Charlie is glancing at a piece of paper that Neville handed him.
“We haven’t been able to confirm that, sir,” Neville says. He turns to me and gives me a low bow. “Prince Damon.”
“Hey, Neville. What’s this about?”
Charlie lets out a heavy sigh. “We’re working through the evidence that we found on Mom’s murder. So far, we can definitely confirm that Father and his advisor were involved. Aunt Mal, though, is another story. She wasn’t in the country when Mom was murdered.”
“Malerie hated Mom.” I still remember the way my aunt looked at Dahlia, too, and I don’t trust her.
“We were kids. We don’t know that. And plus, even if she didn’t like her, it doesn’t mean she killed her.” Charlie shakes his head, sighing. “Listen, Nev, I can’t deal with this now. It’s my wedding day.”
“Sir, we’ve noticed that Lady Malerie seems to be making preparations to leave. If we don’t act tonight, we may not have another chance to question her.”
“I’ve already accused my father of murder, Nev. I don’t want to arrest her without solid proof. I’ve only been King for two weeks, and I don’t want to start my rule by making unlawful arrests.”
“We can detain her without arresting her.” Neville frowns. Even such a slight facial expression for him is a big deal. I can tell he wants Charlie to keep her in the country. “I don’t trust her, Your Majesty.”
Charlie lets out a heavy sigh. “She was there for us when Mom died, in her own way. She took care of Damon when he was bedridden after it happened. If I accuse her of being involved in this mess and it turns out she has nothing to do with it, she’ll never forgive me.”
“Sir…”
“I need to get back to my wedding.” Charlie interrupts. Neville bows to us both and disappears. Unease snakes into my heart as I watch him walk away.
I’m inclined to agree with Charlie’s butler. After the night in the throne room, my feelings about my aunt were tainted. Whereas before I thought of her as simply a slightly grumpy, slightly stuck-up old woman, after that evening, I’m not so sure. What do we really know about her, anyway?
If what Neville says is true, she’s planning on leaving the Kingdom on Charlie’s wedding night.
“Why isn’t she here?” I ask. “I mean, if you still trust her, and you’re not arresting her, why isn’t she at your wedding?”
Charlie’s face sours. “She refused the invitation. Look, I don’t want to talk about this right now. I just want to enjoy my wedding, enjoy my bride, eat good food, and be happy for once. Is that too much to ask?”
He stares at me with hard eyes until I nod.
“You’re right,” I say. “I’m sorry.”
Charlie takes a step toward Elle, who’s talking excitedly with Dahlia. My brother pauses, glancing over his shoulder at me. His lips tug up at the corners.
“What’s going on between you and Dahlia, anyway?”
“Nothing.” I clear my throat, averting my eyes.
“Where did you disappear just now?”
“I was showing her my study. She said she was looking for somewhere to work that was off-campus.”
“And you offered up your private study?”
“Yeah.” I shrug, but I know Charlie doesn’t believe me. That study is my sanctuary. I don’t even let the maids touch it. No one goes in there except for me…
…and now Dahlia, too.
Charlie walks straight to Elle, near the head table, and turns to our small gathering of guests. He raises his arms and clears his throat. As King, that’s enough to make the entire room fall silent.
He’s definitely got the aura of a king about him. He’s slid into his role with ease, and I’m happy for him. Charlie hooks his arm around his bride, and she gazes up at him with a soft smile on her lips.
They’ve found their way to each other, and even amidst the strife in our family, they look happy.
Maybe happiness is possible for Gabe and me, too. Maybe we can all get past this. My eyes move to Dahlia, and my heart jumps in my chest.
Charlie turns to the guests. “Thank you for coming tonight,” he starts. All of us shift and turn toward him, and he continues with a smile on his face. “It means the world to Elle and me that you’d be here to watch us join our lives and families together. We couldn’t think of a better way of celebrating our marriage than with the few people in this room.”
Applause fills the room, and Charlie raises his arms to accept it. Watching him makes me proud to be his brother—proud that he’s our King. A lump forms in my throat as emotion starts to choke me. Farcliff is entering a new era, and I can’t help but feel hopeful.
Charlie’s eyes swing to Dahlia. His smile widens. “Miss Raventhal, you’ve been supportive of Elle for many years. The Kingdom hasn’t been kind to you or your family, and I would like to officially extend my sincere apologies, and my hope for reconciliation.”
Silence settles over the room. Dahlia nods her head, her eyes widening. I can tell she’s uncomfortable.
Charlie takes a deep breath. “The official correspondence is already in the mail, but I wanted to tell you here, first: I’ve invited your parents back to Farcliff, and I hope it will be the new beginning that we all need to move beyond the past, and create a happier, more open future for all of the Kingdom.”
He finishes his speech strong, and the room erupts in applause. I clap along with the rest of them, but my eyes are on Dahlia. She looks more worried than happy, and I wish I was beside her to comfort her.
I know what she’s been through—how she grew up, and how deep her fear of Farcliff runs—and I know this can’t be easy. If Charlie wants to start a reconciliation with the Raventhals, he doesn’t know how much of an uphill battle he has ahead of him.
But King Charlie is oblivious. He laps up the applause and wraps his arms around a stunned Dahlia. Then, he turns to Elle and motions for us all to take our seats for dinner.
I’m sitting at the opposite end of the table to Dahlia, but I still steal a couple of glances her way. Her eyebrows are drawn together, and her hand trembles whenever she brings her glass of wine to her lips.
My heart squeezes, and the dread in my stomach grows stronger. Charlie may think the past is behind us, but I know it won’t be that easy to leave it in our wake.
20
LADY MALERIE
STANDING IN A DOORWAY, Malerie hears the new King’s speech, and her heart sinks. Inviting the Raventhals back into Farcliff is like a death sentence.
The Queen would still be alive if it weren’t for Tabitha Raventhal. Malerie doesn’t believe the accusations against the former King. He might be brutish and violent, but her brother is not a killer.
No—this was the Raventhals.
Now, the former King is under house arrest—well, castle arrest—and the Kingdom is upside down. To add insult to injury, the fucking Raventhals are back?
Malerie glances at Damon, who’s busy staring at Dahlia. Anger flares in her heart, and she turns away from the wedding, walking away from whatever remains of her family.
21
DAHLIA
I’VE NEVER BEEN to a royal wedding before, and after my first dinner party at the castle, I was looking forward to the food tonight. As it stands, though, I don’t taste a single bite.
All I can think of is my mother and father, and how much they’ll freak out when they get their official invitation back to Farcliff. It won’t be as easy as King Charlie thinks to get my parents—especially my mother—to come back to the Kingdom. Not by a long shot.
But Elle and the new King are besotted with each other, and I won’t be one to make a scene. So, instead, I just sit beside Elle and push my food around my plate. I twirl my finger into the pink tips of my hair and try to look less miserable than I feel.
In my mind, I know these are all good things. I know the investigation into the death of the Queen will bring about change in Farcliff. I know that Charlie will be a good King.
&nbs
p; It’s just that my family has been through so much. I’ve spent my whole life in fear of the royal family, and now I’m just supposed to forget about it all?
I’m supposed to run into Damon’s arms, and trust Charlie to do the right thing?
Power corrupts people, and the Crown weighs heavy. How do I know that these people will do right by my family? How do we really know that what the investigation uncovers won’t be swept up under the rug, and my family will be the scapegoats once again?
Elle touches my arm. “You okay? I thought you’d be happy about this.”
I force a smile. “Of course I’m happy, Elle. This will change everything.”
Someone else calls for Elle’s attention, and I turn my gaze back to my full plate of food. One of the waiters appears by my side and takes away my uneaten plate, dropping off another course that I already know I won’t touch.
I push my chair back. Elle glances at me, frowning.
“Bathroom,” I explain.
She nods.
I slip out of the reception room through the first door I find. It’s hard to get a full breath, and my head feels like it’s full of cotton balls. I yelp when I feel a hand on my back.
“Sorry!” Damon says, pulling his hand away. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”
“I didn’t hear you behind me.”
“I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.” His eyebrows draw together and he stares into my eyes.
I take a deep breath and lean against the hallway wall, putting a hand to my forehead. “Yeah, I’m okay. I just got a bit overwhelmed in there. It’s like I’m supposed to just pretend that everything is okay now that the King is gone. I mean… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that in a bad way, I just…”
“I know,” Damon says. “Things that have hurt you before don’t just go away because someone pretends to wave a magic wand. Believe me, I know how that feels. This whole wedding is a bit surreal.”
“Exactly! I grew up my entire life scared of this place…” I inhale sharply and shake my head. “It’s hard to get over that.”
“Well, maybe don’t try to get over it.” Damon leans on the wall beside me. “Maybe you should just accept it for now.”
“What do you mean?”
“Some things hurt. They cut you deep, and it’s not easy to let go of them.” His voice trails off and he stares into nothing, retreating into his own thoughts.
I think about the bruises on his body, and I wonder what exactly he’s thinking about. I’ve spent enough time with the Prince to know that there’s more to him than meets the eye, but who he is deep down to the core is still a mystery to me. He’s good, I think. I can see that in him, but his scars aren’t only physical.
The Prince inhales and glances at me. “You ready to go back in there?”
“Do I have to?”
He chuckles. “Unfortunately, yes. Oh, and I told Charlie that you were wanting a study space, so I offered up my library. You know, in case he asks.”
“Thanks for the heads up,” I grin. “What if I wanted to come back and study some more?”
“Dahlia, you can study with me anytime.” He growls, sweeping his hand into my hair and kissing me. A noise at the far end of the hall cuts our kiss short, and we head back into the main room.
I don’t even know why we’re hiding anymore—there’s no reason for us to pretend we’re not into each other. Damon and I seem to be on the same page, though, and I’m glad he wants to take things slow.
For the rest of the evening, Prince Damon doesn’t stray too far away from me. It’s as if there’s an invisible string holding us close to each other. I can feel his movements before I see them. I can sense his gaze whenever it lands on me.
I like the feeling. No—I love it. I love knowing that he’s near, that he’s looking at me. I love when his fingers slide over the small of my back.
When the dancing starts, Damon is right there in front of me with his hand extended. He pulls me close to his chest and holds me there in the middle of the dance floor. We stay stuck to each other for three, four, five songs, until I finally pull away.
My eyes are shining, and I can’t keep the smile off my face. We haven’t said much to each other, but I feel like we understand each other on a deep, unspoken level.
I sit down at my chair and nibble on some wedding cake. Elle sits down beside me, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright. “So, you and Damon, huh?”
I shake my head. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Is this why you’ve been so quiet the past few months? How long has this been going on?”
“Nothing is going on, Elle.” I steal a glance toward Damon, who’s talking to another guest.
“Uh huh,” Elle says. I glance over to see her rolling her eyes. “Now I understand how frustrating it must have been to see me with Charlie a few months ago,” she laughs. “You just won’t admit to yourself that you like Prince Damon.”
“He’s okay,” I grin.
“Have you…”
“Have I what?”
She wiggles her eyebrows. “You know.”
“God, no! Elle!” My face turns bright read and I bury my face in my wine.
Elle laughs, leaning back in her chair and sweeping her hands over her pregnant stomach. She shakes her head. “You’re a terrible liar, Dahlia. Plus, the first two years we lived together, you broke three bed frames. I haven’t been woken up by squeaking bed springs in months!”
“I’m exploring celibacy.”
Elle’s eyes flash. “You like him, don’t you?”
“Of course not.”
“You like him a lot.”
“Why are we talking about this?” I laugh, shaking my head. “Nothing is going on! We should be talking about you and Charlie. We should be celebrating your wedding and your new baby.”
“I like to celebrate love in all its forms, Dahlia, including young love and new, budding relationships.”
“Shut up,” I say, shaking my head. “It’s nothing. Prince Damon is cute, that’s all.”
Elle purses her lips and shakes her head. “Well, well, well, the tables have turned. Now, I’m not the one blushing anymore.”
I laugh, putting my hands to my cheeks to hide the redness. My thoughts flick back to the study, and then to the throne, and to the thousands of dirty thoughts I’ve had in between.
“You’re screwed,” Elle says with a laugh. “You like him. You’re in so much trouble.”
I glance at her and take a deep breath. I let it out without answering, but I know she’s right. I like him a lot, which means I’m completely, royally screwed.
22
DAMON
THIS TIME, I’m not going to let Dahlia get away from me. The Raventhals are officially welcome in Farcliff now, which means she has no excuse. She can’t run away from me again.
The day after the wedding, I show up on her front doorstep. No more waiting and hoping for her to call. No more putting the ball in her court.
I want her, and I will have her.
Dahlia opens the door and her eyes widen. “Your Highness! What are you doing here?”
“Call me Damon, Dahlia. I would hope we’re past formalities by now.”
“Fine. Damon, what are you doing here?” She grins, opening the door wider. I step inside. She motions toward the kitchen and I follow her. She’s wearing that sparkly purple robe again, and I remember the very first time I saw her, and how much I wanted to tear that robe off her body.
Maybe today will be the day.
“Coffee?” She motions to the machine.
“Please.”
I watch her put the coffee on, and then she leans against the kitchen counter and stares at me. “What can I do for you?”
“I was hoping you’d stay at the castle last night. You disappeared before I could talk to you again. I asked you not to leave without saying goodbye.”
“That was by design,” she laughs. “You’re too persuasive for your own good.”
I take a deep breath. I’ve been rehearsing a speech in my head all morning, and now it’s time to deliver it. The thought of letting Dahlia slip through my fingers again is unbearable, and I can’t let it happen.
“Dahlia, look. I know you have reservations about going to the Farcliff Castle, and I understand that. I know you don’t trust me or my family, and I’m not trying to pressure you into anything. I was hoping—”
“What are the bruises on your body from?”
I pause. Neither of us say anything. The coffee machine gurgles.
“Nothing.” My back stiffens and I force myself to hold her gaze.
“So, you’re telling me that I should trust you, but you won’t tell me why every time I see your bare chest, it looks like you’ve been beaten to a pulp the week before?”
My ears burn. I try to swallow past a lump in my throat as my mind races. This wasn’t part of the script I’d planned out in my head. This wasn’t part of the plan.
Dahlia arches an eyebrow.
In that moment, I know I have two choices. I can lie and protect myself—and potentially lose any chance I have with Dahlia…
…or I can tell the truth.
“I pay a man in Grimdale to beat me.”
My voice is flat and emotionless. I hold Dahlia’s gaze without wavering as the weight of my words settles between us.
I’ve never told anyone that before. I’ve never even considered telling someone. It’s my biggest secret, my biggest shame.
Yet, telling Dahlia was easy.
Her brows draw together and a couple of lines appear in her forehead. The coffee is ready, but both of us ignore it. Dahlia grips her bathrobe tighter around her chest and stares at me.
“What do you mean?” She asks softly.
“I mean that whenever things get too much, when I find myself in a deep, dark hole, I go to a warehouse in Grimdale and I pay someone to beat the shit out of me. He doesn’t touch my face. No one knows.”
Heartless Prince: An Accidental Pregnancy Romance (Royally Unexpected Book 2) Page 11