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Marrying His Majesty: Claimed: Secret Royal Son
Marion Lennox
Claimed: Secret Royal SonFor just one night, sensible Lily McLachlan had thrown caution to the wind and fallen into Prince Alexandros’s arms. A year later, Alex wants to claim his secret royal son, and Lily’s hand… But Lily wants more than to be Alex’s convenient bride…she wants his heart, too.Betrothed: To the People’s PrinceWhen Nikos Andreadis brings the reluctant Princess Athena back to Argyros to take the throne, seeing her again brings back memories of their forbidden affair that Nikos thought he’d buried. But more shocking is the secret Athena’s been carrying…Crowned: The Palace NannyRaising the heir to the throne is nanny Elsa Murdoch’s dream job. Until Prince Stefanos’s arrival throws everything into chaos. Suddenly she’s required to attend royal banquets, ditching her uniform for gowns and jewels. Is Elsa being transformed from hired help to Her Royal Highness?
MARION LENNOX is a country girl, born on an Australian dairy farm. She moved on—mostly because the cows just weren’t interested in her stories! Married to a “very special doctor,” Marion wrote for Mills & Boon under a different name for a while, so if you’re looking for her past novels, search for author Trisha David as well. She’s now had more than seventy-five romance novels accepted for publication.
In her non-writing life, Marion cares for kids, cats, dogs, chickens and goldfish. She travels, and she fights her rampant garden (she’s losing) and her house dust (she’s lost). Having spun in circles for the first part of her life, she’s now stepped back from her “other” career, which was teaching statistics at her local university. She’s reprioritized her life, figured out what’s important, and discovered the joys of deep baths, romance and chocolate. Preferably all at the same time!
Marrying His Majesty
Claimed: Secret Royal Son
Betrothed: To the People’s Prince
Crowned: The Palace Nanny
Marion Lennox
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
To Sheila, who makes my books better.
With gratitude.
Table of Contents
Cover (#u6bef8058-5689-54b9-a166-2164518e5917)
About the Author (#uea96f0d4-e923-5e6d-9b05-b35b8e400db4)
Title Page (#uae55351f-d5e1-583c-a2a9-10b6025d65ca)
Dedication (#u9f632aa8-45d4-5a97-ae74-3aeede1835c0)
Claimed: Secret Royal Son
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Betrothed: To the People’s Prince
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Crowned: The Palace Nanny
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Claimed : Secret Royal Son (#uf6007313-1c7e-5ab0-aa5b-90444ae75830)
CHAPTER ONE (#uf6007313-1c7e-5ab0-aa5b-90444ae75830)
‘WAKE up, Lily.’
There were two doctors and four nurses gathered by the bed. This had been groundbreaking surgery. Heroic stuff. If Lily hadn’t been close to death already, they’d never have tried it.
After the operation she’d been kept in an induced coma to give her damaged brain time to recover. They’d saved her life, but would she wake up… whole?
The junior nurse—the gofer in this small, exclusive French hospital—had nothing to do right now and she was free to think about the patient. She’d seen this girl come in a month ago, deeply unconscious, drifting towards death. Rumour said she was related to royalty, but no one came near her.
A nurse was supposed to be objective. She wasn’t supposed to care.
There wasn’t one person around this bed who didn’t care.
‘Wake up, Lily,’ the surgeon said again, pressing his patient’s hand. ‘The operation’s over. It was a huge success. You’re going to be okay.’
And finally Lily’s eyelids fluttered open.
She had dark eyes. Brown. Too big for her face.
Confused.
‘Hey,’ the surgeon said and smiled. ‘Hello, Lily.’
‘H… Hello.’ It was a faint whisper, as if she’d forgotten how to speak.
‘How many fingers am I holding up?’
‘Three,’ she said, not interested.
‘That’s great,’ the surgeon said, jubilant. ‘You’ve been ill—really ill—but we’ve operated and the tumour’s been completely removed. You’re going to live.’
Lily’s gaze was moving around the room, taking in each person. The medical uniforms. The eager, interested faces.
And then, as if she’d remembered something really important, her eyes widened. Fearful.
‘Are you in pain?’ the surgeon asked. ‘What hurts, Lily?’
‘Nothing hurts. But… ’ Her hand shifted, slow from disuse, and her fingers spread over her abdomen.
‘Where’s my baby?’
CHAPTER TWO (#uf6007313-1c7e-5ab0-aa5b-90444ae75830)
‘I, ALEXANDROS KOSTANTINOS MYKONIS, do swear to govern the peoples of the United Isles of Diamas—the Diamond Isles—on behalf of my infant cousin Michales, until such time as he reaches twenty-five years of age.’
Alex’s black uniform was slashed with inserts of crimson and richly adorned with braid, tassels and medals. A lethal-looking sword hung by his side, its golden grip emblazoned with the royal coat of arms. His snug black-as-night trousers looked sexy-as-hell, and his leather boots were so shiny a girl could see her face in them.
If she got close enough. As once she’d been close.
Lily could barely see Alex’s face from where she watched in the further-most corner of the cathedral, but she knew every inch of his hawk-like features. His brown-black eyes were sometimes creased with laughter, yet sometimes seemed so severe she’d think he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.
It had been wonderful to make him smile. He’d made her smile, too.
He’d melted her heart—or she thought he had. Love was all about trust, and trust was stupid. She’d learned that now, but what a way to learn.
She watched on, numbed by the day’s events. Shocked. Bewildered. Trying desperately to focus on what was happening.
The ring, the glove, the royal stole, the rod with the dove, were bestowed on Alex with gravity, and with gravity he accepted them. This coronation ceremony was as it had been for generations. Alex looked calm, assured and regal.
The last time she’d seen him he’d been in her bed, leaning over her in the aftermath of loving. His eyes had been wicked with laughter. His jeans and shirt had been crumpled on the floor.
Alexandros Mykonis. Successful landscape architect, internationally acclaimed. Her one-time lover.
The new Prince Regent of the Diamond Isles.
The father of her baby.
‘Doesn’t he look fabulous?’ The woman sitting next to her—a reporter, according to the press pass round her neck—was sighing mistily as Alex knelt to receive the blessing.
‘He does,’ Lily whispered back.
They watched on. He was well worth watching.
The blessing over, Alex rose and proceeded to sign the royal deeds of office. Trumpeters, organist and choir filled the church with triumphant chorus, but there was room within the music’s shadow for talk.
‘There’s not a single woman here who doesn’t think he’s hot,’ the reporter whispered.
