Expecting Royal Twins! (16 page)

Izzy hadn’t figured out what she should do or where she should go. She couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss Niko had left her with. His desperation had been so real, palpable, but if that was the case, if that was how he felt, why hadn’t he contacted her?

She decided to stay in Sachestia a little longer to learn more about her father’s family. She spent her days visiting the various villages in the area, meeting the people and even working the land as a harvest came around. Not exactly princess behavior, but slowly she began making some inroads with the villagers after the parade fiasco.

The older generation seemed to have fixed ideas like Niko about what royalty should do, but the teenagers and children didn’t. They accepted her as she was. They wanted to know more about cars so she offered to teach them about basic car repairs. Fifteen children showed up. The village official had told her to expect five.

During the class, she felt light-headed and had to sit down. One of the students, the daughter of the village’s doctor, insisted Izzy see her father right away. Before she could say a word, the children were escorting her across the street to a small medical clinic.

The doctor turned out to be in his mid-forties, very nice and quite thorough with the tests he ran. She sat in the exam room alone waiting for the results.

“I have good news, ma’am,” he said on his return.

“I’m healthy?”

“Yes, but you’re also pregnant.”

Pregnant. With Niko’s child. She sat frozen, too stunned to feel anything.

“How…?” She’d been so overwhelmed and stressed that she hadn’t thought about her period. It had never been very regular before, but still… “I mean, I know how, but how far along?”

“I’d like to do an ultrasound so we can figure that out.”

Izzy nodded, unable to speak. She could easily narrow down the dates to the week, the only week they’d spent together as husband and wife. That would make her seven, possibly eight weeks pregnant.

The royal broodmare had fulfilled her duty without even trying. Izzy didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

A baby.

A surge of love, strong and protective, flowed through her. She hugged her stomach. If only Niko were…

But he wasn’t.

Would you rather I lie and tell you what you want to hear?

No, but still Izzy’s heart splintered. The baby she carried was as much his as hers. Keeping the news from him would be cruel and unforgivable.

As soon as the ultrasound was completed, she would call him with the news. Even if he were the last person she wanted to talk to.

Niko sat behind his desk in his office. The words on the monitor blurred. He rubbed his eyes.

The long hours were starting to catch up with him. But work was the only thing that had filled the void these past weeks.

Not void, he corrected. The empty space next to him in bed. But work couldn’t touch the empty space in his heart.

Niko’s forehead throbbed. He massaged his temples to stave off another headache.

In the outer office where Jovan worked, a phone rang.

Niko looked up, stretching the cords of muscles in his neck. When he finished he saw his aide standing in front of his desk.

“There is a call for you, sir,” Jovan said.

“You deal with it.”

“It’s Princess Isa—”

Niko grabbed the receiver off his desk. “Isabel.”

His aide walked out of the office with a smile and closed the door.

“Hey, Niko.”

Hearing the sound of her voice for the first time in seven weeks filled him with an odd mixture of relief and regret. “You received the estate transfer paperwork.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Uncomfortable silence filled the line.

He’d always known what to say, especially when it came to women, but Isabel left him as tongue-tied as a schoolboy with a crush on his teacher, instead of a crown prince who had dated some of the most beautiful women in the world. But only one woman haunted his dreams now.

“I—”

“I didn’t call about that,” she said at the same time.

“Excuse me,” he said. “Tell me why you phoned.”

“I—I’m pregnant. With twins.”

Her news stunned him. “Twins.”

“Yes,” she said. “An heir and a spare.”

He would have laughed except for the serious edge to her voice.

“I hope you are happy,” she said, her voice devoid of any emotion.

“I’m thrilled.” And he was. The pregnancy would get them back on track. “I’ll be there tomorrow to bring you home.”

“This doesn’t change anything.”

“But you’re pregnant.”

“Pregnant, Niko, not sick,” she said. “At least not yet. The doctor warned me morning sickness could happen.”

“You need to be seen by a physician at the university hospital.”

“I’m satisfied and happy with the village doctor.”

“But—”

“I’m staying here, but I thought you should know about the babies.”

At least she was in Sachestia and hadn’t returned to the United States. For that he was grateful. She sounded different, more mature. The pregnancy? he wondered. “Thank you.”

“I’d rather the news remain within the family and close members of the staff until the first trimester, just in case I miscarry. You never know what might happen this early.”

His chest ached. He wanted to be with her. “Is the doctor concerned?”

“No, but I’d rather not have to deal with something like that publicly.”

Good thinking. “I understand.”

“Thanks.” She cleared her voice. Perhaps she wasn’t so unaffected by this as she sounded. “My next appointment is in a couple of weeks if you want to come.”

“Yes,” he said without hesitation, thankful for the invitation. “I will make sure my calendar is clear that day.”

“I’ll send the information to Jovan.”

To Jovan. Niko’s insides twisted. He hated this wall between them. “Fine.”

“Okay, then.”

He wasn’t ready to let her go. “If you need anything…”

“Goodbye, Niko. See you at the appointment.”

She hung up before he could reply.

Emotion roiling through him, Niko rose from his desk, exited his office and made the familiar walk to the king’s office.

His father’s assistant looked up from his computer monitor. “The king—”

“Will see me now.” Niko walked past the royal guards, opened the door himself and entered his father’s office.

King Dmitar hung up the phone. “Niko—”

“Isabel is pregnant with twins.”

“Even better than I hoped for.” A wide grin lit up Dmitar’s face. “When does she arrive home?”

“She is staying in Sachestia. She must still be trying to figure things out.”

“Have you figured anything out?” his father asked, as if remembering what Niko had told him when he returned alone from the honeymoon.

“I don’t like fighting the way we did. I want to be with her, but she may not want what I can offer her.”

“You have a duty—”

“To Vernonia.”

“You also have a duty to your wife and your children.” Dmitar rose and walked around to the front of his desk. “I know I’ve told you to control your emotions and do what is best for Vernonia, but I’m not sure that is the advice I want you to give my grandchildren.”

“What?” Niko stared, sure he hadn’t heard his father correctly.

“A united Vernonia has been the goal of kings for centuries, but united at what cost? Stefan’s life? All the other sons and daughters and mothers and fathers who died during the conflict?” Regret filled Dmitar’s voice and darkened his eyes. “I wouldn’t allow my own feelings to influence my decision-making. I kept telling myself what my father had told me. Emotion is a weakness. So I brushed aside my concerns over you and Stefan. Your mother’s worries, too. Now every time I look at the damn map of Vernonia on the wall over there, I wonder.”

“Wonder what?” Niko asked, barely able to breathe.

“If I’d let the Separatists go, would Stefan still be alive today?”

Niko had never heard his father like this before. He stepped forward, unsure what to do. “Father—”

“That’s why I had no choice but to see this through to the end and make sure you and Izzy remained married. I have to know if a united Vernonia is worth all the sacrifices made. Especially your mother’s broken and grief-filled heart.”

“It will be, Father.”

“I regret losing Stefan, but you are a good ruler, Niko. You will be a fine king.”

He stood taller. “Thank you.”

“But I am concerned,” Dmitar admitted. “You speak of modernizing the country, yet you hold a few old-fashioned notions. Especially your ideas of what a princess should be.”

Isabel had said something similar. Uncomfortable, Niko shifted his weight between his feet.

His father continued. “Izzy might not be a clone of every other princess out there, but she can still be who she is and the love of your life. The two are not mutually exclusive even if your marriage was an arranged match.”

Niko considered his father’s words. “The people—”

“She’s more than made up for the lapse at the parade. The people have forgiven her. They love her.”

“You’ve been spying on her.”

Dmitar raised a brow. “And you haven’t?”

“I may have sent a couple royal guards north to Sachestia on a brief…scouting trip.”

“Thought so.” Dmitar laughed. “You’ve always done whatever was asked of you, but it’s time you were selfish. Forget everything else. Save your marriage and keep Izzy in Vernonia, not through manipulation as I attempted, but through love and loyalty freely given.”

“You want me to go after her.”

“That’s your decision, not mine,” Dmitar said. “But if you have any feelings for her, do not allow anything to keep you apart.”

Niko had never allowed himself to be vulnerable with anyone before Izzy. He’d opened up with her, but she wanted him to be vulnerable beyond the bedroom, to trust her in a way he’d never trusted anyone before. He didn’t know if he could do that. “What if I still don’t know how I feel?”

“Figure it out. Fast.” His father’s gaze rested on a photograph of Stefan that hung on the wall. “Life can change in an instant, Niko. You don’t want to have to live with that regret. Trust me.”

Figure it out. Fast.

His father’s words replayed in Niko’s mind the rest of the day and evening. He wanted to figure it out.
Had
to figure it out.

Later that night, he tossed and turned, drifting in and out of sleep. Images of Isabel, twins, his father and Stefan collided into a half-awake, half-dreamlike state. The bed lurched, as if someone had shaken the entire wooden frame. Or bumped into it in the dark.

Could it be Isabel had figured things out herself and returned on her own? Hope mushroomed in his chest like a nuclear blast.

Niko bolted upright, instantly awake. He glanced to the spot on his left. Still empty.

Disappointment squeezed his heart. So far the only thing Niko had figured out was that he missed her. He missed her smile, her laughter, her kisses, her warmth. He even missed the grease under her nails. He missed every fiber of her being, especially the twin babies she now carried.

Wait. He looked around the room. If Isabel hadn’t shaken the bed… Something else must have caused it.

As if on cue, a knock sounded on his door.

“Enter,” Niko said.

Jovan in a dark navy robe and slippers rushed into the room, concern etched on his face. “There was an earthquake. They believe 6.8 on the Richter scale. The epicenter is in the north in Sachestia.”

Niko’s gut knotted with fear. “Isabel?”

“We cannot contact the castle. All communications in the area are down.”

He jumped out of bed and rushed to his closet. “I must go.”

“The helicopter will be here in forty minutes.”

“Too long.” He changed out of his pajama bottoms and into clothing. “Activate the emergency plan.”

“Notifications went out as soon as confirmation of the earthquake was received.”

His emergency response project was working properly, but he didn’t care. All his thoughts were focused on Isabel. On her well-being. Her safety. She had to be all right. And the babies. He buttoned his long-sleeved shirt. “I am going to see my father. I will meet you at the helipad.”

He ran through the hallway toward his parents’ suite.

Niko’s stomach churned with fear and worry. Isabel could be lying in the rubble of the castle, injured and alone. If anything happened to her…

Life can change in an instant, Niko. You don’t want to have to live with that regret. Trust me.

No regrets. Niko understood that part. He only hoped he wasn’t too late.

He didn’t know if he could give Isabel the kind of marriage she wanted, but he would give all he could, and love her. He hoped, if she were safe and gave him the chance, what he offered would be enough for her.

“Fill the truck with food, water and blankets,” Izzy instructed her staff, who bustled to and fro from the castle carrying supplies. Some were dressed. Others wore their pajamas and robes. A chill hung in the night air. The sun wouldn’t rise for at least two more hours. She zipped up her jacket. “Hurry. We need to get up to the village ASAP.”

“ASAP?” Emil asked.

“As soon as possible.” She bent over to pick up a case of water. “I want to leave in five minutes.”

“No, ma’am,” Emil took the case from her hands and placed it into the back of a truck. “I will see that the supplies arrive safely. You must stay here.”

He sounded so much like Uncle Frank.

“I’m pregnant, not sick.” Isabel had told a handful of the staff members what was going on in confidence. She patted her tummy. “The twins are safe and warm in there. I know what I can and can’t do.”

Emil eyed her warily. “The doctor—”

“Said I could continue all my normal activities. Helping others in need is a normal activity.”

Worry creased Emil’s brow. “Prince Niko would not agree.”

“Then it’s good he’s not here.” Just hearing his name made the emotions swirl inside Izzy. Her eyes implored Emil. “I’m sure supplies and help will be coming, but we’re the closest to the village. We must go.”

Emil nodded, respect gleaming in his eyes. “Your father and Franko would be proud of you, ma’am. I believe Prince Niko would be, too.”

She doubted the latter, but appreciated Emil’s words anyway. “Thanks.”

Duty was important to her husband. He seemed afraid to let himself go and lose control, or rather had been afraid until their fight after the parade. Izzy couldn’t forget the kiss he’d left her with. Full of emotion, brutal and punishing, the kiss seemed to betray the way he was also so strict with himself as prince. She was beginning to wonder if he’d held back his affection from her for that reason. Heaven knew she’d held herself back. She’d never told Niko she loved him. A mix of fear, pride and stubbornness had kept her from declaring her feelings.

There’s a lot at stake, Izzy. Don’t let that stubborn streak of yours get in the way.

Maybe she had been too stubborn. But there wasn’t time for that now. She jumped into the truck. “Let’s go.”

Isabel’s castle was deserted. No vehicles remained. It looked as if a tornado had ripped through the pantry and linen closets. Broken vases, glasses and sculptures. Tipped over bookcases and display cabinets. But no bodies. No blood.

Relief flowed over Niko.

Isabel must have evacuated and taken the staff with her, but where?

There were so many villages he couldn’t begin to guess where she might be. He prayed she would remain safe wherever she was.

Hours later, Niko stepped through the rubble of one mountain village with a two-year-old child in his arms. The boy had cuts and bruises, but thankfully no broken bones.

The boy cried. “Mama.”

Niko didn’t know what to say to the distraught child, who had been sleeping under his bed when the earthquake hit. A neighbor had heard the boy’s screams and pulled him from the rubble. They were still searching for the rest of his family. “They are looking for your mama.”

The big, fat tears stopped rolling down the child’s face. He stared up at Niko. “Papa?”

“They are looking for him, too.”

Gratitude filled the child’s eyes. He rested his head against Niko’s chest.

Niko swallowed around the lump of emotion in his throat.

A nurse appeared in sweat-stained surgical scrubs. “I’ll take him, sir.”

Reluctantly he handed the injured boy to the nurse. “His family is missing. Please…”

Don’t lose him
was what Niko wanted to say given the number of people needing help and the chaos around here.

She nodded in understanding. “We will take good care of him, sir.”

With that the nurse hurried into a hospital tent that had just been erected next to the medical clinic.

Help continued to arrive. The sound of helicopters and heavy machinery filled the air.

His father was in another village helping, but Niko hoped the king saw what he saw. A united Vernonia.

Whether Separatist or Loyalist during the conflict, people worked side by side in this mountain village, searching for survivors in the rubble and helping those that had been injured. Differences in point of view no longer mattered; they were all fellow Vernonians. Niko couldn’t be more proud of the people.

If only he knew where Isabel was… That she was safe…

He noticed a familiar looking man up ahead. “Emil!”

The man turned and bowed. He had a can of oil in his hand. “Sir.”

“Where is Isabel?”

Emil glanced around, looking uncomfortable. “She is safe, sir.”

Safe wasn’t good enough. Niko wanted his wife to be with him. He felt like a better man when he was with her. The past no longer mattered. The future seemed brighter. “Take me to her. Now.”

The butler led Niko back toward the medical tent. “Princess Izzy is attempting to fix the medical clinic’s generator, sir. I tried to stop—”

Niko raised his hand. “I’ve learned nothing can stop my wife once she sets her mind upon something.”

She wanted him to trust her, to let her figure out how to be a princess herself, but he hadn’t known how to do that. He was ready to try now.

Emil grinned. “A true Vernonian.”

“Yes, she is.” And the love of my life.

Years of dirt and grime coated the clinic’s generator Izzy had found in the destroyed storage area in the back of the clinic. Villagers had carried it into an open area, eager for her to fix it with the tools they’d cobbled together. Izzy doubted if the generator had run in years or if it would have run under the best of circumstances. Her determination faltered, a combination of futility and frustration. Not to mention fatigue.

No. Izzy pursed her lips. The people were counting on her. She had to do this.

Kneeling, she checked a fuel line. “Come on. Show Izzy what’s not right.”

“Isabel.”

The sound of Niko’s voice washed over her like a ray of sunshine after a morning thunderstorm. She wasn’t surprised to see him here. He was the crown prince. He should be here. But the vise grip on her heart wouldn’t allow Izzy to even peek in his direction. She kept focused on the motor.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he said firmly.

Still telling her what to do. Well, she always knew Niko wasn’t Prince Charming. Izzy blew out a puff of air.

“Don’t worry, your heir and spare are safe.” Her voice came out harsher than she intended. “I would never do anything to risk the babies.”

Izzy knew he cared about the babies. She wished he cared about her. The hurt stabbing her heart was beyond tears.

The sounds of banging, shovels and axes surrounded them.

Izzy tightened a loose coil. On the next try, the generator started. Thank goodness. She stood and wiped her hands on the coveralls that Boyd had sent her with an embroidered name tag that said Princess Izzy in cursive writing. A way of saying thanks. Boyd really liked his new truck.

“I know you would never intentionally put our children at risk,” Niko said.

Izzy could see his feet walking toward her, and she hated that her pulse quickened.

Niko stopped. “But I cannot stand the thought of anything happening to you.”

“Me?” Hope flared, but she tapped it down. She wouldn’t be swayed by charm-laced words or his pretty face or his wide shoulders or blue-green… “You only married me because you had to.”

“I could say the same thing about you.”

At least he admitted it. She tucked the thought away and marched past him. “Come on.”

He followed her as she negotiated her way around the rubble.

She picked up two shovels and handed him one. “Know how to use one of these, Highness?”

“I do.”

Izzy forced herself not to look at him. With so much work to be done, she needed to remain detached. She gestured with her own shovel. “Clear the rubble from the clinic’s door.”

“I want to talk to you.”

She shut out any awareness of him. She couldn’t afford the distraction. “Not now.”

“What are you doing here?” He took her elbow with one hand.

“I’m doing what we’re supposed to be doing.” She shrugged away from him. “Helping our people.”

With that she walked away, forcing herself not to look back.

Hours passed. Izzy worked, clearing, comforting and repairing. She even managed to get another generator started.

Taking a break, she rubbed her lower back. All the bending and kneeling had taken its toll.

The sun was starting to set. It looked as if a bomb had exploded in the village square. Only a few buildings had survived intact. Most had walls missing. Some had collapsed to the ground in a heap of rubble. But help kept arriving from every direction. More survivors continued to be rescued.

Niko handed her a bottle of water. “Drink.”

She thought of the children in the hospital tent. “Someone else might need it.”

“You need it.” He shoved the bottle into her hands. “More supplies are on the way. Aliestle, San Montico and the U.S. are sending assistance. Vernonia is not on our own. We have help, and we will recover.”

“The people will need to hear you say that.” She sipped from the bottle. The refreshing water slid down her dry throat. “Okay, I did need that.”

“You’ve worked hard, Highness.”

“So have you.”

Izzy glanced Niko’s way. His pants and jacket were ripped and dusty. Drops of red—blood?—were spattered on his sleeve. Stubble covered his dirty face. His hair was tangled.

He’d never looked more like a prince than he did now.

She swallowed a sigh and drank more water.

When she finished, Niko took her grease-covered, dirty hands in his. Her heart hammered. “You look so much like the mechanic who walked out of that garage in Charlotte and stole my heart.”

Her breath caught in her throat. “What?”

His eyes shone with affection. “You are the most perfect princess I could hope to find.”

“Yeah, right. I look nothing like a princess.”

He gave her a lopsided grin. “Exactly.”

She stared at him confused. “Huh?”

“Isabel, Izzy, Princess, Your Highness, my wife. Your name doesn’t matter.” Niko pointed to her heart. “What matters is here. You have the heart of a princess.”

Izzy was both excited and aggravated. “So why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”

“I didn’t know. Maybe I wasn’t ready to admit it until today,” he said. “I wanted to be honest with you, but I wasn’t honest with myself. I thought I knew what I was doing with my life. I had everything mapped out, and then this strange, kind, determined woman was thrust into my way and turned everything upside down.”

“Strange?”

“Strange and beautiful.” His smile sent tingles shooting through her. “You changed everything and left me uncertain how to act. Until now. I realize what a tremendous gift you are.”

“When Uncle Frank died I holed myself up and stuck with what was comfortable.” She stared up at Niko. “You thrust me into this whole new world and I’ve been trying to forge a path.”

Niko squeezed her hand. “You won’t have to forge it alone.”

Izzy looked around at the devastation, but amid the rubble she saw signs of life, of love. “I know what Vernonia means to you. The land. These people. I’m here now because I understand this duty you are so attached to.”