Free Eternal Vows by Chrissy Peebles Page B

allegiance to your love and undying devotion.”
    Sarah rolled her eyes inwardly as Victor pulled a ring from his pocket, cradling it on his palm. They sure do like their drama here . They gotta make a reality TV show outta this. It suddenly became clear to Sarah where Shakespeare got all his inspiration from.
    “The rubies represent love, and the diamonds signify eternity,” said the priest, nodding to the sparkling gems set in a gold band.
    Sarah’s eyes widened. Not only was the ring her ticket back home, but it was also drop-dead gorgeous, a huge, hulking piece of bling. She couldn’t stop staring at it. With its four-carat oval ruby silhouetted by shimmering diamonds, it didn’t look like a traditional wedding ring.
    She cleared her throat and raised her gaze for a second. “It’s real?”
    Victor shook his head, wide-eyed. “Of course, my dear. I assure you it is genuine, for it has been in my family for centuries. Why do you ask?”
    “Because…” She took a deep breath to hide her emotions. “Well, I am a real princess, after all, and I don’t do knock-offs.” Undying love or not, she made sure to hold on tight to the ring. The least she’d get from that forced marriage would be a small house with a nice view in a neighborhood where she didn’t need to barricade her windows at night and sleep with pepper spray under her pillow.
    As her new husband slid the ring on her finger, a jolt of electricity raced up Sarah’s hand and spread throughout her body. She blinked, and a flurry of spots flooded her vision. It was weird and quite inexplicable. The sensation stopped just as quickly as it appeared, and for a moment she stood there, flabbergasted. Wait…did I just imagine that? Granted, her nerves were on edge, what with almost being blinded by the gemstones. Or maybe I’m just dehydrated.
    The priest handed her a matching ring. Looking closer, she noticed his ruby was square, making it look more masculine.
    “Put the ring on Victor ’s finger,” the priest whispered.
    She’d never been through a wedding ceremony before, and they hadn’t granted her the courtesy of a rehearsal, so she had no way of knowing what to do. With trembling hands, she slid the ring on his finger and gazed up at his beaming face.
    “We’ve done it,” Victor whispered.
    Wait…that’s it? We’re…married? The cave of her mouth felt dry, almost painful, as she swallowed past the lump in her throat. Is he going to kiss me? She stared at his best feature, those full, firm, luscious lips. She couldn’t come to terms with what was going on in that head of hers. There she was, marrying a powerful king who might keep her from ever going home, but all she could do was stare at his mouth.
    The priest broke through her thoughts. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. My King, you may kiss your queen.”
    “You’re mine now—forever. Our bond is unbreakable, the spark between us never to be quenched .” In slow motion, she saw his face lower onto hers, their lips barely touching. His hand wandered to the low of her back, drawing her closer, her chest pressing against his as his lips came down harder but with nowhere near as much force as she would’ve expected from such a man.
    Sweet and gentle? That’ll work. Don’t all fairytales end with the perfect kiss? A flame spread over her, spanning from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. He wasn’t kidding about that spark! But she knew it was time to shut that down and go to the reception.
    Victor dismissed the priest, and Sarah let out a breath of relief. The ring felt heavy on her finger, reminding her that only the first step was done. The hard part was yet to come. She needed to find Frank and get the heck out of there. She smiled sweetly as she peered at her new husband. “Can we eat cake and smash it in each other’s faces now? It’s my favorite wedding tradition.”
    His mouth hovered over her lips, his hot breath giving her goose-bumps. Cake was definitely