I guess once the King makes it official in writing, I will be a princess.
We dance, and eat, and laugh. I stay on Luca’s arm until the sun goes down, kissing him every chance I get.
For that day, we forget about Beckett. We forget about Hunter. We forget about everything that happened in Farcliff, and we just celebrate love.
My father doesn’t seem too upset about not walking me down the aisle, and he drinks himself to an early bedtime. I even see him laughing with Margot and dancing with one of the waitresses.
For one day, everything is perfect.
“My feet are so sore,” I sigh, resting my head on Luca’s shoulder. We’re sitting at the table after having devoured our wedding cake, watching our guests dance and drink.
“Bedtime, then,” Luca says.
I yelp when he picks me up, hooking my arms around his shoulders.
“I’m taking my bride to bed,” Luca announces to no one in particular. King Theo and Queen Cara smile, leaning their heads against each other as they watch us walk out. I rest my head on Luca’s chest, listening to his heartbeat as he carries me to our wedding bed.
When he lays me down on the soft pillows and kisses my lips, I let out a soft sigh.
“I didn’t know it was possible to be this happy,” I say.
“Me, neither.” Luca’s eyes shine, and he presses his lips to mine again. “You complete me, Poison.”
“I love you, husband.” I smile, shaking my head. “It feels good to say that. Husband. Hubby. Life partner. Love of my life.”
“Mother of my children,” Luca completes, wrapping his arms around me.
He undresses me slowly, kissing every inch of skin that is exposed. We make love that night, worrying about nothing and no one except each other.
My wedding is perfect, from morning until night.
But all good things come to an end, and I don’t realize how quickly my happiness will come crashing down.
24
Dante
The morning after the wedding, I wake up hungover as hell. I didn’t even think I drank that much, but the atmosphere must have gotten the better of me. Celebrating with my brother and Ivy was the most fun I’ve had in a long, long time.
Now, though, my head is pounding and my mouth tastes like stale alcohol and bad decisions.
I groan, turning over to see Margot sitting at the desk in the corner of the room. She types a few things on her laptop before turning the chair to glance at me.
She arches an eyebrow, grinning. “Feeling fresh?”
“Not as fresh as you, obviously.”
“I got you some water and ibuprofen. It’s on the nightstand.”
“You’re a treasure.” I swallow the pills and half the glass of water before laying back down in bed. Exhaling, I stare at the ceiling.
“One good thing about being pregnant is not drinking.” Margot laughs, climbing into bed beside me. “Which means no hangovers.”
“Why did you let me drink that much?”
“I’m not the boss of you, Your Highness.”
“At least I had fun…from what I can remember.”
Margot giggles, laying a kiss on my cheek. “Why don’t you go for a dip in the ocean? I used to love getting in the pool after a big night. You’ll feel better after.”
I nod, turning to stare at Margot. Somehow, when she cut her hair, it made her features stand out even more. Her eyes look like jewels. Her lips are lush. Her cheekbones are regal. It’s like without the long waves always framing her face, I can see her all the more clearly.
She’s incredible.
“You’re probably right,” I sigh. “Maybe a swim would help. You want to join?”
Margot shakes her head. “I have a few things to finish up for work. Felicity wants me to review a bunch of statements she’s putting out about the Hunter situation.”
I nod before pushing myself up to sit. Groaning, I clutch my head when it starts pounding. Margot rubs my back, and I let out a sigh.
I grimace “Okay, well, I’ll be back soon. You have a doctor’s appointment today, yes?”
Margot nods, a shadow passing over her face. “Yeah.”
I take a deep breath. “Can I… Can I come?” I didn’t mean for my voice to squeak so much on the last word, and I clear my throat to cover it up.
Going to her doctor’s appointment with her would feel like a big step. From now on, we’d be doing this together, as partners.
But Margot hesitates. Her brows draw together, and my heart starts to thud. She doesn’t have to say yes. It’s her right to