They hadn't been in the car for long when Emma's breathing evened out into that telltale pattern that came with sleep. While his wife often put up a good front around others, Killian could see the exhaustion that had been creeping into her features as they made their way back to Vancouver. Emma had been busy making arrangements to temporarily move her office to Canada, so that she could be closer to her husband while he was filming. While Killian was aware that she wasn't putting in ten-hour days in a studio, he knew that for every hour he was on set, his wife would have been busy taking care of everything that came with her position in the royal family. What that entailed he still wasn't entirely sure, but Killian had a feeling he'd find out before the end of the year.

Drowsiness was just beginning to cloud the edges of his mind as he pulled his wife in a little closer – and then the car made a sudden turn left instead of right. All of Killian's senses kicked into overdrive as his gaze flicked between the two men in the front seats to the view outside the windows.

"Where are we going?" he asked, straightening his back so that he could better observe the scenery flying past the windows.

"Home," Anton stated.

"This isn't the way home. It takes you all the way across the city," Killian argued, because he'd lived in Vancouver long enough to know how best to get around the place. The route Anton was making them take would add hours to their journey, especially with early evening traffic beginning to make itself known.

"I thought that was part of the reason why you'd chosen this place?"

Killian frowned in confusion and Anton chuckled as he twisted a little in his seat to face the Duke.

"Did you think we'd stopped working while you were away this weekend? Emma wanted to get into the new house as soon as possible. She's worried that the dogs are suffering from the lack of space the apartment has to offer, so we left a few people behind to finish work while you guys were on engagements. I got a call just before we took off saying it was ready for you to move into. I thought you might want to head straight back there, instead of going to the apartment first."

"Yeah. Yeah, definitely," Killian agreed.

Thanks to his work schedule, he hadn't been as involved in the work done to the house as Emma had been, but he was looking forward to finally making the move to somewhere a little more spacious. There was something about the grandness of the house they'd chosen that made everything feel more real to him. Killian knew it was the kind of home he and Emma could proudly conduct royal engagements from. The kind of house that would allow their dogs to thrive, and the kind of home that they could watch their children grow inside. It was a blank canvas and he couldn't wait to fill it with memories.

"Is um… can we stay there tonight or is this purely a visit to see how everything looks now?"

"It's ready for you to move into when you're ready. The team we left behind this weekend have started moving their belonging over to the living quarters on site. I believe Matthewshas already taken Rogan and Theo over to explore the extensive grounds while you've been away."

Killian looked down at his wife, still sleeping peacefully in his arms, before looking back up to Anton. Marriage had been exciting, but the prospects of finally beginning to build a life with the woman he loved had Killian wide awake and buzzing with excitement. He couldn't wait for Emma to wake up so that he could share the news with her.

Anton snorted out another laugh before turning back around in his seat to watch where they were going. "Don't worry, I'll let you tell her the good news."

"Wh – How did you know what I was thinking?"

"It's my job to know what you're thinking, Killian. And in case you haven't realised it yet, I happen to be very good at my job."

Killian let out a small chuckle of his own and Emma stirred slightly in her sleep before settling back against his chest.

It only took another seven minutes for the Range Rover to make its way towards the large gates that marked the boundary for the Duke and Duchess's new property. Even from the outside, Killian could tell that a lot of work had been done in a relatively short space of time. The fence that had once framed the gates was gone, and in its place was a much taller and sturdier structure that completely shielded the house from view. Periodically spaced across the top was what he knew would be top-of-the-range security cameras, and set into the ground at the base appeared to be some sort of solar-powered lighting. The gates themselves were now solid sheets of metal, much thicker and more secure-looking than they had been before, with two more cameras pointed directly at them.

"The code to the gate will change weekly," Anton said, as the car rolled to a stop and Stephen opened his window to reach out to the wall. "The keypad itself features biometric protection. Only a handful of people's thumbprints will be registered to the device and we aim to keep it that way. The code will be given to you on Monday morning. Do not write it down. Do not give it to anyone else. If you wish to have visitors at the property then tell someone in the team. They will add their names to the approved list and buzz them through the gates for you when all of the necessary security checks have been performed."

"Don't give out the code," Killian parroted back, because that was the key point he'd taken from Anton's speech.

As the gates swung open to allow them in, Killian took in the changes that had been made inside the grounds. The long driveway was now marked with solar-powered lights and there were more security cameras on the other side of the wall. The building that Emma and Killian had earmarked for housing for their security team was now hidden behind a tall wall and locked gates of its own.

"That's for your privacy and added protection," Anton said, answering Killian's unspoken question. "None of us want to intrude on your personal time, just as I'm sure you won't want to intrude upon the time my team has free from work duties. There will also be a lot of confidential data on servers inside the basement of that building. The wall and gates make it that little bit harder for an intruder to access that data."

"Added privacy and security," Killian stated. "Got it."

"The wall goes all the way around the property," Anton added. "There are security cameras on both sides at two-meter intervals. That will prevent any blind-spots from being exploited and will give us any evidence needed, should someone attempt to trespass."

"Are we expecting that?" Killian worried.

"We're always expecting the worst, Your Highness, because if we don't, then we're not prepared to deal with the consequences should it occur."

Killian nodded his head in understanding as the car rolled to a gentle stop outside the front doors of the house. He waited for the two men in the front seats to step out and pull open the rear doors before he turned his attention back down to his wife. Emma was still sleeping peacefully and as much as he hated the idea of waking her, this was a moment Killian definitely wanted to share with her.

"Wake up, Princess," he whispered. Emma stirred a little in his arms as he brushed the hair away from her face. "We're home," Killian added, hoping that would help.

"Home?" she mumbled softly.

"Home, Love. Don't you wanna wake up and see it?"

Emma's eyes fluttered open and she took a moment to offer Killian a dazzling smile before pushing herself away from his chest. It took her a few more seconds just to gain her bearings and when she did, her eyes immediately fell on the open doors of their new home, and the two eager puppies waiting just outside of them.

"Home," she repeated, as a beautiful smile settled over her face. "We're finally home."

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