by Ember Casey
“Sophia!” I exclaim. “Your name is Sophia! I knew I knew it.”
Her hand brushes against my face. There’s another brief smile. “Yes, that’s my name. Do you remember yours?”
I do. She just said it a short while ago. It still takes me a minute to recall it.
“Pax,” I tell her. “Patrick. Pax.”
Another smile. “Do you remember why you’re here?”
“Where’s here?” I ask, looking up at the ceiling. It’s very white. Very white and clean. Oh, that’s right… She told me. What did she say? A few seconds later, I find it. “The hospital. I’m at the hospital.”
“Do you remember why?”
That’s a much harder question. But I begin to remember. “I was shot.”
Her smile falls. “Yes,” she says softly. “You were. But after that? Do you remember? You saved my father, Pax.”
Her father. I remember him.
“He hates me,” I say.
“He doesn’t hate you,” she replies. “But he made things difficult for you, and you saved his life anyway.” She raises my hand to her lips. “I love you, Pax. Please, be okay.”
She loves me! The beautiful woman loves me! I’m so lucky.
“I love you, too,” I say. “I’ll save all of your fathers. Every one.” I try to rub my eye, but my arm is hooked up to something. “Why did the doctor call me an anaconda?”
That gets a small laugh from her. “He never did. You must have misheard him.”
“He did,” I insist.
“He said you were still coming out from the anesthesia.”
It takes me a minute to puzzle out that last word. “What’s…ana…teas…”
Oh, anesthesia!
“Why was I under anesthesia?” I ask, my tongue still tangling over the last word.
“You just gave my father a kidney,” she says.
Oh, that’s right… I’m starting to remember that, too. Fuck, why is my mind so fuzzy?
“Did it work?” I ask her. “Is he okay?”
“Yes,” she says softly. “He’s doing fine. Better than you, actually.”
“Better than me?”
Her eyes glimmer with tears. “Yes. You developed a blood clot during the surgery. For a minute they thought… I thought…” She bows her head slightly, and I see a tear fall from her lashes down onto the bed. “Damn it, Pax, you can’t do this to me again.”
“Do what?”
She looks back up at me, and the tears are steaming openly down her cheeks now. “You can’t almost die on me! This is the second time in only a few months, and I can’t go through it again. I can’t. I don’t know how I’ll survive.”
I tighten my grip on her hand. My mind is becoming clearer and clearer by the second. “I’m alive. I’m not going anywhere.”
“You better not. Or I swear to God, I’ll follow you into the afterlife and drag you down to hell.”
I grin. “That’s pretty romantic.”
In spite of her tears, she laughs. “Damn it, Pax. How can you joke at a time like this?”
“Why not? I’m alive, aren’t I? As long as I’m alive I’d rather laugh and joke than sit around worrying about ‘what ifs’. And as long as I’m with you, I’d rather spend each moment thinking about how lucky I am than thinking about what would happen if you weren’t in my life. Our time here is precious, Sophia, and I want every moment to count.”
She smiles, and the tears seemed to have stopped for now, but they still glimmer on her cheeks like diamonds.
“I can’t wait to remarry you next week,” I tell her.
“They might have to reschedule the wedding,” she says.
“Why? Everything is already planned. I’ll even put on that stiff suit without complaining.”
“We’ll see,” she tells me. “It all depends on how my father is doing. But on the other hand, I suspect he’ll want to see this ‘done properly’ sooner rather than later.”
“I can’t wait,” I tell her again. But for now, it’s enough to just be here. With her.
Sophia
The next week passes by quickly. My father is released from the hospital several days before Pax, but even in their fragile states, neither the State Dinner nor our wedding is postponed.
“Go over this with me again. One last time.” Pax fidgets with his lapel as we make our way to the grand ballroom where the State Dinner is held.
“Which part?” I can’t help but smile over at him. Since he’s come home from the hospital, he’s rededicated himself to his prince lessons, though I doubt anyone in my family expects him to any longer.
“All of it.” He pulls at his stiff collar. “And do you think they’d mind if I undid the top button? It isn’t like anyone can see it under this hideous tie.”
“Your tie is not hideous.” I stop walking, pulling him over to the side of the hallway to help him adjust his clothing. “It’s very dashing.”
“Dashing is good.” He makes a face as I retighten his tie. “It’s just that this suit is anything but dashing. Stupid. Stupid would be a much better adjective.”
“Handsome. Dapper. I daresay elegant.” I grin. “And trust me, I’ll make going to this dinner worth your while.”
“Promises, promises.” He winks. “I still can’t be trusted to do any strenuous exercise, remember?”
“Oh, I remember.” I give him my best attempt at a provocative look, glancing him up and down. “You won’t have to do any of the work.”
“Hm. I think I could be convinced to take this bribe.” He grins at me. “But please tell me one more time what I have to do tonight.”
I smooth his lapel, patting him on the chest before we turn to make our way down the corridor again. “You know enough to breeze through tonight. I have no concerns at all.”
“I’m glad one of us feels that way.” He pulls my hand into his, lacing his fingers through mine. “I just don’t like that we can’t sit together.”
“It’s tradition. Each member of the family is seated at a different table, and my mother tries very hard to make each table as interesting as possible.” I turn to smile up at him. “You’ll do just fine.”
“If you say so.”
“I do.” I turn to him just as we’re about to enter the room. “And if you’re lucky, perhaps we’ll get a dance together.”
“Only one?” He tilts his head, giving me his best puppy dog impression.
“Yes, only one.” I slap playfully at his chest. “You’re supposed to come out of the evening with new friends. And besides, you’ll have plenty of dances with me tomorrow.”
He grins. “Ah yes, tomorrow. The day I get to marry my wife all over again.”
“The day I get to show everyone in my country that I’m truly married to the man I love.”
His smile widens. “I like the way you say it so much better.” He lifts my hand to his lips, placing a kiss on the back of it. “But now, Your Highness, I must be off to my assigned seat.”
He makes a great show as he’s escorted to his seat on the opposite side of the room.
I have to admit, I’d much rather have him next to me than anyone else. While my mother does do exceedingly well with the seating arrangements at the State Dinner each year, it is still mostly a boring affair. I’ve been attending since I was a teen, and all my brothers have as well. It isn’t really an event I look forward to, but it’s important to my family all the same.
I make my way to my table—I vaguely know a few of the people already seated. There’s a distant cousin across from me, and I give him a polite nod as I take my chair. The woman near me isn’t familiar to me at all—a quick glance at her placard reveals she’s a Rosvalian duchess, likely a cousin of Justine’s.
I’m about to speak to her when someone slides onto the chair next to me.
Pax grins over at me as he takes his napkin from the table, folding it onto his lap.
I shake my head slowly at him, but I can’t help but smile. “This is highly inappropriat
e.”
“I know.” He lowers his voice, reaching over to touch the top of my thigh. “My early wedding gift to you.”
“Oh, it’s a gift is it?” I stare at him for a moment, still smiling. “How did you manage to do this?”
He grins. “Rider bribed the guy who was supposed to sit next to you. Can’t remember his name—”
I point at the placard. “It appears to be Baron Maddox—”
“Whatever. The guy’s a huge Twisted Throne fan. Rider offered him front row tickets if he’d switch him seats.” He shrugs. “Then Rider switched with me.”
“And this is why I told my mother not to invite your band.” Even as I scold him, I can’t believe how sweet the gesture is.
“It’s the night before our wedding. I wasn’t about to let some other guy sit next to you. It’s practically our rehearsal dinner, isn’t it?”
“I suppose it is.” I place my hand over his, holding it for a moment before I turn to him. “Wait. You offered him concert tickets? Does this mean the band is back together? You’re going to perform?”
“I didn’t know we ever split. Not really.” He shrugs. “If I could get Charlie to even look in my direction, we’d be fine. I wish he’d get that through his thick skull. It isn’t like the stupid tape killed us.”
“No, I suppose not.” The sex tape made things infinitely more complicated with my family, and it’s probably the only reason my father insisted on so many rules to recognize my marriage, though. Not that I could ever say that aloud to my husband. And not that I really want to—it’s much more important to me that his band get back together and start performing again.
It isn’t long before dinner is served. As soon as the wine begins to flow, so does the conversation at the table. Pax talks to the woman sitting next to him—the wife of another of our cousins—and I speak politely with the gentleman sitting next to me, a politician from Canada.
As soon as the music begins to play, couples begin filing onto the dance floor.
Pax taps my shoulder. “Shall we?”
I tilt my head. “It’s impolite for a married couple to have a first dance at the State Dinner. If they do at all, it should be—”
“Our wedding isn’t until tomorrow, remember?” He grins. “So technically—”
“You are incorrigible. Technically.”
“Is that a yes?”
I shake my head, even as I agree. “Yes.”
He pulls my hand into his, guiding me out of my seat to lead me to the dance floor. He takes me in his arms, twirling me around the dance floor.
“You’ve gotten a lot better at this.”
“Hm. I don’t think I was half bad to start with.”
“You weren’t. But you’re even better now. You must have been practicing.”
“Nah. I’m just lighter on my feet now.” He winks at me. “Losing a kidney is like, what? Two pounds of instant weight loss or something?”
I look into his eyes for a long moment, my smile falling. “You’re a wonderful man, Pax Donovan. Not many people would have done that.”
He looks down at me. “I don’t know if that’s true.”
“I do.” I nod. “I know it’s true. And I hope…” I shake my head.
“You hope what?” He tilts his head, catching my gaze.
“I hope…I hope they all can see now. My father, my brothers… I hope they can see now why I love you.”
His lips tick into a smile. “I don’t care if they understand, Sophia. All that matters is that you do. And you have no idea how much I love you.”
“I think I do. And I can’t wait to marry you again tomorrow.”
He doesn’t let me out of his arms the rest of the night, and I don’t think again about how inappropriate or against the rules it is that we only dance with each other. I’m the luckiest woman alive, I think as he spins me around the dance floor. And I can’t believe I get to spend the rest of my life with the man of my dreams.
I don’t notice how long we’ve been dancing until the rooms falls silent.
We stop dancing and turn to look toward the dais at the front of the room where my father sits in his wheelchair. He looks up at my mother before he stands, walking to the center of the small stage.
“Welcome to Montovia, friends and family.” He looks over the crowd for a moment before his gaze falls on me. “Thank you for attending this evening.”
In the past, my father’s statement usually ends the evening, but he doesn’t make his usual gesture to the crowd to dismiss them.
“I know this is highly unusual, but I want to take a moment to recognize the newest member of our family.” He nods in our direction. “As you all know, we have a grand festival planned for tomorrow, a celebration of the marriage of my youngest child.” He pauses for a moment, still staring over at us.
As usual, I can’t read his expression. But something tells me this isn’t going to be a scolding or anything about how I’ve embarrassed our family. The way he’s looking at me… If I didn’t know better, I’d swear my father was almost happy for me.
“And as our princess will be taking the sacred vows of marriage in front of the people of Montovia, I’ve come to another decision.” He pauses for an unbearably long moment, his expression twisting ever so slightly. “I’ve decided that once the marriage is official in the eyes of Montovia, Patrick…” He glances at my husband. “Pax Donovan will be officially named His Royal Highness, Prince Pax of Montovia.”
Pax
I can’t believe it—the old man has finally come around. I look down at Sophia, and she grins back up at me. We did it. We convinced her father that we should be together.
And it only took a kidney. Who knew?
This must be the end of the evening, because even though the music begins to play again, people slowly begin to filter out. The royal family stays, of course—I guess as hosts, they’re stuck here until the last drunken dignitary decides he’s had enough free wine. And besides, everyone and their brother wants to talk to me now—to shake my hand, congratulate me, and kiss the ass of the latest member of the family.
I could get used to this. For a while, anyway. As the minutes creep by into an hour, I realize being a prince has its downsides. I’m exhausted, I’m tired of people I don’t know trying to suck up to me, and I’d give anything for a few minutes alone with Sophia.
Eventually, my bandmates and Mick make it over to me. Mick, to my surprise, is actually tearing up at little.
“Congrats, Pax,” he says, giving me a fatherly pat on the shoulder. “Looks like you finally impressed these guys.”
“This is a pretty sweet place you’ve got here,” Rider says. “We’re totally having a party here soon, right?”
Jameson and Charlie add their agreement, and Sophia looks horrified for a moment before they all burst out laughing.
“Just a joke, Sophia,” Rider says. “I’d rather not be arrested on foreign soil. Your father may finally like Pax, but I doubt he’d be easy on the rest of us.” He looks back at me. “You better not write a bunch of songs about being a prince. I don’t think it goes with our image.”
“Hey, our name already fits,” I say, grinning.
Charlie shuffles a bit to my side, and I glance at him. He extends a hand to me. I clasp it.
“Congrats,” he says, soberly for Charlie. “I mean it, Pax. I’m glad you’re happy.”
“Thanks, man.” I hold onto his hand, making sure he meets my eyes. “I’m glad you could make it, Charlie.” To the whole group, I add, “Maybe after the wedding we can have a jam session in one of the smaller ballrooms. It’s been too long since I’ve played with you guys, and my fingers are starting to get itchy.”
They all laugh, including Charlie. I make sure he sees me smile and nod at him before releasing his hand, and I’m pretty sure I see relief in his eyes, like he’s finally letting go of some huge weight. I know it’ll be a while before he and I are back to the way we were, but we’re halfway there. He and I are like br
others—no matter what happens between us, we’ll get it worked out.
We finish our goodbyes, and then finally, the last of the dignitaries are gone. Thank God. I lace my fingers through Sophia’s.
“Are we done?” I whisper to her. “I’m about to fall over.”
“Yes,” she says, and she sounds as relieved as I feel. “Let’s go say goodnight to my parents.”
The queen has a hug for each of us when we approach her, and there’s a big smile on her face as she looks at me.
“You did very well tonight, Pax,” she says. “Didn’t he, Edmund?”
The king’s eyes look me up and down again, and though his gaze is as hard as ever, I sense a little respect in it now. I’ll take it.
“You still have a long way to go,” he says. “But I am pleased by your progress so far.”
From the king, that’s a glowing endorsement.
I grin and bow. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Goodnight,” Sophia tells them, and together we head to the door.
I’d run back to the suite if I could, but I don’t have the energy. Sophia and I walk arm-in-arm, and for once, she seems at peace.
“Just think,” I say when we’ve nearly reached the room. “This time tomorrow we’ll be married.”
She grins up at me. “We’re already married.”
“Yeah, but this time it’ll be ‘Montovian official’.”
Her smile widens. “I’m so glad my father came around. I was beginning to wonder if—” She cuts herself off abruptly, frowning.
“Wonder what?”
She shakes her head. “I’ve just been so afraid this whole time that I’d end up having to choose between you and my family. I’ve been so worried about it these past few weeks, wondering when I’d finally be forced to make the choice—”
“Hey,” I tell her, stopping and twisting her toward me. “Everything worked out. There’s no need to worry about it anymore. There’s no need to worry about anything anymore. We’re getting married tomorrow. Again. And even if I have to spend sixteen hours in a stiff wedding suit, I know it’s going to be the happiest day of my life.”
