Eleven years after The Spellbinding Courtship

On the morning of their tenth anniversary, Aragon carefully slid from bed without waking Selena then strode downstairs to the conservatory for her melissa flowers. He gathered the ten lymon balm flower stalks—one for each year of their happy marriage—that he’d collected yesterday from outside Esme the Great’s ancient cottage in the royal forest. The melissae were so accustomed to his annual visits that they barely reacted any longer, and the melissa queen even seemed to approve.

Once he’d Selena’s melissa flowers, he headed to the kitchen and fetched them the hearty breakfast they’d need to fuel their busy day today before hurrying back upstairs to their chambers. Please let Selena not have awoken while he was gone.

He exhaled when he found Selena still curled on their bed with her face now buried in his pillow. Adorable as ever. After locking their door behind him and setting their breakfast tray on their bedside table, he slid back into bed and woke his wife with a tender kiss. “Morning, my love.”

Selena hummed as she drew him closer and returned his kiss. “Morning.”

Breaking their kiss before it could become too heated, Aragon sat up and plucked Selena’s bouquet of melissa flowers from their breakfast tray. “Happy anniversary, Selena.”

Sitting up too, Selena buried her face in her fragrant bouquet and inhaled then smiled at him. “Thank you for the perfect flowers again.” She chuckled. “But are you certain you should keep collecting another stalk for each year? By our fiftieth anniversary, that clearing in the royal forest shall be completely denuded of lymon balm.”

He grinned while he set their breakfast tray between them. “Except every year there’s more and more lymon balm growing there.” Part of why he felt the melissa queen approved. “Now, eat up—we’ve a busy day ahead of us.”

Selena beamed as she began her breakfast, starting with the toast. “I’m so excited we’re finally getting the bloodbinding ceremony we always wanted.”

Aragon nodded and devoured his bacon first like usual. “Me too. But after ten years of marriage and three children, not even the most cautious duke could argue that we must worry about heirs.” Which Father hadn’t.

Selena’s lips quirked. “Except that we’ve produced all girls. Fortunate we changed the Childes duchy’s succession laws to allow Izzy to inherit.”

He leaned toward Selena. “I love being far outnumbered by my adorable girls, and Izzy shall make a wonderful duchess.” Their eldest, named after Selena’s mother Isabel, was so very like Selena.

Her dark-gray eyes gleaming, Selena grinned and placed his hand on her stomach. “Well, you may be less outnumbered shortly. Healer Althea just confirmed that I’m pregnant again. I do hope we’ve a boy this time.”

Warmth bursting in his veins, Aragon set their breakfast tray on the bedside table and gathered Selena in his arms. No wonder she’d been eating mostly toast for breakfast lately. “Either is fine with me, but I hope we’ve a boy for you, my love.”

Selena threaded her arms about his neck. “You’re truly the best of husbands, Lord Treyvan. Allow me to demonstrate my appreciation.”

Although making love might make them late for their bloodbinding ceremony, he let his passionate wife tumble him into the pillows. He could never get enough of her. Thank the Goddess he’d thought to lock the door.