“Oh, but I am. Francesca isn’t getting any younger and I want grandchildren. It’s time she was free to find her mate. You threw yours away by choice. Francesca should at least have the chance to be so stupid, no?”

He honestly had no response to that. What could he say? He was a fool. But how could he put aside the centuries?

How could you not?

“You lie there, Prince, in your bed alone. I’m going to book a flight out for the princess. She’s a big girl. We’ll let her find her own way in the world.” And with that Raluca left him alone.

“Good riddance,” he said sullenly under his breath, but even as the words left him, he knew better. He couldn’t allow Esperetta to leave here. Not while the Order was out there. She wasn’t strong enough to protect herself from them.

They were a cunning bunch.

He would simply go to her and …

Beg her to stay.

He flinched at the voice in his head. He’d never begged for anything—not even mercy while her father had tortured him. He would order her to stay. And she would … laugh in his face most likely.

You’ll have to beg.

“Then she can leave.” But he knew better than that. In fact, he was already stepping out of his bed. His emotions torn, he quickly dressed in a pair of pants and a loose-fitting button-down shirt.

As he started for the door, it swung open and almost hit him. Aghast, he watched as Andrei and Viktor entered with a large trunk between them. Esperetta followed them into the room.

He was baffled as they placed the trunk at the foot of his bed. “What is this?”

The men didn’t answer. In fact, they refused to meet his gaze as they hastened from his room.

“There’s another trunk that needs to be moved, too,” Esperetta told them.

Viktor cringed as he looked at Velkan, then nodded. “Yes, Princess.”

“What trunk?” Velkan asked, stepping closer to his wife.

“My trunk. I’m moving in.”

“In where?”

“My room. Here.”

Completely stunned and flabbergasted, he opened and closed his mouth, unable to speak.

Esperetta walked over to him and placed her finger on his chin before she closed his mouth. “I know you don’t trust me, but tough shit.”

He would have gaped again at her profanity had her hand not prevented it.

“This is my home and you’re my husband. I made a mistake and for that I’m sorry, but I’m through being an idiot.”

He pulled back from her. “Dark-Hunters can’t be married.”

“Well then, someone should have told Artemis before she made her bargain with you and brought me back to life, huh? You were created as a married Dark-Hunter. I hardly think they can complain now.”

She did have a point about that.

“But—”