“Not only selfish, but impossible.”
He stared down at the ground, nodded once, and sighed. “Right. Well, I’ll leave you to settle in. I’ve called Lydia. She’ll be able to come and meet you in an hour or so.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” she said, determined to at least sound like she was.
He gave a half-smile. “I’m not.” Then he nodded his head and left as quickly as he’d come.
Serenity fell more than sat down in one of the padded chairs behind her. That was where Jade found her some time later, at which time she was no closer to burying her reaction to Alex.
“Are you okay?” Jade asked, walking over to sit in a nearby chair.
Taking in a shuddering breath, Serenity tried to answer, but nothing came out. “No.”
“You will be. A man who said he was the prince’s secretary just came by and said Lydia had other appointments and can’t meet with us until tonight after dinner.”
“Well, I admit that’s a relief. I think I need to rest before taking that on.”
“You have a little time, but not much. Apparently, we’re expected to eat with the royal family tonight.”
Serenity stood, her mind already thinking about what she should wear. “How does one dress to meet a king at a private family dinner?”
Jade shook her head. “I don’t know, but Lydia will be there too, so you’d better choose something knockout.”
“What? You think I want to look my best for the woman who is marrying the man I’m in love with?”
Jade just looked steadily back at her, so still not one of her dreads even stirred. “Not precisely. But she’s probably going to be wearing something amazing and dramatic.”
Serenity stood and touched the key around her neck for courage. “I’m sure she will. But I’ve never tried to outdress my clients. You know that.”
“As you said, you’ve never been in love with the fiancé of one of your clients before either.”
“But I’m also trying not to be in love with him, remember?”
Jade grinned. “I know, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make his chin fall to the floor with how gorgeous you look—make him regret being an idiot.”
Thank goodness Jade was there to keep her laughing. “Good point. Operation Mouth Drop is a go.”
Later that evening, showered, dressed, and made up into their most glamorous selves, they met in the sitting room to wait for someone to lead them to dinner. They didn’t dare try to find it on their own.
“You look amazing, Jade.” She wore a leaf-green, ankle-length dress with an abundance of gold jewelry that somehow didn’t look gaudy or overdressed. She’d pulled the front half of her hair to the back and twisted the dreads into a low knot.
“Thank you,” she said with a shy smile. “But you…wow. Just wow.”
Serenity had brought several new designs from her private collection for this trip, including evening dresses, just in case. But after arriving and seeing how very formal everything was, from the staff to the queen, she knew her original choice of a slinky red gown dripping in fringe would be glaringly out of place. Instead, she’d chosen to wear a gown of exquisite navy-blue lace that fell like a cascade over her generous curves. She had sewn it herself, painstakingly, as a challenge, cutting and piecing the lace so that it looked as if it had been fashioned in one piece. The lining of the elbow-length sleeves and above the bodice over her shoulders and her whole back was sheer so the lace contrasted more sharply against her skin.
“Think it will do the trick?”
Jade shook her head in awe. “I don’t know, but I’m having to keep my mouth from dropping open. How long did all that lacework take you?”
Serenity tucked the necklace with her gold key inside her bodice so that only the chain showed around her neck. “An unholy amount of time.”
“It was worth every second.” Jade turned her head then, looking across the room. “Hey, I think you just got a text.”
Serenity ran her fingers through her hair to loosen her curls a bit and went over to check it. A shock of fear swept through her body, chilling her so that she almost dropped her phone.
“What is it? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Unable to talk, Serenity handed her the phone.
“I see you’ve run off to hide. It won’t do any good,” Jade read. “Daniel texted you! I can’t believe it.”
“That confirms it. He’s coming for me.”
Jade put a hand on her arm and squeezed gently. “Yes, but you’re safe. See, he doesn’t know where you are.”
“Yet. But he will.”
“We just won’t tell anyone.”
Serenity shook her head. “No, but Lydia will. Do you really think she’s not going to tell her followers that I’m making her dress? She probably already has.”
“Dang.” Jade bit her lip. “Okay, but that doesn’t mean you’re here. We’ll just have to convince her to keep it a secret.”
“I don’t want to tell anyone about this creep. What excuse can we give?”
“Don’t tell them why, just say that it’s one of your stipulations—that you don’t want any publicity until after the dress is done.”
Serenity didn’t have much hope. “We can only try.”
A knock at the door preceded the entrance of Basil. “If you are ready, I will lead you to the drawing room where the family gathers before dinner.”
Serenity bit back a chuckle. Coming from a democracy, it was strange to see the reverence the staff here held for the members of the ruling family. It did however, give her a bit more perspective on Alex’s life. “Are you ready, Jade?”
“Are you ever ready to meet a king and queen?” But she stepped toward the door as she spoke, so Serenity did too. Ready or not, it was time.
Chapter Five
Alexios felt as restless as a tiger in a cage. Even though there would only be six of them at dinner, there were a hundred ways he could think of for disaster to strike.
Lydia had arrived ten minutes ago, wearing a tight black strapless dress that only went halfway down her thighs. The fact that there was some kind of a second dress over it that fell to her ankles didn’t help at all because it was sheer black with flowers and gems all over it. He didn’t know much about women’s fashion, but it was clear from the way she kept taking selfies that she thought she looked better than he did. But as he watched her through narrowed eyelids, he challenged himself to consider what he’d think if Serenity was wearing it instead. It only took a few seconds to realize it would have had a very different effect on him…but he still wouldn’t think it was suitable for a family dinner party. Or any public appearance. Maybe something more suited for a private dinner at home…
At which point, he slammed a mental door on the progression of his thoughts.
“I hope she gets here soon,” Lydia said, opening her eyes wider and tweaking her eyelashes with her long fingernails.
“I’m sure she will,” he murmured, not at all in the mood to humor her.
“What do you think she’ll be wearing? Will she be jealous that I’m wearing a dress by Pierre Lebeau?”
“No.”
Lydia put her phone down and looked at him with a fiercely shaped eyebrow sky-high on her forehead. “Are you in a foul mood tonight, Alexios?”
He was saved from answering by the sound of footsteps in the doorway. Basil had opened the door, bowing for Serenity and Jade to pass him.
Alexios rose sharply to his feet but found himself rooted in place as he saw Serenity. She was an elegant, striking vision. Her blue dress made her eyes a darker shade of sapphire and contrasted with her fair skin and gleaming blond hair. When his eyes fell on her lips, as they always did, he found he couldn’t shift them any further.
It was only when Lydia tugged on his sleeve that he was able to break free of the spell. “Alexios, why are you glaring like that? You look fierce. Introduce me, please.”
“Good evening, ladies,” he said. “L
ydia, this is Serenity Wade and Jade Linwood.”
Lydia’s eyes slid over Jade dismissively and fastened on Serenity. “It’s so amazing to meet you in person! I admit I’m fangirling here.” She waved her hands around as if she were about to pass out and couldn’t get enough air. “Thank you so much for agreeing to make my dress. I can’t wait to talk with you about it after dinner! I have so many ideas.”
Serenity smiled politely. “I’m looking forward to it as well.”
Alexios, watching them both closely, couldn’t help but notice how much more Serenity looked like a princess than Lydia did. He struggled to determine what the difference was, besides the obvious––their choice of dress. At last, he realized it was the ephemeral quality known as class. Lydia was rich and powerful and well-connected. But she didn’t have even a quarter of the class Serenity did. The realization set off a dangerous progression of thoughts about the choice he’d made.
Before any of them could speak further, the sound of footsteps interrupted them. Alexios, for one, was glad to hear them.
About to perform more introductions, Alexios saw that Serenity was looking back and forth between himself and King Nicholas, surprise on her face. He had to smile. He knew he looked exactly like his father, just younger and built on a bigger frame. He just hoped that he would age as well as his father, who had only greyed slightly at his temples. He doubted he would ever have the same air of authority and charisma, however.
When he introduced Serenity to him, she bowed her head and dipped into a low, formal curtsy.
The king took Serenity’s hands in a firm clasp. “How lovely you are—like a midnight sky and the stars are provided by your eyes.”
Alexios raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Try not to be too charming, Father.”
“Well, but how can I help it with such beauties?” he answered, moving on to shake Jade’s hand. “I always did wish that Mona and I had been blessed with more children, especially daughters.” Then he smiled at Lydia and offered her his arm. “At least I shall get one. It’s lovely as always to see you, Lydia. May I take you in to dinner?”
Lydia smiled. “Thank you, Your Majesty.” She put her hand through the crook of the king’s arm and went with him out of the room.
Alex wanted nothing more than to offer his arm to Serenity, but he was obligated to escort his mother. He threw her an apologetic glance and hoped she’d understand. As they walked down the hallway to the smallest dining room, he smiled down at his mother, but the whole time he felt Serenity’s presence behind him, every part of him aware of her nearness.
In the dining room, Alex helped his mother into her seat at one end of the table, and as soon as she was seated, moved to help Serenity into her chair. Fortunately, the butler was assisting Jade and his father attending to Lydia, so he was free to linger over the task. “You look ravishing tonight,” he murmured in her ear.
She didn’t answer, probably because his mother was watching them sharply from a few feet away. But he had the pleasure of seeing that her cheeks had flushed a rosier hue by the time he took his own seat on the other side of the table, next to Jade and across from Lydia.
“You’ll have to excuse our informality this evening,” the queen said, sitting perfectly still while Basil draped her napkin across her lap for her. “Normally, I would have put together a small dinner party for you, with some male guests to keep you entertained, but this was rather last minute, wasn’t it?”
Serenity’s expression showed that this cutting remark had hit home. Alexios threw his mother a warning look, but she just smiled back, a perfectly innocent expression on her face. Hah! Well, if she kept this up, he would have a few things to say to her later.
Luckily, Serenity was not one to be snubbed. “Yes. It was very kind of Alex to accommodate my schedule.”
“Alex? My dear, his name is Alexios.”
Serenity bit her lip, drawing his all-too-ready attention to their tempting softness again. “Pardon me, Alexios.” She looked at him then, her brows pinched together.
He shrugged and tried to apologize with his eyes, but he had a feeling his mother had not yet finished. He was right.
After taking a sip of the wine Basil had poured for her, the queen set her glass down and turned to Serenity again. “I won’t be able to join you tonight for the design meeting, but I thought you should know that I’ll want to approve the final design.”
Lydia broke off her conversation with his father to turn and stare, clearly aghast. “Pardon, Your Majesty, but did you say you want to approve my wedding dress?”
“Of course, my dear. Every detail of the wedding reflects on our family and our country. It is more significant than you perhaps realize, and I’m afraid your…taste in dress, while stylish and attractive…is not as conservative as will be required after the wedding.”
Alexios had expected to worry about how his mother interacted with Serenity. He wasn’t sure what to do now, but from the shock on Lydia’s face, he felt certain that he was about to have a whole other problem on his hands.
Lydia shifted in her seat, turning toward his mother. “Do you mean that how I dress after the wedding will be subject to your approval?”
His mother’s brows twitched slightly together. She appeared genuinely perplexed. “Well, it won’t be quite as extensive as that, but yes, you will be expected to dress more modestly. Just as you are expected to present a conservative, elegant mien when you appear in public with your father in his duties.”
“But that is only for diplomatic occasions.”
While the butler ladled soup into his mother’s bowl, she studied Lydia, obviously thinking carefully about what to say. At last, she said, “Yes, my dear. But when you marry a prince, you are on duty, so to speak, every time you are in public.”
Alexios tried to think of a way to change the conversation. He couldn’t imagine anything more awkward than an argument breaking out about this while Serenity and Jade sat there, staring at the tablecloth in awkward silence. “Speaking of being in public, Lydia mentioned earlier that she wanted to hold a press conference about Miss Wade designing her dress.”
But this didn’t have exactly the effect he wanted. Serenity’s eyes lifted to his, wide with shock. “Oh, please, no. In fact, I have to say that I cannot allow that.” She looked sideways at Jade, clearly asking for help.
Jade didn’t hesitate. “Yes, we had planned to discuss this in our meeting later, but Miss Wade doesn’t want any publicity until after the dress is completed. It, uh…puts too much pressure on her during the creative process. So, no mention of it anywhere, please.” She looked at Lydia, “Including social media. You haven’t said anything yet, have you?”
Lydia pressed her lips together. “I only said I had a surprise to announce later. I wanted to post a picture of us together.”
Watching carefully, Alexios was amazed as Serenity and Jade let out matching sighs of relief. “That seems a bit unusual,” he said, sure there was more to this then she’d said.
Serenity nodded. “Yes, but that is how I want it. If you all can’t agree to that stipulation, I’m afraid I can’t go forward with the design.”
Lydia stretched out a hand to her. “No, please. I’ll do whatever you want. I must have you as my designer.”
With a quick smile, Serenity nodded. “That works then. Thank you. Also, if you could tell anyone else you know. Your father? Your mother?”
Alexios jumped in then, wanting to spare Lydia from answering. “I’m so sorry I failed to mention this, but Lydia’s mother passed away several years ago from cancer.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Serenity’s eyes darted sympathetically to Lydia.
“Thank you,” Lydia said. “It’s been years now, but I miss having her with me for this.” She looked at Alexios’s mother, her voice clear with meaning.
His mother, however, just tasted her soup. Now that she had begun eating, the rest of them were free to do so as well.
He had only taken one bite, how
ever, before his mother launched into another awkward line of conversation. “Miss Wade, how long will you be staying with us?”
Serenity swallowed the spoonful of broth she’d just sipped. “I am not precisely sure, though not more than three weeks, I would think.”
“So long?”
“It is a long and complicated process to design and fit a wedding dress. However, if you would rather we moved to a hotel—”
“No, no. Of course not. It is only that I’m leaving on an overseas tour of some orphanages I support in a few days.” The queen looked sharply at her. “But I suppose you shall be so busy with your work that you will be able to go on very well without me here.”
“I shall be working very long hours,” Serenity assured her.
“Alexios will be very busy with his own work. He has substantial business and charitable interests that require a great deal of his attention.”
He closed his eyes briefly in frustration. Serenity would want to strangle him for this.
“I’m sure he has,” she said. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be so hard at work that I will rarely even stir from our rooms.” Then her expression brightened. “In fact, with your permission, I could even ask my creative director if he could come for a few days to help me get things moving along even faster.”
His mother studied her for a moment, hesitating, as if wondering how this particular spider might bite her.
Then, to his surprise, Serenity looked shy. In a sweet voice, she said. “He’s also my fiancé, you see, and I admit that I would enjoy having his company in your beautiful land.”
Fiancé?
If the chandelier had fallen on his head, he wouldn’t have been more surprised.
But his mother became instantly more cheerful. “Oh, well, if it’s your fiancé, of course he must come. There are plenty of rooms just going to waste in your wing of the palace. Did you hear that, Alexios? Miss Wade’s fiancé will be coming to join her.”
Alexios gave Serenity one harsh glance and looked away. “Yes, I heard.”
Saved by the Prince Page 4