“I hope you’re decent,” I call out as I walk into her room.

My heart is beating fast in my chest at the thought of seeing Hazel. It’s a feeling I’m not used to. I don’t think I’ve ever been excited to see a woman with her dress still on before, but for some reason I can’t wait to see what she chose. I had the stewards get some very special dresses for her, and even managed to figure out the right sizes. The stewards may be weird, but they’re good for shit like this.

Her bedroom door is shut. “Just a minute,” she calls out.

I sigh. “You’ve had all day to get dressed.”

“I wasn’t just sitting around doing my hair, you know.”

I grin to myself. “I find that hard to believe.”

The door opens and Hazel steps out into the light. “What do you think?”

I stare at her, at a total loss for words for the first time in my life. She chose the black one, the dress that I hoped she’d pick. It makes her pale skin look beautiful. It clings to her curves and shows off just enough cleavage to give you a taste of her gorgeous body.

She looks fucking beautiful. I had high expectations, but she exceeds them all. I can’t help but stare at her, my cock stiffening in my suit pants. I don’t even care if she sees it right now. I’m tempted to skip this fucking dinner and taker what’s rightfully mine right here and now.

“Nolan?” she asks, smiling a little uncertainly. “You’re just staring at me.”

I get myself together. “You look incredible,” I say.

“Really?”

“Fucking really.” I step toward her. “I’m tempted to rip that dress off here and now.”

She blushes but smiles. “Cut it out,” she says. “You don’t think it’s too much?”

I shake my head. “No. I want to show you off. It’s perfect.”

Her smile gets bigger and I step toward her, offering her my arm. “Ready?” I ask.

“Okay,” she says. “Let’s go.”

I lead her out into the hall. We head toward the top floor. Her steward doesn’t follow us, since I’m escorting her around right now.

I point out parts of the castle that I remember from when I was a kid. I used to play in these hallways for hours at a time, running around and getting into trouble. I could do whatever I wanted, and nobody really stopped me. I was the little prince, after all. My childhood was hard, full of learning and pressure, but it was good, too. I had a lot of friends in the castle, Andrew being one of the closer ones, and I didn’t have to worry about much of anything.

“Right there, I knocked over a vase from the sixth century,” I say to Hazel, pointing at an empty pedestal.

“Seriously?” she asks, eyes wide.

“Seriously,” I say. “It was Chinese, Ming Dynasty I think.” I shrug and shake my head. “My father whooped my ass for that.”

She smiles a little bit. “You mean, he didn’t order a steward to do it for him?”

I laugh, genuinely amused by that idea. “No, my father always made sure to punish me himself.”

“Was he a strict father?”

“A little bit.” I hesitate. “He believes the world should be a certain way, and he doesn’t forgive people who don’t live up to his idea of life.”

“I can see how that could be hard.” She frowns at me. “My father was a lot like that, too.”

“Really?” I ask, my eyebrows raised.

“Really. We don’t really get along anymore, me and my family. They want me to live a certain way and I…. I don’t want to.”

“Do they know that you’re married to a foreign prince?”

She bursts out laughing and pulls herself closer to me. “Not at all!” she says, laughing loudly.

“What’s so funny?”

“I’m just picturing the look on my father’s face. He’ll lose it. He’s the kind of guy who thinks Europeans are all a bunch of hairy, lazy, stinky losers.”

I shake my head but I love the way she laughs, so light and free. She pushes herself against me and I can feel my cock stirring again. Fucking hell, my body reacts whenever she’s close. I can see down the front of her dress, and I want to see more.

“So you get a kick out of rebelling then,” I say. “I can relate.”

“That’s right. You’re Prince Player, after all.”

I groan a little bit. “I forget about that nickname sometimes.”

“Is it true?” she asks me, suddenly serious.

“Is what true?”

She cocks her head. “Have you really slept with thousands of women?”

I laugh and shrug. “Maybe. Who keeps count? That’s weird.”

“Gross,” she says, making a face.

“Are you judging me?”

“No, it’s just, I don’t know.”

“Your American prudishness?”

She sighs and nudges me. “Maybe,” she admits.

“We have that here, too, you know. But a lot worse.”

“I’ve noticed.” She bites her lip. “Are people here going to accept a foreigner like me?”

“Yes,” I say seriously. “Right now, this country is at a crossroads. We can modernize, become a true global player, and evolve as a people. Or we can look inward again, cast out anyone that differs from what we think is right, and bury our head in the sand. I don’t want to be afraid of foreigners or others, Hazel. I want to bring my people into the future.”

She looks at me with a hint of surprise in her expression. We come to the end of the hall and stop in front of a door. I want to ask her what’s so surprising, but before I can get the words out, the door flings open and Andrew stumbles out.

“Nolan!” he says loudly. “I was wondering where the fuck you were. We broke out the Kubb already, and I’m getting truly blasted.”

“Hi, Andrew,” I say. “You’re having a good time.” I grin and pat his back.

“Yes, yes, I am.” He looks over at Hazel and bows stiffly. “Hello, Wife Consort. Fair warning, I am drunk and off duty.”

Hazel looks at me a little surprised, and I grin back. “What did you think we were coming to?” I ask her.

“You said we were going to see some nobles you know.”

“We are,” I say. “They just happen to be young and fun. And they also want to celebrate my marriage.”

“Your first fucking marriage!” Andrew shouts. “Get in there, you piece of shit!”

I’m shoved in through the door, laughing the whole way. Hazel follows me, looking totally shocked as we step into the large upper banquet room.

Inside, tables line either side of the large room. In the center, a group of people are playing a game called Kubb, which involves throwing long pegs to knock down the opposing team’s blocks. It’s a complicated game, but it’s fun as hell once you get how to play.

“There’s that fucking prince!” Ryan shouts. He’s tall, with flaming red hair that’s starting to recede. “I was wondering if you’d show.”

He walks over and shakes my hand. “And miss my own party? Never.”

“Is this her?” he asks.

“Hazel, this is Duke Michelo Dryan Dearbloom.”

“Call me Ryan,” he says, grinning. “The title is such a fucking bore.”

“Nice to meet you,” Hazel says.

“Come on, come see everyone. How long’s it been since you were last at court, ten years?”

I shrug. “Something like that.”

The next ten minutes are spent saying hello to everyone. All told, there are about twenty people there, all around my age or a little younger. I grew up with a lot of the people here, and although we’ve grown apart, I know they’ve always supported me. In the castle, these are the people that I can count on.

They’re the children of dukes, duchesses, marquises, and prominent business leaders. They’re the rich and the powerful, but mostly, right now, they’re drunk as fuck.

“The Wife fucking Consort, eh,” Scotty says, leaning against me. He’s clearly wasted.

“Hi Scotty. Are you losing in Kubb?”

“That bastard Andrew can’t toss worth shit,” he says, slurring his words. Scotty is a Scottish man whose parents were royalty a long time ago. They came to Polovia to try and rejoin the royal court, though mostly they’re outsiders.

“Sorry about him.” A tall, blonde girl comes over and steers Scotty away from me.

“Jessie?” I ask.

“The one and only,” she says.

I hug and kiss her cheek. “It’s been ages,” I say, laughing. “This is Hazel, my wife. Hazel, this is Jessie. We grew up together.”

“Didn’t think anyone could get this man to settle,” she says to Hazel, hugging and kissing her cheek. “But I can see why he likes you.”

“Uhm, thank you,” Hazel says, laughing.

“Come on, let’s get a drink,” I say to Hazel. We walk over to one of the tables and I pour both of us a beer. She sips hers and smiles.

“I love this stuff,” she says.

“You’re a beer drinker?”

“Of course. Hard not to be here.”

I grin at her. “I knew I made a good choice.”

She smiles back at me and I steer her back over to the Kubb game. We chat idly with Jessie about her life as the guys finish their game. Every time a team misses a toss, they have to sip their drink, and that’s why Scotty and Andrew are plastered. They stink at Kubb.

Meanwhile, Jessie talks about getting married and having children. She shows us pictures of her two kids, both of them adorable and blonde, just like their mother. I feel a little strange, hearing about how she has a family. I still feel like we’re just little kids, running around and playing Hide and Seek.

“Scotty has a kid now too, you know,” Jessie says.

“Really?” I ask her.

“Born just a month ago. Cute little bugger.”

“Boy or girl?”

“Girl,” she says. “And he’s smitten.”

“Of course,” I answer. “Scotty is a big softie.”

She laughs and tells me more about the other nobles and their families. As I listen, I realize two things.

First, I’m so far behind these people. I have no children, no family, no big job. Yes, I’m the prince, but I may not even get the crown. I realize that Hazel is the first good decision I’ve ever made.

Second, and probably more importantly, I haven’t kept up with everyone. That’s pretty shitty of me. I’ve been too busy living my own life outside of the court that I forgot how many people I really like are still back here in the castle, living the lives of nobles.

Eventually the Kubb game ends, and Andrew and Scotty are the losers. Hazel and I step up to play next, and while it’s really fun, I feel like I’m not entirely into it. Jessie stays nearby, telling Hazel stories from when we were kids, and although I should be embarrassed, I don’t mind. I want Hazel to learn about me. I want her to know everything there is to know, which isn’t something I’ve ever felt before.

“Let me steal this girl away for a second,” Jessie says suddenly, handing me the Kubb sticks. “I think you can handle yourself.”

I glance at Hazel and she just shrugs. “Be nice to her,” I say.

“Always am.” Jessie winks and steers Hazel over toward the drinks table.

I sigh and turn back toward the game, although I keep an eye on Jessie and Hazel. I don’t know what Jessie is telling her, and honestly I’m a little worried. Jessie knows some stories about me from when I was younger, stories I don’t necessarily want to relive. I’m not exactly ashamed of anything, but it’s typical teenager shit. Believe it or not, I wasn’t always the sophisticated prince that I am today.

The game continues, and I realize that I’m losing pretty badly. I don’t really care though, since my attention is basically entirely on Hazel. She laughs at something Jessie says and glances in my direction, blushing slightly. I want to storm over there and demand they tell me what they’re talking about, but that’s freaking crazy.

The game mercifully ends and I head over to the girls. They look up as I approach.

“How’s it going over here?” I ask.

“Just giving Hazel here your life story, since you’ve neglected to do so,” Jessie says.

I sigh. “You know how it is, Jess.”

“Uh huh, right.” She winks at me. “The court is all astir over this marriage, you know.”

“I bet they are.”

“It’s very shocking. Prince Player, tied down to one woman.”

I sigh and shrug. “Maybe I’m changing.”

She smiles and glances at Hazel. “Yeah, well, we’ll see.” She waves and heads over to join another group.

“What was that all about?” I ask Hazel.

She smiles a little and shrugs. “Nothing special. Just told me some stories.”

“Nothing bad, I hope.”

“No.” She hesitates. “Just one story in particular.”

I raise an eyebrow and for a second, I feel nervous about what Jessie said. It’s crazy that I care what Hazel thinks of me at this point. Really, she’s my wife, and that part of this is finished. I don’t need her to love me or even to like me, and yet I find myself wanting exactly that. I want her to want me, and I’m suddenly worrying about my past.

“Come on,” I say to her suddenly. “Let’s get some air.”

I take her hand and pull her along behind me. She quickly catches up and we duck out the front door. I find a little side staircase and we climb up until eventually we step out onto the roof of the castle.

It’s a beautiful, clear night, and we can see all across the city of Maldin. “Wow,” Hazel says. “This is gorgeous.”

“I know.” I walk closer to the edge. “I used to come up here a lot when I was younger.”

She steps up beside me and we’re quiet for a second. We watch the city in silence together, enjoying the view.

“The story Jessie told me,” Hazel says suddenly, her voice soft. “Is it true?”

I look at her. “I’m not sure which story.”

“She says you saved her life.”

I take a breath and smile. I thought Jessie probably told her any one of the hundred different embarrassing stories, but that one, that’s not a bad story at all. I think about it sometimes, actually, when I’m unsure of myself. I think about the time that I was brave, really brave.

“It’s true,” I say. “Except I think she probably exaggerates.”

“What’s your version then?” she asks.

I look back out over the city, reliving that afternoon. “It had just rained,” I say. “Really hard and for a few days. The river over there,” I point out to the west, “was swollen and flowing fast. We were out walking around the woods, hiking and playing, a group of maybe six of us. There’s a rope swing over the river, and we decided to hop on and ride it.”

I can see it perfectly. The water is flowing fast, way too fast for any of us to get in. We’re maybe eleven years old at this point, and Jessie is a gangly, awkward girl who likes hanging out with the boys. The stewards that brought us are back with the truck, smoking cigarettes and pretending to watch over us, which is insane in retrospect. The crown would never let that happen today, but I think they wanted us to grow and become independent. We sure as hell grew that day.

“We all took turns,” I say to her. “Nobody jumped off, since the water was moving so fast, but we swung out after it and laughed as we jumped off back onto the bank. When it was Jessie’s turn, she didn’t even hesitate.”

I take a deep breath and shake my head. “I don’t know how it happened. But she swung out over the water and fell off. I’ll never forget her scream as she crashed into the water.”

I’m quiet for a second, my eyes closed, picturing that moment. We all thought she was dead. She didn’t resurface for a few seconds.

“She says you jumped in after her,” Hazel says softly.

“Not exactly,” I answer. “I told two other boys to go get help. There were stewards nearby that should have been watching us. Then I ran downstream a little bit to a tree that had fallen during the storm. I climbed out over that, and when Jessie resurfaced, I jumped in to grab her.”

I’ll never forget that moment. It was so stupid of me. I shouldn’t have gotten in the water. But I did, I jumped in and grabbed Jessie by the waist, pulling her over to the tree. I grabbed onto a branch and I held us there until the stewards arrived. They pulled us out of the water. We got in so much trouble, I don’t think I left my room for a week.

“You risked yourself for her,” Hazel says.

“I only did what anybody would have done.”

“I don’t think so,” she says. “It sounds really brave.”

“And stupid,” I point out. “I could have gotten us both killed.”

“But you didn’t.”

I shrug and go quiet again. I didn’t know Jessie still thought about that. I haven’t been a good friend in the last few years, but I’m going to work on that.

I turn to Hazel and she’s looking up at me with these wide eyes, a strange expression on her face. I can’t quite read it, though I think I can guess what it means. I suddenly feel something inside of me, almost like I’m back in that moment from when I was a child again. But this time, it’s an excitement aimed toward her.

I tip Hazel’s chin up toward me and gently kiss her full lips.

She doesn’t pull away. I step closer, wrapping my arms around her, and I kiss her deeper. It’s not the sort of kiss I ever expected to have with Hazel. I know we’re going to have sex and get her pregnant, but I didn’t know what we’d have this between us. It’s a slow kiss, sensual and full of feeling. I don’t understand where it’s coming from, but in this moment, I know I need it.

Slowly, we break apart, and she looks up at me with a little smile. “I guess that’s okay, since we’re married.”

I smirk at her. “We could do more, you know.”

She grins and pushes me away. “Keep it in your pants, prince.”

“I can’t help it if you make me want to undress you, princess,” I say.

She laughs and heads back toward the door. I give her a short head start, gathering myself. I’m hard as fuck and desire pulses through me, but we’re taking it slow.

Soon, I follow her back down to the party. We have a decent time, and we talk to a lot of people that I haven’t seen in awhile. But the whole time, the only thing I can think about is that kiss and the way she looked at me afterward.