Expecting Royal Twins! (9 page)

“You make it sound like I’m being slighted or something, sir,” Isabel said. “I want the annulment. I don’t want to be married to Niko.”

Her firm tone left no doubt that she wanted out of the marriage as much as he did. She’d said that, but still the rejection surprisingly stung. Niko wasn’t used to women not wanting to be with him. “Our marriage was only to avoid a civil war, Father. The war is over. There is no reason for us to remain married.”

“Perception can be as strong a motivator as reality,” Dmitar said. “Vernonians have quick tempers. Our loyalty is our strength, but our biggest weakness. We will cling to our causes until the bitter end. Whether right or wrong.”

Niko stiffened in shock. “I hope you are not suggesting we remain married, sir.”

Isabel’s mouth formed another perfect O. Clearly she was aghast at the idea.

Julianna leaned forward with interest. Niko couldn’t believe she was sitting here with their engagement on the line without saying a word.

Dmitar stared at him. “You have made it clear that is not an option.”

Isabel’s shoulders dropped. Her features relaxed. A smile tugged on the corners of her mouth.

Julianna leaned back against her chair, but her lips were pressed together.

Niko would have expected her to be happier. Perhaps she was nervous about his father’s intentions. Niko would put her at ease. “Marrying Julianna is best for Vernonia. No offence, Isabel.”

“None taken,” she said.

“So you’ve said over and over again.” Dmitar’s gaze went from Julianna to Isabel to Niko. “That leaves me no choice but to find Isabel another husband. One she must marry the minute the annulment is granted.”

“What?” Isabel shrieked.

“Why?” Julianna asked, sounding taken aback.

“Father.” Niko had brought Isabel here. He didn’t want the American to be forced into an arranged marriage. “You can’t be serious.”

“I’m very serious,” Dmitar explained. “If Izzy is married, the Separatists can be upset about the turn of events, but can do nothing to change the situation. If she remains single…”

Dread pulsed through Niko’s veins. “They could demand we remarry or use her to rally against you.”

“Yes,” Dmitar said.

Niko thought he’d considered every angle. He believed the Separatists were content with their coalition in the government, that they were comfortable with his family as heads of state. He was so focused on modernizing that he never thought they would demand a marriage alliance in the face of improved economic development. But apparently he had been wrong. Because of that, Isabel would be the one to pay. She did not deserve to have her life plans derailed any more than they already had been.

“No.” Isabel’s face paled. “There has to be another way. Anything…”

He respected the way she stood up for herself. “Let us have time to think of an alternative, Father.”

“The High Court convenes on Monday,” Dmitar said. “You have one day to think of an alternative that will maintain peace. Otherwise Izzy must get married.”

“Who do you plan to marry her off to?” Niko couldn’t think of anyone in the kingdom that would be a match. The thought of some other man with her…whoa, he needed to reel in his thoughts.

“I’ve been working on that, dear.” Beatrice stared at Izzy with interest. “Here’s the list of eligible royals I’ve come up with so far…”

Talk about a living nightmare. Izzy’s future was at stake. She had to think of something and fast.

Izzy lay in bed wide-awake. Her mind raced fast enough to capture the pole position at Darlington Raceway. Unable to sleep, she glanced at the clock. 2:04. No way she could sleep. Not with the conversations from dinner replaying through her mind like reruns of a TV show.

She imagined a show called
The Royal Kresimirs
. The preview would consist of shots of each of them. King Dmitar saying she needed to marry. Queen Beatrice rattling off a list of potential husbands. Prince Niko interjecting his opinion on each name his mother read. Princess Julianna smiling as she attempted to keep the peace. Izzy racking her brain to find a way out of being forced to marry.

But this was too far-fetched to be a television show. Something like this should never happen. Not in the twenty-first century. Not to an American citizen.

That gave Izzy an idea.

She could call the Embassy. Surely the State Department would help her out.

No, that would only solve her problem, not…Vernonia’s.

Izzy wasn’t attached to this strange country. Until yesterday she’d only heard of the place in the news, but Vernonia had meant something to her parents and to Uncle Frank. She wasn’t selfish enough to ignore the war fought here or pretend another one couldn’t happen again.

Her stomach growled.

She’d been so upset she couldn’t eat dinner. She’d even turned down a slice of chocolate torte served for dessert. That had been dumb. Chocolate always made her feel better. Maybe a leftover slice was in the kitchen. That would raise her spirits.

She crawled out of bed, shrugged on the white bathrobe and stepped into the hallway. Still not sure which room was hers, she left the door open.

A few minutes and a couple wrong turns later, Izzy sat in the castle’s deserted kitchen poking at a slice of chocolate torte with her fork. Her appetite was still missing in spite of her tummy’s grumblings. She couldn’t muster enough enthusiasm to take a bite of chocolate. Pathetic.

“Here you are.” Niko’s voice cut through the silence and startled her. “I wondered where you had disappeared to.”

“How did you know I was gone?”

“The door to your room was open.” He walked toward her, past the wall of stainless steel refrigerators and around the massive commercial stoves.

“All the doors look alike.” She noticed he wore the same dress shirt and pants as earlier, but he’d ditched the jacket and tie. He’d also unbuttoned the collar and rolled up the sleeves. The casual style looked good and made Niko seem approachable, more like a normal guy than a crown prince. “I left mine open so I wouldn’t walk into the wrong room.”

“Smart move. I called your name, but you didn’t answer.” He sat in the chair next to her. “I thought you might have run away.”

“Running away was the first thing I thought of doing.” Izzy stared at the uneaten torte. “But I crossed it off the list.”

“You have a list?”

“Well, yeah.” She stabbed the fork into the torte and left it there. “I know this doesn’t really affect you, but we’re talking about my future. I’m not going to grab a splash of gas and hope I can make it to the end of the race. I need a full tank before I take an alternative to your father.”

“What happens to you does affect me, Isabel.” Niko’s lips thinned. “Why do you think I’m still awake?”

She shrugged. “Just heading back to your own room for the rest of the night?”

“No.” His jaw tightened. “I’ve been trying to come up with a solution myself. If I had thought this would happen, I would have never brought you back to Vernonia.”

Izzy felt lower than pond scum. She’d accused him of having a midnight tryst while he’d been playing knight in shining armor trying to save her butt. “Sorry.”

“No need to apologize. We need to find a way out of this.”

We. Izzy didn’t feel so alone. She didn’t like needing help, but she liked having Niko with her now. She wasn’t getting very far on her own.

He eyed her torte suspiciously. “Are you going to eat that?”

“No.”

“May I?”

She pushed the plate toward him. “It’s all yours.”

“Thank you.” He raised the fork. “What stopped you from running away?”

“Logistics,” she admitted. “I can’t get back home without a U.S. passport or cash.”

“Ah, yes. You only have the temporary Vernonian passport Jovan arranged for you.”

Izzy nodded. “But I don’t have it. Jovan does.”

“If you want it—”

“If I ran away, you wouldn’t be able to get an annulment. That means you couldn’t marry Jules without committing bigamy.”

“Thank you for sticking around. I’m much obliged, as will Julianna be.” He scooped up a forkful of torte. “I did think of one possibility. It’s a bit extreme.”

“I’m open to anything at the moment. Including extreme.”

“How about faking your death?”

She stared at him in disbelief. “That’s on my list.”

The edges of his mouth curved. “Great minds think alike.”

“It’s a good idea,” Izzy said. “I don’t want to die, but if people thought I was dead, there would be no issues with the Separatists. No one would complain if you married Julianna. I would be free to live my life however I wanted.”

“The logistics would be more complicated than running away.”

She nodded. “There can’t be a body.”

“That limits the ways a person can die.”

“I know.”

“Fire,” Niko suggested.

“Wouldn’t bones and teeth be left?” she asked.

“Unless it was an inferno of some sort, but that might be dangerous.”

“I wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt.”

“Of course not.” He rubbed his chin. That sexy razor stubble had reappeared. “Drowning.”

“Bodies disappear at sea never to be seen again.”

Niko nodded. “Julianna is a world-class sailor. You could fall overboard.”

“I like the drowning part, but do you really want to involve your future wife in something like this? I mean it’s probably illegal.”

“No, she should not be involved.”

That meant it was just the two of them. Izzy felt like Niko was her partner in crime. “I could still fall into the sea somehow. Off a boat or a cliff.”

“You will have to be prepared to say goodbye to Isabel Poussard forever.”

Izzy thought about her life, of the people she’d come in contact with, known and loved. “You’re right. I wouldn’t be six foot under dead, but I would be dead to everyone who knew me.”

“There would be no going back.”

No going back. She would never be able to do anything racing related. But it was more than her dream she’d be losing. She thought of her friends back in Charlotte, of Rowdy and Boyd and the rest of the boys at the garage. Her chest tightened.

If she got married and had to stay in Vernonia or another nearby country, her life would be different, but at least she could visit her friends. Faking her death would mean never talking to them again. “Honestly, I don’t think I could lie to my friends about dying. Not after the hurt and grief we all went through when Uncle Frank died.”

“I would rather not have to lie or break any laws, either.”

She slumped in the chair. “We’re right back where we started.”

“We will think of something else.”

Niko sounded confident, but a strange sensation settled in the pit of her stomach, one having nothing to do with not eating dinner. She had no way out of this mess. The reality of the situation seemed…undeniable. “I’m not sure there is anything else.”

He set his fork on the plate. “Isabel—”

“Think about it.” She fought the rising panic. “We’ve both been up half the night trying to figure this out. Faking my death is the best we came up with.”

“We just need time.”

“It’s already Sunday.” A lump formed in her throat. “We don’t have much longer.”

“That means…”

Tears stung her eyes. “I know what it means.”

“You don’t want to get married.”

“No. But when I think what might happen if I don’t…” This wasn’t a debate about differences between two political parties and their views on the issues. People were willing to kill for what they wanted. Her parents had been murdered and her uncle Frank had given up his entire life because of the conflict between the Separatists and the Loyalists. Izzy had wanted to do something for her family. Maybe this was it. She blinked to keep the tears at bay. “I don’t think I have any choice.”

N
IKO
covered Izzy’s hand with his. The warm touch was a harsh reminder to her that another man, a stranger, would soon call himself her husband and be the one touching her. Hot tears spilled down her cheeks.

She turned away so Niko wouldn’t see her cry.

He cupped her chin and turned her face toward him. Gently he wiped the tears from her cheeks with his fingers. “I will not allow you to be forced into a marriage you do not want.”

“Thanks, but this is bigger than you and me. People have suffered too much already. My parents and Uncle Frank sacrificed their lives. I won’t be the catalyst for more violence and pain.”

“I did not believe you had what it takes to be a princess, but you do,” Niko said. “My apologies, Isabel.”

The sincerity in his voice brought another round of tears. She would miss hearing him say her name.

“Thanks.” Izzy sniffled. “I’m usually not so girly about things.”

“I’m glad you’re a girl,” he said. “Or I couldn’t do this.”

Niko gathered her into his arms.

Izzy stiffened. She didn’t need him, but she had no desire to back out of his embrace. The loneliness in her heart made her relax and lean toward him so he could pull her closer.

Pressing her cheek against his hard chest, she felt the beat of his heart, steady and strong. Invisible warmth enveloped her. For the first time in years, she felt safe. All the emotion she’d been holding in poured out.

Niko didn’t try to soothe her with platitudes. He simply held her, rubbing her back. It was more than she had expected from him. It was all she needed at the moment.

She didn’t know how long Niko kept his arms around her, but slowly her breathing settled. Her tears stopped. Izzy found the strength she needed in his arms. “I know what I have to do. It’s just…I can’t imagine having to spend the rest of my life married to someone who was forced to be my husband. It seems so wrong to me.”

He brushed his hand through her hair. “You are not used to the concept. But arranged marriages aren’t all bad. There’s friendship, companionship, having a common purpose.”

His closeness comforted her. Izzy could almost believe things would be better. “I only wish…”

“Tell me.”

Izzy hesitated, but Niko had been so caring, so kind she had to tell him. “I wish instead of marrying some random royal with a fancy title I could marry for love. But at this point I’d settle for being able to choose who I married.”

Niko continued to comb his fingers through her hair. “Whom would you choose?”

The thought of him popped into her mind then quickly vanished. The emotion of the situation, his compassion, was making her feel closer to him.

“Tell me who,” he pressed.

None of her dates liked cars or racing the way she did. The guy she spent the most time with was Boyd. Building go-carts together, working at dirt tracks on pit crews, watching races. They shared the same interests and the same dreams. They just weren’t…romantic. “Boyd,” she decided.

“Your coworker?” Niko drew back to stare into her eyes. “You said he wasn’t your boyfriend.”

“He’s not, but he’s one of my closest friends. He wouldn’t expect us to have, um, a real marriage.”

“You mean sex.”

Her cheeks burned. She shouldn’t have said anything. “Yes.”

“You would be satisfied with a marriage in name only?”

“It isn’t about being, um, satisfied,” she said. “We wouldn’t have to be married for decades. Only a few years. Long enough for things to stabilize in Vernonia and for you and Jules to have a couple of heirs. Then we could divorce.”

Izzy heard something that sounded like a gasp. She peered over Niko’s shoulder. “What was that noise?”

“I didn’t hear anything,” he said.

She looked back again, but didn’t see anyone. Must have been the refrigerator or something. “Do you think your father would allow me to marry Boyd?”

“We can ask him,” Niko said. “Would Boyd go along with the idea?”

“Probably. A lot of people have assumed we’re a couple. We know each other pretty well.” She pictured her coworker and friend. Boyd was an all-American, beef-fed Southerner. Down home and down to earth. Strong and rugged, but kindhearted like Niko. Not model handsome, but a lot of women found Boyd easy enough on the eyes. “I think he’d say yes because of our friendship, but if I told him I wanted to start a race team together that would most likely seal the deal. He’s more car crazy than I am.”

Niko’s mouth twisted. “Would you be happy married to Boyd?”

“Marriage has never been on my radar screen, but…” She thought about her parents and Uncle Frank. Marrying a man she loved like a brother was nothing compared to the sacrifices they had made. She would do this for them. “If Vernonia remains at peace, then yes. I would be happy married to Boyd.”

Niko let go of her. “We shall take this alternative to my father in the morning.”

“That’s only a few hours away.” Izzy felt cold without his arms around her. She fought the urge to wrap her arms around herself to warm up. “Fingers crossed he says yes.”

“Vernonia is indebted to you, Isabel.” Niko’s gaze met hers, and her heart bumped. “And so am I.”

She didn’t care about Vernonia, but him… His face was so close to hers. Something—passion, perhaps?—flashed in his eyes, and heated her blood. He tilted his head.

Niko was going to kiss her.

Izzy’s pulse rate skyrocketed. Her mouth went dry.

Heaven help her, she wanted him to kiss her.

She parted her lips in anticipation.

Niko held her hand, raised it to her mouth and kissed it. The brush of his lips was soft, a caress. She nearly sighed.

He lowered her hand. “If there is anything you ever need…”

She needed him to kiss her. Not her hand, but her lips.

Here. Now.

Niko released her hand.

Disappointment shot through her. No matter how much she wanted this moment to mean something more than one person comforting another, it didn’t.

It couldn’t.

Izzy might want her lips to be crushed by his, but it would never happen. Niko was too honorable. He would never hold her passionately. He would never share his dreams with her. He would never whisper words of endearment into her ears.

Those were things he would do with…Jules.

Niko was going to marry the pretty princess from Aliestle. And if the king said yes, Izzy would marry Boyd. She would return to the United States with a husband and a partner. They would join the world of racing, not as members of a pit crew, but as the owners of a new racing team.

Izzy would have everything she wanted. And so would Niko.

A happy ending for everyone involved, including Vernonia.

There was just one problem. Why didn’t she feel happier?

The next morning, Niko sat next to Isabel on a settee in the king’s private drawing room. His father stood across from them with a stern look on his face as he considered their request. The tension in the room was palpable. The silence increased Niko’s discomfort level. He would rather be elsewhere, but he didn’t want Isabel to have to go through this alone. She deserved his support for what she was willing to do for him and Vernonia.

Isabel rested her clasped hands on her lap. She wore a lime-green skirt and matching jacket. The heels on her shoes weren’t as high as last night, making it easier for her to walk. She looked very much like a princess.

The only clue anything was wrong were the dark circles beneath her eyes. But he’d still place his money on her. The defiant tilt of her chin told Niko she was ready for a fight.

His father had no idea who he was dealing with. As Niko had learned last night in the kitchen, neither did he. Isabel was a strong and amazing woman. Beautiful and so much more than he imagined she could be.

Thoughts of her had kept Niko awake most of the night. Each time he’d closed his eyes he remembered the scent of her hair, the taste of her skin, the warmth in her heart. He never imagined feeling this way about her. Attraction explained part of it, but there was also his respect and admiration for her willingness to do what was best for Vernonia. All three were combining to a potent mix of affection.

Niko should be having these feelings about Julianna, not Isabel. He was anxious to get this matter resolved so he could refocus and not allow unwanted and unwarranted feelings for the American to cloud his thoughts.

Dmitar paced back and forth. “There is much to consider here.”

Isabel’s lower lip trembled. Only slightly, but the vulnerability Niko saw in that moment pressed down on him like a two tonne weight. She’d been uncomfortable crying in front of him. She liked handling things on her own. But he couldn’t sit and do nothing now.

He reached out, covered her hand with his and squeezed.

The edges of her mouth lifted in a close mouthed smile.

His heart beat faster. He smiled back.

The lines on Dmitar’s forehead deepened. Niko’s shoulder muscles tensed until he realized the reason behind the change in his father’s facial expression. He was staring at Niko’s hand on top of Isabel’s.

Niko pulled his hand away. Not that he should feel guilty. It wasn’t as if he’d just kissed Isabel. He may have thought about kissing her last night, but today he’d simply offered a gesture of comfort. The fact he enjoyed touching her and holding her last night was of no consequence.

Gratitude, he rationalized. That was what Niko felt for Isabel. Appreciation for the sacrifice she was willing to make. Nothing…more.

“You are satisfied with this alternative, Izzy,” Dmitar said finally.

“Satisfied is a relative term, Father,” Niko answered. “This marriage is being forced upon Isabel.”

Dmitar glared at him. “Your name is not Izzy.”

Niko pressed his lips together.

“I admit I’d rather not have to marry at all, sir,” Isabel answered honestly with her head held high. “But I will be more satisfied with this option than what was proposed at dinner.”

Dmitar rubbed his chin. He usually made up his mind quickly. The decision wasn’t that complicated yet was taking longer than it should.

That worried Niko. Isabel hadn’t eaten breakfast. She looked as if she hadn’t slept. She needed the situation to be resolved.

“Father,” Niko said. “This alternative is the best option for Isabel. The choice of a husband should be hers.”

“What’s best for Isabel may not be what’s best for Vernonia,” Dmitar countered.

“Like Niko said, I believe this is the best option for Vernonia,” Isabel said without any hesitation. “I’ve known Boyd for years. We like the same things. People we know won’t think it’s weird if we eloped. They will believe we’re married, not trying to pull the wool over someone’s eyes.”

“That means the Separatists would believe it, too,” Dmitar said.

She nodded. “If they thought it was a ruse, we’d be right back where we started.”

“Plausibility is important,” his father agreed.

Finally, Niko thought. Progress. “So you agree, sir.”

“Are you in love with this Boyd fellow?” Dmitar asked.

“This is ridiculous.” Niko stood, irritated and frustrated. “Love has nothing to do with it, Father. Please do not make this any harder on Isabel than it already has been.”

Dmitar frowned. “I will not tolerate any more outbursts from you.”

“I will stop when you cease toying with Isabel.”

“Thanks, Niko.” She smiled up at him, and his pulse quickened. “I appreciate you standing up for me, but I don’t mind answering your father’s question.”

She sounded sincere. Niko sat.

“I love Boyd, sir.”

Isabel’s words hit Niko like a left jab. He felt an instant, squeezing pain. Something he’d never felt before. Surprise. That was what it must be. She had not mentioned this last night.

“Boyd is one of my closest friends,” she continued. “He’s like a brother. There are no, um, romantic feelings between us. The marriage would be in name only with the intention of divorcing when it was safe.”

The tightness in Niko’s chest eased with her clarification, but a small part of him envied Boyd for having such a relationship with Isabel. Niko had never had a close friendship with a man let alone a woman. At least not since the death of Stefan who had been big brother and best friend rolled into one. Now Niko’s duty to Vernonia always took precedence over everything and everyone else. Including long-term romantic relationships. Short-term ones, too.

“That is quite a sacrifice you are willing to make,” his father said.

Isabel shrugged. “Not really if you look at what my parents and Uncle Frank did. They gave their lives. I still get to be involved in car racing so I wouldn’t call what I’m doing a sacrifice, sir.”

Dmitar beamed. “You’ve thought this through, Izzy. Well done.”

Niko’s admiration for her grew. “I agree.”

She looked up at him.

Isabel’s hazel eyes appeared greener. It must be her jacket bringing out the color. He could still see the same gold flecks he noticed last night. Very pretty.

Dmitar cleared his throat.

Niko looked at his father.

“I accept this alternative,” Dmitar proclaimed. “Isabel may marry Boyd.”

“Yes!” Isabel pumped her fist. “Thanks, Dee. I mean, Your Highness. Majesty. Sir.”

Not quite the perfect princess, but she was the perfect Isabel. Niko smiled.

“We will delay your appointment with the High Court until Tuesday to give Boyd time to arrive,” Dmitar said. “Have Jovan prepare the necessary paperwork for the annulment, transfer of Aleksander’s estate and a marriage license.”

“He’s already working on them, Father,” Niko said.

Dmitar raised a brow. “Confident I would say yes?”

“Hopeful,” Niko admitted. That and he hadn’t been able to sleep knowing how negatively all this was affecting Isabel.

“Then we’re all set,” Dmitar said.

“Not quite, sir.” Izzy stood, and Niko rose to his feet. “I still have to see if Boyd will marry me.”

Dmitar chuckled. “He’s a fool if he doesn’t want to be your husband.”

“Not only a fool.” Niko liked the blush on Isabel’s cheeks. “A complete idiot.”