this circus forever.

  “It’ll happen eventually,” Seb said. “We’ll contain the news for as long as possible, have your obstetrician visit here instead of making the trek to the medical center. Just know that our news will get out sooner than we’re probably ready for it to.”

  In reality, I really didn’t care. Well, I did, but that couldn’t be my focus.

  I was pregnant. It was a reality that I was growing more and more happy with.

  No, the timing wasn’t perfect, and yes, my life would never be fully mine again. But every time I looked at Seb, I couldn’t help but thank fate for forcing us into each other’s lives.

  My biggest concern was the pressure being placed on Seb. I didn’t want him to one day resent me for trapping him into something he didn’t want. And with divorce rates so high, I wasn’t under any illusions that any relationship was easy.

  Another concern was my parents. I still hadn’t heard from them, even after sending a “please call me as soon as possible” email. I didn’t want them to hear the news from anyone but me.

  My internship was another concern, and it appeared I’d have to give up my plans to finish school, as heartbreaking as that reality was. I’d overheard Seb discussing the security issue the palace would face of me traveling to campus every day. Even though he tried to play it down, I knew the unrest between Cassia and Amur concerned him more than he thought I could see.

  For now, I was continuing to work under Thierry’s tutelage and was hoping to continue to do so even if my internship disappeared. Photography might not end up being my career now, but it was still my passion and would serve as an outlet during stressful times.

  I was going through all of my personal camera bags, getting ready to shoot the new roses that had been transplanted into the king’s garden. Sebastianos had gone to work and promised to meet me back for lunch, and I was happily cleaning lenses on his massive bed when the phone rang.

  “News just hit America about a mystery woman engaged to the world’s most eligible bachelor,” Jenn said with a little squeak. I’d already caught her up on the king’s proposition to announce an engagement days ago. “How long do you think you have before your name is outed?”

  I was surprised it had last this long.

  “The press conference that had been scheduled for next week was moved up to tomorrow,” I told her. “I guess the speculation will end there.”

  “How do you feel about it?” I heard the note of concern in Jenn’ voice.

  “Nervous.” I looked down at my newly manicured fingers then touched my hair that had been professionally cut and conditioned to the point it felt like silk. “The palace staff have been working overtime to make sure I’m ready, so making sure I don’t let them down is stressful.” I smiled. “But do I enjoy my time with Sebastianos. In private, we’re doing very well.”

  I heard Jenn, ever the romantic, sigh on the other end of the line.

  “Who would have thought this fairy tale romance began in the hallowed walls of San Diego’s own Green Dragon?” The snort gave her away, and I laughed too.

  “What a story to tell the grandkids, huh? I’ll be sure to throw in the part where I ogled their grandfather’s butt from afar.”

  It was so good to hear my friend’s voice, and I listened as she told me about her life in San Diego.

  As I listened, I stood from the bed and stretched, then caught sight of a dresser drawer left partially open. That morning, I’d woken him up in the most forward of ways, and I must have left his brain a little addled when he dressed quickly, almost running late for a meeting.

  “I’ll call you in a few days, Squeaks,” Jenn was saying as I moved over to close the drawer. From seven thousand miles away, I heard her get into her car and start the engine. “Good luck with the press conference.”

  “Thanks,” I said, running my fingers over a shirt that had become unfolded in his rush. “Love you.”

  We hung up, and I set the phone down to straighten the shirt before closing the drawer. Pulling it out, I saw something familiar.
Pulling the drawer open more fully, I smiled when my llama t-shirt appeared.

  The one I’d left on the hotel floor after our night together.

  A strange onslaught of emotions hit me.

  The last time I touched this shirt, I was a different person, with different hopes and dreams.

  I thought I’d never see my favorite shirt again. Similar to how I was sure I’d never see Seb again.

  Funny how that worked out.

  I stared down at my little llama shirt for a good minute before the smile crept on my face and a feeling of warmth bloomed in my chest, spreading outward.

  I’d been so certain that he would have thrown this thing away. But he kept it.

  Touched, I rubbed my cheek along the side of it and grinned. In all fairness, I had kept that white t-shirt of his and worn it quite a few times since. But there was something amazing, to me anyway, in the fact that Sebastianos held on to my llama shirt, despite probably thinking he would never see me again.

  The realization gave me a buzz that kept me floating for a few good hours. Just long enough for a creature with venomous fangs to give me a sharp dose of reality that sent my mood crashing to the ground.

  ***

  I knew a few hard facts about Reina Frangos from the rundown Sebastianos gave me the night after King Demetrius laid out his engagement plan.

  And while Sebastianos didn’t go too deeply into how he’d broken the arranged marriage contract or how many times he’d met the lovely Reina prior to breaking it off, I knew enough.

  I knew that Reina was beautiful. Like runway model in Milan gorgeous, and that wasn’t from Sebastianos, which was good. With how fragile my nerves were lately, I’d probably have to stab him with a fork if he’d gone on and on about how gorgeous his intended bride was. No, I’d obviously looked her up on the internet and instantly regretted it.

  She was leggy and tall, willowy and ballerina-like. Long, blonde waves cascaded down her back or twisted into a perfect updo in every single picture.