At the end of the song, Aiden loudly clapped as he jumped to his feet. The boy beamed up at him, his chest out and cheeks red while his blue eyes sparkled. The little boy placed his flute on the table and ran over to the settee, practically diving between Aiden and Julianna. His mother gathered him close, peppering his face with kisses and comments on how proud she was of him.
“Marvelous. Simply marvelous!” Aiden added when Winter turned his gaze up at him.
Winter snuggled between them, his smile so wide. “Thank you. I hope to get as good as they are,” he replied, pointing across the room.
Aiden followed his finger and his heart stopped to see the other three boys poised and waiting. Marcus was behind the piano while Beltran sat behind a cello nearly taller than himself. Rafe stood close to his twin, a violin tucked under his chin.
With a small nod from their mother, they started to play, and Aiden was transfixed. He was transported to the heavens. He’d heard countless professional concerts in his lifetime, but none of them compared to the beauty that filled that room. And these were just boys. Children! Their small fingers moved with an expert grace across strings and keys.
Time stopped. The world around them fell away. He was simply existing in this perfect bubble with the most amazing woman he’d ever known and four wonderful children. He didn’t want this to ever end.
But the song did, and Aiden sucked in a deep breath. He jumped to his feet with Winter and Julianna, enthusiastically applauding the performance.
The second the applause stopped, Winter grabbed his hand. “May we see what’s in the box now?”
“Of course, but I fear it is nowhere as good as the performance from you or your brothers.”
With a pounding heart and fresh doubts, Aiden turned and picked up the large box from where he’d placed it next to the settee. He set it on the floor before all the boys and motioned for Winter to open it. There was a soft gasp as the lid was lifted away to reveal what looked to be intricately painted tin soldiers, but they were actually—
“Knights!” Rafe cried as he pulled one out of the box. “They’re knights like King Arthur and his round table.”
“Is there a wizard?” Winter asked. “King Arthur had Merlin.”
“Oh! Do you think there’s a dragon? I really wish there was a dragon. Aiden—Lord Martin,” Beltran correctly sharply. Aiden’s head popped up and his heart melted a little more at Bel’s blush. “Do you think there are such things as dragons?”
“I don’t know if dragons ever existed. And unfortunately, I don’t think this set comes with one, but I will try very hard to find one.” He then turned his attention to Winter. “And a wizard.”
“Two, please,” Rafe chimed in.
“Rafe!” Julianna broke in, sounding quite horrified.
Rafe looked up at his mother, his chin up. “It’s not fair if one king as a wizard and the other doesn’t.”
“He’s quite right, dearest,” Aiden murmured with a grin. “We have to be fair to both kings.”
“And two wizards have the best chance of safely capturing the dragon for study,” Bel added.
Julianna threw her hands up and laughed. “Silly me. You’re all quite right.”
Aiden looked over to find Marcus standing a little bit apart while his other brothers were kneeling on the ground, pulling all the knights, horses, and various battlements out of the box. Toy soldiers were a bit childish for a boy of his age, but Aiden didn’t want him to feel left out.
“Marcus, would you like me to teach you the flanking stratagem that routed one of Napoleon’s top generals?”
Marcus’s careful expression lit up with a glow that touched Aiden’s soul. “I would. Very much,” he said softly.
And that was how Aiden found himself lying on the floor with four boys, his jacket tossed over the back of a chair and his neckcloth loosened as they conducted battle after battle with the knights. Laughter rang out in the room along with shouts of surprise and wonder. Food and drink were brought in, but Aiden didn’t notice the servants as they came and went. All his attention was on the four boys and their mother.
It was only when Winter fell asleep under a table and Bel wearily rubbed his eyes that he even realized it was nearly midnight. As Julianna got the oldest three trudging toward the door, Aiden carefully lifted a sleeping Winter, cradling him to his chest. The little boy sighed in his sleep, wrapping his arms tightly around Aiden’s throat.
Everything had changed. He’d known it at the feel of those small arms. Suspected it prior to setting foot in the house, but Winter’s trust, their laughter, the kindness to each other had sealed it for him. Each second he was with them, he found himself falling in love. They filled in an old emptiness in his soul that he’d been sure would never go away. Not since he’d lost his prince. They smiled and reached out to him with such trust and understanding, as if they knew what was missing from his life and wanted to heal him. His life was forever changed.
After settling the children with their nanny to get ready for bed, Aiden returned to the music room with Julianna. He paused and picked up the king in black armor. He had long black hair and dark eyes against swarthy skin. A gold circlet rested on his brow. The strong figure sat astride a rearing black charger, his sword in air as he led the way into battle.
Ronan would understand.
Julianna sat on the settee with a happy sigh, while Aiden kneeled before her, taking one of her hands in both of his. Her eyes widened, and Aiden’s heart raced. He was nervous, but he’d never been so sure of anything in his life.
“My darling Julianna, I’ve always known it was not enough to offer you comfort and wealth. You are too wonderful, too precious, and far too smart for any of us.” He paused at her chuckle. “I knew if I was to win you, I would have to win your love.”
“Oh Aiden,” she whispered, her voice rough with emotion as she touched his cheek with her free hand.
“But tonight I realized that it’s not enough for me. Your sons…” Aiden paused and swallowed against the lump of emotion that had formed. “They are so wonderful. They deserve to be protected and cherished. They deserve long, happy lives. I want to do everything in my power to make sure they have that. Even if you never love me, even if you one day marry another, promise me that you will reach out to me if you or your sons need anything. Let me help protect them. Let me help guide them when it is needed.”
Julianna closed her eyes, sending one tear streaking down her pale cheek. She surprised him by releasing a long, deep sound of relief. As if he’d just lifted an enormous weight off her slender shoulders. When she opened her eyes again, she smiled at him. Leaning forward, she pressed her forehead to his and squeezed his hands. “I knew you’d understand. I love you, my Aiden. I always will.”
His heart soared at her words, and he clung to the happiness while trying to ignore an old ache that would never go away. A part of his soul would always long for his prince, but if he must live, he would give all that was left of himself to this amazing woman and her four sons.
Chapter Two
December 5, 2020
Aidan stood in front of the full-length mirror and tugged at his cuffs, getting the pristine white oxford settled across his shoulders and along his arms just right before inserting the first ruby cufflink. Rafe was already upset that he wasn’t wearing all black, but Aidan refused to appear looking like the grim reaper. If he had to be king of the American vampires, then he was going to be a fair and just king. He wasn’t going to rule through fear and intimidation.