Darkblood Academy: Book Four: Prophecies
Page 22
That had been the draw of Royally Hitched. Twelve girls were chosen from all four Fae courts, from the lesser to the nobles. Had any trolls been chosen? Of course not. But there were a few pixies and sprites in the mix, and that was good enough.
A shiver of unease shot up my spine at the idea of having to marry a sprite. Surely, a creature of such lowly origins wouldn’t stand up to the trials. Or at least I hope.
“Did you hear me, Drake?” Seris’s voice cut through my troubled thoughts.
“What? Er, um, excuse me, Your Highness?”
He cleared his throat and dragged his hand through his scruffy beard. “I said I expect you to maintain decorum befitting that of a new widower. My poor daughter has only been in the ground for a little over half a year now. Despite my wishes to quell the rising turmoil within my realm, I do not wish to do so at the expense of my daughter’s memory.”
“Of course, Your Highness. I would never do anything to shame her memory.”
“Good. I know what is expected in these reality shows. The queen and I watched the entire first season of Hitched, and I will not have this become a tawdry spectacle.”
Arcaidian snickered behind me and it was all I could do to keep a straight face. If all I wanted to do was bed a few ladies, I didn’t need to go on a reality dating show. I had women throwing themselves at me on a daily basis. “Certainly not, King Seris.”
He nodded and folded his hands behind his back, making his round stomach stick out. “I will be off now to allow you to dress. We wouldn’t want you to be late for your meeting with the producers.”
I inclined my head, grateful to finally be rid of his presence. “Yes, of course. I will see you this evening at the opening ball, then.”
The king harrumphed and spun toward the door.
As it slammed behind him, Arcaidian clapped me on the shoulder. “You heard the king, no funny business with the gorgeous ladies.” He pulled an envelope from his inner coat pocket and produced a handful of photos. Grinning he flipped through a couple. “Especially not this one, or this one…” He waved the headshots in front of me just out of reach. “Are you sure you don’t want to take a look? Just a little peek maybe?”
I whirled away from my friend and moved deeper into my massive closet. “I told you I have no interest in any of these ladies. Let’s just get this inane farce over with so I can move on with my life.”
“What life?” he teased. “What joy is there in life without having someone you care about by your side?”
I grunted. “That is a luxury royals do not get to have, my friend.”
Arcaidian furrowed his light brows. “You once told me that long ago you promised a very special girl to try to be happy.”
Blowing out a breath, I speared my friend with an icy glare. “It was a promise I never should’ve made. I lost the opportunity to be happy the day she picked someone else to love.”
Royally Hitched: The Fae Prince will be out in February and you can preorder it now for the special pre-release price of 99¢!
Also by G.K. DeRosa
The Hitched Series
Hitched: The Bachelorette
Hitched: The Top Ten
Hitched: The Final Five
Hitched: The One
* * *
The Vampire and Angel Wars
Wings & Destruction
Blood & Rebellion
Souls & Salvation
* * *
The Vampire Prophecy
Dark Fates
Dark Divide
Dark Oblivion
* * *
The Hybrid Trilogy
Magic Bound
Immortal Magic
Beyond Magic
Magic Bound: The Hybrid Trilogy The Complete Collection
* * *
The Guardian Series
Wilder: The Guardian Series
Wilder Destiny
Wilder Revelation
Wilder Legacy
Wilder: The Guardian Series The Complete Collection
Acknowledgments
A huge and wholehearted thank you to my dedicated readers! I could not do this without you. I love hearing from you and your enthusiasm for the characters and story. You are the best!
A special thank you to my loving and supportive husband who always understood my need for escaping into a good book (or TV show!). He inspires me to try harder and push further every day. And of course my mother who is the guiding force behind everything I do and made me everything I am today. Without her, I literally could not write—because she’s also my part-time babysitter! To my father who will always live on in my dreams. And finally, my babies, Alexander and Stella, who bring an unimaginable amount of joy and adventure to my life everyday.
A big thank you to my new talented graphic designer, Sanja Gombar, for creating a beautiful book cover. A special thank you to my dedicated beta readers/fellow authors Jena, Kristin, Tiea, Michelle and Patrick who have been my sounding board on everything from cover ideas, blurbs, and story details. And all of my beta readers who gave me great ideas, caught spelling errors, and were all around amazing.
Thank you to all my family and friends (especially you, Robin Wiley!) and new indie author and blogger friends (you’re the best Mary Ellen!) who let me bounce ideas off of them and listened to my struggles as an author and self-publisher. I appreciate it more than you all will ever know.
~ G.K.
About the Author
USA Today Bestselling Author, G.K. De Rosa has always had a passion for all things fantasy and romance. Growing up, she loved to read, devouring books in a single sitting. She attended Catholic school where reading and writing were an intense part of the curriculum, and she credits her amazing teachers for instilling in her a love of storytelling. As an adult, her favorite books were always young adult novels, and she remains a self-proclaimed fifteen year-old at heart. When she’s not reading, writing or watching way too many TV shows, she’s traveling and eating around the world with her family. G.K. DeRosa currently lives in South Florida with her real life Prince Charming, their son, daughter and fur baby, Nico, the German shepherd.
www.gkderosa.com
gkderosa@wilderbook.com