We’re all hunkered down in a royally owned chalet in the Alps on the Messalinian border. The grand chalet sits on fifteen thousand acres of mountainous land with only one road in and out of the sprawling compound, making it more secure than even the primary palace. No shocker there, considering my father was able to break in and I was granted access with very little coercion.
Being here feels different than being in the palace. There is a sense of freedom here. It’s as if Sebastian left his crown and its heavy burden behind. I’ve never seen him smile or heard him laugh so much. He needed this more than I think he realized. We all did, the children especially.
More importantly, we’ve left the palace now on three other occasions. Sebastian is very strict about it, and we have to follow a serious, no-fucking-around set of rules. We haven’t gone anywhere in public. No one is allowed to mention to anyone that the royal family is leaving the palace. As far as the country and the world are concerned, they still haven’t left in three years. And any place the children go, Sebastian has to approve of it ahead of time and he is to be with them.
No one argues it. First, because have you tried arguing with that man? Impossible. Second, because they’re all just so happy to get out of the palace and stretch their legs they’ll take what they can get.
As for Sebastian and me? Well, it’s been a month of sneaking around. A month of naughty deeds under the cloak ofdarkness and secrets. Other than Althea, Rowan, Javier, and Emily, no one knows. The children know nothing. For now, that’s how I’d like to keep it.
Except this week it seems Sebastian has other ideas.
“Happy birthday,” he whispers in my ear before peppering my neck with a trail of wet kisses that make me shiver. I haven’t celebrated my birthday in a very long time. At least not in any special or meaningful way. When it was just my dad and me, he’d get me a cupcake and stick a candle in it. I didn’t have friends for a party. We were traveling from place to place and didn’t have the money for anything extra, and tangible gifts weren’t practical when we were moving so often.
But turning twenty-two wrapped in the arms of the man I’m finding it more impossible to go without, surrounded by his children who own every important piece of me, is not something I ever imagined I’d have.
Especially when he goes and does this…
His fingers glide up along either side of my neck, tickling my skin with something foreign. He latches whatever it is at the back of my neck and my hand shoots up, holding the heavy weight of a pendant.
“Sebastian,” I gasp as my gaze slingshots down and locks on a giant heart-shaped diamond. It has to be at least ten carats, easy.
“It was my great-grandmother’s diamond,” he tells me, his chin on my shoulder, our heads touching as we both gaze down at the necklace.
“The one married to the king whose bust I ruined?”
I can feel his smile. “The same. I felt it fitting. Rumor has it she never liked him, but he loved her endlessly. Sort of like us.”
I giggle lightly. “I like you sometimes. When you’re not being an intolerable grump or a domineering ass.”
A kiss to my cheek. “I like you all the time. Except whenyou’re being a brat.” Another kiss. “This was her engagement stone.”
“Sebastian.” It’s all I can manage as tears threaten. “It’s too much. I can’t…” Hard swallow. “I can’t accept this.”
“You can and you will. It’s yours. I had it removed from the garish setting it was in and placed in this one. Classic and beautiful. Like you. Wear my heart around your neck for it’s yours and no one else’s.”
God. This man. This king. He has no idea how fiercely I love him. I don’t even know the depths of it. It’s beyond explanation. Tears are freezing to my cheeks, and I don’t even care. I spin around in his arms and kiss him with everything I am.
“I love you,” I murmur into him.
“I love you too. More,” he whispers against my lips, and I had no idea a heart could feel this full. This content. Here with this man is where I was always meant to be. “Come on.” He takes my hand. “The children are downstairs waiting on us. Rowan too, unfortunately.” He gives me a cute wink. Rowan is the ultimate ballbuster. He’s relentless and refuses to take orders or put up with any of Sebastian’s shit.
Needless to say, I absolutely adore him.
He grips my hand, holding it firmly in his even as we enter his bedroom and head down the stairs to where everyone is gathered. If the children have noticed how affectionate their father has been with me on this trip, they haven’t commented. When we’re in the palace, we try to keep physical boundaries while around them and others.
But here, it’s as if all those rules no longer apply. It’s something we haven’t talked about further, and I’m not sure I’m ready for them to know yet. What if they hate me for it or don’t want me to be with their father because I’m not their mother?
“Happy birthday!” the kids scream when they see me at the top of the stairs that lead into a solarium and the back of the chalet.
“Thank you!” I smile, walking down and hugging each of the kids.
“Yes, yes, happy birthday. We’ll celebrate you tonight. But it took you long enough to come down. I wonder what it is you were doing up there,” Rowan grouses, glancing at his smartwatch in an exaggerated way. “I mean, it’s not as if we haven’t been down here waiting on you.” Everyone is already in their snow gear, so yeah, maybe we did hold everyone up a bit.
“Rowan, remind me again how it is you came on this trip?”
“I simply got in the car with my bags.”
“Oh right. That’s it. Because we didn’t invite you.”
