first one, but there was a part of him that was thrilled to have the second, far more elaborate celebration. It was a true extravaganza, with everything from hundreds of people gathered to witness the ceremony, exquisite decorations, and best of all, the handsome prince waiting for him at the front of the hall.
Even Angelo’s father had agreed to come. He still wasn’t pleased his plan hadn’t come to fruition. Everything was back to the way it had been. Nadia was the heir, would one day be regent, and eventually, queen. Mirea and Tanzhir still had a favorable trade agreement. And, most importantly to Yuri’s way of thinking, Angelo was his, forever, and no one could change that.
After the ceremony, banquet, and ball, Yuri’s parents and brothers pulled the grooms aside. Archie was predictably drunk, but still conscious. Alex braced his brother and his expression flitted between irritated and pleased. The king and queen both looked pleased and excited. The king wasn’t quite as drunk as his son, but he was a good way there. Both had the ability to drink as much as they pleased without suffering from a hangover the next day, which Yuri found unfair in the extreme.
“We’d like to give you our present,” Queen Eleanor said. “It’s not really a wedding present, but it took longer to prepare than we’d expected.”
“Damned slippery fish,” the king stated to no one in particular.
“What is it?” Yuri asked, dying of curiosity.
“A lawsuit,” Alex explained.
“Took me forever to find that bastard. But I did. And I served his arse but good,” Archie added a touch belligerently.
Yuri frowned and Angelo said, “You did what?”
“A subpoena,” Alex clarified. “We had Archie deliver it because Blackheath was hiding in a resort open only to those who are rich or well-connected.”
“We are going to sue his slimy arse,” Archie declared, “and if we can’t strip him of every penny he has, we will at least make his life very miserable, and expensive, for several months. As many as possible.”
“Yes, dear,” Queen Eleanor said with a sigh.
“He’ll be given a choice,” Alex said. “Publicly apologize to you two and then donate ten million pounds to the charity of your choice, and I’d recommend something involving domestic abuse, or face us in court. Either way is a win for us.”
Angelo gripped Yuri’s hand tightly. “Brilliant,” Yuri said. “Now Angelo can’t continue to threaten to kill Francis. Which, honestly, I sympathize with, but I’ve told him that Mireans try not to outright murder people we don’t like.”
“We much prefer suing them,” Archie said cheerfully. “Much better.”
“Less messy,” Alex added.
“And far more lucrative,” Archie concluded.
The king and queen sighed in unison. “Yes, dear,” Eleanor said. “Lawsuits are far superior to murder. The lack of mess being but only one of the reasons why.”
The next day they would fly to Curacao for their honeymoon, but that night they slept in Yuri’s room. It had changed much over the years from the dinosaur decorations that had roamed the walls when he was young. Now the room was hung with silk the color of Yuri’s eyes and was filled with Louis XIV antique furniture. It was, perhaps, a bit much, but then so had been the dinosaurs. The Oxford house was plainly and practically decorated with good pieces of timeless furniture and neutral colors. His Mirean bedroom was like an overly festooned bower for an extremely silly princess. Queen Eleanor had designed it, Yuri tolerated it because he didn’t want to hurt his mother’s feelings, and Angelo seemed to adore it.
Angelo kept his London flat, but spent most nights with Yuri in Oxford while working remotely. One day a week he went into the office. Sometimes Yuri joined him and they stayed in the City for the weekend. So far, it was working out well. Yuri would finish his doctorate and one day they would work for their royal families. The plan, as it always had been, was to serve in Mirea, but Yuri could see them advising Nadia as well. But that was many years in the future, and not something to worry about for hopefully a long time.
“Come here, princess.” Angelo, minus his coat and coronet, and with his tie hanging loose around his neck, sat down on the extremely ornamented chaise upholstered with the same silk that hung on the walls. He patted his lap. “But take off your clothes first.”
Instantly, Yuri was hard. He slipped out of his suit as quickly as he could, but it took