Chosen Bride of the Seven Dark Princes

Candi stared at him.

This was serious and she hadn't thought about the ramification of being a mother yet, but the only thing she could think about was that there were still two impending situations that needed to be addressed.

The Avgo and the Crown Prince.

"I don't need to continue with the Avgo, do I?" She gave a questioning glance at Dante.

"What?" He turned to her, his dazzling green eyes questioning.

"The whole point of me continuing with the Avgo was so that I could marry the Crown Prince to gain legal residency and not have to return to Earth."

Dante laughed gently. "When you put it that way, I feel so used and abused."

She slapped Dante's arm with mild annoyance.

"Be serious about this. I'm honestly asking you. What's the point in me continuing with the Avgo? If you say I'm your wife, it's really just a formality isn't it?"

"Yes and no." Dante drawled with thought. "For us, it's a done deal. At this moment, you are already my wife, mentally, soulfully, and physically. You are also holding within you, my child."

He held out a finger.

"But if you drop out now, the rest of the galaxy is going to see that and expect me to marry Jenna since you have forfeited your chance with me."

He shook his head. "That's not true of course, but they won't know that."

He gave her a wolfish grin.

"Now, I don't care what they think, but as Empress, it would be easier for you if the entire Galaxy didn't think that you cheated and got the Empress throne by sleeping with me."

"Hmmm. Yeah. I can see how that would play out." She bit her lip. "It would just be easier for everyone for me just to go through with the final two Events. If I win them, we don't ever have to look back on this again."

"That's right."

"So now that you know I have a fertilized egg that could implant within the next few days or weeks, what are you going to do about it?"

Dante scratched his chin, pretending to be in deep thought.

"Hmmm. Looks like I'm going to have to announce to the world that I'll be marrying my egg's mother."

She slapped his forearm again. "Is that all I am to you? Just an egg's mother?"

Dante laughed. "Did I just agree to marry a shrew? I'm getting so physical abused!!!"

She scrunched up her face and began slapping repeatedly on his forearm with both hands as he laughed at her love pats and leaned in to kiss her.

From the entryway, six Princes looked on the open display of apparent love between the two of them with varying degrees of reactions.

This was not unexpected. It was in fact, the predestined outcome.

She was after all, the leading Avgo Female slated to win the Events and he was the Crown Prince at the end of that winning rainbow.

But knowing that this was going to be the end result and seeing her being actively wooed by the Crown Prince himself was something that they had not quite prepared their hearts to accept.

"When did you agree to marry a shrew?" Byron was the first to break into their play-banter.

Of all the brothers, he knew that he was the one whose chances of marrying Candace had dropped to zero.

All he had left to hold onto was a mental link with the woman that he loved. It would be the only thing to sustain him through the coming weeks and months.

Candi and Dante both turned their faces to the group, and as they did, the joy on their faces were so evident that everyone knew there was a major change in status quo.

There was no doubt that they were now an official couple.

"Everyone! Come and have dinner with us!" Candi jumped up and waved her hands in excitement.

The Princes looked at each other, and as one, they all trooped in.

"Looks like we have to extend our congratulations to the Crown Prince and our new Crown Princess." Lucas was the second person to speak up.

As someone who had never really even been given the chance to spend much time with Candi, he had always rejected any romantic thoughts that might have bubbled up when it came to Candi.

Aside from the few minutes of fantasy that came due to the people's votes for best couple Lucandace, he had never even been in the running.

"Yes! Congratulations, you two!" Jared and Jason both echoed out.

Being twins and loving the same woman was a non-starter to begin with. They had already known this which was why they never confessed their feelings to their cherished Tiny Dancer.

The woman they loved would have to marry both of them for there to be any happy ending for both Jason and Jared, but what woman would want to marry two green haired Princes at the same time?

Leonardo gave her a grim smile. He had harbored secret fantasies about Candace and himself. He had even spoken to her about his intent.

But of course, he could not officially ask her to marry him until she lost the Avgo competition.

At her current ranking, it looked as if she would sweep the competition with ease which mean he would never even have that right. She was the winning Avgo Female—that single rare woman who was predestined for the Crown Prince.

Slate was the only one whose grim countenance broke through the smiles of the brothers.

He was the first man who had touched her, the night he caught her with the Avgo gemstone. He was also the first to have kissed her and done much more intimate things.

As the youngest prince, he had the least chance to be with this woman. Intellectually, he knew that, but emotionally, he railed against the injustice of it all.

Not only did he have no right to claim her, he also had no right to begrudge her to the Crown Prince. This was, after all, what the Avgo Event was all about.

For a burning moment, Slate looked at Candace with a single thought.

If he kidnapped her and flew across the galaxy with her, as he had wanted to do the first night they made love, would she give him a chance?

But then what?

What kind of life could he possibly give her? They would be fugitives on the run for the rest of their lives.

Slate saw what she would give up and his heart bled.

He wanted the best for her. That was why he had taken her to Dante's Moon after that first Avgo Event, when he realized she was in serious danger.

He was the one who had delivered her into the hands of his oldest brother because he knew Dante was the only one with enough power and resources to be able to protect her.

That was even more true now than ever before.

There were too many forces going after Candace. The safest place for her was still with Dante.

As long as she was safe and alive, and as long as his brother loved her and showered her with everything that she deserved, he would be happy for her.

So be it. He was going to cheer her on and be her silent protector from afar.

Slate nodded at Candace with saddened eyes.

From across the room, Candi could sense all those mixed emotions emanating from the six Princes and she could not help but empathize.

For a moment, her eyes misted over.

But then Dante reached out for her hand and rubbed it with a gentle thumb.

"You can beat my arm again if it makes you feel a little better," he offered, his deep voice rumbling in between them.