Page 51 of The Duke's Concealed Vow
Serena nodded.
“All I have ever wanted was to share my life with someone with whom I was deeply in love,” she said. “I saw the way that my mother and father loved each other, and I saw other couples who were much the same every time we would go into town. Finding a match with someone who truly cared for me was so important to me.”
Rowan looked at her, some of the guilt returning to his eyes.
“That is why you were so horrified at the thought of marrying me,” he said.
Serena kissed the tip of her finger, then put it to his lips.
“It is true,” she said. “However, the more I got to know you, truly know who you are beneath all the ice you projected to the world, the more I realised that I could love you. And eventually, I realised that I did. So, even though we were married as an arrangement, I understand now that it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. Now, what I want is to build a life together, filled with love, laughter, and companionship.”
Rowan’s expression was uncertain as he gave her a tentative smile.
“Do you mean it?” he asked.
Serena beamed at him, smiling.
“And do you wish to know what it is that I want now?” she asked coyly.
Rowan’s smile widened, becoming surer.
“Of course, darling,” he said, nodding eagerly.
Serena pulled him closer to her, staring up at him.
“I want to reign as your loyal duchess, loving wife, and blissfully joyful mother of your children,” she said.
Rowan nodded, and she watched as understanding slowly dawned in his eyes.
“You… want children?” he asked, incredulous.
Serena giggled and nodded.
“I want as many as we can have,” she said. “The one thing that was just as important to me as finding true love was having a loving family. I adore children, and I could hardly wait to become a mother.”
She paused, holding her breath. She had never opened up to Rowan in such a way before. And as the marriage was, indeed, the product of an arrangement, they had never discussed having children. Serena knew that it might be her responsibility to birth an heir for Rowan. But with the way their marriage started and the way he had seemed so repulsed by her presence, she had begun to think that even that would not happen. What if he had no desire to have children?
The grin on his face told her that her worry was for naught. He kissed her on her forehead, his hazel eyes sparkling with love and mischief.
“Well, I am quite certain that can be arranged, my love,” he said with a wink.
Serena shivered, giggling. Her cheeks grew warm and as Rowan gave her another passionate kiss, her blood warmed. Serena had discovered a love that grew from the seeds of duty and sacrifice, transforming into a deep, genuine love that heldthe power to heal old wounds and create new beginnings. Her family and Olivia had been right, after all. She had found true happiness with Rowan. And now, she would be able to share that joy with him for the rest of their lives.
It seemed like something straight out of a storybook. And Serena vowed to cherish and protect their love and to face whatever challenges awaited them in the future as partners and soulmates. She knew they would be bound forever by the unbreakable ties of their hearts. And she could not be happier.
