AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’d never been happier in my life. I’d never been more grateful either, because instead of mourning the tragic aftermath of Prince John’s treachery, we were celebrating. All of Nottingham celebrated, a truly special sight to see.
At first, I’d worried about tying the knot in the very place we’d nearly lost our lives. But the town square had undergone an amazing transformation overnight, thanks to a man named Grove, who’d been nominated for the job by the sheriff.
He loves decorating, Daniel had assured us. He just needs a little supervision.
“Yes, sir. Out with the gallows, in with a happy wedding theme.” Grove had nodded heartily when Daniel first presented the challenge. “I won’t let you down.”
And, wow. Grove had truly risen to the occasion. It was a beautiful, blue-sky winter’s day, and the square had been decked out with pine boughs and flowers made of white cloth — a whole arched bower of them. I would never forget the long walk down that aisle with my father. Tuck’s eyes never left mine as he waited by the altar. Willa and John were our maid of honor and best man, with the king, Robynne, and Daniel getting places of honor at the front of the ceremony.
I sighed to myself. All in all, the perfect wedding.
A feast was next on the agenda, but I had detoured to our room on the excuse of changing into a more practical dress. Obviously, I needed help with that, so I’d brought Tuck. Of course, one thing had led to another, and we’d ended up in bed again. But, hey. We were newlyweds. That was allowed, wasn’t it?
But now, it really was time to rejoin our guests.
Tuck plucked at his sleeves. “I haven’t worn anything but monks’ robes in months. This could take some getting used to.”
I laughed. “For me, too. But you look good. Really good.”
Really, really good, my animal side hummed, tempting me with a side trip to that closet.
Tuck looked like an off-duty knight in those leather breeches and green tunic — a classy yet understated look I hoped would set the tone for our tenure as Lord and Lady of Nottingham. No over-the-top luxuries for us, just a lot of hard work and dedication to our core mission: laying the groundwork that would allow the people of Nottingham to live happy, peaceful lives.
I planted a firm kiss on Tuck’s lips. “I promise to help you take them off again soon, dear husband.”
His eyes sparkled, as I’m sure mine did. Would we ever get used to our wonderful new reality?
I pulled him in for another tight hug. “I couldn’t have wished for a nicer wedding.”
He nuzzled my cheek. “And the party’s only just starting. Shall we?”
Chapter Twenty-Four
MARIAN
Tuck stuck out his elbow and led me out of the room, touching up his hair as he went.
I mussed it with an exasperated sigh. “Cats!”
He grinned. “I can’t help it. Could be worse, though. It’s not like I lick my—”
I stuck up a hand, stopping him there. I really, really didn’t need the mental image of a cat twisting to clean its private parts.
“No need to share everything, dearest.”
He grinned, leading me down the stairs to the packed banquet hall.
“A toast to the Lord and Lady of Nottingham!” someone called out as we entered.
Tuck and I peeked over our shoulders, ready to scurry out of their way. Then we caught ourselves and laughed.
“Oops. That’s us.” I grabbed Tuck’s hand and towed him forward.
“Another thing I have to get used to,” he murmured.
New and familiar faces greeted us from all sides, including Cyril the monk, who congratulated us heartily.
Tuck thumped him on the shoulder. “Congratulations.”
