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Calista put a hand on her stomach, feeling suddenly fierce. ‘Of course I’m keeping it. This child is mine.’
‘And mine.’ Warning tinged his voice, the predator guarding what was his. ‘Don’t forget that.’
He’s strong. He’ll keep the child safe, too.
The thought was instinctive, the primitive response of a mother wanting safety for her child, and it made her uncomfortable. She didn’t want to have to acknowledge him in any way.
‘I could hardly forget,’ she snapped.
‘See that you don’t.’ He leaned back in his chair, all that taut muscular power deceptively casual. ‘So, where were we? Ah, yes, your objections. Let me answer them. First—’ he held up one long-fingered hand and began to count them off as she’d done earlier ‘—yes, I’m a prince and you’re a guard, but if I say it doesn’t matter, then it doesn’t. Second, to be a royal of Axios whether by birth or by marriageisto dedicate your life to your country so that wouldn’t change. Third, neither love or like is required in a royal marriage. Fourth, if you want me to ask you, I will.’ The smile he gave her was ridiculously charming. ‘As long as the answer is yes.’
Calista sat on the edge of the wooden chair, her back ramrod straight, one hand on the arm of the chair, one resting protectively over her stomach. She still looked pale and she couldn’t have slept well because those dark circles under her eyes seemed as heavy as they had been the day before. She needed rest and good food, and a little cosseting wouldn’t go amiss.
He wouldn’t mind cosseting her. Especially if that cosseting involved a bed and being naked. Except it was clear she wasn’t ready for that, which meant he’d have to take things slowly. That was fine. All of this had come as a shock; she’d need some time to come to terms with it.
But come to terms with it she must. No other choice was permissible and especially not now. Last night he’d seen Eleni and broken the news to her, which meant his course was now set. Eleni had taken it well and had been more than happy that his offer of military support would still stand. She’d also agreed to still provide Axios with political support, as long as she was seen to be the one ending the engagement. It was what he’d been planning to offer anyway, and so she’d rushed off to talk with her PR people.
The interview with his brother, however, had been less satisfying.
Adonis had been furious with him, especially about the pregnancy, and had had a few choice words to say about Xerxes’ reputation, his position, and how he’d promised to uphold Axian values, et cetera, ad nauseam. It wasn’t anything Xerxes hadn’t either heard before or expected to have thrown at him, and because strategy had always been his strong point, that was when he’d told Adonis that he would marry Calista.
Adonis still hadn’t been happy, but he’d had no choice but to approve the marriage after that.
Once that had been dealt with, Xerxes had decided a period of absence would be best while the news of his broken engagement to Eleni circulated, mainly to give time for the scandal to die down. Then another announcement would be made concerning Calista. He’d told Adonis in no uncertain terms that the pregnancy would need to stay a secret until after he and Calista were married, as he wanted no hint of scandal to touch her. His brother had been scathing, muttering something about horses and barn doors, but Xerxes had been adamant. This had to be managed and managed carefully.
Scandal would happen—there was no avoiding it—but he wanted the wedding to take place with the minimum of gossip if he could possibly help it.
Both of them being absent from the palace and official duties would help, as well as giving Calista some time to come to terms with the idea of marrying into the family.
The expression on Calista’s face now, however, was anything but accommodating. ‘What if I don’t want to say yes?’
‘This is not a debate, Calista.’ He reached for the coffee pot and poured himself a mug. ‘This is non-negotiable.’
And he was prepared to fight for it. His father had told him just before he’d banished him that he was weak, that he was a vulnerability neither Adonis nor Axios could afford, and that had left him with a choice to make.
He could prove that his father had been wrong about him, and make himself strong. Or he could admit his father was right and drown himself in self-pity, giving in to the weakness inside himself.
Or he could simply choose not to care.
Up until now he’d chosen the third option and that had worked well enough. But it would not work any more. To be a good father, he had to care about the child and so he would. He was nothing like his own father, after all.
She watched him put the coffee pot down, anger glowing in her eyes. ‘So what I want doesn’t matter at all?’
‘Not when it comes to the safety of our child, no.’ He cradled the mug in his hands and studied her. ‘What is it in particular that you don’t like? Or is it only that you weren’t given a choice?’
Her jaw hardened. ‘It’s not “only” that I wasn’t given a choice. You’re essentially ordering me to change the entire course of my life for you.’
‘Not for me,’ he amended. ‘For our child. And the entire course of your life will have to change anyway. Or did you think you could continue to serve Axios while nine months pregnant?’
A flush stained her cheekbones. ‘I...hadn’t thought about it. It’s not as if I’ve had time.’
He gestured with his hand. ‘Well, here is your time. Think, Calista. Your life will change regardless, so marrying me isn’t going to make it any worse. You’ll have a roof over your head, support for you and the baby. You won’t have to worry about money; everything will be taken care of. There will be no down side.’
‘Except I’ll be married,’ she said flatly. ‘To you.’
‘Is that really a down side, though?’ He smiled, allowing her to see a bit of the heat that was burning inside him. ‘I can make being married to me extremely pleasurable.’
Her flush deepened. ‘I don’t want to be married to you. The army is the only life I ever wanted. Serving Axios is all I ever wanted.’
