by Madison Faye
I froze.
“I know, Cole,” Xavier said quietly, holding a hand up as I started to open my mouth. “No, before you ask, I’m not spying on you or anything like that.” He sighed. “I just knew, man. You’re one of my best friends, and you’ve been noticeably on edge for a few weeks now, ever since that incident at King Rodney’s house.”
“I was set up.”
“I know,” he growled, shaking his head.
“Look, you want some wisdom of the ages?”
“You’re the old guy here.”
He glared at me, but when I grinned, he flashed one right back.
“Let it go.” He shrugged. “Let me tell you, life is going to be full of shit being flung at you, especially as you get older and especially for you when you take up the throne. Look, I’m no King, I’m a Duke. But listen to what I’m saying. Find what makes you feel alive, and you fucking hang on to that. Everything else is just noise.”
I was quiet, my brain processing what he’d said.
“Oh, and another thing.” He smirked at me. “Ask your fucking friends for help when you need it, asshole. Hayden, Sven and I could have been in on this with you weeks ago.”
“It’s my fight,” I muttered.
“And with that mindset, the whole fucking world is going to be your fight,” he spat back. His hand rested on my shoulder. “We all kind of like you, man. So how about you let us help you stay out false imprisonment, huh?”
Slowly, the smile crept over my face.
“We’ll talk later,” I finally muttered.
Xavier grinned. “Good. Now, there’s something I have to go do.”
“Find Lola?”
“Damn right,” he muttered. “And I’m guessing you need to go find a certain other Princess?”
“Damn right.”
He laughed. “Well let’s make it fast. Someone’s going to figure out Hayden’s stolen the bride of this thing any second now, and it’s going to be our asses if we don’t get the fuck out of here.”
Blood roared in my ears. My hands clenched to fists, and I could feel the spark of something fierce burning inside of me.
No more tiptoeing around.
No more lies, and no more bullshit. This was my life, after all, and Faith was my wife. And really, that’s all that mattered. The hell with worrying about what her parents would say. The hell with the Royal Courts, and all the blatant lies they were going to try and push through as evidence.
To hell with all of it.
They could take my crown. They could take whatever they wanted, because all I wanted was her. She was my kingdom. She was my crown.
She was my everything.
…And it was time to tell the fucking world.
Chapter 18
Faith
“I’m so happy for you!”
I wrapped my arms around Callie, squeezing her tight before I pulled back to grin at her.
“You’re married!”
“I know!”
And she was, as of five minutes before. The ceremony had been small — just her, King Hayden, King Sven and me as witnesses, and Hayden’s family priest. Small, but one of the sweetest things I’d ever seen. This was the wedding Callie deserved. Not chained to King Milton to pay off some debts. No, Hayden was the man she deserved.
They’d looked the odds in the face and said “yes” anyways. They’d said screw it to whatever people would say, and there was something about that that resonated inside of me.
I mean, if they could get married on Callie’s own very much publicized wedding and run off together….what the hell was stopping me from telling the world about Cole? I wasn’t ashamed, and I wasn’t confused by it. Not anymore. Not after I’d seen past the tabloid stories surrounding him to the real man underneath. We’d stripped away the assumptions around each other, until it was just the two of us.
And that’s all I needed.
“You be good to her,” I muttered in Hayden’s ear as I gave him a hug. He chuckled, pulling away to grin at me.
“Always.”
Things were going to move fast. After the wedding, Hayden pulled Callie away somewhere — and I was not about to ask where a newlywed couple were about to sneak off to. King Sven slipped away too, and then so did I. Something fierce burned in me as I skipped down the halls of the palace back to the main ballroom. Maybe it was having just seen one of my best friends marry a man she loved.
But maybe, probably, I was because I’d just admitted something to myself: I loved him. Crazy, silly, insane love. And I didn’t care what—
“Hey!”
I gasped as I rounded the corner of the hall and plowed right into him. Cole’s arm’s wrapped around me, catching me before I tumbled back, and pulling me into his embrace.
“I could get used to greetings like this,” he murmured, pulling me close. I bit my lip, looking up into his beautiful, fierce eyes.
“Hi.”
“How’d it go?”
“Well, they’re married!” I shrugged, grinning at him. “Guess things are about to get pretty interesting around this place.”
“You better believe it,” he murmured, pulling me tight. “I want you.”
I blinked, half-smiling at the declaration. “Yeah, I think I got that.”
But Cole just shook his head slowly, looking right into my eyes.
“No, angel, I mean I want you. I want every part of you, and every piece of your heart. Not in a joking way, not in a ‘get drunk and get accidentally married’ way. I mean I want you for real.” He took a deep breath.
“I want you for always, Princess.”
Our lips crashed together fiercely, the two of us tumbling into each other right there in the hallway. Two hearts beating as one. Two parts forming a whole, until I didn’t think I could imagine a world where I didn’t have him.
“Come with me.”
I gasped as he suddenly slid his hand into mine, turned and started pulling me down the hallway.
“Wait, where are we going?”
“No more secrets,” he turned and said quietly. “No more shadows. I’m telling the whole damn world about the Princess I love.”
My heart sang, and as I slipped back into his arms, I leaned up to kiss him softly.
“You in?” he murmured.
“In telling the world?” I blinked, biting my lip as I looked up into his face and nodded.
Cole beamed. “Then lets go tell the world. Let the tabloid assholes write about this.”
“What is the meaning of this?”
My father’s voice was cold, his face livid as he glared at Cole. We’d found my parents out on the ballroom terrace.
“Mom, Dad—”
“What is this man doing here, Faith?!”
I looked at my parents. I turned to look up at Cole. I took a deep breath.
This was it. Cole squeezed my hand, and suddenly, any doubts, any fear, and any hesitations melted away as I turned back to face my parents unblinking.
“He’s here because he’s my husband.”
The whole terrace went pin drop silent and still. My father’s brow furrowed, his eyes darting quickly to Cole, then back to me, and then back to Cole. My mother’s jaw slowly dropped.
“Faith—”
“What did you just say?” My dad’s voice was like grinding ice, his face paling as he cut my mother off. Slowly, as his eyes darted between us and then down to our clasped hands, I could see fury rising in his face.
“Ooooh no! No no no!” He started to bellow, wagging a finger as his jaw clenched. “Not a fucking chance! Not with this—”
“Dad,” I hissed sharply. “We already are. We’ve been married since Paris.”
My father went silent, his face aghast. My mother started to weep dramatically.
“Oh dear!”
“Mom! I love him, okay?” I said quietly, squeezing Cole’s hand. “I love him.”
“Goddamnit, Faith!” My father roared. “This man is a criminal! He’s a brute who—”
“Who was set up by assholes like you so you could steal what’s his? Is that what you were about to say?”
His face went ashen. “What? I— No, this— He—” my father sputtered, his face paling by the second as his eyes darted wildly.
“Faith, honey, whatever he’s—”
“I know, Dad,” I muttered. “I know everything.” I glanced meaningfully at my mother, and his face paled even more.
“For all of our differences, sir,” Cole growled, stepping forward. “I want to tell you both that your daughter is amazing, and that I’d lay my life down for—”
“You’ll lay down in prison when I’m done with you!”
Cole looked at him coolly. “I invite you to try.” He turned to my mother, smiling as he bowed. “Ma’am, it’s honor to meet you. Please know you’re welcome at my palace any time.”
“Goddamnit, Faith!” my father bellowed. “Get over here!”
“No, Dad,” I said quietly, stepping into Cole.
“We’re leaving! We’re going home right this inst—”
“I am home.”
Cole’s arm slid around my waist.
“Let’s go,” he whispered in my ear.
“Mom? Dad?” I smiled. “I love you both, but this is my life.”
And just like that, we turned, our hands slipped into each others, and we walked away.
My pulse thundered in my ears, and we were barely out of the ballroom and out into the palace gardens when I shrieked and just jumped into Cole’s arms. He chuckled, kissing me deeply as my arms flung around his neck.
“Did that seriously just happen?”
“It sure did.” He grinned at me. “Any second thoughts?”
“Little late for that isn’t it? Seeing as I’m already your wife?”
“Very, very true,” he murmured. “Pretty slick move on my part, I gotta say.”
I laughed kissing him. “So, now what?”
“Well I don’t know if you heard, but I’m actually a Prince, and heir apparent to the throne in the next few months.”
I made a big exaggerated show of dropping my jaw.
“You’re a Prince? A real Prince?”
“Hard to believe, isn’t it?”
I giggled, kissing him again.
“Do you also have a palace?”
“A huge one.” He grinned.
“Think I could move in?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
Our lips crashed together again, this time slow, and deep, and passionately, until the rest of the world faded away.
“Damn, do I love my wife,” he whispered into my lips.
“And damn do I love my husband,” I said softly.
There was a mechanical whirring sound, and we glanced up to see a big helicopter with King Hayden’s royal crest on it slowly dropping out of the sky to land on Milton’s palace lawn.
“Ready to run off with me?”
“I think I technically already did that.”
“Well how about in this case, we take a helicopter ride back to my palace, I take you to my chambers, and make a real honest woman out of you.”
I beamed as I pressed my lips to his.
“I think I’d like that very much.”
And that was our escape. Us, Hayden and Callie, and — well, all of us. Eight people arrived at that wedding, and four head-over-heels couples left in that big helicopter as it lifted off of Milton’s lawn and flew away.
First I married him.
Then I ran from him.
And then I fell in love with him.
I slid into his lap as the helicopter flew into the sunset. Into the unknown, into the rest of our lives, and into our own happy ever after.
Epilogue
Faith
“I think we should get married.”
I giggle as we tumble into the backseat of the limo.
“I’m not sure if you remember, but, we are?”
Cole smirks. “Cute. Very cute.”
I shriek as he gives my ass a quick smack, sending heat blazing through me as he shuts the limousine door behind us.
“I meant a real wedding, like this one.”
That’s where we are. A “real” wedding, the joining of two of our friends who also came crashing together that day in Robling when Hayden ran off with Callie. Who exactly? Well, I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise.
But wedding or not, and as much fun as this, it’s fifteen minutes before the ceremony, and instead of sitting quietly with our friends, we’ve decided to do what we do best: sneak off somewhere and fuck each other’s brains out.
I jump into Cole’s lap, moaning as my legs spread around his hips and his hands slide up to my ass. I cup his face, kissing him deeply as he pushes my dress up, letting his hands slide over my bare skin. My hands slide down to his tuxedo shirt, pulling the buttons undone one by one and letting my fingertips trail over his muscled chest.
It’s been a month since King Milton’s palace and the wedding that never happened, and life is pretty freaking grand.
I moved in to Cole’s palace. I renounced my title as Princess of Devoney, and officially became the Princess of Luthane. And in two weeks, I get a new title: Queen.
My amazing, supportive, and loving mother-in-law, Queen Chelle, was ready to step down. And Cole was more ready than he’d ever been to step up and take over as King.
Oh, right — needless to say, the plot to slander his name and ring him up on false charges bombed. Hard.
It was King Rodney who proved to be the level head in the whole thing. My father and King Homer had been the real plotters, and they’d used Rodney’s misunderstanding with his wayward wife to launch their plan. Jemma had gone along with it, because to do otherwise would be having to admit to her husband what she’d really been up to that day. But eventually, when he busted her with some other Prince from who-knows-where, Rodney put two and two together and put a stop to the whole thing.
He challenged his wife’s — well, his ex-wife, once he kicked her out — deposition, and ended up giving a huge character reference for Cole. With Jemma’s key testimony crumbling, Princess Kelly caved, blurting to anyone and everyone who would listen that her father had put her up to it.
My father’s mistress stuck her heels in, still looking for the payout I’m sure she’d been expecting. But Rodney stepping into things had made the whole case very public, and with so many eyes on it all, it wasn’t long before people made the connection between Phantasia and my father.
…My mother’s divorcing him, by the way.
And just like that, the forces trying to tear the man I love apart just sort of crumbled. King Rodney entered into a formal trade deal and treaty with Luthane, and King Homer and my father are currently under indictment for plotting to overthrow a government and providing false testimony.
They can both go fuck themselves as far as I’m concerned.
“A real wedding, huh?”
I gasp as Cole’s fingers tease down over my thong panties, his finger brushing over my ass and then delving down lower. He strokes my slick, dripping wet pussy through the lacy panties, making me moan against him.
“Well with a real wedding comes a real honeymoon,” he growls, pushing my panties to the side and making me cry out as his fingers tease over my bare pussy. I whimper as he strokes my lips, one finger teasing over my clit as he slowly slides another one inside.
“I knew you had ulterior motives,” I gasp.
“Princess,” he groans as my hands drop to his belt buckle. “I always have an ulterior motive of getting into your panties and sliding my cock inside this sweet little pussy.”
I moan against him, panting as two of his thick fingers start to stroke in and out of me, his thumb brushing my clit. I grind into him, feeling his thick bulge against my thigh as I quickly yank open his tuxedo pants.
I slide away from him, moving off of his lap and onto the floor as I tug his pants and boxers down. His thick, gorgeous cock springs free,
slapping thickly against his rippling abs, and I feel my body shiver in raw lust as I lock my eyes on it.
Oh, yes please.
Cole groans as I lean forward, curling my fingers around his thick shaft as I bring my mouth down to him. My lips drop to the tattoo at the base of his cock, the little crown that I just love kissing.
…Pretty sure he’s okay with that habit of mine too.
My husband growls, muscles rippling as my soft wet lips tease over the base of his shaft. My tongue darts out, licking at his underside and I slowly drag my mouth higher, until my lips slip over his swollen head.
“Oh fuck, angel,” he groans, hissing in pleasure as his hands slide into my hair.
I bob my mouth up and down on him, the electric thrill I get from sucking him and feeling his big cock throb inside my mouth rushing through me like a drug. I drop my mouth to his heavy balls, moaning softly as I start to tease my tongue over them.
“Come here,” he growls, yanking me up and crushing his mouth to mine. He spins us, making me gasp as he flips me over and drops me into the seat he was just sitting in. He tears at my dress, yanking it off of me and pushing me back as he moves between my legs. I’m not wearing a bra under the dress, and I moan as my hand slides over my breasts, fingers teasing my nipples as my gorgeous husband slides his hands up to my panties.
“I believe I told you not wear these today,” he growls, his eyes flashing fire as he looks into my eyes.
“You did,” I gasp. “But I think I just like you tearing them off of me too much.”
It’s true. Cole ripping my panties off is very fucking hot. Every time.
“Like this, huh?”
He leans in, and when his teeth close over the edge of my panties, my blood roars like fire inside of me.
“Yeah,” I whimper as he slowly starts to drag them down, his eyes locked on mine. “Yeah, like that.”
I whimper as he pulls my sticky panties away from me, dragging them with his teeth down to my knees before he yanks them the rest of the way off. His powerful hands slide up my thighs, pushing my legs wide apart as he moves between them.