The Illegitimate King (Castaldini Crown 3)

After that, they sat in silence on the thrones he’d transported there, until the royal guards converged at the back of the stage, heralding the arrival of Castaldini’s cardinal.

Suddenly Ferruccio broke their silence, giving her a look soaked in challenge. “How appropriate it is to marry you here, Clarissa. Where else would a man marry a lioness but in a place where in ancient times gladiators fought lions for their lives?”

Her heart fluttered as she pounced on the opening, prayed her teasing tone and smile would show him there was no rancor left in her. “It was also in such places that sacrifices were tossed to predators like you to devour.”

His answering smile told her he’d read her meaning, her mood, was delighted by both. “So, my sacrifice, which part of you would your recommend I devour first?”

She filed her nails against her bodice. “So, my gladiator, which part of you would you like me to shred to ribbons first?”

He laughed, heaved up to his feet, swooped down on her and dragged her to hers. “Come, leonessa mia, let the duel begin.”

The cardinal came to stand before them, turning his back to the crowd so that they faced their subjects-to-be.

With everyone silent and with the acoustic structure of the theater, as soon as the cardinal raised his voice to recite the Castaldinian wedding vows, it was as if he was speaking into a sound-amplifying system.

He paused, waiting for Ferruccio to repeat the words after him. Ferruccio just gestured for him to go on.

Looking shocked, but not about to argue with his new king on global live feed, the man went on. But when he came to the part where he had to ask the questions answered by “I do” s, Ferruccio stopped him. Clarissa was as much at a loss as the poor man.

Ferruccio turned to her. “I’ve parroted enough pledges today. But this is one pledge I’m making on my own.” Then he raised his voice. “Do you Clarissa D’Agostino, my lioness, my queen, my savior from the darkness, want me to be your defense and harbor, your support and succor, your ally and lover?”

She stared at him. Too much rang in her mind in a loop.

She had one answer.

She surged into him, hugged him with all her strength.

He hugged her back, exhaled as if he’d been bating his breath, whispered to her only, “Then take all of me, mia bella unica.”

The crowd treated them to a standing ovation.

After the tumult his unorthodox wedding vows had caused had died down, and they were again sitting in their thrones with her trembling so hard that she could barely sit up, she saw Ferruccio staring sideways. She followed his gaze.

Her heart twitched when she found it settled on Gabrielle. Gabrielle looked back at him and he gave her a conspiratorial wink.

Before Clarissa’s heart could thud with alarm, Gabrielle turned and clung to Durante, seemed to be pleading with him. Durante kept shaking his head until she pouted. He sighed in what looked like defeat, stood up, mock-scowled down on her, then turned and walked toward the stage. Gabrielle gave Ferruccio a bursting-with-excitement smile. He gave her the thumbs-up.

Clarissa had never been so confused.

Durante climbed onto the stage, growled for their ears only, “You’re paying for this, Ferruccio. Big time.”

She grabbed Ferruccio’s arm. “What’s going on?”

He smiled. “Watch. Or more accurately, listen.”

Durante faced the crowds. “This is for my sister and queen, Clarissa.” He tossed a ‘take that’ look back at Ferruccio. Ferruccio retaliated with one bedeviling eyebrow wiggle. Durante narrowed his eyes then turned around.

And started to sing.

Sing? Durante? Had the world tilted on its axis?

Clarissa didn’t realize her mouth was hanging wide open until Ferruccio’s gentle caress closed it for her.

She looked back at him, flabbergasted. He’d known Durante could sing, had set it up with Gabrielle to give her this, the gift of hearing her brother singing for the first time in her life. And boy, could Durante sing! He was incredible.

By the time Durante finished the aria “Nessun Dorma”—none shall sleep tonight—from the opera Turandot by Puccini, and bowed to a storming-with-applause crowd, Clarissa was bawling.

She burst to her feet, zoomed across the stage and grabbed Durante in a rib-crushing hug. As he hugged her back, Clarissa saw their father, openly in a wheelchair now, watching them with his cheeks wet. The crowd roared, demanding an encore, with Paolo and Julia leading the petitions.

As Durante succumbed and sang something more lighthearted from Le Nozze di Figaro, by Mozart, Ferruccio came behind her, took her leaning back into him, as they listened along with the rapt crowd.

She was still weeping her joy as Durante finished his second aria and wouldn’t be prevailed upon for more curtain calls.

Her brother turned to her, kissed her. Then, as he shook Ferruccio’s hand, he grabbed him nearer, gave him a lethal smile. “King or no king, best friend or not, Ferruccio, if I don’t see my sister bouncing with happiness, you’re a dead man.”

Ferruccio gave him an inexplicable smile before turning his eyes to Clarissa. “My life depends on you now.”

She wanted to say, if it were up to her, he’d live forever.

She didn’t, and after Durante went back to his wife and Ferruccio took her back to their thrones, she could only sit there, reverberating with the enormities that Ferruccio had put her through throughout the day.

He leaned close, took her trembling hand. “I wish I could have been the one to sing for you, but if you’re looking for things I can’t do, singing tops the list.”

She wanted to tell him he’d given her far more than she could ever express. She knew if she did, she’d burst into tears again and this time wouldn’t stop.

She gave him a tremulous smile instead. “It’s okay. Lions aren’t known for their singing ability. You roar and rumble and purr pretty good, though.”

His eyes ignited as he got to his feet, sweeping her up with him. “Time to haul you to my lair, leonessa mia.”

Chapter Ten

On the short “haul” to Ferruccio’s “lair,” he drowned her in exhilaration and arousal, every second solidifying the spell he’d woven around her with that first glance.

He took her inside the mansion, kissed her deeply as he took off her veil, shook down her hair, but kept her crown on. Then he almost drove her out of her mind taking off her train.

She was wondering if he’d take her right there in the lounge, when he straightened, kissed her on the nape, then walked away.