Page 103 of Tall, Royal and Grumpy

“Esmeralda,” I called out upon spotting her in a little circle with Mother and Gigi.

I nearly missed her through the crowd of chattering royals and invited guests gathered in the gardens of Chaukham Palace, enjoying the pre-celebration appetisers and beverages being handed out by palace staff. The white clothes everyone was dressed in ready for the Festival of the Life were blindingly bright under the morning sun high in the sky.

In my opinion, it was too cold for a celebration outside. Though, throwing powdered colour around the palace corridors wasn’t an option, so outside was where we had to be. I couldn’t say the cold wasn’t bothering me, but I was more than willing to put up with it now that I had a beautiful girlfriend to celebrate with. To give a painted white rose to as the men who’d returned from the Rebellion War did to their loved ones more than eight hundred years ago.

Maybe I was a bad son and grandson for completely ignoring Mother and Gigi, but I couldn’t take my eyes off my Babble when I stopped by her side. My girlfriend.

She had her hair tied up. I’d never seen it tied like this. I wanted to touch it so badly. To tuck the locks framing her face behind her ears and trace the two elegant braids over her head. They met above her nape where they were tied together in a hairband, leaving the rest of her wavy hair loose in a low ponytail.

The cold breeze that fluttered the white silk of her skirt around her bare calves had turned her cheeks and nose adorably rosy. And her greyish-brown eyes glittered impossibly bright behind her long, mascaraed lashes as she grinned up at me. It was devastating.

I tugged hard at my left ear as it burned. Fuck, why did I feel so nervous?

“Do you intend to say something or simply ogle at her?”

I nearly jumped out of my skin at Gigi’s mocking tone like she’d shouted the words. Her thin red lips were curled up in a smirk, her straight, white hair swishing around her chin as she shook her head knowingly. Mother’s grin was equally perceptive, though there was a wet warmth to her ink black eyes that softened her amusement.

With my cheeks burning hot, I cleared my throat and tugged at my ear again. “Yes,” I croaked. “Candy, Trevor, and Zain are here, and I wanted to introduce them to Esmeralda.”

“Well, remember to actually talk when you introduce Esmeralda to them.”

Wow. Thanks for that, Gigi.

“Though I suppose drooling over her in front of everyone is one way to announce she’s your girlfriend,” she added with a teasing arch of her brow. “Took you long enough though, didn’t it?”

I’m her favourite grandson. Apparently.

Gritting my teeth, I yanked at my stinging ear, trying to expel some of my embarrassment as Mother and Esmeralda laughed at my expense.

Esmeralda and I had told our families that we were officially dating only a couple of hours earlier; we’d even managed a quick family chat before breakfast in the TV room. Shehryar and his mother, Katiya, had been there too. Sometime during when my over-the-top family had been surrounding Esmeralda, Shehryar and Uncle Arsh had come to some understanding too.

I had to admit, seeing the way my family welcomed her and had so quickly created their own mini fan club for her felt bloody good. They respected her and admired her and were so animated without any polite pretence. But it went both ways. She was the same with them. And it had felt so right seeing her with them. Like she was meant to be a part of my family. Part of me.

My only complaint was that my family had weaponised our relationship to tease me to their hearts content. I present Exhibit A.

“Thank you, Gigi,” I grumbled, a reluctant smile tugging at my lips. “I’ll remember to wipe the corners of my mouth regularly from now on.” Gigi winked, damn well proud of herself, as I placed my hand on Esmeralda’s lower back. “May we be excused now?”

“Of course. Go,” Mother said, resting a gentle hand on Esmeralda’s arm. “Go have fun.”

People stared as I walked with Esmeralda away from my family and through the garden. I wasn’t exactly paying attention to the curious gazes, but I slid my hand across her back to her waist, clutching her possessively.

My Babble. My Esmeralda. My person. My heart. Let them all fucking see she’s mine.

She had been so brave last night, trusting me with the burden she’d held for so long. And after the way she had looked at me—a frightened little deer expecting nothing less than death—I’d be damned if I ever shied away from her in public. I wasn’t going to give her reason to doubt that I couldn’t fucking care less about her illegitimacy. The circumstance of her birth, that she had no control over, meant nothing to me. I’d never think less of her for it or want her to be anyone else.

Esmeralda placed a small hand flat over my chest and rubbed her thumb in back-and-forth motions over my white jumper. “Aren’t you cold without a coat?” she asked.

“Freezing, and I have a thermal T-shirt on underneath,” I muttered honestly, because it gave me a reason to hug her soft body even closer. “Stay close and keep me warm, please.”

“Of course, Sir,” she purred.

A fierce spark of lust licked through my groin. “Babble,” I growled low between clenched teeth. Like the brat that she was, she chuckled and cuddled closer. There was only so long I could maintain a frown when her delight was so contagious.

Too soon we reached the arched rose trellis leading to the enclosed space my friends were gathered in. Following Esmeralda down the single stone step, I ducked my head under the naked twining twigs. Zain, Trevor, and Candy were laughing with Pierre, glass flutes in hands, when they noticed us.

“Ah, he’s returned with our princess,” Pierre said, grinning at Esmeralda as the other three moved over to make space for us in the circle.

“Hi, Pierre,” she said, her voice laced with light laughter.

---