“You’re right, I do know that. I’m not in love with her, though. If that’s what you’re worried about, then you don’t need to worry about it anymore. I won’t do anything to disturb your relationship with her, and of course, as your brother, I’m willing to do anything that I can to support you. Just let me know what you want me to do,” Leonard said calmly. “You’re crazy…” Florian muttered as he shook his head from side to side in disbelief. “If I wanted to make a move on her, I would have a long time ago. Unfortunately, I’ve had ample opportunities to do so. As for Regina, I’ve already told her that I only see her as a sister and a friend,” Leonard explained truthfully. “Poor Regina. I feel so bad for her. She really shouldn’t have fallen in love with you,” Florian said with evident disappointment. “I agree. I truly feel the same way. Her father’s also just using her and her feelings to get what he wants. Well, you’ve already mated with her so she’s yours now. Regina is from a very
“I-I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…” I apologized immediately when I snapped out of my own thoughts. I bowed repeatedly as I continued to apologize for my mistakes. It wasn’t the first time that my troubled thoughts had distracted me from my dance lessons, but it made me realize that the condition of my mind was getting worse. The fun and engaging dance lesson that I had with the Duchess Flavia may not be sufficient to keep my mind from thinking of the prince any longer. “I don’t want you to apologize, I want you to focus. Let’s take a break. You should drink some water, come over here,” she said as she waved me toward her. “Thank you…” I thanked her to stop myself from apologizing again. I felt so guilty about my attention straying right in the middle of class. The duchess had been nothing but kind and helpful to me and that made me feel disappointed in myself for treating her lesson like it wasn’t important. She led me to a bench where we could sit to take our rest and drink water. “You
“Why do you want the prince to come and see you?” she asked as her face suddenly turned serious. Why did I want the prince to come see me? I blinked rapidly in surprise at her question. Although I wasn’t sure what I had expected for her to ask me, I was certain that I didn’t expect her to ask me something like this. “Umm…because I want to see him?” I replied questioningly. Why else would I want the prince to come and see me?“Hmm…that’s not quite what I was asking. So let me try again…” she said after giggling softly. “I am sorry. I don’t think I quite understand your question,” I replied softly. “Not at all. Let me try asking you again. Why do you want the prince to come to see you?” she asked with a smile.It might have been the first time that I found her smile so unnerving, and I wondered what she saw with those twinkling eyes of hers as she stared at me. “I just…want to see him…” I replied in a small voice.“Why is that? What makes you want to see him?” she asked further.
“You’ve mated with him more than once before, right? Who knows? You may already be pregnant…” the duchess said and for a moment she looked genuinely excited. “I don’t think that is the case…” I replied softly. “Hmm? How can you be so sure?” she asked with widened eyes. “Well…” I murmured when I remembered the prince’s warning.Despite his warnings, I didn’t think that I could talk to anyone about how we went about our intimate duties. It was just too embarrassing for me to voice out loud and that was precisely why I struggled to answer the duchess’s question. Just as I was about to apologize to her for my inability to give her an answer, the sound of her clapping her hand together echoed in the dance studio. “Wow, I have to say that this is more than a little unexpected. I guess the rumors that I’ve heard about Prince Leonard not wanting to become the next king might be true after all…” she said before she smiled again at me. I wasn’t sure what the prince truly wanted for his fut
The look of pain that flashed across her face made my chest clench uncomfortably. No matter what, I didn’t like seeing anyone suffering like that. The other thing that I didn’t know was why she was telling me this. “You should say something. You’re so silent now that it scares me,” the duchess said before she smiled at me. The painful and stressful look on her face was now gone and it was like she had reverted to the cheerful and beautiful young-looking duchess that I was used to seeing and spending time with. “I’m very sorry. I just don’t really know what to say…” I confessed truthfully. “I guess I can’t blame you. If you find what I just told you burdensome, you can just pretend that I never said anything and that you never heard anything,” the duchess suggested brightly. How I wished that things would be just that simple. I didn’t find her words burdensome; however, I had to admit that it did complicate things. Not wanting to add more problems for myself, I decided that the co
Although I didn’t quite understand the meaning of her words, once again I couldn’t see the downside to the deal that she was offering. She could tell me the information that I so badly wanted to know and in exchange, I’ll follow her instructions. When the time came for me to follow her instructions, I could refuse if it went against my will. “Let me ask you again, Mila. Do we have a deal?” she asked again. “Yes…we do…” I replied after a brief moment of thought. “You’re a very smart girl. I wouldn’t mind helping you…” she said before she smiled brightly. It felt like flowers would bloom in the presence of her bright smile and the warmth of her voice as she giggled. “Please tell me what Prince Leonard has been up to…” I demanded immediately. I couldn’t help but feel impatient. It was true that I wanted desperately to see him; however, I was also worried about him. It wasn’t like him not to turn up to our lessons without reaching out to me. Then there was the matter of that woman t
I watched as the duchess continued to giggle while rubbing her hands together. A shiver ran down my spine and I felt very spooked out about how she was acting. I had known that her character was a complex one, but I didn’t count on her being some kind of maniac on top of everything else. “A fever or a sprained ankle? I’m sorry but I don’t think I understand…” I said without hiding my apparent shock. “You’ll do as I say, right? We did make a deal with each other…” the duchess replied with a pleased smile. Every sense in my body told me that something abnormal was about to happen. Duchess Flavia stared at me intensely and I could sense her excitement and that just confirmed that I had somehow gotten myself involved in another mess without really understanding anything at all. “Even if you say that…” I began protesting. The duchess shook her head from side to side before putting up her hand to signal for me to stop talking. I swallowed my words of protest when I decided to listen to
There was no longer time for me to change my mind about this. I watched in absolute terror as the duchess put a beautifully manicured finger up to her lips to signal for me to stay silent as she waited for the call to connect. “Oh, Prince Leonard…” the duchess said through the phone. My entire body stiffened at the mention of the prince’s name. Unlike the carefree way that she usually spoke, the duchess’s voice was now clearly laced with worry as if she had just witnessed an emergency. I gulped while thinking that her acting skills were spectacular. My eyes immediately dropped to my unhurt ankle that was supposed to be sprained while I thought about how I would get through this. Of course, knew that this was a foolish quest and that I would be nothing more than mincemeat if the prince were to find out that we were literally lying to him. Apart from the fact that it was already too late to turn back time now, I had to admit that I might be willing to go through with this if it meant
“Congratulations to us, you’re pregnant, Mila!” Prince Leonard announced excitedly.“I’m pregnant?” I asked more out of curiosity than out of surprise. Although I knew that the prince would never joke about something like this, I still found it hard to believe that I was suddenly pregnant.“That’s right, you’re pregnant, and that means we’re about to have another baby,” Prince Leonard said before breaking into another wide smile.“I’m…really pregnant?” I whispered as I struggled to wrap my head around the prince’s sudden announcement.“The doctor said that you might have been feeling tired because you’re in the early stages of pregnancy. I’m sorry that I hadn’t realized this sooner; otherwise, I would have kept all the ceremonies short so that you didn’t have to go through all of that when you’re feeling so tired,” the prince said apologetically as he took my hands into his. I kept staring at the prince as he buried the side of his face against the palm of my hand.“We’re about to hav
“Have you eaten anything? Actually, that’s a very stupid question. I know that you haven’t really eaten anything because you haven’t had the time, right?” the Duchess asked knowingly.Although I didn’t want to admit it because I didn’t want to be an inconvenience to anyone, the Duchess was spot on correct that I hadn’t had the time or the opportunity to eat anything. The day had been so busy from early in the morning up until the evening, and everything seemed more important than filling my own stomach.“It’s fine, I’ll make sure to eat something when this reception is over,” I told her reassuringly before offering her a smile. Duchess Flavia only gave me a disapproving glare before shaking her head from side to side.“You look like you’re about to faint. It’s like I can see your face go pale even with all the makeup,” she said as she brought her face closer to mine to get a closer look at me.“I’m feeling fine,” I told her while I tried to convince myself that I wasn’t feeling light-
"Your daughter looks like you," Prince Leonard commented."And I think that your son looks like you, and I'm sure that he will grow up into a great king," Regina said, and I could hear the confidence in her voice."Let me know if you ever need anything," the prince told her with a warm smile."You're always too kind. Please take good care of yourself and of Mila. Mila, please take care of our King," Regina said, turning to address me."I will," I replied shortly before finding myself smiling at her.Regina truly did look happier than the time when she lived in the palace. It felt like the shadow that had always been following her around and haunting her was no longer there. I could tell that she was no longer living under pressure, and it made her shine with happiness and freedom. It seemed that I didn't have to worry about her anymore.After some parting words, Regina led her daughter away from us so that we could converse with other guests. I had no idea how many conversations we ha
Prince Leonard probably had no idea that it was the way his beautiful eyes looked at me and the way his alluring lips curved up into a smile that was responsible for making everything else fade away from my field of vision so that all I could do was focus on him."Thank you for making me your queen," I whispered softly and sweetly.The prince only nodded his head once before carefully placing the crown on the top of my head. When I was aware of the world surrounding us again, all I could hear was the thundering sound of applause that echoed in the royal hall...."Hang in there for just a little longer, Mila," the prince said before flashing me a teasing smile."I guess we're done with two out of the three parts of what we have planned for today," I mumbled before stifling a yawn. I had no idea why I felt so lethargic and sleepy, although it was only just early in the evening. So far, the prince and I operated as the perfect team to pull off two of our most important events of the day
His words touched me like never before, and I could feel it in my heart and soul that I reciprocated his feelings and thoughts. I had never understood the concept of fated mates until I experienced it myself along with the prince. Our bond felt stronger and firmer than any endearing words of promise."I love you. I’ll love you forever," I said the words that came naturally to my mind.**Back to the present**When it came my turn to say ‘I do’, I found myself managing to say it without any difficulty. It must have been partly because I truly meant it when I vowed to be with the prince in sickness and in health, through thick and thin; however, I was certain that everything felt easier because I knew that we had a bond that even the heavens could never break."I do," I said firmly when it was my turn.When we shared the kiss to seal our wedding vows, I knew that what we had was something that was going to last forever until the end of our lifetimes....Our wedding ceremony in the churc
I gave Logan's hand a slight squeeze before taking my first step forward into the church. I could feel everyone's eyes on me as I reminded myself to keep my head held high, curving my lips into one of my most beautiful smiles. Without any hesitation, I made my way forward down the aisle. The fact that each step forward brought me closer to the man waiting for me at the end of the aisle gave me the comfort and courage to continue on. I didn't even bother trying to identify faces that I might recognize in the crowd of guests present on both sides of me.It felt as if all my nervousness melted away completely when my eyes met Prince Leonard's. I’d always thought he looked amazingly attractive, but seeing the prince wearing an all-white tuxedo standing in front of the altar with such a loving smile on his face as he waited for me was out of this world. I felt my heart skip a beat in my chest, and it wasn't at all because of my nervousness. Everything and everyone around me slowly faded aw
It was clear that everything was too extravagant for my own taste to the point where it must have been pretty obvious to Prince Leonard that I had no hand in the selection and design of the proposed decorations. "I'm actually fine with anything. I think everything they've chosen is very beautiful, and their work is a lot more professional than anything I could have done by myself," I admitted to the prince honestly."If that's the case, then fine, but if there's anything that you don't like, just tell them to take it out," the prince said firmly."I just think it's easier to let them sort everything out. It's enough for me that we'll be getting married and that Logan will be there to witness our union," I said while trying to keep my tone cheerful. I was certain that if I picked out anything by myself or intervened with the guest list, I would be bringing unwarranted complications and troubles that I didn't want to deal with."If that's what you say," the prince said after finally gi
I should have known that the prince would never want to become the next king for his own personal gain. I found myself nodding my head naturally in agreement with his plan when I realized that I also had to play my part in contributing to the happiness of our son in the future.“I agree that that seems to be the easiest way. I guess if you become king, you can change the rules in whatever way you want,” I said while seeing more than a glimpse of hope.“It’s not going to be that easy. Many people on the committee are going to be against it, but this is our best shot. No matter what, we’re going to make this successful and change the rules of this country for the better,” the prince said, so motivatingly that I found myself feeling slightly excited.“I guess bringing change, especially big changes, isn’t going to be easy,” I said, but by then I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. In my mind, I had already envisioned such a bright future, and it gave me the greatest honor to be able to co
“What is it?” I asked, feeling a sense of worry stir in the pit of my stomach.“I’m concerned about Logan,” the prince confessed in a whisper.“Concerned? What is there for you to be concerned about? Is something wrong?” I bombarded him with questions, thinking there might be a threat to Logan’s safety. I had no idea why I felt that way, but I just had a very bad feeling.“Remember when you asked me why I changed my mind about taking over the throne? I’m sorry, but I haven’t been entirely honest with you,” the prince said with a regretful look on his face.“It’s fine. It must have been hard for you,” I said understandingly while wondering what had the prince feeling so concerned. “What is it about Logan?” I asked as I started to frown with worry.“Logan is getting a lot better at controlling his transformations now, but he’s still too young for us to be sure about what will happen in his future,” Prince Leonard said.It was true that our son had improved tremendously at controlling hi