Permanently Princess (Royals of Valleria #10) Read online

  Permanently Princess (Royals of Valleria #10)

  Marianne Knightly

  Contents

  Also by Marianne Knightly

  Synopsis

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Epilogue

  A Note from the Author

  About the Author

  Also by Marianne Knightly

  Acknowledgments

  Permanently Princess (Royals of Valleria #10)

  Copyright © 2018 by Marianne Knightly

  Cover Design: Marianne Knightly

  ISBN# 978-1942729174

  All Rights Reserved.

  * * *

  Thank you for downloading this ebook. This ebook remains the copyrighted property of the author and may not be reproduced, scanned, or distributed for any commercial or non-commercial use without permission from the author. Quotes used in reviews are the exception. No alteration of content is allowed. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, places, and events are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual places, events, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Also by Marianne Knightly

  Sign up for Marianne’s newsletter for exclusive news about sales and releases!

  * * *

  Seaside Valleria Series

  Book 1: Rush (Hector & Millie) (coming soon)

  Book 2: Ripple (Persy & Sully) (coming soon)

  Book 3: (coming soon)

  Book 4: (coming soon)

  Book 5: (coming soon)

  * * *

  Royals of Valleria Series

  Book 1: Alexander & Rebecca

  Book 2: Marcello & Grace

  Book 3: Arianna & Finn

  Book 4: Charlotte & Nate

  Book 5: A Royal Holiday (Novella)

  Book 6: Catharine & Edward

  Book 7: Royally Ever After

  Book 8: Lorenzo & Lily

  Book 9: Sarah & Vittorio

  Book 10: Permanently Princess (Novella)

  * * *

  Box Set: Books 1-3

  Box Set: Books 4-6

  Box Set: Books 7-9

  * * *

  Royals of Valleria Short Stories (exclusively for e-newsletter subscribers)

  Story 1: Delusional

  Story 2: (coming soon)

  * * *

  The Italian Shipping Millionaires Series

  Book 1: Dante

  Book 2: Adrian

  Book 3: Giovanni

  Book 4: Luc

  Box Set: Books 1-4

  * * *

  Copyright © 2018 Marianne Knightly

  To M. You made it past the first hurdle, now keep going! You can do it!

  Synopsis

  Welcome to Valleria, a country as old as the fall of the Roman Empire. The reigning king and patriarch rules with his beloved queen. Nine children, now grown, ranging from the eldest twins to the youngest son, watch over the country they love and care for. Bound by honor, duty, and each other, follow their lives as they fall in love, face tragedies, and triumph against the evils facing them.

  ***

  One royal baby (at least).

  Two royal weddings (sort of).

  Three royal secrets come to light (definitely).

  Future Queen of Valleria, Princess Rebecca, holds a pregnancy test in her hand. Is she carrying the next royal heir at that very moment?

  Lady Grace’s tragic past meant a child would be nearly impossible. Could one pregnancy test change everything for her and her prince?

  Charlotte “Charlie” Wyler is great in the kitchen but doesn’t think she’d make a good mother. What happens to the life of her and her prince if her pregnancy test comes up positive?

  Not only that, shadows from one princess’s past come to light, threatening everything she once knew, and on the day of a wedding.

  Who’s pregnant? Who’s getting married? And whose lives will change forever?

  Come visit Valleria to find out.

  * * *

  *Please note: This book contains sensitive content that may be considered triggers.

  Chapter One

  It was almost time.

  Okay.

  All right.

  Deep breath.

  Deep.

  Breath.

  She continued to pace in her stylish bathroom, inside the incredibly elegant Vallerian Royal Palace, in the royal apartment she shared with the man she loved.

  How much more time?

  She checked her watch again and her heart beat even faster.

  Oh God. Oh God. Oh God.

  It was time.

  Suddenly, she couldn’t do it. She just couldn’t do it.

  She needed to do it.

  She had to check the results of the five pregnancy tests sitting like ticking bombs by the sink.

  It had taken stealth maneuvering to even get those pregnancy tests inside the palace without the press or staff finding out.

  Not to mention, there was the potential father himself, who’d noted she was stressed but had chalked it up to work, not a potentially life-changing baby.

  “Oh God.”

  Another deep breath.

  She lifted her eyes to the mirror, something she’d avoided the entire five minutes she’d been in the bathroom. She didn’t look like a mother—or even a potential mother. What did she know about mothering? She’d never had one herself. If she were pregnant, she’d probably be a terrible mother.

  She closed her eyes and took another deep breath. She inhaled the scents of home: the floral scent of her body wash, her love’s cologne, the lingering scent of the morning routine and shampoo. It steadied her, these small comforts of their life together.

  Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Wyler blinked open her eyes and looked down at the tests.

  She sucked in a breath. “Fuck.”

  * * *

  Rebecca paced in her and Alex’s bathroom of their royal apartments.

  Alex wasn’t there.

  No, her husband, heir to Valleria’s throne, had been called to a last-minute meeting. It was just as well. He didn’t know what she was doing anyway.

  Oh God.

  She felt awful. For a variety of reasons.

  One reason for the pain was her period. It was the same every month, in the weeks—yes, weeks—leading up to her period. The near-constant pain and pressure in her abdomen made her weak.

  Yet, this month, her pain had lasted much longer than usual.

  Her period was late.

  A few days late here or there wasn’t unusual.

  Two weeks late was unusual.

  Two weeks late, followed by spotting that ended far too quickly for her normal period was really unusual.

  The other reason she felt awful: she was terrified.

  Terrified she was pregnant and all that could mean.

  Terrified what all this pain and spotting could mean if she was pregnant.

  Terrified this was all a mistake and she wasn’t pregnant at all.

  Oh God.

  It was nearly impossible to get a home pregnancy test, particularly as she was the f
uture queen and the entire nation had been waiting for her to announce she was pregnant with the future heir of the throne. She had a meeting with her doctor tomorrow, but she couldn’t wait.

  She needed to know now.

  Oh God.

  The timer on her phone went off, a series of gentle bells. She used that tone because it had reminded her of the cathedral bells that had rung on her wedding day, just a much softer version.

  Right now, it just reminded her how long she and Alex had been together, without a child to show for it.

  Oh God.

  Time to look.

  She inched forward, the fear making her slow down, while the anticipation tried to push her forward faster.

  She glanced down.

  “Oh God.”

  * * *

  In another bathroom in their own royal apartment, Lady Grace was trying to remain calm while in the arms of her love, Prince Marcello, as they waited for their pregnancy test. It was a long shot.

  A really long shot.

  They’d been trying for nearly a year now. After a disastrous previous marriage, she never thought she’d get pregnant. Yet, she’d wanted to try.

  She dreamed of a little boy with Marcello’s dark blond hair and his dark brown eyes. She dreamed of watching him grow up, straddling both his Vallerian and English roots, and of passing down her family’s estate in England to him one day.

  She was beginning think she’d never conceive naturally. So, unless they tried IVF or surrogacy—both difficult to do in the royal limelight—they would need to consider adoption.

  Adoption was also a tricky concept as a part of Valleria’s ruling family. Not that Marcello’s family would oppose it, oh, no. They were incredibly loving, generous people. It was just that politics played a part in everything they did. For some reason, adopting a child had become something political and not to be done.

  Shame on everyone who thought so.

  Marcello’s low voice penetrated her thoughts. “I have a good feeling about this one.”

  She smiled lightly, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She replied in her refined English accent. “You say that every time we do this.”

  “I mean it every time we do this.”

  “I think your instincts are failing.”

  “I hope not. That wouldn’t be good in my line of work.” As Valleria’s Minister of Security and Intelligence, Marcello’s instincts had to be sharp. Though he didn’t go out on missions anymore, navigating the political landscape of his authority and of the Royal Council meant he needed to stay on top of things.

  The timer on her phone beeped, a series of bright musical tones that may not match the results.

  “Do you want me to check this time, my fair Grace?”

  She wished she were strong enough to look at it, just as she wished she’d been strong enough the last time this had been a possibility. “Please.”

  He gave her a squeeze and stepped from behind her.

  The warmth of his arms gone, she felt a sudden chill and wrapped her arms around herself.

  He was stock still, the test in his hands.

  He glanced up.

  His eyes were wet. Was it good news or bad?

  “Well?”

  Chapter Two

  Charlie realized that while getting pregnancy tests was a difficult business, figuring out how to dispose of the evidence was worse.

  Worse still when the results were inconclusive.

  Five tests.

  Four positive.

  One negative.

  What the fuck did that mean? Weren’t they supposed to be ninety-nine percent accurate? Even with that one percent of inaccuracy, shouldn’t she know right away if she were pregnant?

  She had no idea what to do with a baby, if there was one inside her, but Nate would, and his parents would, and the rest of his family would.

  Maybe no one would notice if she were a completely useless mother, not with so many others nearby.

  She brushed aside thoughts of potential motherhood and focused on the task at hand. She’d hidden the tests in a clear sandwich-type bag and put them inside another bag for good measure. Then she’d gone to work—after Nate had left for his own office, she’d taken her tests in the morning because that’s what the stupid instructions had recommended—and had spent hours distracted by it until she finally admitted she needed a woman’s advice.

  She’d called Rebecca.

  She hadn’t given her details, just that she needed help and asked if she could come over. Rebecca had seemed distracted but agreed to see her later that day. Now, she was winding her way through the hidden passages that snaked the walls in the palace, going from her royal apartment to Rebecca’s.

  Stealth was of the utmost importance.

  She knocked on the secret door of Rebecca’s apartment, then activated the door using the fingerprint scanner on the wall; only high-level security, royals, and their designees could access the hallways.

  When she entered, Rebecca was waiting for her. They greeted each other with a kiss on each cheek—a traditional Vallerian greeting that American-born Charlie was now used to—and headed for a sitting room.

  Rebecca always looked the part of a future queen. Polished, kind, and with an easy smile on her face. Now, however, Charlie also saw worry.

  Rebecca pursed her lips. “What’s wrong? You sounded so upset on the phone.”

  “Are you okay? You look upset about something, too.”

  Rebecca shook her head. “Don’t worry about me right now. What’s going on with you?”

  Charlie bit her lip, then dumped the contents of her bag on the couch between them. The bag of pregnancy tests peered up at them angrily through the plastic of the clear bag.

  Rebecca put a hand to her chest. “Oh. Oh my God.”

  Charlie started pacing, her fingers twisting the edge of her shirt while she did so, her stomach in a hard, panicky knot. “They’re not telling me the same thing. You’d have thought, in this day and age, they would have invented more accurate home pregnancy tests.” She stopped and glanced at Rebecca. “Do you think your doctor would see me? I don’t want to use the royal physician for this, not until I’m sure.”

  Rebecca was still staring at the tests.

  Oh, no. Had Charlie made a mistake asking her? She knew that Rebecca and Alex had been trying for a baby for a while now. Maybe Rebecca was upset that she and Nate hadn’t been trying and may be pregnant, while they weren’t.

  “I’m sorry, I—”

  Rebecca made a little noise, held a finger in a ‘one minute’ gesture, and left the room. Should she go after Rebecca? She didn’t seem well.

  Rebecca came back before Charlie made a decision, this time holding her own lone pregnancy test in her hand.

  “Shit.”

  Rebecca nodded and collapsed ungracefully into the couch. “Shit is right.”

  “Is it…?”

  “Positive. Oh God.” She dropped the test onto Charlie’s pile and buried her head in her hands.

  Charlie rushed over, sat beside her, and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. Why was she so upset? Maybe she didn’t want a baby, but the pressure to conceive an heir had forced the issue? “You’re not happy about it?”

  Rebecca shook her head, then lifted it. “That’s not it. If I was pregnant, I’d be thrilled. I’m just not sure I can believe it yet, though. I should have gotten more tests like you did.”

  “Having more doesn’t always help. Look at the state of mine.”

  Rebecca gripped Charlie’s hand. “I’ve got a doctor’s appointment tomorrow. Come with me. She can do a test for you, too.”

  Charlie nodded. That still left many more hours of uncertainty, but she’d handle it.

  Somehow.

  “Have you told Alex?”

  Rebecca shook her head again. “No. I’m not sure if I will. I hate keeping things from him, but I don’t want to get his hopes up. Will you tell Nate?”

  Charlie sighed and plopped back
against the sofa. “I’m not sure, either.”

  “Have you been trying?”

  “No.”

  “Oh.”

  That ‘oh’ was full of emotions: sadness, jealousy, and even excitement. Rebecca was never a jealous sort of person, but she’d been trying for a child for ages. It made Charlie feel even guiltier for coming to her. But aside from Grace or Nate’s mother—neither of whom she wanted to tell about this, for various reasons—Rebecca was the only woman in the royal family currently at the palace that she’d been able to go to.

  She grasped Rebecca’s hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “It’s all right. I am excited for you, you know that, right?”

  Charlie nodded.

  “It’s hard for me, especially if my test is wrong. But I’m glad you came to me. You can come to me with anything, no matter what it is.”

  Charlie had so rarely had anyone she could depend upon. Growing up as she had, she’d become independent at an early age. It wasn’t until Nate came along that she finally let someone help her.

  He’d changed her life in so many ways, one of which included his family accepting her, too. “Thank you. That means so much to me.”

  “Rebecca? So sorry to come by unexpectedly, but I—oh.” Grace stood behind the sofa, her eyes wide at the sight in front of her.

  Specifically, the sight of six pregnancy tests.

  Shit. “Uh, Grace—”