AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It was time to tell her the truth.
“My cousin and I have both looked for you for a long time. I had almost lost hope when I got a phone call from Angelo about you.”
She didn’t say anything, waiting for me to continue.
“It wasn’t an accident that you ran into my cousin in the bar that night. Unbeknownst to me, he had found out about your presence here in Rome before I did, and he moved in quickly. There’s a reason he sought you out. There’s a reason that he took you back to his penthouse and got so angry when you refused to let him have his way. Granted, he was an asshole and deserved what he had coming to him, but he thought he could force you by his side and claim you for himself. He wanted to do this all before I found out who you really were, that he had found you before I had,” I explained. She stopped eating, listening to everything that I had to say instead.
“Who I really am?” she asked, narrowing her eyes as she tried to process my words. I took a deep breath and then I started to tell her the entire truth.
“You are the last member of an ancient bloodline that was long thought to have ceased to exist. Once, your family ruled over a portion of Italy along with mine, but as of today, your family has no kingdom left. The passing of time was not kind to them. You are the last of that royal line and my cousin wanted to claim you for himself in order to elevate his own status in the kingdom. Through marriage, he would have solidified himself as next in line for the crown. After that, I had little doubt that he would have tried to have me killed so he could take the throne for himself. You see, baby girl, you are a princess of your own right,” I explained.
“That’s ridiculous,” she replied.
“It isn’t, sweet girl. I’ve had people look extensively into your background, your parents, your great-grandparents, and many more generations back. In the early 1700s, your ancestors were subject to an extensive plot to overthrow the king. The entire royal household was poisoned or murdered in their very own beds, throats slashed in the middle of the night. There was a duchessa that survived though, and she was important because she had served as the king’s mistress. She was pregnant and gave birth to a male child some time later. Your line carried on in secret, trying to figure out a way to take back power, but was never successful. You are the last of the Ardulinis and that name carries with it a certain amount of power of its own now.”
“My last name is De Luca.”
“It is now. Your family name changed a number of times throughout the years to ensure that they remained hidden. I am sure of your lineage, baby girl. I’ve paid a lot of money and people to verify it,” I added.
“And now you wish to claim me for yourself?” she questioned.
“I would very much enjoy having you by my side as my queen,” I answered. For a moment, all was quiet. “But I won’t force it on you. I want you to know that.”
“I appreciate that.”
“My world is a harsh one and I haven’t been easy on you either, but that’s only because my role here demands it. I am one of many kings throughout the world and if I want to continue my rule, I have to be strong because only the strongest are allowed to survive. I rule with a certain amount of respect, along with a healthy dose of fear. Your presence here tests that and when you disobeyed me so publicly at the dinner yesterday, I had to show them that I wasn’t indulging you. They don’t know who you are, not yet. My court can’t see me giving special treatment to someone they view as an outsider. If I had not acted immediately, it would have put not only you, but my position at significant risk. We would have both been in danger if they saw me as weak. Do you understand?”
“This is a lot to take in,” she whispered.
“I know it is, but it was time that you learned the truth, baby girl.”
“This reason is why you didn’t have me killed when I was the one who killed your cousin, isn’t it?”
“Maybe that played a small part in my decision, but mainly it was because he was such an asshole,” I answered with a chuckle.
She laughed softly and I was happy to see the sparkle of her amusement reach her eyes. Then she was quiet for a long moment after that.
“What comes next?” she finally asked, her voice remaining calm. She was handling this remarkably well.
“For a period of time, the court will see you as my concubine, or as we discussed together, my lover,” I added next.
“Then what?”
“Then they will see me conquering you and eventually, taking you as my wife. My marriage to you would strengthen my claim to the throne and ensure that my position holds for a good long while. Your family had a number of quiet allies that I have yet to bring to my own side, but through you, those alliances will finally be secured.”
She stared at me with a certain amount of wariness. She chewed her lip before returning to her meal.
“I’ll need some time to think this all over,” she finally said, after she finished putting together and eating another bite of her chicken enchilada.
“Then you shall have all the time you need, baby girl,” I replied. “Let us finish dinner and the two of us can head back to my chambers to watch a movie together. After that, I will put you to bed.”
“I’d like to sleep alone tonight to clear my head and think,” she said carefully, and I didn’t miss the way her eyes flicked to the window in the direction that the sun had set or the way her voice wavered with the tiniest hint of fear. I had a feeling that as calm and collected as she appeared to me, the news of her true heritage had thrown her. She kept her eyes down, hiding from me as she ate for a while longer and I didn’t push her to do anything different.
“I will allow it for tonight, but I will come visit you for breakfast in the morning,” I finally answered, enjoying the way her jaw tensed just a little with her carefully concealed emotion. I poured her a glass of wine and she smiled, taking it gratefully.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
The rest of our dinner together was relaxed. She had seemingly pushed the information that I had told her aside and instead started asking more about my rule and my time here as king. Her intentional diversion wasn’t lost on me.
