The Vindication Gents

Chapter 1.22

Kathleen Remes’ POV

We landed in Hungary a few hours ago and now we are being escorted to the palace in Budapest. I have never set my eyes on this country as it was so livid and charming in its way. I smiled as I saw some pedestrians waving at us.

“Do you think they know who we are?” I asked Kai as he was reading some books. He never went anywhere without it, well, except when we made love.

“I don’t know, my love, I just got married to this royalty thing,” he said as he was teasing me. I smacked his arm playfully before looking out at the palace. It was grand, nice and extravagant. I cannot believe that we will be staying there for 3 days.

“After you, sir,” the valet said in English with an accent. I thanked Kai as he got out first and he took my hand, helping me get out of the car. I looked around and it was nice autumn weather.

“It’s not so chilly, right?” I asked Kai as I looked at him. He just smirked at me before putting his hand on my lower back.

“Come on, we need to greet the King and Queen,” he said as he wrapped his arm around my hand as we walked inside the palace. Stunning was not the only word that I would use for it. It has a nice touch here and there and I wondered if they have been living here forever.

“Welcome,” a booming voice echoed inside the hall. I looked up ahead and I saw the old couple who were standing in the center of the ballroom.

“Good afternoon, Your Majesties. King Aaron sends his regards for not coming to your ball,” Kai said as he bowed and I curtsied to them. The King just laughed at us before his Queen joined us as well.

“Ah, little devil Aaron, always making excuses to get out of my ball. Come, let us show you around,” he said as he went to show us around. The palace was grand but we were only allowed to go into the public area, and also our quarters were as massive as the garden back in the Royal Castle.

“I have sent your luggage to your quarters. I hope you have a wonderful experience here and dinner will be served at 7 pm sharp. Don’t be late,” he said as he stopped in front of the door. His Queen was smiling at me.

“And don’t worry, we will make sure that you have an escort to the dining hall. Please freshen up before dinner,” the queen said, and with that, they departed as we went to our designated quarters.

The first time I stepped inside the quarters, it was filled with red and silver. The color of royalty, no doubt, but I was so fascinated that, in my own home, I was never a luxurious person. I walked toward the balcony and I looked down on the city of Budapest.

“Do you like it?” Kai asked me as he was kissing my neck. I angled it so he could kiss more of my skin.

“It’s perfect, more than what I could ask for,” I said as I turned to look at him. His sea-green eyes were hooded as if they were burning with desire.

“Kathleen, I—“ his talk was interrupted as there was a knock on the door.

“Hold that thought,” I said as I went to open the door. It was a maid that would be escorting us to dinner.

“Your Graces, I will be escorting you to the dining hall if you are ready,” she said as she was looking at the ground. I looked at Kai before I turned to her.

“Yes, we are,” I said, as I knew Kai would likely punish me afterward, but nothing that I could not handle.

“This way please,” she said before Kai came to my side and took my hand into his.

“You will pay for this tonight,” he whispered huskily. I giggled before getting into his ear as well.

“I would welcome it with open legs,” I teased him as he growled at my answer. We went down some stairs and did turns that I don’t even know where we were anymore. It was an extravagant castle after all.

“In here, Your Graces,” she said as the guards opened the door to us. We walked inside the room as there were many people inside the hall.

“Ah, they are here,” the King said loudly, which made people stop what they were doing and eye us instead. My grip on Kai’s arm was tightening as I never knew that I needed to act like a Queen as if right now.

“Keep your head up. You are the Queen of Finland after all,” Kai whispered. I smiled as I looked at the people before me.

“Like my father said, acting as the future Queen,” I said as I tried to make it as quiet as possible as we passed through the crowd. Kai chuckled at my words before we bowed in front of the King and Queen.

“Greetings, Your Majesties,” I said as I curtsied and Kai bowed to them.

“Please, just call me Peter and my wife, Sandra. We’re practically family,” he said as I looked at him, confused.

“Your father was my best friend when we were young and still is. So, it’s made me, umm—”

“Your uncle, my dear,” the queen finished his sentence as they were looking at me.

“Yes, in a sense,” he said. I smiled at him as I nodded.

“Well, thank you for that privilege then, Uncle Peter,” I said as I looked at him. He was beaming happily.

“Now, don’t just stand there. Let’s have some dinner,” he said as he was looking at me. I took a seat next to him on the right and Kai to my left.

“So, what do you want to talk about, uncle?” I asked, as I wanted to sound familiar with the term ‘Uncle’ to the King of Hungary. That would probably be asking for war. He laughed at the endearment.

“Well, actually I was hoping that you would tell my daughter, Princess Christine Rovski, that I wished for her to visit you after the ball. Is that okay with you?” He asked me. I just smiled at her, as I didn’t know that he had a daughter. I must miss it in the file that they gave me to read.

“That would be delightful,” I said as I took a sip of my champagne. It left a tangy feeling in my stomach but I just ignored it. We had the rest of our dinner as Uncle Peter shared some of his crazy days with my father.

“And then, he would go out for a swim and he did not care if it was cold or hot. He just did, your father. What a ball of a man,” he said before suddenly the lights went out.

“What the—“ I said before I heard a scream near me. I don’t know what to do, but just to hide underneath the table. Kai has dragged me under it with him.

“What’s happening?” I asked him as he was looking around. My eyes had adjusted to the dark after the intensive time that I spent in the prison getting something from the kitchen. What can I say has a girl got to do when they are hungry?

“I fear what your father said was true,” he whispered to me.

“What is it?” I asked him.

“Assassination,” his grim tone matched his fierce eyes. I have never seen him like this before.

Kai Virtanen’s POV

The letter from the king was right after all. There will be an assassination for the throne, and by that I mean, I don’t know if it was for Finnish or Hungarian royalty. All I knew was that I had to protect Kathleen at all costs.

“You have been entrusted by me and my queen that you will one day provide comfort and warmth to the future queen,” King Aaron said as he looked at me when I was only a mere eighteen years old at the time.

“Your Majesty?” I asked him. I was about to leave for college but my grandfather insisted that the King had personally asked me about his throne and why was I to decline that?

I was not a mad man.

“The skills of your years in the street will help protect Kathleen, your betrothed,” he said as he looked at me. I don’t dare to look but I know that he was speaking to me.

“So you accept your duty? To be her husband and protector?” He asked me. I was not sure at the time to accept the thought that I was accepting more power than my grandfather. It was indeed a factor that made me accept the proposal.

“I do,” I said as I looked at him.

“Good,” he said smugly before dismissing me for college as he paid for all of the tuition. I was in debt to him. And my only duty was to protect Kathleen at all costs.