Expecting Royal Twins! (11 page)

Izzy kicked her shoes off to keep from falling again.

Up ahead, she saw a rectangular brick building. That had to be the garage.

Welcome relief flowed through her. She quickened her step and entered through the side door.

The smell of motor oil greeted her like a long-lost friend. Tears pricked her eyes, but she wasn’t going to cry. If she started, she might not be able to stop.

Izzy surveyed the interior: tools, tires, air compressor, an old truck and a limousine. She leaned against a wall and slid to the cement floor.

Her shoulders slumped. She closed her eyes.

Izzy had no idea how long she sat there. She didn’t care. Here in the garage, she belonged. She couldn’t say that about any other place in the castle, not even the bedroom where she slept.

A door on the opposite side opened. The sharp staccato of heels echoed through the garage until Jules stopped in front of Izzy. “Rough morning.”

Without looking up, she nodded.

Jules sat next to her on the ground.

Izzy shot her a sideways glance. “You’re going to get dirty.”

“That’ll make two of us.”

“I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t feel like talking.”

Jules wrapped her hands around her bended knees. “Then you can listen.”

Izzy stared at the puddle of oil under the truck. Somebody needed to fix that leak.

“Niko and I aren’t in love.”

She looked at Jules. “What?”

“It was an arranged match. My third, actually,” Jules explained. “Arranged marriages are the tradition in Aliestle, whether you are a royal or a commoner. My first match was made when I was seven, but he was later deemed unacceptable. Too bad because I really…liked him. My second was made when I was twenty-five. My marriage to Prince Richard of San Montico would have realigned our two countries after one hundred and thirty-nine years of feuds, but he was in love with someone else and married her. And then came Niko. He’s honorable. Respectful. Attractive. But I’m not in love with him.”

Izzy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “The two of you get along so well.”

“We agreed to the match. We have common goals and a similar sense of duty.”

“Duty?”

“I am a princess of Aliestle. My duty is to do what is best for my country,” Jules said. “I am sure my father will make a fourth match for me as soon as he learns what has happened here.”

“I had no idea, Jules. I’m so sorry.” Compassion made Izzy reach out to her friend. “If I were you I would have run away by now.”

Jules laughed. “I imagine you would have, but this is how I’ve been raised. Aliestle is more archaic than Vernonia when it comes to customs. But the land is rich with natural resources so we can afford to be…eccentric and backward with some of our traditions.”

“But to marry someone you don’t love…”

“I have dreamed about marrying for love since I was a little girl.” Jules sighed. “The reality is an arranged marriage to best suit the needs of my country.”

“That seems to be my new reality as a royal, and it sucks.”

“Yes, sometimes it does,” Jules admitted. “Duty and country first. But I’ll tell you a secret. Even though I’ve always known I would be told who to marry, I’ve never given up hope that somehow I’d be able to marry for love. However remote the possibility.”

“I hope it works out for you.”

“Thanks, but I’m not holding my breath,” she said.

“I know it won’t happen for me now.”

“No, but Vernonia needs you, Izzy.”

“Vernonia isn’t my country.”

“It was your parents’ country and your uncle Frank’s.”

Izzy hadn’t been thinking about them this morning. Only herself. That wasn’t the way to honor the three people who had loved her so much and given up so much for her.

Guilt over her selfishness seared her heart. She needed to focus on what they would have wanted her to do in this situation, even if it wasn’t what she wanted. “I only wish it didn’t feel so wrong. I wish…I loved Niko.”

“But you have feelings for him, yes?”

“It’s been like a roller-coaster ride since I met Niko in Charlotte. I don’t know what I feel for him.”

“Remember, just because you don’t love someone at the beginning doesn’t mean you won’t love them in the end. Love can grow over time.”

“Do you really believe that?”

Jules smiled wryly. “Well, every time my father proposes another match I hope it’s true.”

Izzy couldn’t ignore the bigger part in all this—Vernonia. People here, like people everywhere, deserved to live in peace. That was what her parents had wanted. That was what she believed her uncle Frank had wanted, too. Izzy’s dreams of car racing seemed almost childish in comparison. Even if the High Court would grant her an annulment, she might be needed here in Vernonia. “I guess I’ll have to hope it’s true, too.”

Niko stood in the king’s office. Sweat beaded on his forehead and dampened the back of his shirt. He clenched his hands, struggling to control his temper. It wasn’t working. “I can’t believe you would betray me like this, Father.”

“I didn’t betray you, Niko. I spoke to the press for one reason and one reason only. To protect Vernonia. The Separatists want Izzy to be the next queen. We can’t join the EU if we’re having another civil war.” Dmitar’s lips thinned. “One day you’ll understand the difficult decisions a ruler must make.”

“If I am to rule, you need to treat me like the crown prince, not a pawn.”

His father frowned, looking affronted. “I haven’t—”

“You could have been honest about what needed to be done and explained your reasons. Not manipulate the situation the way you have.” The words rushed out full of emotion and guilt at what his father’s actions had done to two innocent women. “You have forced Isabel into a corner and hurt Julianna. Vernonia desperately needs the alliance with Aliestle. It’s more than the dowry. The trade support and the influx of investment capital will enable us to modernize and join the European Union.”

“Julianna is wealthy and beautiful, and even though her country has Separatist ties, she cannot unite the people the way Izzy will.”

“Unite the people?” Niko stared at his father in disgust. “Have you not seen the gathering this morning? The Separatists’ colors are already flying. It’s history repeating itself. Isabel should be taken from Vernonia immediately.”

“So you can marry Julianna.”

“So Isabel will be safe. I fear for her safety. As should you.”

Dmitar gave him a speculative look. “You like her.”

“Excuse me?”

“Izzy.” Amusement gleamed in his father’s eyes. “I saw the way you touched her yesterday. The way you stared into her eyes.”

Uncomfortable, Niko shifted his weight between his feet. He may like her, but that didn’t mean they should remain married. “I hardly know her. I appreciate her sacrifice. I’m concerned about her well-being due to your underhanded tactics. The protests—”

“Izzy is safe,” Dmitar interrupted. “These gatherings are different from the ones before. These are celebrations, my son. Unity. Finally.”

Satisfaction sang in his tone.

Something more was going on here. Niko could feel it in his bones. Going to the press had only been one part of this. “You never planned on allowing Isabel to marry Boyd.”

“I never planned on allowing you to annul the marriage in the first place.”

Niko took a step forward. “How dare you?”

“I am the king. I do what is necessary.”

“Necessary?”

“As soon as I saw the picture of the box and discovered Izzy was alive, I saw a real chance at lasting peace for Vernonia. A united country, all regions, all people. That is what Prince Aleksander and I hoped would happen twenty-three years ago with your marriage. I doubted you would go along so I used the annulment as bait to get your cooperation.”

Fury infused Niko. “You can’t play with lives this way.”

“You were fine marrying Julianna.”

“It was my choice. I’ve always been willing to marry without any preconceived notions of love,” Niko said through clenched teeth. “But you’ve dragged Isabel into this with your machinations and lies.”

His father shrugged. “The end is worth the means.”

“No, Father. It is not.” Niko squared his shoulders. “I have tried to fulfill Stefan’s role. I’ve tried to live up to being crown prince and sacrifice for Vernonia, but you cannot continue to scheme and coerce a young woman into marriage. This type of action must stop. Now.”

“A ruler must—”

Niko held up his hand, cutting off his father. “Be honorable in both thoughts and deeds. That is what you taught me. If Isabel refuses to remain married to me, I will support her decision, despite the dangers.”

Panic flashed in Dmitar’s eyes. “You must convince her. Vernonia needs an heir as soon as possible. A baby with both royal bloodlines.”

“A baby?” Niko nearly choked. “Isabel doesn’t want to be my wife. I doubt she will go willingly into my bed.”

“Your duty—”

“I know my duty, sir,” Niko said. “I’ve always known what is expected of me. I will talk with Isabel, but unlike you, Father, I will not manipulate her into marriage. The choice will be hers. And hers alone.”

J
ULES
headed back to the castle, but Izzy stayed in the garage. She wanted to repair the oil leak on the truck. She found tools and drained the remaining oil.

“You need a pair of coveralls so you don’t ruin your outfit.”

Izzy’s heart lurched at the sound of Niko’s voice. Pathetic. She hated the way she responded to him. He was only being nice because Vernonia needed her. She focused on the engine. “A little grease on my clothes won’t hurt anything.”

“I wonder what Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs and Stella McCartney would say about that.”

She recognized the names of the famous fashion designers only because she now owned some of their clothing. “You mean Henry Ford.”

Niko gave a short laugh. “I believe these belong to you.”

His words forced her to glance his way. He looked out of place in the garage dressed so proper in a blue suit, white dress shirt and yellow silk tie. Her shoes dangled from the crook of his fingers. Out of place, but as sexy as a model in a magazine.

She wouldn’t deny his physical appeal, but that didn’t mean she would fall in love with him. Worse, what if she fell in love with him and he didn’t fall in love with her?

She forced her gaze back to the truck and bent over the engine.

“I found one shoe in a bush and the other embedded heel down on the grass,” he said.

“Keep ’em.”

“They are not my size.”

A smile tugged at her lips. She couldn’t help it. “I’m sure you can find someone else they fit.”

“They fit you, Isabel.” He set them on the cement floor next to her. “Perfectly.”

Izzy bit back a sigh. He was making an effort. The least she could do was meet him halfway. She straightened and stuck her foot in one of the shoes.

Niko kneeled to help her.

“I’ve got it,” she said.

He stood, letting her do it herself.

She slipped on the other shoe.

“I am sorry for what I said earlier. For all of this,” Niko apologized, his expression contrite.

She fought the urge to reach out to him. Self-preservation, not the grease on her hands, kept her from doing so. “Me, too. I shouldn’t have run out like that.”

“You had every right,” Niko said. “We have been pawns in my father’s game. His agreeing to let you marry Boyd was simply his own ruse to put his plans into action. He is the one who leaked the information about you to the press. He never intended to allow us to annul the marriage.”

Dee had been so nice to her. The queen, too. “Why would he do that?”

“To unite Vernonia. That has been his goal as king. It’s the same goal he shared with your father when they married us off.”

Her father. Izzy’s chest tightened.

“What do you want to do?” Niko asked.

“There’s a choice?” She’d been trying to resign herself to her fate since talking with Jules.

His eyes darkened. “I hate what my father has done. I won’t force you into…”

“Marriage.”

He nodded. “I told you the first day I wouldn’t lie to you. I don’t want to coerce you into remaining my wife.”

Izzy appreciated that. “I’m not what you wanted for Vernonia.”

“No.” His word, though honest and expected, jabbed her heart like a knife. “But it’s what the country needs. Part of being a princess or a prince is putting your people first.”

Niko believed that wholeheartedly. Jules, too. Izzy understood the necessity of peace, but not this duty they kept talking about.

That made her uneasy. Especially when she thought about the future.

How would Izzy know if Niko came to care about her or if he was simply doing his duty, the way he had been doing since the first day they met? The question left her as unsettled as the thought of unrequited love.

Still she appreciated his leaving it up to her. Too bad she really didn’t have a choice.

“I don’t like what your father did, but I will remain your wife. For Vernonia,” she clarified, not wanting him to get the wrong idea.

“Thank you.” He sounded relieved. “I know what you are giving up.”

“Keeping peace is the most important thing. I couldn’t live with myself if I was the reason for people being hurt.” She fiddled with the engine to keep her hands busy. “I just hope your father is more honest and open in the future. Otherwise it will make things…difficult.”

“I spoke with him about that.” Niko seemed hesitant, uncertain.

“What?”

“My father believes Vernonia needs an heir. He wants one as soon as possible.”

Her stomach knotted. “This will be a, um, real marriage?”

“I am the crown prince.” A small smile played at the corners of Niko’s lips, drawing her gaze. He had such a well-formed mouth, so inviting… “An heir and a spare are the minimum for any royal marriage. Real or not.”

She blinked and forced herself to look away as heat crept up her neck. “Can’t a person get used to one thing before having something else thrown at her?”

He placed his hands on her shoulders.

Warmth, delicious and oh, so inviting, emanated from the point of contact and flowed through Izzy. The entire dynamics of the situation seemed to change with the one touch. She focused on the word seemed. This was still an arranged marriage with a total stranger, who cared more about duty and country than anything else.

“This is not the kind of marriage you planned on having with Boyd,” Niko said. “But we can make this work.”

“How?” Izzy wished she shared his confidence. “It’s not as if we’re going to fall madly in love with each other.”

“No, this isn’t a love match, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a successful union.”

“Successful?”

“Providing the necessary heirs.”

“So it’s all about the baby making.”

“That is a large part of it.”

“I appreciate your honesty, but maybe you could sugarcoat it a little.”

“You need to know what you’re getting into,” Niko said, as if he were an employer offering her a job, not a husband speaking about their relationship.

“Do we live together?” she asked. “I’m not sure how this kind of marriage will work.”

“We have two options. A state marriage. That is living as husband and wife until we have the required number of heirs, then we live our separate lives, only appearing together at state functions or for our children’s sake.”

Izzy wasn’t expecting a fairy-tale ending, but she hadn’t been prepared for something so…calculated. “Would I be able to return home to live? To Charlotte, I mean.”

He hesitated. “Possibly, but you must understand a divorce would never be allowed and custody arrangements might be tricky.”

Niko was talking about children yet they’d never kissed. “What’s the other option?”

“We live as husband and wife until death do us part.”

“A together forever kind of thing?” she asked.

“As close to that as we could manage,” he said. “In the old days, arranged marriages were quite successful. Why shouldn’t ours be? We like each other, right? Besides, contemporary marriages based on love don’t come with guarantees. Many people end up separating. Every marriage takes work if it’s going to last.”

“What kind of work?” she asked honestly. “I’ve never had a serious relationship before.”

“Me, either,” he admitted. “We will have to figure out what it takes together.”

Izzy rested the palms of her hands on the car. A marriage based on respect and honesty wouldn’t be bad. She was attracted to him. “If we can’t figure it out, we can always just live apart.”

A vein throbbed at his jaw. “If the marriage does work…”

“Then we’ll owe your father a big thank-you.”

Niko rocked back on his heels. “So it’s settled.”

“Not yet.” Izzy straightened. “I don’t see how we can begin to make a marriage work when I don’t feel married.”

“We are married.”

“I know we got married, I saw the photograph and the marriage certificate, but I don’t remember getting married. Maybe if we had a wedding ceremony, one we both remembered, I’d feel like your wife.”

His gaze searched her face. “This is important to you.”

“To feel married. Yeah, especially if we’re going to, um…”

Amusement twinkled in his eyes. “Have sex.” This was
so
not what she wanted to be talking about with him. “Provide Vernonia with an heir.”

“Do you enjoy sex, Isabel?”

Oh, man, he assumed she’d had sex. What was she going to say?

“I…” She looked around as if the answer would pop up on the hood or headlight for her to see. Of course, it didn’t. Where was an enchanted castle when you needed one? “I don’t know. I’ve never…”

She couldn’t finish the sentence. He might be her husband, but that somehow made it more embarrassing.

“Never?” he repeated, sounding intrigued.

“Never.” She felt self-conscious under his gaze. “I had the chance, more than once, but I always thought having sex after the first or second, even the third date was selling myself short. Uncle Frank said it should be an expression of love and commitment, not a way to cap off dinner or a movie.”

Niko didn’t say anything.

She flushed. “I’m a total freak, aren’t I? I don’t know how to be a princess. And I have no clue how to, you know.”

“You are not a freak.” He reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re beautiful.”

She shivered at the light touch. If only she felt beautiful.

“Do not worry. We have not known each other long, but there is a chemistry between us,” he said in a husky tone.

Okay, at least he’d felt it, too. That had to count for something.

He moved closer. “I didn’t pursue it because of Julianna.”

“That was honorable of you.”

Wicked laughter gleamed in his eyes. “But now that it is the two of us and you are my wife…”

Izzy stepped back until she hit the truck’s bumper. “Look, I wanted to kiss you in the kitchen two nights ago. Outside near the garden yesterday. But now I don’t want to do anything until I feel married.”

He raised a brow. “Not even kiss?”

Temptation flared. A touch made her feel all tingly. A kiss might send her right over the edge. “No.”

“We will have a wedding.” His smile crinkled the corners of his eyes, and her heart beat like a drum. “We shall have a royal wedding complete with a fanfare of bugles, a packed cathedral and a horse-drawn carriage that would make Cinderella envious.”

“That sounds so elaborate.” And overwhelming. “I was thinking more along the lines as a quick trip to the courthouse.”

“You need to think bigger,” he said. “In fact, a wedding isn’t enough. We will also go on a honeymoon.”

Every single nerve ending stood at attention. She balled her hands so tightly her nails poked into her palms. A honeymoon implied romance, intimacy, sex. “That really isn’t necessary.”

“It is if we are to get to know each other and start our marriage right.”

And, she realized with a sinking feeling in her stomach, conceive an heir. If that was all Niko wanted, their marriage really didn’t stand a chance.

At precisely one o’clock in the afternoon the following Saturday, a flourish of trumpets announced the royal wedding procession. As fifteen hundred guests sat in the intricately carved wooden pews, the ancient stone cathedral’s walls swallowed the music. An omen or poor acoustics?

Izzy shivered with apprehension.

The first of twelve bridal attendants, all wearing ice-blue strapless silk gowns, strolled out of the vestibule and into the church. She’d barely met any of the women, but at least Jules was her maid of honor.

Even though I’ve always known I would be told who to marry, I’ve never given up hope that somehow I’d be able to marry for love. However remote the possibility.

Jules had received another reprieve from the altar. She’d also convinced her father to support trade and offer investment capital to assist Vernonia’s rebuilding efforts. Izzy hoped the princess’s generosity would be rewarded and she would be allowed to marry for love.

It was too late for Izzy, but things were improving between her and Niko. She’d been on her best behavior trying to learn all she could about being a princess from Jules. Niko seemed to be trying, too.

Would trying be enough to make a marriage work?

Izzy hoped so. She clung to the idea that love could grow over time. That they could have a forever kind of marriage, not a state one.

Music continued to play. Izzy recognized the song. Soon it would be her turn to walk down the aisle.

She remembered her princess instructions.

Shoulders back. Chin up. Smile.

Izzy could do this. She was a princess of Vernonia, even if she felt like a mechanic from Charlotte. She was doing this for her new country. For her parents. For Uncle Frank.

And Niko.

Her chest tightened at the thought of him.

He was waiting for her at the front of the church. Boyd, acting as his best man, would stand next to him. When she’d explained to her friend that marrying Niko was her choice and she liked him, Boyd had given her a strange smile and a shrug. Whatever sting he might have felt disappeared when the king offered to buy Boyd a new truck for his troubles.

Izzy took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

Through her lace veil, she watched another attendant, the youngest daughter of a former Separatist leader, enter the church through the massive arched doorway. The oohs and aahs of the crowd floated on the air as they did during a fireworks display. The flashing of the camera bulbs and the web of electrical cords from the television crews made it seem more like a sports event than a wedding. Selling the television rights to the royal nuptials of the crown prince to the half-American princess had brought in more money than anyone had expected.

Rowdy, her former boss, cleared his throat. He stood next to her in the vestibule ready to walk her down the aisle. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He looked uncomfortable in the tuxedo. “You sure about this, Izzy?”

No. But she thought about Niko. He’d been honest about his reasons for marrying her. He’d been open about the need for heirs and the types of marriages they could have. But she’d also noticed the tenderness in his eyes when she caught him looking at her, the way he’d helped her since arriving and the love he had for his country. All those things told her he was a good, honorable man. “I’m sure.”