Page 182 of Kings & Queen

Ivan moved to the other side of me. “He’s right. The three of us share an unbreakable and persistent love for you.”

I cupped her face in my hands. “Kinsley, you are our queen, and a queen’s place is with her Kings.”

Sebastian handed me the last of our gifts for her. I placed the exquisite “Beatrice” tiara in her hands.

“It was cast from the most radiant 18-karat white gold. If you look closely, you can see the intricate pattern inspired by the graceful scrolls of the palace gardens.”

She exclaimed as she tilted it and it caught the light.

“It’s encrusted with scores of pavé diamonds. Their brilliance matches yours. The central motif—the heart, if you will—is detachable. You can wear it as a necklace.”

Nik came around and kneeled. Ivan once more kneeled in front of us. Nik looked deep into her eyes and spoke with sincerity.

“Baby girl, I pledge my unwavering support and understanding to you. I promise to always be your strength, the one who stands beside you through every challenge. You’ll never walk alone. You are a part of us, and we are forever united. I will be your anchor in this life always, as you are mine.”

“Just as long as when you look at me, your eyes dance the way they are now,” she declared, caressing his face.

“Always,” he whispered and kissed her hand.

“Little love, I pledge to keep laughter alive in our lives. I promise to allow you all the mischievous sparkle you need to navigate this world. I pledge to be the one who makes you smile, even on your toughest days. I also pledge to be your covering from the harshness out there. I hope you will allow me to shield you every day you are alive.”

“I will, my beloved.” She caressed his face.

I placed the crown on her head and kissed her lips. “And I pledge my undying love and shelter from the storms of this life. I will—no,wewill stand by your side when it gets ugly, hold you in the dark, and never, ever abandon you.”

Loud sobs escaped her as she hugged me. Sebastian and Marcel looked proudly at all of us, and I never felt more complete in my life. Everything was going to be okay.

A throat cleared, and all of our heads snapped in the direction it came from.

“Am I interrupting something important? I can come back.” Isabella stood shifting from one foot to the other, her quiet voice trembling.

Chapter 71

Isabella

Welcome To The Family

When we pulled upto the summer house, my heart felt full of trepidation. All of a sudden, I was wavering in my resolve. I’d stood on the outside of the room, listening in to the men I had come to call brothers as they declared their love for Mischa. Floored would be an understatement.

Part of me didn’t want to speak, so I waited, and when Alek presented his gift to her, I knew. The way her sobs pierced me as she clung to the Vincent van Gogh bear, I knew it represented me. I knew from the moment she pulled the fox out. I may not have known the story behind them either, but I didn’t need to.

Having locked myself in my room those first few days after seeing her again, every fear I could imagine had me painting from sunup to sundown. I’d turned my phone off, refused to see any of the guys, and only allowed my mother and father in.

A little over twenty-four hours ago, I’d flipped the page to the last in my sketchbook and began a new drawing. I sketched furiously for hours, completely disconnected from anything other than the pencil in my hand and the scratching sounds on the paper. It alone was enough to put me in a zone.

“Isabella, dear,” my mother had called. It took me several minutes to float away from the dreamlike state I’d put myself in.

I glanced down at the drawing and realized it was one of Mischa, or well, Kinsley, when she was Spring. I’d drawn this one before, only one other time. It was the first time I’d seen her outside the initial meeting in the hallway. She was standing at a ballet barre that was part of her dressing room area. She looked so small even then. I remembered thinking to myself: she didn’t look over eight years old.

Her hair was in a bun, and she had on a black leotard with sheer pink tights and her pink ballet slippers. Her head was turned away from my sight, and her handwas resting on her shoulder, blocking most of her face. That was how I drew her then and how I’d drawn her now.

My mother had looked worried. I supposed it was to be expected. I’d caused quite an uproar by regressing, and I sighed as Bash’s words came back to me. I was holding them back. She’d never say it, but it was our reality. We should have been with the guys and the Kings, celebrating the end of summer. Yet here we were, my mother and father a mess, and me sketching until my fingers ached.

I’d come to the conclusion that Kinsley must not have said anything, which made my curiosity as to why even greater. Sitting in the dark, unaware, had gnawed at me like I didn’t think it would. The desire to connect with her grew stronger with each passing day until it got to be all-consuming. If I wasn’t drawing her, I was dreaming about her. It was the uncertainty, a burning need to talk to her.

Never mind, she could out me, blow the lid on my secret and lies I’d told everyone for years. I wished I would have stayed so that, if nothing else, I could get answers, maybe even closure. To ensure my past remained hidden. It was a risk, one I’d wrestled with for the last few days, until I slammed the book shut and shook my head.

“Mama, could we still go?” I had asked, my voice barely above a whisper.