Scarlett stood next to me in a beautiful white lace dress. My palms were sweaty and I was nervous about showing her the family ring I had chosen for her to wear. We were waiting for the priest, neither of us particularly patient. Each time she glanced back towards the door, I grew more anxious. Ava was whispering in her sister’s ear, holding her hand tightly and smiling reassuringly at her.

My soon-to-be wife seemed calm, but just the slight tremble in her hand told me she was anything but. I wanted to comfort her, but how could I, when I was the one putting her in this position. I was selfish. She probably hated me for making her grow up and become a queen at the age of twenty. I thought we would have more time to get used to each other before this became imperative. One week just wasn’t long enough.

The priest walked into the room quickly. He knew why we were rushing this, and while it wasn’t the best timing, I still wanted Scarlett’s wedding to be special.

“Are we ready?” he asked.

I stepped over to Scarlett and took her hand in mine, squeezing it reassuringly. “We are.”

Scarlett smiled tightly and nodded once.

Within minutes, we were placing rings on each other’s fingers. She looked in awe at the ring I placed on her finger. Sapphires and diamonds were encrusted into the eternity band that fit perfectly next to the engagement ring I’d given her to wear to the hospital gala. The rings had been in the royal family for over a hundred years and now they were hers. She studied the floral patterns the surrounding sapphires created around the setting. It was my good luck that the stones matched the tiara her sister had helped her place on her head before the ceremony. Scarlett didn’t just look like a princess anymore; she looked like a queen.

My queen.

It surprised me when Scarlett showed me the ring she’d picked out for me. She’d even had it engraved on the inside. I wanted to read it, but she slipped it onto my finger before I was able to. As the priest announced us husband and wife, I swept her up in my arms and kissed her until she was moaning into my mouth. I probably shouldn’t have been so forward in front of the staff and her sister, but I couldn’t bring myself to care.

Scarlett was finally mine, and that was all that mattered.

We signed the necessary documents and I hurried back to my uncle’s chamber to get his royal seal before it was too late. He’d begged me to marry Scarlett before it was too late and I felt guilty for making him wait. I didn’t know which was worse; rushing the woman I’d chosen to spend the rest of my life with, or making him worry that we wouldn’t get married in time. He also thought I was being an idiot not telling Scarlett my exact feelings, which I’d heard enough about from William. With each passing day, he was getting weaker, and he didn’t want Jade anywhere near this castle. Uncle Henry hated her and he blamed her for a lot of my past issues. I rushed into the room and our eyes met. His shaky hand reached out to grasped mine.

“The kingdom is safe.”

He sighed a breath of relief. “About damn time,” he said, grinning. “You chose well, son.”

My eyes shined with tears. The man who had raised me was dying and there was nothing I could do to make it stop.

“You were the one that made me realize what I felt for Scarlett, and made the first call to her father.”

“But you were the one that made your marriage possible. I always told you to marry for love, not a title.” He was getting weaker, but there was still some fight left in him. If he could give me one more fatherly lecture, I would take it.

“And I should have listened the first time,” I said, loving the fact that even though he was frail, he was still giving me hell. This was how I would always remember him. “Here is the license, sir. All we need is your seal, and it’s official.”

He pointed over to the desk in the corner of his room, indicating he wanted me to bring a pen and his wax. My hands shook as I carried them back over to the bed. I wasn’t ready for his last decree—the one that would officially make me king and Scarlett, my queen.

“I’m proud of you,” he whispered, as he signed the document with his usual flourish. “You’re going to make an amazing king. I’ve taught you everything I know. Now take this to the priest quickly. We don’t want to leave anything to chance.” He took my hand in his as he handed the paper over. “Be happy, Carrick. You deserve it. I love you, son.”

I watched as he settled back into the bed; all of his energy was gone.

“Thank you, Uncle. I love you too, and thank you for being a wonderful father to me.”

A small smile settled on his lips. I gathered myself the best I could and left the room quickly before he could see the tears running down my cheeks. The last thing I wanted to do was cry in front of my king. The priest was waiting outside the door, and he took the stamped document to be recorded immediately. I sank down to the floor and covered my face with my hands. Nothing ever made sense when it came to death, but this was worse than it had ever been before. My heart ached to lose the last of my family.

The next few days would be busy between finalizing funeral arrangements and ensuring that Jade didn’t try to manipulate her way back into the royal family. I regretted my impulsive marriage to the horrible woman, but there was nothing I could do now, except wait and pray that everything Henry had told me was right. That, and get to know my new wife.

Scarlett was going to be my future now.

My family.

“Carrick?” I looked up into the eyes of the woman who consumed my thoughts right now. “Are you okay?”

I laughed humorlessly. “Not at all.”

She sank down next to me on the floor and put her small hand in mine. “I know you aren’t; I shouldn’t have even asked. What can I do to help?”

I paused for a second. She really did understand my relationship with my uncle and I’d be forever grateful for that. “Go back in there with me?”

She nodded. “I will, but you’re going to have to help me up. I’m stuck down here now, in this dress.”

This time, my chuckle was real. “Come on, wife. I want to introduce you to the man that raised me.”

Scarlett smiled and my world wasn’t so dark. She lit up places in me I never thought would heal. “And I would love to meet him.” She paused for a moment. “Well, I’d love to meet him as your wife. I love your Uncle Henry. He’s always been sweet to me.”

I smiled sadly. “He always loved you too. He says you’re spirited.”

She grinned and squeezed my hand. Thanks to him, I would spend my life loving Scarlett too.

The rain wouldn’t stop on the day we buried my uncle. It suited my mood just fine, but even as upset as I was, Scarlett was able to break through to me. She slipped her small hand into mine and we walked behind the casket, on the way to his final resting place. The crowds seemed to like her standing next to me, not that I was concerned either way. Marrying Scarlett wasn’t a political move; it was purely selfish on my part.

When we were finally back in the castle, I wanted to drink and numb the pain in any way possible. The dark place I was in years before slipped back easily, and I wanted to fall into oblivion. I understood why Scarlett had chosen the drugs to mask her feelings all too well. I wanted to do that now, but I had obligations and I couldn’t allow myself to go down that route again. The responsible thing to do would be to throw myself into work, but I didn’t want to do that either. Instead, I wanted to get lost in my new wife. She had been keeping an eye on me all afternoon, and I appreciated that she recognized the struggle I was going through.

Scarlett had gone upstairs to change out of her wet clothes after the funeral, leaving me by myself for the first time all day. I poured myself a drink as I waited for her to come back downstairs and help me forget. She had been quiet over the past few days, and my attention had been other places. I needed to correct that soon. I was sure she understood why, but it wasn’t fair to her how our wedding took place. She deserved more from me.

I heard footsteps on the stairs and turned to look behind me. My sexy wife came into the room wearing a spaghetti strap tank top and a pair of almost indecent shorts. I muffled my groan and hoped that she wouldn’t notice how affected I was by her outfit. It had been nearly a week since I’d touched her silky skin. I wanted to bury myself inside her and forget all about this horrible day.

She smirked at me, and I could see she had the same idea. This woman was perfect for me. Sometimes it didn’t seem possible that we were actually here together because I had wanted her for so long. I wondered what she saw in me. I wasn’t as old as her father, but I sure as hell could be one. She didn’t seem worried about our age difference; in fact, the one time she had mentioned it, she seemed to like the idea.

Maybe we could spend tonight remembering exactly how much.