By the time they arrived at the hospital, the king was heavily sedated. Z was worried about Es. Not only because of the argument they’d just had back at the palace, but also because of the added stress of losing her father. Based on the reports he’d gotten from the doctors and staff, Z didn’t think the man had much time left on earth.

“Papa,” Es said, rushing to his bedside, while Z held back, wanting to give them some privacy. He’d directed the rest of the security to watch the halls and elevators and had taken over guarding the king himself for now. It wasn’t protocol, but Z didn’t care at that point. The most important thing at this moment was making sure Es got the closure she needed.

“Are you comfortable?” she said, fussing with the king’s sheets and pillows, a slight catch in her voice betraying her sadness. “They said they gave you medicine for pain.”

“Yes, my dear. I’m fine. As well as can be expected.” He grabbed her hand and held it. “Listen to me. There isn’t much time left.”

“Don’t say that, please.” Esme sniffled. “They’ll get you fixed up and you’ll come back to the palace and we’ll celebrate a nice holiday together.”

“No, my dear. That’s not going to happen.” He patted her hand and Z looked away, not wanting to intrude on their time together. He was engaged to Es, yes, but he wasn’t really a part of their family. The king coughed before continuing while Es’s quiet sobs filled the room. “Listen to me, my darling girl. It’s okay. It’s going to be all right. I had a vision, you see.”

Es pulled back slightly, frowning. “I’m sorry?”

“Yes. Back at the palace before the paramedics arrived. I slipped out of consciousness. Traveled to…a different place.” The king’s smile was so beatific that even Z had to wonder if the guy had actually seen something beyond just some drug-induced fantasy. “I saw you, Esme. I saw you and your Zachary, and you were so very happy together. It filled me with such joy to know that you’ll be taken care of once I’m gone.”

Z inhaled sharply at the words, not missing Es’s slight flinch. Their relationship wasn’t destined to be a happily ever after, no matter how close they became because of this baby deal. She was on the path to ruling her country while he would be on a fast-track straight back to his SEAL team. Still, Z didn’t have the heart to tell that to a dying man. Neither, it seemed, did Es.

She bent and kissed her father’s cheek, tears streaming down her face. “Oh, that sounds so lovely. But there’s no hurry for any of that. You need to focus on getting better.”

The king’s expression sobered, and he narrowed his gaze on his daughter. “Esme, I’m not getting any better. We both know that. Now, it’s time for you to stop living in a fairy tale. I want you and your child secure. I need to know that you will be before I die. They have a chaplain here at the hospital. An ordained minister. I took the liberty of ordering a special license for you and I want to see you and your Zachary married before the day is done.”

“What?” Es and Z said at the same time.

“Oh, Papa, I don’t think that’s necessary.”

Z rushed over to the other side of the bed. “Sir, with all due respect, we’ve had no time to plan anything and with the situation currently, perhaps it’s best if we wait a bit before making any rash decisions.”

“No.” The king pushed himself up higher in his bed then slipped into another coughing jag. Es and Z exchanged anxious looks over the hospital bed. Z did not like the grayish pallor to her cheeks nor the trembling in her hands. His first instinct was to pull her into his arms and carry her away from all this pain and pressure and keep her safe until all of this was over. But it was doubtful her father would live through the night, and she’d never forgive herself if she wasn’t there by his side until the end. “You wouldn’t deny a dying man his last wish, would you?”

“Papa, I—” Es started, but the king held up his hand, silencing her. “Please, my dear. Give me and Zachary a moment alone, will you?”

Z caught Es’s eyes and gave a slight nod. She sighed and turned away, reluctantly.

Waiting until they were alone, Z looked down at the king again. “Sir, I want you to know that I’ll do everything in my power to protect your daughter and our baby.”

“I know that, son.” The king’s use of the endearment made Z’s chest ache. “I’ve been watching you two together since we were back in Washington. You have a special bond, same as my beloved queen and I had before her passing.” Z opened his mouth to deny it, but the king continued. “Now I know that perhaps things haven’t exactly followed a traditional path between the two of you. Your courtship was rushed, to say the least. And now a baby’s coming before the marriage, but none of that matters in the end. What matters is in your hearts. And I can see from looking at you, I know from watching you, Mr. Zachary Raybourn, that you have an excellent heart. Strong and brave and true. And exactly what my daughter needs to support her through the tough times ahead. Whether you know it or not, you’ve given my family a gift, the chance to continue on the throne of Prylea for another generation and for that, I’ll always be grateful.”

“Sir, I—” Both humbled and terrified by the king’s speech, Z wasn’t quite sure what to say, only that he needed to say something. “Things aren’t what they seem between Esme and me. We have a contract, a deal. I give her a baby to keep the line of succession going, and she gets me back on my SEAL team. I’m sorry to tell you that, but it’s true. Ours isn’t a love match. It’s a business transaction.”

Even as he said the words, they tasted bitter on his tongue. Okay, maybe things had moved beyond a mere business transaction the minute he and Es had continued sleeping together even after they’d conceived, but still. He liked her. He liked her a lot. He had no idea where she stood on things with him, though, and he wasn’t about to push her into more anyway. They had their deal, and they both got out of it exactly what they wanted, right?

Better the king know the truth now than to die believing a lie.

If Z’s confession fazed King Renault at all, however, he didn’t show it. In fact, he grinned up at Z like he was privy to some great cosmic joke that no one else knew. “My son, the best relationships often start on shaky ground. I’m not here to cast blame or heap upon either of you a bunch of harsh expectations. But I know what I saw in my vision, and what I saw was you and my daughter, very much in love and very much ruling this country together in my new grandson’s stead.” The king patted Z’s arm. “That’s really all you need to be a good father, you know. Or a good husband. Just love and support. And you and my daughter have that in spades even if you’re both too stubborn to admit it right now. That’s why I have no qualms about going through with this marriage today. I want to make sure that bond stays strong, even after I’m gone.”

He and Es were scheduled to marry in front of the magistrate the week before Christmas anyway, with all the bells and whistles required of a royal wedding. Having a short civil ceremony here today for the king wouldn’t hurt anything. The king raised an imperious brow at him and the last of Z’s resistance caved. The king had said Z had given his family a gift. Well, they’d given him one as well. A purpose, a new direction in life when he’d desperately needed one and if he could repay that debt now, even in some small part, he’d do it. “Fine. I’ll go see if I can find this chaplain of yours.”

“Thank you, my son. And send my daughter back in, will you? I’ll need to convince her about all this, too.”

Z walked out of the room to find Es leaning against the wall not far away. She brushed the backs of her hands across her damp cheeks and straightened as he approached.

“Well? What did he say?” she asked.

“He explained why he wants us to get married today, and I told him we’ll do it.”

“But what about the ceremony we have planned?” Es asked, her face flushed and her movements wild. “I’m not prepared at all. I don’t have my dress or my stylist or the vows I’d written.”

“You wrote vows?” Z asked, placing his hands on her shoulders to calm her. He wasn’t surprised that Es would compose her own vows for her wedding. That was her to a T—unique and adorable and unforgettable. But he was surprised she’d gone to the trouble for him, considering this was all a sham. Wasn’t it?

Instead of answering directly, she gave a small nod and looked away. “I thought it would help create the illusion we were really in love.”

“Hmm.” Z pondered that while a monitor beeped in the king’s room and several members of the medical staff ran to check on him. They needed to get a move on if they hoped to get this wedding accomplished before the king expired. Things were going downhill fast. “Don’t worry about any of that. We can have a civil ceremony here with the chaplain, to please your father, then do the regular ceremony later, if we want. I’m going to find the minister now. Your father asked to see you again.”

Es exhaled slow then looked up at him, her hazel eyes sparkling with unshed tears. “He’s dying.”

“I know. And I’m so, so sorry, princess.” Z pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. “But we’ll get through this, I promise. I’m right here by your side and I’m not going anywhere.”

“I’m sorry about our fight. I don’t want to fight with you anymore.”

“Me neither.” He smiled into the top of her hair, inhaling her good Es scent. “Now go in there and spend time with your father while I find this chaplain, so we can get this going, okay?”

“Okay.” Es released him and Z backed away slowly, watching her square her shoulder before walking back into her father’s room. She was so much stronger than she gave herself credit for and Z loved her for it.

Even if he’d never tell her so.