Chapter 481

The next two days were business as usual.

Erik, Christian and Isla we having dinner the next evening when Pearl and Alex arrived home. Erik barely touched the ground as he ran to her, embracing her with excitement and longing.

"I am so glad you are home," he whispered into her ear as he breathed in the familiar lavender scent of her hair.

"I am glad to be home." Pearl smiled and squeezed him.

"How are you?" She looked at Christian.

"I don't want to talk about it right now. I'm glad you are home safe. You must be hungry. Please mother, sit and eat."

Pearl was not pleased with the formalities and casual attitude of her son.

"Bullshit. Your wife left you. You are not okay and I'm deeply offended by your brevity with me."

Christian rolled his eyes and nodded. "Yes. Fine. I'm destroyed. Hollowed out. But I cannot keep ripping my heart out when I have no control over her choices and feelings about what is best for her. I will probably die alone as my heart is broken into a thousand pieces. Now can we eat?"

Pearl shot daggers at Christian, then Erik.

"This is your doing," she said to Erik.

"What? I was just being honest with him. She isn't strong enough for this. At least not right now, anyway."

"Oh, rubbish. She is strong. And she loves Christian. Give her time. Don't give up, my son. And don't take love advice from your father." Pearl sneered at Erik.

"I am the only one that will tell him the truth. Not just what he wants to hear," Erik defended.

"Enough!" Christian slammed his fist onto the table. Isla jumped in her seat. "Enough about my life and my heart. I will handle this as I need to. My feelings are not up for debate."

"Well, well. I see we haven't missed a beat here." Alex walked in with a sly smile.

"Oh how I've missed the lot of you and your woes. The Shakespearean vibes are so dramatic."

"Now isn't the time, Alex." Pearl said.

"Oh I imagine there never really is a time, is there mother?"

And after a few moments of silence, they managed to eat a little before retiring to their rooms.

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"I just want to lie here all night and feel these kicks. I don't want to sleep for fear I will miss something." Erik sighed, rubbing Pearl's tummy.

Pearl smiled, "We will have plenty of time to lose sleep in a few months, darling."

Erik looked up and into Pearl's eyes. "I don't want to miss a thing. Not one more moment with you or my children." He leaned up and kissed her, pulling her into his arms. His hair had grown out into thick, dark waves that fell right above his shoulders and the slight gray in his beard against the black made him more handsome and regal looking than ever. He was breathtakingly beautiful and Pearl felt the familiar butterflies moving around inside of her as she looked into his eyes. She loved him… oh how she loved and wanted this man.

"How is it possible you are more beautiful today than 20 years ago?" She asked him, smiling as he moved on top of her.

"Well, I would say the same to you but your birth certificate says you lost about 10 years so that explains a lot." Erik laughed as he jested.

"Haha. Funny to laugh at my trauma, you evil bastard," Pearl jested back.

"I am evil. And I will remain as such to keep you close to me." He said with sincerity.

She stopped smiling. He lowered his body onto her and began to open her legs with his.

"You would do anything for me. For us." Pearl said as a statement, not a question.

"Anything. Everything. You are mine, Nightingale. Mine. And I will never let anything come between us ever again. Ever." He kissed her and positioned himself at her entrance, looking into her eyes.

"Good," she said. With that, he thrust into her and pulled her tighter into his arms.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, Erik."

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"Wake up, Christian. We have a problem." Erik shook his son awake.

"What's going on?" Christian rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?"

"There are reporters outside and the prime minister just rang. Augustus has went public."

Christian jumped to attention. "Bloody hell."

Erik nodded. "Indeed. But if it's the truth he so morally wants to show the world, the truth we shall give to them all."

"I don't understand, father."

"Augustus has made the choice to make me a martyr. And I'm going to blow the top off this entire monarchy once and for all." Erik smiled and Christian felt true fear for the first time in his life. What would this mean for his title? His life? His family?

"Erik.." Christian stammered, but it was too late. Erik was already making his way to the reporters waiting outside.