Chapter 204

The car pulled up to the Villa dell'Angelo and Pearl leaned over and hugged Erik, squeezing him with all of her might.

She jumped out of the car and ran inside, dropping her bags and spinning around. "Oh beautiful house, how I have missed you!" She shouted. The maid and chef greeted her and gave her big hugs, also bowing to Erik. They had a bottle of wine ready for them and they toasted to being back. Pearl and Erik spent the evening eating dinner on the patio and relaxing in the hot tub.

"I love this place. It brings me right back to the day my life changed forever." Pearl said.

Erik put his arms around her, the hot tub bubbling around them.

"I knew the moment I saw you on that stage at the charity event that you were going to change my life forever. And you have." He said.

"This is all so unreal. So crazy. You know that? Absolutely crazy!" Pearl shouted to the Tuscan hills.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." He said. They made love, clinging to one another under the beautiful sky, the stars dancing above them

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"What's on your mind, nightingale?" Erik asked the next morning over coffee.

"What is your business in Rome?" Pearl asked.

"The crown is donating to the new wing of the children's hospital there. It's a huge international red carpet event the day after tomorrow. You will be my date, of course." Erik said.

Pearl smiled. "Oh no, blimey! Not another illustrious event for a charitable cause that I will have to look amazing for and wear a beautiful dress for, on the arm of the most eligible bachelor in the world and made to feel like a princess all night again? How will I tolerate it? Bloody awful it will be!" Pearl said in her best British accent, dramatically, feigning a fainting spell.

Erik put his coffee down and immediately picked her up and carried her upstairs, spanking her bottom the entire time.

"You are going to be handled properly after that little display." He said. "If you're going to be that ridiculously adorable and witty, prepare to be shagged rotten."

"Put me down, I can walk dammit!" She shouted at him, pounding on his back.

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"Pearl, I don't know what you do to me but it is unbelievable." Erik said, holding her in his arms and catching his breath. They had made love all morning and into the afternoon.

"I wish we could just stay, in this bed, you on top of me, our naked bodies, tangled like tree roots, forever." Pearl said.

He looked into her eyes.

"I want forever with you." He said, kissing her. There was a silence between them.

"Come. Get up. We are going to dinner tonight." Erik said.

"Should I wear a dress?" Pearl asked

"Does a frog bump it's arse when it hops?" Erik said.

Pearl burst out into laughter. "So that's a yes." She said. Laughing.

She put on a long floral sundress, sunglasses and hat. Charles and Jim were there with them to keep then safe and the press at bay, but the less recognizable she was the better.

They drove into town and the car pulled up to the same luxury hotel where Pearl had ran into Erik that night in Florence several months ago.

"Erik! This is wonderful!" Pearl said. Erik smiled and led her into the restaurant.

Charles and Jim both got out and escorted them up to the bar on the roof. Everyone stared and whispered. Pearl remembered watching Erik and his family arrive that night. The security guards and the commotion. Now Pearl herself was a part of it all. They were sat a table and eventually everyone started to relax to their presence. Italy was different than England or the states. People seemed to mind their business more there. It was by far her favorite place in the world so far for that reason and others.

Erik ordered a bottle of wine and kissed Pearl's hand. "Here. At this place, I saw you again, and my heart leapt at my luck. What were the chances?" Erik asked, sipping his wine. His hair was a bit untamed and his eyes were bright green in the candle light. His chiseled jaw and full lips made him look like a god. Italy made him look a bit feral, exotic in a way. Wild. She couldn't believe how beautiful he was. He and the British actor Theo James, who Pearl had met when she was at the Hollywood party with Rhys, could be brothers. He was astoundingly and classically handsome. His mannerisms and etiquette helped, too.

"What is on your mind?" Erik asked.

"You are beautiful." She said. "You have the face of an actor or model, the body of a heavyweight fighter and the soul of a poet. And the title of a monarch. Is there any more perfect combination?" Pearl asked, smiling dreamily.

"You and I." Erik said with a smile.

Pearl blushed. He always had the perfect thing to say.

"Pearl, I need to talk to you about something."

Erik said.

"You're really a figment of my imagination?" Pearl joked.

"I'm serious." He said, his face looking concerned.

"Ok. Talk." Pearl said.

"You know having a life with me, long term, comes with certain... challenges and sacrifices." He said.

"Yes. I am aware." Pearl said, she was thinking this was his insecurity coming out again and she was going to reassure him like she did before.

"No. I mean more than what we have talked about. Like, giving up your life entirely. Being a princess is a full time job. You can't vote anymore, the band will be difficult to keep. Trigon will either have to be sold or given to the crown or managed in some other way. You can't work. You will have to be refined and civilized. Eyes will be everywhere. Worse than now. There will be pressure to produce an heir. Other things as well. You will be dedicating your life to service. To the people. To me." He said.

She knew he was worried. But she would cross that bridge when they came to it. It's not like he was asking her to marry him anytime soon anyway. And the heir thing was definitely something they would have to seriously talk about in the future. It could make or break them. But not tonight. Tonight she was enjoying her man and the love she had for him in this beautiful city.

"I love you. We will cross all of those bridges when the time comes. One at a time. You don't have to worry about any of it. I'm here. I can't imagine my life without you. So if that means my

life will change, so be it. You already know my stance on the band. The rest, we will figure it out." She said.

"Really?" Erik said, looking relieved.

"Yes my love." She said.

He looked so relieved and happy, and Pearl was glad she was able to calm his worries.