Reckoning Part II
With its soaring turrets and quintessential castle fa?ade, the royal palace of Isole dei Re impresses me from my first glimpse through the limousine”s window.
But it”s the royal family, gathered en masse in their private reception room that intimidates me. Like seriously.
Rio didn”t even flinch when my whole family showed up on the villa doorstep this morning, but I”m ready to throw up faced with his less than welcoming relatives.
And there are a lot of them. Grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and siblings. Every single one of them royal and not one looking particularly friendly.
The prevailing emotion doesn”t seem to be anger so much as utter shock. Which is something, I suppose.
Apparently, Rio is the responsible one, the guy everyone counts on to do the right thing. And in their eyes that right thing in this case is not marrying me. No one has come right out and said it, but the feeling is there in the tense air around us.
He hasn”t left my side though. Not for a second. Not even to greet his parents, making it clear where his loyalty lies.
My parents and brothers stand behind us, dad”s top two security guys flanking them.
It feels a lot like the Capulets and Montagues.
I’m not sure which is which, but I don”t want to be enemies with Rio”s family. I catch myself from turning to my dad for help and squeeze Rio”s hand instead, seeking comfort and trying to give some.
This is the Rio and Tanzi show. Not the Miguel Menendez show.
King Claudio looks a lot like his son, except for the grey at his temples and the chill in his dark eyes as they take me in.
”So, you are the woman who has convinced my son to marry you in some elopement, abandoning his training and obligation.”
He makes our beach wedding sound sordid, not private and special like we both wanted it to be. Or was that just me? Did I somehow convince Rio he needed to abandon royal protocol and elope?
”She is the woman I love.” There is ungiving steel in Rio”s tone.
Woah. That”s not a voice I want directed at me. Ever.
”You love her so much, you did not think enough of her to introduce us?” The queen sounds more upset and confused than angry, her lovely Italian features wreathed with concern.
Rio”s arms tighten around me like he”s worried I”ll take his mother”s words as truth. ”I had every intention of introducing you when the time came.”
If anything, King Claudio”s expression grows darker. ”The time would have been before you asked her to marry you.”
”Because you think you should have a say in who I marry?” Rio demands, sounding every inch the prince I know him to be.
”Your wife has an important role to play in this country. An inappropriate match could do damage to our political and economic standing.”
Not wanting to offend my new father-in-law right off the bat, I stifle the derisive laugh that wants out. Rio marrying the daughter of Miguel Menendez is no hardship for Isole dei Re.
My father”s voice says almost those exact words in a frigid tone I have rarely heard in my life and never directed at me. Not even this morning.
The king looks nonplussed for a moment, though nowhere near cowed.
Queen Therese interjects calmly, ”The point is we were not given the opportunity to know her before the deed was done.”
”The deed can be undone easily enough.” The king glares at both me and Rio. ”But not without scandal.”
”No one is undoing my marriage,” I say with my own version of my dad”s frigid tone.
King Claudio shakes his head. ”You did not marry merely a man, young lady, you married a prince.”
”She married me,” Rio argues, his hand releasing mine so that he can wrap his arm around my waist. ”If Tanzi is deemed unsuited for the role of my wife, I will abdicate my place in the succession to the throne and give up my role in the company.”
Rio should sound upset saying something like that, but he doesn”t. He sounds absolutely sure of himself.
The entire room erupts into arguments and exclamations, but I don”t care how anyone else is taking his announcement.
I turn and look up at the man who married me and claimed our child without hesitation. ”You would do that for me?”
”Sì. T”amo. You belong to me, and I love you. That means your happiness is paramount to me. Above duty. Even above the others in my family.”
”Are you sure you are not using my daughter to justify abdicating responsibilities you do not want yourself?” Dad”s tone is scornful.
For the first time in my life, I want to kick him. But mom”s furious admonishment is even better. Especially when she steps away from my dad and moves to stand on Rio”s other side.
The look on my dad”s face is worth admission. The expression on the king”s not so much. I guess it”s okay for him to deride his son, but not my dad.
I’m not thrilled with either of them.
”You will apologize, Miguel,” Tanzi”s mom demands.
”It is a legitimate question,” the king says before my dad can decide if it is worth it to defy the love of his life.
So, that look isn”t for my dad, but his son? Oh man, I want to just hug Rio because while I didn”t know his dad was a king, I do know how much Rio cares about the older man”s good opinion.
This time the giggle escapes. It”s not a sound of scorn, but amusement. Maybe even hysterical laugher, but really? The whole situation is taking on farcical proportions. If it were not for the pained expression on my beloved”s, I would burst into real laughter.
”Amate?” Rio”s beautiful dark eyes say he does not see the humor in this situation.
At all.
Unexpected exhaustion washes over me, but I grin up at him tiredly. ”Our dads are like two peas in a pod. It”s almost scary. Bet you want to kick yours too.”
”If I did, I would not say so. Threatening the monarch is against the law in Isole dei Re.” Which is as good as an admission.
”Vittorio!” His father”s chiding bark says he knows it too.
I narrow my eyes at the king. ”If you don”t want your son feeling some kind of way toward you, then maybe don”t say awful things about him.”
Nausea swirls in my tummy and I don”t think it”s from this situation, but then again, I doubt the stress is helping it either.
”You look pale, Tanzi.” Rio turns to face me fully, his expression deeply concerned. ”Are you all right?”
”Maybe a little tired.” She lean heavily into him, suddenly not so steady on my feet.
”Take Tanzi someplace where she can rest,” mom orders Rio firmly.
King Claudio frowns. ”We are not finished with this discussion.”
”Can you not see the girl needs a break?” Rio”s grandfather admonishes, getting an immediate top spot on my favorite relatives of my husband list.
Rio told me on the plane that for the sake of his health, his grandfather abdicated in favor of Claudio several years ago.
”What do you call an ex-king?” I wonder aloud, things going a little sparkly at the edges.
”Vitorrio!” Queen Therese barks at my husband, sounding very different than the calm woman she was only moments before. ”Now.”
”Excuse me—” King Claudio starts only to be interrupted by my mom.
”Excuse me, your highness, but my daughter is carrying your first grandchild and she has had a very stressful few days between graduating university, telling the father of her baby about their coming joy and flying off to marry him on a Caribbean beach. And this morning only added to that stress when she was summarily summoned to a palace she didn”t even know was in her future. You will save the rest of your questions, harangue and attitude for later.”
Oh, man, my mom can do icy disdain with the best of them.
Even my dad knows to back down when mom gets this angry. Apparently, the King of Isole dei Re isn”t a complete dunderhead either, because he keeps his mouth shut.
There”s no surprise on his face at the news of his impending grandparenthood. There”s no expression there at all.
Rio shows he knows when to take an order too, lifting me into his arms and carrying me from the room. Although, honestly, I think I”d be in the same position right this second without our moms and his grandfather putting their oars in the water.
Did my mom really have to spill the beans like that though?
Mom and the queen follow us, giving advice, expressing concern and watching over us all the way down the long corridors, up marble steps and down another plush hallway until Rio stops outside a set of double doors.
Queen Therese gracefully moves around her son to open both doors to a luxurious suite done in dark wood and navy blue. Rio carries me inside it, crossing the outer room without pausing and going directly into the bedroom. There, he lays me down after mom pulls back the bedding.
Everything feels fuzzy around the edges and I have no problem being babied. Especially by Rio.
He tucks me in and then pours a glass of water from the carafe by the bed. ”Drink this, dolce bella.”
I take several sips, before resting back against the pillows. ”I don”t know what”s wrong with me.”
”Stress. It can be debilitating in early pregnancy,” the queen says softly.
”Mama, you must talk to him,” Rio warns. ”I don”t care if he wants to yell at me, but he”ll treat Tanzi with tender care, or I”ll take her away.”
Queen Therese nods. ”I will speak with him, but I”m confident Signora Menendez”s announcement will have already gone a long way toward bringing your father back from his anger and his confusion. He is only hurt, you understand? That you did not introduce us to the woman you love. He thinks you are ashamed of us.”
The way the king talked, I think it”s more he believes Rio should be ashamed of me.
Rio snorts in own disbelief. ”Father is too arrogant to believe that.”
”You forget his love for his family is greater than even his arrogance,” the queen chides gently.
Rio doesn’t look convinced. ”That was not on display just now.”
”Remember, he is both king and your father.”
”King first, father second.” Rio”s tone has no give in it.
”That is not true. He loves you so much, Rio.” The queen”s eyes are dark with emotion. ”He”s worried about you.”
”So, he accuses me of using Tanzi as an excuse to dismiss my responsibilities?”
Mom climbs onto the bed to sit beside me. ”That was my husband.”
But it wasn”t just dad, and we all know it.
”He didn”t mean that,” Queen Therese says with conviction. ”While it does not happen very often, you know your father can say things he regrets later if his emotions are too high.”
Rio gives a grudging nod.
”Remember the man who taught you and your siblings to swim, refusing to leave it to paid instructors. Claudio took time from a schedule most would not in order to be a dad to you children as well as your royal father.”
Rio sighs.
And I reach out to take his hand. ”He loves you and I know you love him. We knew this wasn”t going to be easy, but having the wedding we wanted was worth it, right?”
Rio kneels on the floor by the bed, taking my hands in his, his gaze snagging mine. ”Absolutely.”
”Then we”ll both have to practice some patience with our dads.” I give him a weary smile. This pregnancy stuff is no joke. ”Who knew they were so much alike though, huh?”
Both mothers give identical sounds of amused exasperation. Our dads aren”t the only ones with a lot in common. Hopefully, that will make the coming days easier to navigate.
”I think we should return to your father and let Constanza”s mother care for her.” Queen Therese gives a rueful smile. ”I think my pregnant daughter-in-law has dealt with enough royal drama for today.”
”Oh, I”m up for the drama, but be warned, I might start a blog about it. What it”s like behind the doors of the palace.”
Rio leans forward and kisses me right on the lips. In front of both our mothers. ”You”re going to be trouble, Tanzi Scorsolini.”
”You”re just figuring this out?” my mom asks.
”I believe your lovely bride will be exactly the type of trouble you need, my son.”
After another sweet kiss, Rio accompanies his mom out of the room.
Her voice drifts back to me before they exit the suite. ”Perhaps now that you are married to the woman you love and beginning a family of your own, you will spend more time here at the palace.”
”Is that what you want?” mom asks me.
I shrug. ”That depends on if the king gets over his anger about our marriage.”
”If he really is like your dad, he”ll get over it.”
I hope my mom is right because I”m not giving my prince up. Not even for the sake of his royal family.