EPILOGUE
The following spring
“I don’t mind the press at all.” Bella glanced at the phalanx of photographers seated in their own special pavilion on the lawn. Her heart was so filled with joy today she could hug pretty much anyone. “It’s great publicity for the animal shelter. Every time there’s a story about us in the press money pours in.”
“And animals,” said Rigo with a grin. “We got a flock of eight heritage-breed sheep last week when media coverage leading up to the wedding started.”
“Aren’t they lovely?” Bella pointed to the sweet black-faced sheep where they grazed on a wide area of lawn not far from the wedding guests. “And they’re eco-friendly mowing, too.”
“Your dress is stunning.” Her cousin Ani kissed her cheek.
“Thanks, my new sister-in-law Beatriz designed it.” It had big, bold sleeves, a tiny waist, and acres of skirt covered in incredible embroidery detail.
“And so is that necklace,” said Beatriz.
Bella fingered the dramatic diamond-and-sapphire flowers at her collar bone. “It was found among our dad’s things at the Orangerie. Darias contacted the jeweler and discovered that he’d had it made for his mother’s birthday, but they were both killed before he could give it to her.”
“And we decided that only one other person in the family could pull it off,” said Emma with a smile.
Darias slipped his arm around his wife’s waist. “Grandma would have loved you, Bella. And so would my dad.”
“I’m sorry I never knew them, but I’m glad their killer has been brought to justice.” Artelgard Vernis and several hired hit men had been sentenced to life, and a number of conspirators were serving shorter sentences. Mercifully, her father wasn’t among them.
“Your whole look is so…you,” said Serena with a smile. Sandro stood next to her, holding their eight-month-old son Alessioin his arms.
“I know.” Bella laughed. “A little eccentric—”
“And a lot fabulous,” said Lina. “You’re a miracle worker. I can’t believe the transformation you’ve worked in Rigo. Before you we could barely get him on the phone, and now we see him all the time.”
“And he’s always smiling.” Beatriz shook her head. “I barely recognize him.”
“Look who’s talking,” said Sandro. “You’ve transformed from being a quiet bookworm who rarely left the palace grounds to the talk of Milan, and your smile is bigger than Rigo’s.”
Beatriz gave her husband, Lorenzo, a loving look. “It just shows what can happen when you meet the right person to help you finally break out of your shell. Before I met Lorenzo the biggest decisions of the day were whether to ride hunter or dressage that morning and which book to read in the afternoon. This morning I learned that Printemps, one of the biggest department stores in Paris, is opening a boutique with my name on it.”
“Sandro helped me out of my shell, too,” said Serena with a smile. “I was all alone, hiding from the world and licking my wounds when Sandro blasted into my life and changed everything.”
“And Serena made me realize I was ready to settle down and have a family.” He smiled indulgently at his tiny son.
“Baa!” cried Alessio, clapping his chubby hands together, a big, drooly smile on his face. “Baa baa!”
“I was teaching him animal noises this morning,” admitted Bella. “Starting with our new sheep.”
“Gee, thanks, sis,” said Sandro with a wink. “We’ll be sure to share live video when he does it at three A.M.”
“You’re welcome.” Bella grinned. How was it possible that these privileged royals were so warm and welcoming? For the first time in her life she felt like she was part of a real family. Even her father was being nicer to her, calling more often and accepting her invitations to lunch and dinner whenever she asked him. Her becoming a princess probably had something to do with it, but she’d take his attention however she could get it.
The wedding planner hurried over, “It’s time!”
Bella drew in a deep breath. All the guests were seated on the lawn. Between the rows of seats, a wide aisle of grass led toward a pretty pavilion that the florist had magically covered with live vining roses. A small flock of rescued geese pecked at the grass behind it, and two of her newest friends, both shelter volunteers, stood nearby, keeping Pepe, Sapphire, and the gang in check so they could watch the ceremony, too.
Rigo had been hanging back, pressured by the traditionalists to stay away from her until the ceremony, and she caught her first glimpse of him as he walked toward the pavilion.
Bella’s father ahemed quietly, and she slipped her arm into his. As they walked up the aisle she allowed herself to feast on the vision of Rigo, tall, regal, implacable, a pillar of truth and justice…and all hers. She wouldn’t have believed it possible for her to love anyone this much—at least not anyone with only two legs. And to think she had to thank a long string of misfortunes—beginning with her unwitting liaison with a married man and her father being suspected of murder—for her incredible luck in getting to know him.
As she and her father walked up the aisle, her skirt so voluminous that he risked tripping on it as much as she did, she said a quick prayer of thanks that her father had only been found guilty of being a greedy aristocrat attempting to live by ancient laws in the modern world. The Cross of Blood was now officially disbanded, and its deep coffers opened to benefit the people of Altaleone, not just a small cadre of blue bloods.
Her father let go of her hand as she reached Rigo, and she felt a huge goofy smile spread across her face. As usual Rigo’s hard features resembled the nearby mountains, but now his eyes twinkled with familiar joy that warmed her heart.
“I love you,” he whispered as she drew close.
“I love you, too.”
A smile tugged at his mouth while the officiant cleared his throat as if to scold them for talking out of turn. As the officiant rambled on in their native tongue, she let her mind wander to all the things she and Rigo had planned, including children of their own one day. Serena’s adorable baby had lit a fuse of baby fever throughout the family, and Emma was already pregnant with a tiny royal heir.
“Do you, Rigoberto Montefiore Andante Charlemagne Leone take Arabella Ysatis Mirabelle Beauvoir to be your bride, to love and cherish her as long as you both shall live?”
The sound of their pompous full names almost made her giggle, but she managed to suppress it as Rigo said, “I do,” in his deep, sonorous voice.
“And do you, Arabella Ysatis—”
“I do!” she burst out, unable to contain herself. “I absolutely do.”
A murmur of laughter spread through the crowd, and she felt it rumble in her chest.
“I now pronounce you man and wife.” The ancient and dignified priest looked sternly at Rigo. “You may kiss the bride.”
Rigo, still deadly serious, gathered her in his arms and kissed her so hard and long that she almost forgot where they were. The moment they pulled apart, the audience erupted in applause. She wondered if that was normal during a wedding, but then who really cared what was normal or what wasn’t? Her father beamed—as well he might, since he’d played a huge role in bringing her together with her handsome prince. Even if he’d done it for the wrong reasons, everything had worked out for all the right ones.
People started laughing and pointing and after a moment of alarm she realized that during the ceremony the sheep had wandered over to the pavilion and were now nibbling on the spectacular climbing roses. “Hey, you’re sheep, not goats, stop that!”
Rigo laughed. “Let them feast, and we’ll go enjoy our feast. This way!” And he led them back down the aisle toward the walled garden, where a huge banquet was laid out—with special treats for each of the animals—and they ate and sang and danced late into the night.
THE END
The Royal House of Leone series:
(Darias and Emma)
(Free short story with Sandro and Serena’s first encounter)
(Sandro and Serena)
(Beatriz and Lorenzo)
(Lina and Amadou)
(Rigo and Bella)
If you enjoyed these stories, try the Desert Kings series, the Billionaire’s Secrets series and other books by Jennifer Lewis. For more information and to join the new release newsletter, visit