Z stood in the narthex of the great cathedral of Prylea, pacing back and forth as he communicated to the security teams on his Bluetooth. Technically, he was stepping away from his role as head of palace security to focus on his new role as royal consort to the queen mother of the country. Still, old habits die hard. His old commander always used to say that you could take a man out of the SEALs, but you couldn’t take the SEAL out of the man. In his case that was certainly true.

“Is everyone in position?” he said quietly, not wanting to cause a stir among the full house of guests there to witness Esme’s coronation. They’d postponed things until after Silvester’s trial, which had been pushed through the Prylean court system with surprising speed—especially given the holiday season. Still, with a new year starting and a new crown prince on the way, the people of the country were eager for a fresh start.

Before stepping down from his post, Z had carefully screened a new crop of guards and put into place a stringent training program that rivaled what he’d gone through in the Navy. If he wasn’t guarding Es himself, he damned sure wanted the best security force the world could offer. Under his eagle eye that’s exactly what he got.

From his vantage point at the end of the aisle, he could see Es near the front of the church, looking gorgeous in her white beaded dress and sumptuous red velvet robes all trimmed in ermine. She was stunning. She was smart and beautiful, and he still pinched himself every day to make sure all of this was real and that she was really his. That she loved him as much as he loved her. The design of her dress cleverly accentuated her ever-increasing baby bump, though her face shone with good health and the glow of impending motherhood.

They’d had no more complications with the pregnancy and with Silvester behind bars, convicted of both treason and terrorism, they no longer had to fear any more plots from him. They’d caught the mole in the security department too. Still, Z was suspicious by nature and didn’t plan to allow himself to rest when it came to the safety of his wife and child.

And they’d decided on a baby name. Douglas Zachary.

The fact he was included in there still made his heart swell with pride.

Maybe they’d call him Prince Dougie for short. Or not, considering the look Es had given him when he’d suggested it. Z snorted to himself.

“Dude,” Deacon called from inside the church area, where he and his family were sitting a few pews up. They’d flown in for the coronation ceremony and were currently guests at the palace. He’d invited his other SEAL team buddies, but unfortunately, they couldn’t make it due to another ops mission. Z sometimes missed the camaraderie of his SEAL days, but he never missed not knowing where he was going to be from one day to the next. He was infinitely happy to be by Es’s side, and that’s exactly where he intended to stay.

Deacon waved a hand over the front of himself then pointed at Z’s suit before giving him a thumbs-up. Z laughed and returned the gesture. Deacon’s little daughters waved at him, too, each sucking their thumbs while clutching one of the blankets Es had knitted for them in their other hand.

The archbishop came out and gave Z a nod and he whispered into his Bluetooth headset, “Ready.”

Moments later, the full orchestra seated in the balcony above broke into a triumphant march and Es began her slow walk down the aisle. Z was mesmerized. One day soon, she’d be walking toward him for their grand public wedding ceremony, but first she was walking toward her destiny as queen mother of Prylea. As it should be. He stepped back as she moved closer toward the altar, her smile radiant beneath all the pomp and circumstance and tradition and fanfare.

She glanced over at him and mouthed the words, “I love you.”

Z’s heart swelled to bursting and he mouthed back, “I love you too, my princess.”