It’s well into the night before Justine finishes. She asked me to wait in the hotel suite while she returned to her dormitory to do her assignment, and though I initially protested, in the end, I couldn’t deny her request. I might not understand her need to attend an American university, but I do understand her need to prove herself, to accomplish something for herself outside of her family and her country. I can respect that.

While I’m waiting for her, I sprawl out on the massive bed and turn on the television. I order room service for dinner, and then eat right on the bed, flipping between bad American reality shows as I do. It’s a relaxing, enjoyable evening as far as these things go, but the entire time, I feel the absence of Justine. I want her by my side, wrapped in my arms, properly enjoying our first night as newlyweds again.

I smile to myself. I still can’t quite believe we’re husband and wife again—in spirit, anyway, if not legally. The joy of it warms me from head to heel, and I’m tempted to throw open the window and shout it to the entire city. Once again, happiness is within my grasp, and I have no intention of fucking it up this time. This time, I don’t care what my father, my brothers, or King Maximilian says—Justine is my wife, and we’re going to spend our lives together.

When she finally arrives, I pull her right into my arms. I never want to let her go.

She laughs. “You’re smothering me!”

“Exactly my plan.” I grin, then release her just enough to pull her toward the bed. “Shall I order some champagne to celebrate? Or perhaps some cake? Or both?”

She laughs again, shaking her head. “I don’t care about any of that right now.”

My grin widens. “Nor do I.”

I pull her back into my arms, kissing her fiercely. If I doubted her desire for me when she insisted on going back her dormitory, those fears are quickly dispelled. She loops her arms around my neck and kisses me back passionately.

“I love you,” I murmur against her lips.

“I love you, too.”

I could survive on the sweetness of those words alone. But now that she’s here again, I have other plans for us.

And she seems to be just as eager. I’m not sure which of us moves toward the bed first, but in moments, we’re on top of the bed sheets, pulling at each other’s clothes. In record time, we’re naked in each other’s arms, but rather than dive right into the main event, I pause, looking down at her.

It feels like an eternity since the last time I saw her with nothing between us. I didn’t have time before our annulment to memorize her body, to create a perfect image to keep always in my mind, so in some ways I feel as if I’m seeing her for the first time.

And in some ways, I am. The last time I saw her like this, she wasn’t carrying my child.

I let my fingers drift down her body, starting at the base of her throat and then moving downward, softly grazing her skin. When they reach her belly, they linger there, brushing against her softness. It’s still early enough in her pregnancy that her body looks no different, but I’d swear it feels different beneath my touch. There’s a life inside her now, a life we created together. Our child.

“You’re going to make a wonderful mother,” I murmur.

She shifts slightly, and for a moment, I think I’ve gone too far, pushed her too much. I haven’t forgotten what she told me about the horrific thing her father did and about how hard this was going to be for her, but in the wave of our happiness, I allowed it to be pushed to the back of my mind. Now, I wonder if I should have kept my mouth shut.

But she shifts again, relaxing once more.

“I hope so,” she whispers, her hand moving to her belly.

I close my fingers over hers. If I ever see her father again, I intend to make him pay for what he did to her. But now isn’t the time to plot revenge. Now is the time to celebrate what’s right here in front of me. As I squeeze her hand, her eyes turn to me.

“There’s something you should know,” she says. “I didn’t have a chance to tell you before.”

My stomach tightens. Has she been hiding something else from me?

But her lips turn up into a smile. “Don’t look so frightened. It’s a good thing. At least…I think it is.” Her fingers squeeze mine back. “We’re not just having one baby, William, we’re having two. We’re having twins.”

“Twins?”

She nods, her smile widening still. “That’s what they told me. So I hope you’re ready to—”

Her words are cut off by my kiss. She laughs against my mouth, but returns my affection with a kiss of her own. I sit up, still dazed by this new bit of news.

“Twins,” I repeat again. “You’re sure?”

“As sure as I can be.”

“I… Two babies! I can’t even…” I laugh. “Twins!”

“It’s going to be a challenge,” she says.

“A fun challenge,” I counter. “An absolutely delightful—”

This time I am cut off by her kiss as she drags me back down to her mouth. If I thought I was happy before, it’s nothing compared to the joy I feel now. This woman—and the children she carries—mean everything to me. I’d lay down my life for them.

By the time she releases me, my head is light, and I prop myself on my elbow above her, staring dazedly down at her. My hand pushes her hair out of her face then gently strokes her cheek. Her eyes mirror my joy, but beneath that, I still see the remnants of her fear and sorrow.

“Don’t worry,” I promise her again. “I won’t let anything happen to you or our babies. You’re safe now. And you’ll always be safe, from this point forward.”

She smiles. “I know. It’s just…I keep having to remind myself of that.”

“I’ll remind you every single day,” I tell her. “I never want you to have any reason to fear, ever again.”

“Even if you could promise me that, I don’t want you to. Just promise that I can trust you. That you’ll never leave me.”

“I promise,” I murmur, lifting a bit of her hair to my lips and kissing it. “On everything that I am.”

She nods, apparently placated for the moment. “Then let’s not talk about fear anymore tonight. It’s our wedding night, and I want to celebrate it properly.”

“That, dear Princess, is something we can both agree on.”

Her smile is so bright I’m almost hesitant to hide it beneath a kiss, but she doesn’t give me any choice. She pulls me down to her again, and I go gladly, ready and eager to give my entire self to my beloved wife.