The King’s Innocent Bride

Tears fall from her big blue eyes, and she takes the picture from me, holding it to her chest.

“I thought these were gone,” she says. “I kept trying to remember what my grandma looked like, but each day it felt like my memory of her was slipping away from me.”

“I got all the pictures from his house.” I cup her face, kissing her tears. Each one cuts me deeper and deeper. “It’s gone. I had that house ripped to the ground. You’ll never have to think about waking there again.”

Chapter Twelve

Kate

“I don’t need a month.” I fling myself into James’s arms. He catches me easily. I pepper kisses all over his handsome face and I smile at him. I can’t believe he’s done all this for me. I don’t think I even want to wait a month. “Let’s get married right now.”

His grip on me tightens, and my body fills with need as it always does when he’s near. I lock my legs around him, placing my hands on his shoulders. His face grows serious. “I’d love nothing more than to marry you right this second, but Mom would lose it.”

I love how he says mom like she’s mother to both of us. I know I had a mom when I was little, but I don’t remember her. The idea of having a mom is almost more than I can even begin to wish for.

“She wants to plan this wedding with you, but if you want to get married now I will do whatever you wish. You always come first.” I want to melt into a pile of goo at his words. I can wait. I want to plan the wedding with his mom, too, and get to know his family.

“I can wait.” I press my chest into his. “Even though you’re going to make me wait.” I pout. He takes my mouth, kissing the pout right off my lips.

“Play with your goats before I drag you back to our bed and show you all the other things I can do to your little body while we wait.” He slides me down his body until my feet touch the ground.

I kind of like his idea. “It’s getting dark,” he reminds me that we don’t have a ton of time. I look over my shoulder to see the baby goats all jumping around and playing. I break away from James hold running towards them. He helps me climb over the fence.

We spend the next hour playing with them and naming them all. There is a total of five babies, each one more adorable than the next. He talks about how each time we have a baby we should get a new one. Every word he says makes me fall deeper in love with him.

I wonder if falling in love is always like this. So fast and consuming. It takes my breath away but fills me up inside, too. I hate my uncle, but I’m thankful that in a way he brought me to James. The years I spent with him were worth it if at the end this is my reward. I’d do it all over again.

James scoops me up into his arms. “The sun is almost down. Let’s get cleaned up so I can give you the rest of your birthday surprises.” I rest my head on his shoulder as he carries me back through the rose garden and into the castle. I bury my face in his neck when I see people turn to look at us, and I feel a little shy.

It’s something I’ll have to get used to, I’m sure. James is king, after all. Our lives will always be in the spotlight. I’m not used to being the center of attention. It makes me wonder what everyone else will think about him marrying me. His mom is okay with it, but what about everyone else?

I wonder if they will be like Nicolette. I still feel slightly guilty about that. I couldn’t fault her for wanting James. The man is everything that I could ever want. I kiss his neck in adoration.

“Princess,” James growls, making me smile, and I do it again. This time I give a tiny nip like he does to me. His arms lock around me even tighter.

“Will people care that you’re marrying me?” I ask him as we enter his home wing of the castle.

“Don’t give a shit what other people think,” he tells me easily. It’s clear that he really doesn’t.

“That’s not what I mean. I just…” I’m not sure how to say what I mean. I guess that I want them all to like me. To accept me.

“Everyone will love you. I’m allowed to marry whoever I like,” he says as if reading my mind. “There’s no way they won’t love you. Your sweetness is infectious.”