by Willow Aster
The crowd parts and Jadon walks in, looking like a beautiful god with his long black hair and pale blue eyes. Everyone gasps, including me.
I bite the inside of my cheek and feel my courage rising, just knowing I have one person in the room who will fight for me.
“Because he knew it was only a matter of time before you exposed his sins.” I look around the room. I feel the heat rise in my face and I grip the table, taking a steadying breath. “My father is guilty of killing King Forbrush and helped in the killing of King Neil Safrin. He threatened to kill my child today if I didn’t do exactly as he said.”
My father stands up, pounding the table again, but this time the veins in his forehead are popping in rage. “Capture him,” he yells, pointing at Jadon and then me. “My daughter is full of lies. It brings me such pain to do this, but,” he lowers his head, “I denounce you from the kingdom of Alidonia.”
I stand up next to him and my arms are pinned back by the guards behind me.
“I have proof of what Lady Delilah is saying…all the proof you’ll need is being forwarded to your devices,” Jadon says. “The monarchies have joined together and have been combing the Farthing computer systems for days. If you’ll take a minute to read the documents, you’ll see I’m telling the truth.”
The reporters look at their devices and there’s a crescendo of murmuring as they read the contents.
“There was a thread with not only Caulder and Titus Catano, but also with Vance here,” Jadon says, his eyes drinking me in, even as he’s speaking to the crowd. “They tried to cover it up and Vance made a valiant attempt to pin it all on Caulder, even going so far as to agree to the poisoning with his butler, so long as the butler would give him a tonic afterward to offset most of the effects. The latter we have on a video that will play after you’ve read the documents.” He looks at the guards behind me. “I suggest you let her go…unless you want to go down with the king.”
They drop my arms quickly and I rub my wrists.
I turn to my father, my lips trembling. “I never knew you, did I? Never knew what you were really capable of…”
The color has drained out of my father’s face and he staggers back, holding onto his heart.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Jadon
Everyone stares at Farthing as he starts shaking. A few guards run to him, ever loyal, and I step closer.
Delilah holds up a hand. “Don’t bother. He’s faking.”
The guards reluctantly pull back and Farthing continues to shake and then goes still. One of the guards starts to check him out again, but Delilah shakes her head.
“I’m telling you. He’s fine. And I can confirm the things Jadon is saying, and then some. My father and cousin have had a hand in killing countless people, King Forbrush of Yuman being one of them, along with an attempt on Jadon’s life…just this week, he’s admitted this…” She pauses to look at me and the sorrow in her face is haunting. “He confessed to his part in Neil Safrin’s death, and he killed one of our staff members at our safe house just yesterday.”
She has everyone’s attention now, and out of the corner of my eye, I see Vance start to move. “Don’t let him try to escape,” I tell my guards.
Three of my guards step out from behind me and block Vance from going anywhere. Farthing’s guards stay close, but with the news Delilah just dropped, they’re edging closer to her now, which is how it should be. Their loyalty to their king better shift to their princess quickly because he’s about to be overthrown.
Once the reporters and police have read the documents I’ve sent, some scanning over other’s shoulders to see the proof, a few officers gather around Vance. He opens his eyes when there’s a handful standing over him and two on either side take hold of his arms and lift him until he’s standing. If looks could kill, I would be barreled down by now, but the look he gives his daughter is pure evil. I step between the two of them, trying to be a buffer. I don’t want her to suffer one more second under his thumb.
“This is a setup,” he shouts. He tries to fight off the guards and Delilah shakes her head, her lips clinched together.
“Notice how he’s able to stand just fine. I told you, he’s a liar, and it’s time all of the kingdoms knew it. I’m just sorry it took me this long to realize it,” she says.
Her head is held high, but I’m close enough to see the way her hands are shaking.
“Is it true you were never pregnant?” someone calls out.
She looks at me and I take hold of her hand, my other arm going around her shoulder.
“This news conference is over. Please see your way out immediately. We need to give the princess time to process everything.” I nod at the guards and they escort the fallen king outside and into the police car. At least a dozen cars surround him, should he try to escape.
The questions keep coming, but I give Delilah a slight tug and we walk down the parted crowd of people and out the double doors. The hallway has an overflow of people and a guard follows us, telling them it’s time to go. We keep going—I’m in a part of the Farthing house I’ve never been before, so once we’re past all the people, I pause and let her lead the way.
She loops her fingers through mine and pulls me into a closet off of the kitchen. She turns to me and leans her head on my chest. I hold her tighter, my fingers getting lost in her hair.
“As soon as they’re gone, can we get out of here?” she says, lifting her eyes up to mine.
I rub my nose against hers, my lips barely brushing her mouth. “Yes. Where would you like to go?”
“I’d like to show you what I love about Alidonia. I haven’t gotten to do that yet. It’s probably a crazy time for that right now…” She tilts her head back.
“I think the craziest is past us. It’ll probably be a madhouse for a while, yes, but I think the threat of war is over. At least I hope it will be…once everyone is on the same page about what your father and cousin have done. You pull out that black wig again and I think we can get away with going just about anywhere.”
I feel her lips lift under mine right before I kiss her hard. She makes me want to yell her name across the world, my knees weak even when she makes me feel like I can do anything. Her touch is powerful and I lean into it like the hungry bastard I am.
I reach down and put a hand on her stomach while we’re kissing and she pulls back. “We haven’t talked about this yet.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you in person. I wasn’t sure what to do and just knew I had to pull out all the stops if I stood a chance at getting out of that stupid marriage.”
“I’m so glad you found a way to let me know. I would’ve never given up looking for you no matter what, but thinking about our child…it’s given me so much hope.”
Her fingers trace my cheeks and her smile softens. “Are you really okay with this? It’s not the proper way for any king to go about starting a family…”
“I couldn’t be happier to have this baby with you,” I tell her, hoping she sees the sincerity in my eyes. “I love you. Nothing about us has ever been proper.” I can’t fight the grin that’s taking over my face.
She laughs and the sound nearly brings me to my knees. “I love you too. I didn’t imagine telling you for the first time in a dark closet, but…”
I cut off her laugh with a searing kiss and we don’t say anything out loud again for a long time. I lose myself in her and it feels like I am home.
Chapter Forty
Jadon
We stand at the top of a cliff, the ocean below us and the wind creating havoc as it casts waves against the rocks. We’ve spent the morning exploring the caves nearby and then climbed to the top of the mountain behind the Farthing castle. As we’re looking at the valleys to the side of the ocean, Delilah points out the field of wildflowers on a cliff below us.
“Wildflowers look for any chance to survive,” she whispers. “Look there. It’s dry all around, but in those crevices, the flowers have found the tiniest amoun
t of dirt and are blooming. They remind me of us and all we’ve been through to get to this moment.”
I lift her hand to my mouth and kiss the inside of her palm.
We haven’t talked about the future besides excitement about the baby, but it’s lying there under the surface, steadily stirring in my chest. I don’t want to add to the multitude of decisions she has to make, but I know it’s only a matter of time before we’ll have to get to it.
First being, where will we raise this baby?
But, for now, and last night when we managed to sneak out of the closet and get to her bedroom after the crowd had left, I’ve tried to focus only on loving her. That’s the easiest part. It’s everything else that feels complicated.
Standing on the cliff, I let the love drive me. I look at her with her hair whipping across her face, her eyes watering with the fierce wind, and when she smiles at me, I don’t let anything stop me. I get down on my knees and stare up at her with all the love I feel for her.
Her mouth parts and she steadies her hand on my shoulder like she’s afraid she might fall.
“I’ve been carrying something around with me since a few days after we got off the plane that day. I knew I’d never be able to even think about anyone but you for the rest of my life…it’s been burning a hole in my chest since.” I reach into my pocket and hold up a small velvet bag. She bites her bottom lip as it trembles and I smile up at her, slowly pulling the strings to open it. I pull out the ring and hold it up to her and she gives it a fleeting glance, her eyes brightening before staring at me again. “Most kings give their queen a family heirloom, but I decided to have one made specifically for you.” I lean in, my voice shaking a little. “It’s from the Cave of Stars. I think I knew the moment I saw you that we were destined for an explosive love affair.” We both laugh and I kiss her fingers one by one. “I want more than that. I want the everyday. I want the hell. I want the bliss. I want everything that means you are by my side. I don’t need anything more than your love for the rest of my life.” My eyes blur when she gets down on her knees before me, our hands moving to each other’s faces. “Will you marry me?” I whisper.
“I will gladly marry you,” she whispers back. She pulls my face to hers and we kiss and kiss and kiss, our tears mingling together. A bolt of thunder crashes nearby and I’m not sure if it’s my heart or a force of nature.
When we finally part, I hold the ring up and slide it on her finger. It shoots out a kaleidoscope of colors when the light hits it just so.
“Wow.” She turns her hand and then stares at me in wonder. “Only a king would get tarmagalcite.” She smiles and then starts laughing, her hands winding through my hair.
“We’ll have to figure out the logistics of this. You’ll be named queen.”
She leans back, sitting on her feet and I stretch out next to her. It’s getting cool up here, but she doesn’t seem to mind, so I get comfortable.
“We can spend the coldest Farrow days in Alidonia and the hottest Alidonia days in Farrow…what do you think?” She turns to me and shivers.
I stand up and pull my hand out for her to take. When she stands up, I wrap my arms around her and nuzzle into her neck. “I like the sound of that.”
We make our way down the mountain just as it begins to rain. We start to run when we get closer to the castle and she’s laughing so hard, she slips in the grass. I catch her before she falls and she looks so beautiful, I have to kiss her.
“My queen,” I skate kisses across her face until she’s breathless, “always my queen.”
She pulls me as close as she can possibly get, our clothes soaked, and I lean down and pick her up, running until we’re under cover. We make it past the foyer and she points to the door.
“In there, it’s closer.”
I kick open the library door and it slams behind me. I set her down and watch as she unbuttons her blouse and lets it fall to the floor in a wet heap. I start unbuttoning mine and we begin the seductive dance of this love that will take a lifetime and then some to fully play out.
“What do you think of all this gold?” she asks as we lie on the plush rug on the library floor. A big blanket covers us and a fire crackles nearby.
“Not even a little attached.” I don’t tell her I’ve never really cared for gold…I don’t want to be rude when her whole castle is outfitted in it.
Her head is on my chest and she leans up and grins. “I think I know what I want to do first as queen, besides figuring out some gesture of goodwill to those families my father has…” She doesn’t finish her sentence, but I know what she’s thinking. The families of the people her father killed weigh heavily on her. “Uh…that will be first…but,” she leans up and her eyes dance in the firelight, “I think this gold could be put to good use elsewhere. We could feed a lot of people, house a lot of people with the amount of gold covering these walls. I’ve heard about what you’ve done for the people of Farrow…is it true that you’ve created housing for everyone?”
I nod and her fingers draw circles across my chest. I squeeze her tighter against me.
“I’d love to do the same for my kingdom. No one should be homeless or hungry.”
“I’ll do whatever I can to help you.” I lean my head back against the pillow and stare into the fire.
Pretty soon I’ll have to make sure everything is settled with the rest of the kingdoms, that no one is still on the rampage after Vance’s capture. Solvang is still in jail and I’m sure that won’t last forever, but I don’t want to think about it now. With Delilah by my side, nothing is impossible. There’s nothing we can’t solve together.
Chapter Forty-One
Delilah
We’ve spent the past two weeks exploring the countryside in Alidonia and setting a plan in action for renovating the castle. Workers have already begun removing the gold. One thing I’ve learned quickly about Jadon is that when he knows there’s a need for something, he doesn’t waste time making sure it’s taken care of…he moves heaven and earth to get things done. I grow more and more in awe of him every day.
I have been crowned the Queen of Alidonia and it feels so odd to be in charge of anything concerning Alidonia. My father and cousin kept such a tight grip on things that I’m at a strong disadvantage. And since I don’t trust any of the men Papa had working for him, I am still in need of a court. It helps that I trust the kings I’ve gotten to know from the other kingdoms…Jadon, of course, but also Luka, Alex, and even Shua has welcomed me now that my father is out of the picture. They all flew in for my coronation, along with Basile and Luka’s right hand and brother-in-law, Elias. Jadon’s sisters came and Elias’s wife, Mara. Solvang has apologized for her manipulation, but I didn’t allow her to attend the coronation or the party a few days later. My trust will only extend so far.
I wish I could’ve had more time with Eden and Ava one-on-one, but the little time we had together was sweet. We danced the night away at the party and they watched me like eager hawks every time I was near Jadon. I think we’ll be just fine…I’m hopeful with a little time, we can grow close. I’d love nothing more than that. My life has lacked with the absence of women in it. I can already tell how special Jadon’s sisters are; the way they love Jadon alone makes me love them.
Basile has decided to stay with me until we can form a court. Jadon will come back and forth and help as much as he can, but until we can get things running smoothly here, we’ll have to be apart some of the time. Unfortunately, as much as we’ve tried not to think about it, he can’t put it off any longer…he has to leave today.
“I’ll be back in a few days,” he says, stepping away from the plane for one more kiss. “God, I hate to leave you. Are you sure you can’t come with me and we’ll both be back in a few days?”
“I don’t feel right leaving so soon. Everyone is still shaken about my father. I don’t want them to think I’m bailing on them as soon as I’m crowned.”
He rubs my stomach and I sink into his arms, groaning. “Do
n’t make it harder,” I whisper.
He kisses my cheeks and one last lingering kiss on my lips before pulling away. “I love you. This won’t be long. I just need to tie a few things up at home and I’ll be back. We’re needed more here than in Farrow.”
“Okay. Good. Hurry back. I love you so much, Jadon.” I smile against his mouth and when he pulls away, I lift my fingers to my lips, trying to keep from crying.
I watch his plane take off and wish I’d said yes to going with him.
Basile and I interview all the leaders of the senate and there are a few who stand out.
“How will we know who we can trust?” I ask him after we’ve talked with fifteen candidates.
“Gut instinct and then time,” he says.
Chelsea pops her head in the door and I smile. She arrived when Basile did and I like the two of them so much. They can’t keep their hands off one another, which gets somewhat awkward at times, but Chelsea has a constant smile and the woman can cook like no other.
“I thought you might like a few appetizers before dinner,” she says. “Have to feed that baby.”
“I can’t resist any food right now.” I laugh. “I’ll be showing long before it’s time at this rate.”
“You’re so tiny, you can afford a little extra,” Chelsea says.
We finish up with business over dinner and Lostrand, one of the guards Jadon left behind, stands watch at the door when an explosion rattles the house. It’s hard to tell how far away it was, but he rushes to me and Basile covers Chelsea.
“Stay down,” Lostrand yells, running out to see the extent of the damage.
Another explosion goes off and I jump, huddling under the table. That sounded closer and I don’t wait for anyone to tell me what to do, I get to my feet and open the dining room door.
“We need to get underground. Come on.” I motion for Basile and Chelsea to get up and follow me. We reach the hallway and another explosion goes off upstairs.
