Page 7 of Pregnant at the Palace Altar

She could not travel back to that night in her mind or she would remember too many things that were best lost to time.

“Ah, so you do remember.”

She sighed. She was too tired for this ridiculous conversation. For this. For him. To fight her own reaction to him as he stalked over to her and stood above her, glaring down at her with that dark gaze that at one time she’d known how topretenddidn’t affect her.

“I said no,” she said, trying to sound firm. Like she had in the old days when she’d stood up to him. “I will not go back. I will not marry you. The answer isno.”

“It was not a question, Katerina. Your king has commanded you, and so you will obey.” He waited a beat, but she could not control her fast breaths enough to speak in that pause.

“Would you like me to help you pack?” he asked with that condescending I-am-the-king smile that had made her angry even when she’d been his assistant.

“You haven’t packed a bag once in your life, Diamandis.”

“And you have excellent skills in that department,” he offered.

The worst part was that she had no doubt he thought that was a compliment. He thought he was being kind. And that broke apart what little control she was holding on to.

Because he had all the money and power in this situation, and she did not understand why he would use it for this purpose. She was giving him what he wanted—a chance to be free of the children he did not want. She was giving them both what they wanted by getting out and keeping the secret to her grave. So she could not understand this or him.

“Why, Diamandis?” she asked, eyes filling with tears. “You do not want me. You do not want children. I have given you an out. Why won’t you take it?”

His expression was grim, his eyes flat. She recognized this side of him. The way he disassociated and focused only on his duty—never on what he actually wanted. “If I let you go, if I pretend this never happened, there is no guarantee that you will not change your mind. No guarantee that the child should not come of age and find out and cause an uproar. We must be married and make the child legitimate. There is no alternative if that child is mine.”

It hurt, because perhaps deep down, a part of her had wished that his showing up here meant he’d changed his mind, or that perhaps he cared for her in some small way.

But no. It was about duty. Potential scandal. It was about protecting his crown at any and all costs.

She could not win in this, but she could at least wipe that superior look off his face.

“If thechildrenare yours, you mean.”

“Excuse me?”

“It is notachild, Diamandis. It is children. We are having twins.”

CHAPTER THREE

DIAMANDISFELTASthough that word echoed around in his head as a sort of cymbal crash. Over and over.Twins, twins, twins.

Two babies. Two children. And Katerina.

“You look a little pale,” Katerina said with a thinly veiled smirk. “Perhaps you should sit down.”

He swallowed and straightened his shoulders. It was a surprise, yes, but hardly the blow she wanted it to be. Diamandis had been through too much to be knocked fully off course by this.

Twins.

He did not clear his throat, though it felt clogged and tight. He was still able to speak clearly and forcefully, at least in his own head. “If there is anything you need from this...place, I suggest you collect it.”

“Are you going to sic your guards on me if I do not?” she returned.

“Of course not,glyko mou. I will carry you myself.” And then he smiled, because he would carry her if he had to.

He’d do whatever he had to do. He was the king and had been since he was fourteen. Since he’d had to order the blood of his loved ones to be cleaned from their bedroom floors. Since he’d realized after that first dark year that some of his advisers had, in fact, acted in their own best interests—not the kingdom’s or his.

So nothing deterred him anymore. Nothing got in his way. He had his father’s legacy to uphold. He could not be beloved as King Youkilis had been—too many mistakes had already been made—but he could keep his country safe and prosperous. He could make certain his behavior was above reproach so no one ever had reason to believe him less than his father’s dutiful son and heir.

Katerina had been a mistake. He could blame it on the emotional upheaval of finding out Zandra was alive, or he could take responsibility for his actions.

---