Going Royal 01 - Some Like It Royal (18 page)

Daniel raised his eyebrows and swung a look down at his fiancée—fiancée sounded almost as good as wife. “Sweetheart...”

“No.” She shook her head and looked between them. “Seriously, if I had been rescued and taken back to Europe, I wouldn’t have met you, Daniel. I wouldn’t have been in my car when you knocked on the window and... No...I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”

Armand chuckled softly and, with a half-wary glance at Daniel, leaned in to kiss her cheek. “You have my heartiest congratulations, cousin. A determined man, indeed, you’ve found. I have a feeling he will do well in our family. Contracts not withstanding.”

“About the hit earlier...” Daniel began.

Armand waved away his apology and if he had any problem with the other bit of information, he didn’t share it. “What are a few bruises among family? Trust me, my brothers have hit me harder—and with less cause. Although I’m afraid your story will make quite the splash tomorrow.” He glanced over his shoulder at the press being wrangled back. Daniel didn’t care. They could print anything they wanted. He had Alyx.

The three fell silent and Armand squeezed her hand. “For now, I will leave the two of you to your private celebration. Feel free to take the suite upstairs, I will let security know you may have it.” He straightened his tie. “It’s time for me to shock the locals and see if any of the local celebutantes have shown up.”

With a rakish wink, he spun on a heel and marched away.

“He’s not bad for a prince.”

“No,” Alyx agreed and slipped her arms around him. “But I prefer my regular Americans with their software billions to any old-fashioned European playboys.”

“Good to know.” He stared down at her. “Why did you leave?”

“Because I’m an idiot?” She shook her head slowly. “Martin called and said the grand duke was here and he was ecstatic that their attorneys were beginning the slow dance to hire Spherecast and he was overwhelming in his compliments about the success of your ‘plan.’”

He’d thought as much, but hearing the forlorn note in her voice, he wished they could go back to that moment the phone rang. He would have smashed it for her. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because we had a deal. You wanted a princess to get a business contract.” She sighed, a note of impatience in her voice. “Of course, I overreacted and I was going to make it up to you by having the deal all in place and then offering to stay on, permanently. You know to keep it going. But not as a princess—as just me. This is the role of a lifetime, one I wanted for me. Not just to play. Everything we did—it was all working to that goal.”

“Everything?” He lifted his brows.

“Well, almost everything. I didn’t really care about your contract in Napa Valley.”

“Glad to hear it. I don’t think I’ve worried about it in weeks.” He laughed, pulling her close and resting his chin against her hair. Music drifted out of the ballroom and the security guards drew back to nice distance, keeping away the onlookers, but letting them have their privacy.

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“Pride? Stubbornness? Who knows? I’m stupid?” He grinned. “I’m just glad I didn’t wait too long.”

“Me too.” She squeezed him. “Although, I had a plan.”

“You did?”

“Hmm-hmm. Victor told me that if I wanted my happily ever after, I had to keep kissing my toad—”

“Toad?” He interrupted, not sure he liked where this was going.

“It’s just a figure of speech.”

“Uh-huh. Go on.” He swayed with her, enjoying the weight of her against his body, her lean softness to his harder height.

“Anyway, he reminded me that American fairy tales have happily ever afters. So I was going to surrender my ‘duchy’ before they could give it to me and ask you for a job at your software company.”

He blinked. “How is that a plan?”

“I would have made sure you put a ‘sexual harassment required’ clause in my contract.” The wry, saucy response tickled him and he leaned back.

“I’ll sexually harass you anytime you want.”

“Excellent.” She grinned. “Does that go both ways?”

“Baby, you have to promise to sexually harass me—just do it when you’re naked.” He waggled his eyebrows.

“Why naked?”

“Why not?”

They laughed.

Inside the ballroom, the music faded and a round of applause drew their attention. Arm in arm, they drifted toward the door. Daniel didn’t really care what was happening inside, but he would never ask her to give up her newfound family.

Royal or not.

The grand duke stood in the center of the room, a microphone in hand. “Good evening all and thank you for attending this event with us tonight. Most of you here are dear friends or steady colleagues. You have been with our family for years, so you are the first that I wanted to introduce to our latest members—one who has deserved to be here from the moment of her birth, and the other, the very fortunate man who won her heart. Please help me to welcome my cousin, the Grand Duchess Alyxandretta, princess royal, and her future husband—he with a mean left hook—Daniel Voldakov.”

The spotlight swung across the room and illuminated them in the doorway. The applause rippled across the room. Alyx leaned close to him and murmured, “You realize there’s no getting out of this now?”

“I wouldn’t want it any other way.” He caught her hand and guided her out onto the dance floor among the applause. When the waltz came on, he pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to her ear. “My princess.”

“And they lived happily...ever...after.”

“Damn straight.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Six months later
...

Alyx stared at the dress in the mirror. The white chiffon spilled down to the floor, while the lace bodice hugged her chest while diamonds and flowers decorated her hair. She’d refused the offer of a tiara, but when Armand requested the right to walk her down the aisle, she didn’t turn him down.

They’d come a long way in the six months since they’d met—vacationing in Belgium with he and his siblings, as well as meeting up in New York twice and once more in Los Angeles during the engagement party. The only true argument erupted when it came to the wedding venue. Armand wanted to host her wedding at the family estate in Norway. But she had no ties to that place, not yet. Daniel preferred Los Angeles, but was pretty much willing for anything—except the drive-through Elvis chapel she’d suggested.

They’d compromised and chosen a sleepy little church in Woodland. Her parents had been married there. Both families agreed and the city of Sacramento’s tourism board threw in help with security as royal watchers from around the world flocked to see their simple wedding. When a certain British prince appeared on the guest list, they’d had to double their security conditions.

“You look radiant,” Rhonda complimented and kissed her cheek. She’d chosen Rhonda for her maid of honor and Lucy for her bridesmaid. Daniel’s secretary tried to refuse, but she insisted and Daniel swore he’d call her morning, noon and night until she agreed.

Standing best man for Daniel was Martin.

As part of their wedding present, he’d hosted a beachside bonfire, burning their contract while they toasted marshmallows. Even Daniel’s mother was in the crowd along with Grace Burrows from the social services office. The chapel could only hold about a hundred and fifty guests, so the rest of their wedding guests waited for them at the ballroom of the Grand Hotel where they would celebrate the reception.

Armand arrived with both of his brothers—Sebastian and George. George was by far her favorite, just two years her junior and with a deep interest in film. They’d hit it off during the first vacation and she’d promised him a tour of Hollywood after the honeymoon...

The top secret honeymoon that only Victor knew the destination of, because he’d taken care of getting her clothes ready.

Personally, she didn’t care where they were going. With the craziness of the wedding plans, the Takahashi contract and the recently announced European deals, she and Daniel hadn’t had five minutes alone together. Armand insisted they spend the night before the wedding apart and he’d hosted her at his recently acquired Petersburg Tower along with the rest of the family, including two dowager aunts, a haphazard collection of cousins and his brothers.

He’d given her a ring for Daniel—she could give it to him after the ceremony. Like her necklace, it carried the family crest and declared him an official member of the Andraste royal family. From blue-collar billionaire to member of the pedigree’d elite, who would have imagined that a random dinner appointment with his attorney would have sat them in her station and led to this day?

“Are you ready, beautiful cousin?” Armand stood in the doorway. She could hear the first stirrings of the music as Rhonda and Lucy preceded her up the aisle.

She exhaled and he held out his arm. So much pomp and circumstance, but none of it mattered. Armand guided her down the hallway and the double doors to the chapel opened. Inside the guests stood and a single photographer, one approved by the family and vetted by Daniel, took her picture. The first bars of the wedding march echoed through the chapel, but Alyx heard none of it.

Standing at the end of that long walk was the sun god who woke her from a long and lonely sleep. She forced Armand to pick up the pace.

She couldn’t wait for their happily ever after.

Epilogue

Andraste Grand Duke Armand walked his recently discovered cousin
,
the Grand Duchess Alyxandretta
,
down the aisle in Sacramento today.
Royal watchers from around the world flooded the city and jammed up YouTube with impromptu video coverage after the family declined to air the wedding on national television.
While not invited to the wedding itself
,
the First Lady and the vice president were invited to the reception along with some two thousand other dignitaries.

The happy couple includes groom Daniel Voldakov
,
a
self-made billionaire and sole owner of Spherecast Technologies.
The software giant employs nearly seven hundred people in the Los Angeles area.
The fairy tale love story for Grand Duchess will be the subject of a cable movie
, The Billionaire and his Pauper Princess
.
It’s rumored that the grand duchess herself will have a role in the film.

In the meanwhile
,
royal hopefuls have their eye on the playboy Grand Duke Armand.
He broke up with his on-again-off-again girlfriend
,
model Nikole duMonde
,
last month in Monte Carlo.
We have to wonder if his cousin’s nuptials gave the model ideas and the confirmed bachelor sought to curb her chances at catching the bouquet.

So
,
which lucky lady will catch his eye next?
We can only standby for further developments.

Back to you
,
Bob.

“What lucky lady will catch his eye next?” Alyx laughed as she clicked off the entertainment report. “After all the cameras outside the hotel, I think
that
lucky lady would have to want to live under a microscope to set her sights on him.”

“Hmm, possibly.” They were sprawled in the room of their borrowed Napa estate. Daniel, with Armand and Victor’s help, led the paparazzi on a merry chase. The press thought they were flying out, but instead, they’d driven off in Alyx’s old car of all things.

While everyone searched for a limousine, they’d made their escape in the ten-year-old Volvo.

Daniel traced a finger down her bare leg. “Any regrets?”

She glanced at him, then the crest ring he’d slid on next to his wedding ring. “None. You?”

“Yes.” He nodded solemnly.

Worry bloomed in her chest. He’d insisted on a fast wedding, splitting the difference with her family for six months, rather than their traditional one-year engagement.

She’d been tempted to toss the whole lot, but after seeing how much Armand enjoyed giving her away, and the faces of those friends that were near and dear to them, she’d been satisfied with the choice. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re still sitting at the end of the bed, when I have all this wonderful room up here.”

“Mean,” Alyx accused, laughter writhing through the anxiety. She grabbed a pillow and pounced forward, swinging.

“Foul!” He roared playfully and swatted her with a pillow of his own. They beat on each other until his pillow exploded and he cried mercy. But her moment of triumph was short-lived as he swept her down onto the bed and pinned her in a scorching kiss.

Breathlessly she stared up at him and then pinched his shoulder.

“Ow.” He grinned. “What did I do?”

“Everything. I just have to keep reminding myself that you’re real.”

“Oh, I’m definitely real.” He kissed her again as if to prove his point. “And if you keep pinching me, I won’t give you your wedding present.”

“You got me a present?”

“Hmm-hmm.” He grinned and rolled over to open the bedside drawer. She didn’t know when he’d secreted the present in, but she sat up to accept the flat package wrapped in red and gold foil. No name tag or bow offset the plain elegance of the wrap.

“What is it?”

“Open it.” He laughed, resting a hand on her thigh.

She shook it once. “I don’t hear keys.”

“Nope. It’s not a new car, but you are getting one.”

“I like my Volvo.” She stuck her tongue out at him.

“Me too. It will make a lovely cube of metal for some modern art collection.” He squeezed her leg. “Go on, open it.”

“Hmm.” She put the foil-wrapped box to her forehead. “The Great Karnac sees all and knows all—” She squinted at him. “It’s a ticket for endless wonder.”

“Open it,” he repeated patiently, his eyes twinkling. “Silly wife.”

Her heart melted. “Say it again.”

His eyebrows lifted. “What, open it?”

“No. The other part.”

“Silly wife?” He grinned. “I like the sound of that. Wife.”

“Me too.” And the tears gathered in her eyes again. He didn’t ask, just sat up and tugged her into his arms, holding her tight. It was so hard to get used to—this sense of permanence in her life of transience.

But Daniel loved her. Daniel married her.

He may have helped her rediscover her roots, but he’d become her family.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Open the box.”

Sniffling, she swiped at her tears and slit the paper up the seam with her nail. The plain white box inside betrayed nothing of its contents. Daniel crumpled the paper and tossed it toward the wastebasket. She slit the tape on the edges of the box and pulled open the lid.

“Oh my God.” The earlier tears surged with a vengeance and the photograph in the simple black frame swam in front of her.

“It’s the best I could do.”

“Daniel?” She looked up at him. “It’s my mom and dad.”

“I know, baby. You’re there too. See?” He pointed to her mom’s belly and she had to blink furiously to see past the tears. Her parents were sitting outside, under a very familiar tree. Her dad’s arms were around her mom and they were laughing at the camera. Her mother’s swollen belly revealed her pregnancy.

“How?” He’d found a photo. She saw herself in her father, the shape of her ears, the jut of her chin. She looked just like her father. And like Armand—they had the same eyes.

“We found a woman named Kelly Kensington. She was your mom’s best friend and the maid of honor at her wedding—”

“The chapel.” She looked up. “When you told me about it.”

“Yep. It occurred to my P.I. that their marriage had to be recorded somewhere and there was at least a small chance that so would their witnesses. After that, it was just a matter of finding them. Ms. Kensington had this in her photo album and a couple more from when you were a baby. They’re all at home waiting for you. But this one—this one I wanted you to have now.”

“I love you.” She wrapped her arms around him and he pulled her close.

“I love you.”

He gave her everything.

He was her forever family.

* * * * *