Seduced by the Spare Heir

Serafia let him slip the ring onto her finger. She couldn’t take her eyes off it and couldn’t stop thinking about everything it represented. He loved her. He wanted to marry her. He wanted her to be his queen. In that moment, all her doubts and hesitations about being in the spotlight disappeared. Before, she had been there alone. If Gabriel was by her side, it would okay. She couldn’t believe how quickly everything in her life had changed.

“Serafia?”

She tore her gaze away from the ring to look at Gabriel. He looked a little confused and a little anxious as he watched her. “Yes?”

“I, uh, asked you a question. Would you like to answer it so I can stop freaking out?”

Serafia smiled, feeling quite silly for missing the critical step in the proposal process. “Yes, Gabriel, I will marry you.”

He grinned wide, opening his arms to catch her just as she propelled herself at him. Her lips met his with an enthusiasm she couldn’t contain. Just an hour ago, she thought she might never be in his arms again. And here she was...his fiancée. There was a sudden lightness in her heart and she felt as though she had to cling to Gabriel so she wouldn’t float away.

“I love you, Serafia,” he whispered against her lips.

“I love you, too, Gabriel,” she answered, happy to finally say those words out loud.

Gabriel stood up, pulling her up with him. “The coronation is over a month away. I don’t want to wait that long to marry you.”

She knew exactly how he felt. She would happily elope if she thought they would get away with it. Unfortunately the people of Alma would want their royal wedding. As would her mother. There was no avoiding that. “How quickly do you think we can pull off a wedding?”

“Well,” Gabriel said thoughtfully, “my brother’s wedding is already in the works. He abdicated, but he’s still prince, so father insisted he and Emily have their ceremony in Alma. That’s only a few weeks away. What would you say to a double wedding?”

“A double wedding?”

“Why not? They’ve already got the plans in place. All the same people will be coming. Why can’t we have one giant celebration and both marry at the same time?”

Serafia looked at her handsome fiancé thoughtfully. He was not a woman. He didn’t understand what kinds of expectations went into a wedding. Serafia might not mind a double wedding, but Emily certainly might.

“How about this...?” she proposed. “You talk to Rafe and Emily about it. If they are both fine with it, then I’m okay with it, too.”

Gabriel grinned wide. “I’m sure they will be, but I’ll check. And then you’ll be Mrs. Gabriel Montoro, soon to be Su Majestad la Reina Serafia de Alma. Are you ready for that?”

Serafia wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded. “I think so, although I’m sure that being queen will be the easy part.”

Gabriel arched one brow curiously at her. “What’s going to be the hard part?”

She climbed to her bare toes and planted a kiss on his full lips. “Keeping the king out of trouble.”