Part 22 (1/2)

His eyes widened and Giovanni put his hand up, whispering to my father so low even I couldn't hear. My father gasped. ”Truly? He is?” He looked out and over the crowd, his gaze landing on Nicholas. ”Come forward, Nicholas Balda.s.sare.”

Reluctantly, Nicholas obeyed. He came to a stop next to me, his arm coming around me in a protective manner.

My father smiled wide. ”This, indeed, is a joyous day. It is the day I offer my daughter's hand in marriage to a man who will always love and honor her.” He looked at Giovanni. ”And it is a day I publicly acknowledge my grandson, Nicholas. He is under my protection now. To harm him or....” Kerrigan motioned to my stomach. ”His younger sibling, will be considered an act of war.”

I lost it then, crying so hard that a hiccupped sob came from me. I went at my father, tossing my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

Giovanni and Nicholas had to pry me off him. Nicholas nudged me. ”If I call him Pops, will you laugh and stop crying. Seeing you upset makes me want to hit s.h.i.+t, erm, stuff.”

The crowd laughed again.

”I'm sorry,” I whispered. ”I can't help it.”

All the men around me looked down at my stomach. ”Hormones,” they mouthed.

Giovanni took my hands in his. ”My King, if you would do the honors of cementing my claiming upon Gwyneth it would make calming her down much easier and perhaps salvage body parts she may unintentionally rip off should her mood head south.”

Tipping his head back, my father roared with laughter.

So did Nicholas.

Once they were done, my father proceeded with the ceremony. It was done in ancient Fae so I got about none of it, but it didn't take a genius to figure out when he'd gotten to the part where Giovanni and I were officially wed according to Fae law because Giovanni grabbed me to him, his lips cras.h.i.+ng down on mine. His kiss was explosive. I ate at his mouth and ran my hands over his shoulders to the back of his neck.

Vaguely, I heard someone clearing their throat but I ignored them. It wasn't until Nicholas actually pried Giovanni and me apart that I realized my father was there, looking incredibly uncomfortable. I gave him a sheepish smile. ”Sorry.”

”I'm not,” Giovanni said, yanking me back to him, kissing me tenderly. When he broke the kiss, he turned us to face the crowd.

My father put his hands on our shoulders. ”I now give you Mr. and Mrs. Giovanni Balda.s.sare. Or, the Princess and her husband.”

The crowd roared, clapping and standing for us as Giovanni kept hold of me, walking down the center aisle. I scanned the audience for Caleb and Pallo but found no sign of them. It wasn't until we were at the back of the hall, near the doors that I found them standing side by side, waiting for us. Ken was there, as well.

The three men pulled me into their embrace and then took turns shaking Giovanni's hand. When it came time for Pallo to shake, he punched out fast, going for Giovanni's jaw.

Giovanni caught Pallo's hand in mid-motion. ”I take that to mean you are not offering your blessing to me?”

”Oh ....” Pallo narrowed his brown gaze on Giovanni. ”I planned to offer it after I hit you.”

”I see,” Giovanni said, releasing Pallo's hand.

Pallo looked down at me, his expression softening. ”It has always been my wish for you to find happiness, Gwyneth.” He stared at my stomach. ”Sophie will be as amazing as her mother and ....” He nodded to Caleb, Ken and the three stooges to his right-James, Caradoc and Mikhail, ”guarded always.”

”Thank you, Pallo,” I said, hugging him again. I kissed his cheek. ”That means a lot to me. You mean a lot to me.” And he did.

James, Caradoc, and Mikhail were next to approach. Caradoc embraced me tightly, lifting me off my feet. If I hadn't known better, I'd have sworn he sniffled. When Mikhail hugged me, he turned me in a circle. ”Take care of him always, Gwen. He doesn't hand his heart to just anyone.”

”Aside from reincarnated lovers and deranged sorceresses, you mean.” I winked.

He laughed and set me down gently. ”Speaking of deranged sorceresses.”

”You found her?”

”No.” He glanced at Pallo and Caleb. ”But we did track Malita down.”

My smile widened.

Caleb took hold of my hands. ”Mikhail and Pallo wanted to wrap her head up and give it to you as a wedding present. I trumped that.”

”She would have enjoyed it more than cookware,” Pallo said with a grunt.

Mikhail snorted. ”So would I.”

I kept hold of Caleb's hands and teared up. He bent, pressing a chaste kiss to my lips. ”None of that, Gwen. Did you feel it? Did you feel Kerrigan breaking the bonds that should have never been?”

I nodded, too emotional to speak.

Caleb kissed me again and Giovanni cleared his throat. ”I have a fondness for you Faerie but do not think you can continue making out with my wife and live to tell the tale.”

His wife.

Hearing it made me cry harder.

Caradoc looked at Giovanni. ”Master, you broke her.”

Caleb smiled, running his finger over my cheek. ”No, Caradoc. These are happy tears. Plus, I think her hormones are out of muck with the pregnancy.”

”If one more person blames my hormones for my tears I'm going to ....”

Giovanni wrapped an arm around me. ”Bella, no killing the wedding guests.”

That made me laugh.

James approached slowly, his blue gaze wide and locked on my stomach. He walked clear around Giovanni, making Pallo and Caleb snicker. When he got to me, he leaned in to hug me but kept a large distance between our bodies, leaving his fingers barely brus.h.i.+ng my shoulders.

”James?”

”Yes, luv?” he asked, his voice squeaking.

”What are you doing?”

”Hugging you,” he replied ”Uh, this isn't a hug.”

Caradoc cracked a smile and it caught me off guard. ”He fears rubbing against your stomach in any way. Perhaps he thinks it is catchy.”

”Or he's scared he'll b.u.mp Gwen's stomach and end up impotent until Sophie is of age to accept him.”