“Never!”
“I was. Fear of losing you made me a coward.”
“I understand. But if we are to build any kind of life together, I don’t want there to be secrets between us. What lies ahead of us is even more complicated because you are the crown prince of Branem. If I cannot be the one person you are honest with, the one person you can depend on to stand beside you through all things, what good am I to you? When the world is filled with manipulators and opportunists, I want our relationship to be the one place there are no doubts. Your haven.”
Everand swallowed hard and nodded once, not speaking for a moment as if he couldn’t force the words out of his tight throat. His dark-blue eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “I…I want that too. More than anything in the world. What can I do to make it up to you?”
Hugo reached into the interior pocket of his jacket and pulled out a piece of straw he’d fashioned into a ring. He dropped to one knee and held up the straw ring. “Marry me, and you’ll never have to worry about losing me. I’ll always be yours.”
A tear streaked down Everand’s cheek, and he vigorously nodded again. “Yes. It’s all I want. You. Only you.”
Everand extended one trembling finger and tapped the straw ring, turning it into shining gold in the blink of an eye. Hugo grasped his fiancé’s hand and slid the gold ring onto his finger.
The prince pulled Hugo to his feet, drawing him close until their mouths crashed together. “Mine,” Everand whispered against his lips.
“Always. Whether we live in a castle or a cottage in the woods?—”
“With rabbits,” Everand added.
“We will have our happily ever after, because we have each other.”
Epilogue
“Dorian has always been such a quiet, reserved child. Not nearly as outgoing as his brothers. It makes me worry that he will end up alone his entire life, never marrying. Especially now that Hugo has done so well, ensuring that our family is taken care of. He has nothing pushing him to find a love match.”
Hugo paused in the doorway as his mother’s words washed over him. He closed his eyes and tried to gather his strength. The wedding was mere hours away, and Jessamine Baker had already adjusted her sights to his brother Dorian.
“Has he ever considered a government position? Or maybe a role as a diplomat? If he’s anything like Hugo, I’m sure he would excel at interacting with different ministers and dignitaries at society functions. It would give him a chance to meet many interesting people and possibly meet the perfect match for him.”
Hugo had to slap a hand across his mouth to hold in his groan. Queen Lilianna was helping to sabotage Dorian. He needed to put a stop to this. They were going to have Dorian’s marriage arranged before Hugo could say his vows.
Pasting a bright smile on his lips, Hugo strolled into the cheery yellow-and-pink parlor where Jessamine and Lilianna sat. A rosebud tea service was on the table along with two silver towers of finger sandwiches and treats.
“Good afternoon, Your Majesty, Mother. Forgive me for interrupting your tea,” he greeted.
“Hugo! Should you be wandering around? What if you stumble upon your fiancé? You’re not supposed to see him prior to the wedding.”
“If I were lucky enough to see him, I’d kiss him silly,” Hugo teased. He bent and brushed a kiss to his mother’s upturned cheek. As he straightened, he heard the queen clear her throat. When he looked over, he found she had also turned her cheek up toward him.
Jessamine swatted his arm. “Kiss your royal mother, you ridiculous boy.”
“Such bad luck,” Queen Lilianna murmured.
“Loving Ev will never bring bad luck,” he whispered as he kissed the queen’s cheek.
She giggled but quickly smoothed her features as if it had never happened.
Since the announcement of his engagement to Prince Everand, Jessamine Baker had become a regular fixture at the palace. To his utter amazement, she and the queen had become fast friends. Which was more than a little terrifying to Hugo, but at least his mother wasn’t the type to make outrageous requests or try to use her new clout to make others miserable. Her one and only concern was the happiness and well-being of her children.
Using some of the money he’d received from his initial rescue of Everand from the Wulia scouts, he’d purchased his mother a fashionable town house in Frostbourne so she could make trips back and forth from the palace to visit with her new friend.
“Please don’t start plotting Dorian’s marriage,” Hugo begged as he stared at his mother.
“Plotting? What a word. I’m his mother, and I love him dearly. How could you say such a thing?” Jessamine gasped.
“Not very kind of you at all, Hugo. Your mother wants the best for her children. And now she has me to help her in this endeavor,” Lilianna chimed in. “We will make sure Dorian and Augustine are well taken care of for all their days.”
Hugo swallowed another groan. He could hear Everand cackling in his mind. This was what he got for attempting to take on both mothers at the same time. He’d rather go head-to-head with King Victor again.
