A Royal Wedding: The Royals Series Read online

  “Surreal” didn’t even come close to the word for life with these people.

  “How bad was his dad’s life to want his ashes spread at some haunted old castle?” Linna murmured.

  “Aiden said there’s a story. I don’t know it but it must be something special.” I couldn’t say more, not that I knew much more.

  “Yikes.” Linna wrinkled her nose and tightened her grip.

  “Is it safe to assume things have circled back around for you and Aiden?” Mary whispered as she walked closer to us.

  “Pretty safe.” I didn't want to discuss it but I’d never get out of it.

  “Thank God.” She sighed, slipping her fingers into mine. “I don't know why you two fight so hard.”

  “Because Fin doesn't believe in love, Mary. And he doesn't believe in anything but,” Linna said then hurried ahead.

  “Linna’s smarter than she looks.” Mary chuckled lightly so no one else would hear.

  “Yes, she is.”

  “When she thinks no one is looking, she’s been doing all sorts of extra projects on the art collection in the castle. Did you know?” Mary asked.

  “I didn’t. I’ve caught her cataloguing a few of them, but I thought that was for personal interest. Taking art history as an elective that first year has changed her. I didn’t know she was doing extra work. I wonder why,” I pondered a little loud, earning a scowl from Mary’s mother. “Where’s Alex?” I muttered so no one would hear.

  “Where indeed.” Mary’s eyes sparkled. “Tracy said she isn’t in Andorra. Her things were packed up, and she was sent away with no explanation to the staff. Her position in parliament has been canceled under the guise of budget cuts. Which doesn’t add up since Aiden has that country running like a clock, and we’re up more than ever before in revenue. And he said Mother has not been herself since I called home and told Aiden everything.”

  “Hmmmm. I bet Tracy knows everything. He just isn’t telling.”

  “Yes, I would normally agree. But this time I suspect he doesn't have all the answers. He’s getting his information from Isaac who’s rather tightlipped and annoying,” Mary muttered. “But Tracy did say that Mother went mental. She lost her mind completely, raging and screaming at Aiden. He had her sent to London to stay with our aunt. She’s been there for weeks. I had no idea. She’s been texting and calling as she would if she were at home.”

  Aiden had banished Alex and sent his mother to London before he came to see me.

  This was serious.

  My stomach ached more every time his mother’s eyes landed on me, her glare so savage she was obviously begging the old gods and the new to murder me. And here on the ruins of a battlement, I worried she might be able to muster enough support to do it.

  A small part of me also wished I could let Linna jump her and see where that went. But Linna was avoiding her at all costs, staying as far to the left as the queen mother did the right.

  We walked up to the magnificent castle, following Aiden as he led us to the lawn on the right-hand side which overlooked the dark lake. The cloudy sky hid the sun from us but there was enough of a glow to know it was close to setting over the hills in the distance.

  It was as normal a scene as I had witnessed with this family in ages, minus the massive security team in black suits surrounding us. They’d come in their own helicopters and cars, and had grown in numbers since I’d last paid attention to them.

  We stood in a semi-circle and watched as Aiden handed the urn to an elderly man I hadn’t noticed. He started to speak in Scottish Gaelic and sang a song I didn't know. Both his words and the song were beautiful and haunting, and at the last second, just as he handed the urn back to Aiden, the sun slipped between clouds and flashed a bright pink strip along the sky. The streams of golden orange color shone down on us.

  Aiden’s mouth cracked into a small grin.

  Johan’s eyes flooded.

  Mary wept silently.

  Jack pressed his lips together tightly.

  But their mother covered her mouth as tears flooded her cheeks.

  No one made a sound, not even Mary.

  And in that second, the warmth of the light crested my cheek. “I forgive you,” I whispered so softly no one could have heard. And I did. Regardless of what he’d done, his interest had always been for his country’s success. And his son’s. And while I’d been one hell of a casualty, he was gone. Words Jess had whispered to me just days ago flitted about my brain, My grudge could not linger without hardening my heart. As the light slipped away, I let all my hate and hurt go with it.

  Aiden walked to the edge of the water and pulled the lid off. He glanced back once at his siblings, before turning and tossing the ashes into the soft breeze. They floated away from him, as if they knew what to do, and skimmed the lake, becoming a cloud that appeared to move on its own.

  We stood in silence, awkward for some of us, sad for a few, and remorseful for the rest.

  It was strange to see the man finally leave, and I couldn't help but wonder now that he was gone, really gone, was this the start of the rule of King Aiden?

  The ride home was quiet. Aiden slipped his long fingers through mine and gripped my hand a touch too tightly, but I didn't complain. I sensed that he felt the loss of his father more in this moment than he had yet. Maybe they all felt it more now.

  Mary’s puffy eyes were strangers on her face.

  Johan’s lack of a goofy smile made him almost unfamiliar.

  Linna’s stare met mine constantly, her discomfort was obvious.

  Bea was the only one who was texting and breathing normally, maybe even annoyingly so.

  Jess held Johan’s hand, rubbing her bony thumb up and down the outside of his hand.

  I almost wished for another bad joke because my mind was stuck on my incident with the bike. I’d managed to weasel out of school today with the ashes needing to be spread, but tomorrow I’d face the students and staff and paparazzi.

  Dread was heavy on my shoulders.

  When we landed back at the castle, Aiden’s mom and Jack were there with the team of guards.

  Aiden’s stare drifted to where she stood, his lip twitching but he was silent. He got out of the helicopter and offered me a hand this time to help me out. He didn’t let go of my hand the entire way into the castle, something his mother didn't miss. She didn't seem to enjoy it either.

  “Why are we going in here?” I asked, scowling.

  “Because we’re sleeping here tonight. All of us.” He was clearly not in the mood to discuss this. But I wasn't in the mood to sleep in a creepy castle.

  The entourage followed us, all of them obviously unsure as to why we’d come here. Except his mother; she seemed unfazed.

  Aiden marched up the stairs, pulling me with him. He paused and turned for a moment, his stare cold and hard. “All your belongings have been moved here. The summerhouse is going back to being just that, a summerhouse. It’s not suitable for the winter months. It’s being closed up. Fires have been lit in the bedrooms and main rooms. There is a wing to the right that’s been redone for the family. You will keep to that part of the house. The work on the rest of the castle will halt while you remain here until school is out.” His eyes darted to Mary and Bea. “There are to be no more parties. If you wish to be reckless, do it somewhere else. This is a heritage site filled with priceless items. Linna is doing an evaluation and cataloguing of everything for me, don't touch any of the art or pieces while she is doing this. Dinner is at seven.” He turned and started back up the stairs, his fingers still woven into mine. He went left at the top of the huge flight instead of right which was the nicer-looking wing of the castle.

  He strode down a long, wide hallway that screamed haunted and scary.

  “I’m not sleeping here. This is like Beauty and the Beast. The pictures are going to start talking to me.”

  “You’re referring to Harry Potter I believe, and no, the castle isn’t haunted. I checked.” His tone had softened but on
ly marginally. He was cranky and in need of something, but I didn't understand what was going on.

  “Are you pissed at me?” I jerked from his grip, forcing him to stop and turn.

  “No,” he said breathlessly.

  “Are you pissed at them?” I pointed a thumb behind us, though they weren’t behind us. They had gone the other way at the top of the stairs, into the nice and lighter part of the creepy castle.

  “I’m annoyed. Things are not what I had hoped. I don't want Mary anywhere near Kennington,” he said the name as though it tasted acidic. “I also don't want any more parties with Manchester United on castle grounds. And I definitely wish my mother wasn’t here. But worst of all, I have one night left with you before I leave and don't see you again until Christmas. Which is making me tense.”

  “Tense? You’re cranky AF right now.”

  “What is AF? Why do you always say that at the end of things?”

  “Nothing.” I grinned at how adorably clueless he was sometimes. “Anyway, I have bad news about Christmas.” I took a step back, wincing and feigning trepidation. “And since you’re already in a bad mood, I might as well just rip this Band-Aid off. My dad rented a place in France and I’m spending Christmas there with my family.”

  “Are you being serious right now?” he snapped, asking me in the way I always asked him.

  “Yes.” I laughed.

  “You’re saying I won’t see you until spring?”

  “Not unless you come see me.” I wrinkled my nose, not liking those odds either.

  “Unacceptable.” He wasn't going to negotiate. “You’ll spend Christmas with me, and visit your father in France.”

  “No.” I put my hands on his chest and stood on my tiptoes, kissing his cheek and whispering, “I made plans. You broke up with me so my plans didn't include you. That’s not my fault.” I brushed past him and sauntered like a boss, pretending I wasn't completely terrified of the spooky castle.

  “You’ve passed the room I wanted to show you,” he muttered and followed after me. He turned to a large doorway. Of course the door creaked and moaned as he opened it wider. I shuddered and turned around, rushing after him before I ended up seeing something disturbing.

  “What is this?” I asked, finding a large bedroom. “We’re not sleeping in here, right? You said the other wing was redone. I want to sleep on the redone side.”

  “Shhhhhh.” He put a finger to my lips, knowing I hated it. “Let me tell you why we’re here. The Roze family can be traced back to Scotland for a period or two,” he said as he spun around slowly, taking in the stale old-fashioned bedroom. “But really they were Normans from Germany. Rots was their last name. They came to Scotland and eventually settled in Yorkshire, changing their name to Rose. Your father’s family goes back centuries here in the UK. When Frank’s grandfather immigrated to the US, he changed his last name to Roze with a Z to help him stand out. There were plenty of Rose families.”

  “How do you know this?” I didn't even know it.

  “Your grandmother many generations ago was a woman named Lisle. She was famed in Yorkshire for her beauty. When she was seventeen, she married a much older duke named Hugh MacLeod. And he built her this castle. It’s three hundred years old. And Hugh, who was your grandfather, was the son of Norman MacLeod, The Wicked Man. And you are a cousin to the current seat of Clan MacLeod, the chief.” His lips curled into a small grin. “But it’s your mother’s side that really interested me.”

  “What? How the hell do you know all this?” He really was creepy sometimes. Like total skin-suit creepy. “You’re such a stalker.”

  “No, I’m rich, Fin, and I paid someone to find out about your heritage. I stole your DNA last spring. That wasn't a routine blood test you had.”

  “Sneaky sneakerton,” I whispered, slightly aghast and slightly impressed.

  “Your mother was a Jardine. A French family who came to Scotland with William the Conqueror. They have royal connections dating back to every single royal family in Europe and still hold a seat.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “That we’re distant cousins, actually.” He laughed, no doubt at the horrified look on my face. “Quite distant. But not so distant that your pedigree would be overlooked.”

  “Can you not call me your c-c-cousin and say ‘pedigree’ in the same sentence?” I shuddered, completely disgusted by the cousin part.

  “Your family are currently the lords of three castles in Scotland. And the family motto of your mother’s side is literally ‘beware, I am here.’” He laughed harder. “Of course, you are a force to be reckoned with. You are the direct relative of the first kings of Jerusalem. You have better lineage than my own mother. Which of course, I should have known.”

  “Jesus, what happened to all the money?”

  “On your mother’s side, your grandfather, many generations back, chose a ‘love’ marriage. He was shunned and cut off. He came to America with his milkmaid wife and barely enough money to survive. He had many jobs and worked hard to build up your family again.”

  “Why does no one in my family know this?”

  “Likely, the family story was lost over time, as it was with most American immigrant families. And what nobleman would disgrace his wife by saying she’s a milkmaid who lost him his family fortune and seat?” He lifted an eyebrow.

  “You?” I joked.

  “Ah, but you’re not a milkmaid, are you?” He stepped closer, losing some of the crankiness in his stormy eyes. “I’ve just proven that, haven’t I?”

  “Why did you do this?” I asked as his arms encircled my waist, suspicious of everything to do with royals.

  “In case I needed it.”

  “I knew it!” I pushed on his chest. “You found this out to defend me to your parents.”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “Wait.” I paused. “But you hijacked my blood and then you bought the castle that was my family’s, with the intention of marrying me here, even though you broke up with me?”

  “I told you, Fin. You’re mine. I knew it the moment I laid eyes upon you. And from that first glance, there has not been a doubt in my mind we would end up together. There have been some flickers of hesitation as to how it would work, but I have always known we would find our way back to each other.” He brushed my hair from my face and sighed, staring into my eyes as the clouds cleared from his. “And I bought this with my own money just in case my parents decided to force the issue of you and me.”

  “You bought a castle?”

  “We could retire here.” He shrugged, suggesting it was nothing. But to me it was everything. Yes, we had broken up, but he was never done. He had genuinely waited for me to come back, the same way I had waited for him. Two pigheaded assholes. We truly were a match.

  “I love you”—I beat him to it, knowing he was about to say it—“with my whole heart. And I will never keep anything from you again. I promise.” And I meant it.

  “And I will never doubt your love again.”

  He kissed me and a thousand wrongs clicked back into place.

  But it wouldn't last long. Because with royals, the ground was never stable beneath one’s feet.

  “Where are we sleeping?” I asked as I pulled from the embrace.

  “In the newer section. I have to make a call, I’ll meet you there. Have one of the staff show you the way.” He pressed a kiss on my forehead and lifted his phone, walking from the room and leaving me there like I might stay.

  Being alone in creepy castles was a hard limit for me.

  My breath grew shallow as the walls began to close in. A creak in the corner forced my head to turn sharply.

  Did the rocking chair groan?

  Had it moved on its own?

  Not a chance!

  I hurried from the room, turning left where he had turned right. Ignoring everything, I rushed to the stairs, relieved when I saw the first maid.

  “Are you looking for your room, milady?” she asked softly as she cu
rtseyed.

  “I am.” I wiped sweat from my brow and hurried after her.

  “I’ll show you the way.” She walked quickly down a beautifully lit hallway with large windows and sheer curtains hanging to the sides. There was a breeze, as in all old castles, that made the sheers dance ever so slightly. But the light was so bright and the hallway redone in a fresh and modern way, it wasn't as creepy as it was on the other side.

  She stopped at a door, a large dark wooden door, and turned the cool handle. It was a lion’s face carved in brass or something. “Here you are, milady.” She stepped in and held it open for me.

  The room was everything.

  Gorgeous, modern, fresh, and done with French elegance.

  “Wow,” I said as I stared at the contrast of white pressed linens, massive windows, and dark wooden furniture. It had to be the biggest bed I’d ever seen. I’d lose Aiden in there.

  The en suite was equally impressive with marble floors and a huge white claw-foot tub in a bay window overlooking the grounds. The shower could fit three people comfortably and the vanity was already set up with all my makeup.

  “Thanks.”

  “Of course. Do you need anything?” she asked the floor, not meeting my gaze.

  “No, I’m good. This is incredible. Nowhere near as creepy as I thought it might be.”

  She smiled. “Yes, it’s lovely. The king has spared no expense I am told.”

  “Clearly.” I wondered how much money Aiden actually had. Because this place had to have cost a fortune before he even did any of the work.

  “Oh, Finley, you are here,” the queen mother spoke from my room.

  The maid curtseyed and practically ran from the room, closing the door on her way out.

  “A friend of yours?” she asked as she glanced back at the closing door.

  “What can I do for you?” This was where we had landed. She didn't pretend anymore and neither did I.

  “I have something I need to tell you. A story if you will.” She walked to the large silver plaid Queen Anne chairs in the huge bay window of the bedroom and sat, taking a large breath. I followed and sat across from her, unsure why we were doing this.

  “Should we wait for Aiden?” I didn't want to play her games anymore.