His Royal Quadruplets, page 18
I see Nikki’s face flush with emotion. Tears well up in my eyes as she answers her son.
“That’s exactly right,” she says. “You’re going to keep getting stronger.”
She turns away from him then and quickly reaches for a tissue from her purse. I know that she doesn’t want Andy to see her crying.
I hold back my tears, too, as I say, “Andy, check out the view! I think that’s Westegaard down there.”
Luca leaves his spot at the window and joins us by standing in the aisle near my seat again. He crouches down a bit so that he can see out of Andy’s window. “That’s it!” he says. “We made it!”
* * *
Half an hour later, we are being chauffeured to the palace. Once the SUV doors open and I step out into the sunlight, I immediately spot our welcome party.
Two tall, handsome men who look almost exactly like Luca stand in wait for us. One is dressed in a suit, the other wears some sort of military uniform. I immediately grasp that the suited one is King Willem, while the man in the uniform is Luca’s younger brother, Prince Gregor. Another man accompanies them, but I don’t recognize him.
I’m sure I’ll find out who he is soon enough.
The chauffeur helps us unpack and assemble the portable strollers that we brought along on the jet. Nikki and I both push the double strollers. Andy holds Nikki’s hand, and Luca leads the way toward his brothers.
“Luca!” Willem says, opening his arms wide. The two hug tightly, Willem clapping Luca on the back. “I’m glad you’re home, brother.”
Next Luca greets Gregor. The two exchange a similar hug.
Next, Luca hugs the man I don’t recognize.
“Erik!” Luca says happily, as the two embrace. “It’s so good to see you! Thanks for taking care of everything in my absence.”
“Wait until you see the new center,” Erik says proudly. “You’re going to love it.”
Ah! So that must be Erik, Luca’s head assistant. He’s actually very handsome. Though his features are very distinct from the royal brothers, he has the same stature. His hair is blond and slightly lighter than Luca’s.
“Another handsome man,” Nikki murmurs under her breath. I turn to her and see that she’s eyeing Erik.
I laugh and nudge my sister. “There you go!” I whisper. “And you said it would be hard to meet a guy in a foreign country.”
We giggle as Erik and Luca approach us, Willem and Gregor in tow.
Luca makes the introductions. As he introduces me to Willem, I hold out my hand, thinking Willem might shake it. He bypasses my outstretched arm, however, and wraps me in a warm embrace.
“Welcome to the royal family, Phoebe,” he says. “Or should I say, Princess Phoebe?”
I return his warm hug. “It is so good to be here,” I say. “It feels like a brand-new beginning. Would you like to meet your nieces and nephews?”
For the next few minutes, we all coo over Carolina, Beth, Olivia, and Daniel.
Then, Erik offers to take Luca on a tour of the newest youth outreach center.
“Why don’t we all go?” Luca says, looking to me and then to Nikki and Andy. “The drive over there will give you a perfect overview of the city.”
“I’d love to see one of your centers,” I say, looping my arm through Luca’s.
“Sounds like fun!” Nikki says, without taking her eyes off of Erik.
Erik seems to pick up on her attention. “I’m happy to drive,” he says. “I’ll take the scenic route.”
I nudge Nikki again. “Why don’t you go with Erik, and Luca and I will follow behind with the babies?”
“Perfect!” Luca says, picking up on my plan. “We’ll see you there!”
After making plans to meet Willem and Gregor back at the palace that evening for dinner, we all split up. Luca and I return to the chauffeur’s car, while Nikki and Andy trot off happily after Erik, who looks more than pleased about the situation himself.
“Brilliant,” I say to Luca.
He wraps his arm around me. “I guess this is a city for finding love,” he says, as he leans over me and delivers a kiss to the top of my head.
“It certainly worked for us,” I agree, wrapping my arm around his waist.
Chapter 26
Phoebe
Two Weeks Later
“And Carolina tends to be the fussiest,” I remind the royal nanny, who is looking down at the four bassinets with me. “She just takes a little bit of extra work, but she always settles down eventually. This is her pacifier, if she needs it.”
“Got it,” the older woman says with a smile. “You told me this last time.”
“I know,” I say. “I’m sorry. You know all of this. What am I thinking?” I reach up and place my hand on my head. “I think I’m losing my mind.”
The nanny laughs. “It’s the wedding day jitters. Every bride gets them. Now you’d better get going. It’s already ten after ten.”
I know she’s right I hustle out of the room, and down the palace hallway. I almost forget which room I’m supposed to get dressed in, but thankfully I see a door swing open just before I turn a corner. Nikki pops her head out.
“Phoebe!” she says. “You’re late! Get in here.”
I hurry over to her and slip inside the room.
My makeup and hair have already been done. All that remains is for me to get into my dress. Though the many wedding coordinators, beauticians, and other staff members have offered to help me dress, I respectfully refused. I love all the help I’ve been getting these days, but right now, I only want to be with my sister.
We close the door to the room, and Nikki chats about the wedding schedule while I undress.
“…And after that, we’re going to meet the photographer on the balcony for some shots of you with your bridal bouquet. The lighting should be just right then. Oh! I’m so excited for Erik to walk me down the aisle. He’s the one escorting me, you know. The whole wedding party has to line up at a quarter to one, because…”
I listen to her chatter, but it barely registers. It’s impossible to think about a photo shoot. All I want to think about is how it’s going to feel to finally kiss Luca, as his wife.
I remain in my dreamlike state as Nikki helps me into my white gown. It has a flowing, full skirt that trails behind me as I walk, and a beautiful brocade bodice with dozens of buttons going up the back.
Nikki works on fastening the buttons while I watch the two of us in the full-length mirror.
“Did you ever think we’d be here, Nikki—in a royal palace like this?” I ask.
Nikki glances up and meets my eye in the mirror. “Nope,” she says. “Not even in my wildest dreams. I didn’t know that Andy would walk, either, but yesterday he walked right up to me and gave me a hug. Honestly, I feel like we’re all in heaven.”
I smile as she fastens the last button and then pats my back.
“There you go,” she says. “I’m going to give you a few minutes alone, Princess Phoebe. I’ll see you up on the second story at the east balcony in fifteen minutes?”
I kiss her cheek. “Yes,” I say. “I’ll be there—if I can find it.”
Nikki laughs at my little joke. Both of us have been getting lost constantly the past two weeks.
When she leaves, the room is suddenly quiet. I turn back and forth in front of the mirror, examining my reflection.
The sound of the door to the room opening surprises me. I focus my eyes on the reflection of the door as it swings open. Luca, in his tuxedo, steps inside.
He closes the door behind him. I whirl around and pretend to chide him, yet I can’t keep from smiling as I speak.
“Luca! You shouldn’t be here!” I say, crossing the room toward him.
He has a mischievous glint to his eye as looks me up and down. “Sure, I shouldn’t be here,” he says. “But have we ever let ‘should’ get in our way?”
“I guess most people would say we should get married before having children,” I say.
“And I should have known you for at least a year before proposing,” Luca says.
“And I suppose I should never have spent the night with you—all those months ago when I visited Westegaard.”
He shakes his head. “Definitely not,” he says playfully. “In fact, you probably shouldn’t have been in Westegaard to begin with.”
We both laugh, and I step into Luca’s open arms.
“We’ve always bucked convention,” he says as he holds me. “And we’ve always come out of it stronger than before.”
He lets me go, and I step back.
His eyes take in my hair, my face, and my long, flowing gown. “You look stunning,” he says.
He reaches for my hand and pulls me in.
As he leans in to give me a kiss, I turn away.
“Oh no, you don’t!” I say before his lips can touch mine. “That’s one convention I’d like to uphold. You can kiss me after we exchange our vows.”
He laughs. “Very well, my love.”
I pick up my dress. “Now I really should be going to find an east wing balcony, where I have an appointment with the photographer—if I can just figure out how to get there.”
“I’ll show you,” Luca says, opening the door for me.
Several hundred pictures later, I stand before a red-carpet aisle runner in the palace grounds. Willem is at my side.
“Ready?” he asks, offering his elbow to me.
I look down the aisle, to the altar where Luca is standing, waiting for me. Andy, Gregor, and Erik stand to one side of him, and Nikki is at the other.
I take a deep breath and then thread my arm through Willem’s.
“Ready,” I say.
Music ushers us down the aisle together.
So many times, since meeting Luca, I’ve had the sensation that I was dreaming. I just didn’t know life could be this good. Now, as I walk down the aisle, I’m filled with a new awareness: this is not a dream. This is reality. My reality. My life is beautiful, and it’s only going to keep on getting better.
Luca watches me approach. I see tears glistening in his eyes as I find my place across from him.
As the ceremony progresses, I am aware that the hundreds of guests in attendance are waiting to hear our vows, yet I do not feel nervous. Instead I feel calm and centered. When it is my turn to speak, I focus on Luca and pretend that he’s the only person I’m speaking to. I hold both of his hands in mine, face him, and look into his eyes.
“Luca,” I say. “When I met you, I thought I was running from my life. I thought I came to your city to hide. Little did I know that I had run right to a man who would change the course of my life forever.”
I fight to keep the quiver of emotion from muddling my words as I continue. “We’ve been through so much already, and through it all you have been by my side, acting as my guiding light. I love you with all my heart and soul. Seeing you with our children fills me with a peace I’ve never known before, and I know that my love for you will continue to grow, each and every day.”
Luca is openly crying now. He gathers himself and then strokes his thumbs over the back of my hands as he says. “I knew you were my angel when I first saw you,” he says. “You’ve brought me more joy than I ever thought was possible. Though our path hasn’t been a smooth one, we’ve overcome all obstacles together—side by side. I know we can make it through anything together.”
He pauses. I follow his gaze to the front row, where the four little bassinets are lined up.
When we meet each other’s eyes again, he continues. “I love you, Phoebe. I’m honored that you’re going to be my wife. I’m going to be the best man I can be for you—the best husband—and the best father for our children. This I promise you.”
Tears stream down my cheeks as Luca places a wedding band on my left finger, and I place one on his.
When the pastor instructs Luca to kiss the bride, I let Luca sweep me off of my feet.
With his lips on mine and the crowd cheering around us, I feel like the happiest woman in the world.
The End
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Her Accidental Prince
Chapter 1
Max
“You smell,” Alex says.
I look up from the book I’ve been staring at for the last hour, turning page after page, trying to read but not getting anywhere. “Hm?”
“He said you smell,” Jorge says, stretching out his legs.
The jet cabin fills with the sound of laughter from my two closest friends. Snapping my paperback shut, I shake my head at them.
“You really don’t want to start pointing that finger,” I say. “Because I’m not the only one who’s been hiking Switzerland and hasn’t had a shower in a week.”
“Yeah,” Alex grins, “but we’re not on our way to meet with the King of Stromhaer.”
My stomach clenches up, and I suppose Alex notices because the playful grin falls off his face. Jorge clears his throat and sucks in a breath like he’s about to say something, but the moment stalls.
Stromhaer. People probably think so many things when they hear the name. Some have forgotten the small Scandinavian island country even exists. Some are surprised to hear it still has a constitutional monarchy. Some gush about how they would love to check out the rocky beaches there.
Me? Most of my life, I’ve wanted to forget Stromhaer is real.
But that’s hard when you’re the prince of it.
Alex fidgets in his leather seat. “What I meant was, um, when are you installing a shower in this jet?”
I roll my eyes. “You’re awful at backtracking.”
“Hey.” Jorge, seated closer to me, leans forward. “Whatever King Otto wants to talk about, it will be fine.”
I nod. One tight, clean, terse nod. It’s annoying to hear my friends refer to my father that way, but that’s what he is to them. Their king.
Thank God they don’t treat me like their prince, though. I wouldn’t be able to handle that. In fact, the way they treat me like a regular person is a big part of the reason we’ve been tight since college.
“Exactly,” Alex says, picking up on the vibe and waggling a finger at me. “It will be fine. You know how he is. He gets all worked up about something, but it never lasts long. He’s on to the next drama immediately after.”
That much is true. As leader of a country, albeit a tiny one, my father is usually too distracted by formal affairs to take much note of family ones. Matters are quickly in and out of his office and life.
But that’s also part of why I am worried. If Otto is demanding to see me, something must be wrong.
I run my fingers through my hair and toss my book in the empty seat next to me. My jet seats twelve, but I don’t think it’s ever carried maximum capacity. In the eleven or so years since I’ve been allowed to take royal jets out on my own, I’ve mostly used them to go off on adventures with my few friends. Occasionally, when I’ve had to, I’ve used them to get to royal affairs.
Alex and Jorge mean well, but the unspoken truth still presses down on my chest. By the time the jet is landing in Stromhaer’s one airport, reality has gotten so heavy it’s hard to breathe right.
After I’ve said goodbye to Alex and Jorge and I’m in the back of the car my father sent to pick me up, I know I need to come up with some kind of plan.
By the time we pull up to the palace, I know what it is.
“Welcome home, Prince Maximillian.” Erik, our butler, bows.
“Thank you, Erik.” I pause in the foyer long enough to hand my backpack over to one of the waiting footmen. “Is my father…”
“He’s waiting for you in his office. He asked that you see him as soon as possible.”
My jaw tightens. “Of course he did.”
The palace has elevators, including one exclusively for the royal family, but I opt for the stairs instead. A little exercise might work out some of the anger pumping through my veins.
My father is a good king. I know it. He’s done a lot for our country in his forty-something years of rule. But you can’t be amazing in one area of life without letting the others slack at least somewhat.
I don’t fault him for not giving my brother and me all the time we probably could have used from him growing up. As an adult, I get it now.
What I do fault him for is his expectation that I follow in his exact footsteps.
Passing the two guards stationed at the entrance to my father’s personal hall, I go to the office and knock on the door.
“Enter,” comes his deep voice.
I open the door, standing as straight as possible while I enter. He’s behind his desk, and soon as he catches sight of me, he cocks an eyebrow.
“Where did you get that?” he asks.
“Hm?”
“That. On your face.”
I make a show of rubbing my hands in the thick beard I’ve grown out since the two months or so we’ve seen each other. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He scowls. “Sit down, Maximillian.”
I do, but only because I don’t want to come across as any more petulant than I already have. I’m bordering on childish here, and if I’m going to tell my father what I’ve planned to, I need to keep a level of maturity about me.
“Where have you been?” he asks, studying me across the desk with hands folded.
The question makes me frown. “Switzerland.”
Did he forget already? He’s the one who sent for me. I had plans to keep going, to fly to Ireland and do some hiking around there, and I was going to ignore his message for a meeting entirely, but my stepmother texted and basically begged me to entertain him.
“That is why you smell,” he says.
“Yes, Father,” I answer, as solemnly as possible. “Everyone in Switzerland smells.”
His lips twitch, most likely headed in the direction of a frown. He’s never found me funny.
