by Ally Summers
“The queen is lovely,” she offered.
“But?” I lifted my eyebrows.
“But nothing. I like her. She’s American. There’s an adjustment period.”
I chuckled. “And she’s not royal.”
“No. Not at all. Our customs are completely new to her.”
Elena was holding back.
“But you think Alaric is happy with her?”
She nodded. “Without question, the king is very happy.”
“That’s something.”
There was a fresh pot of tea on the drink cart. The staff was prepared.
“More tea?” I offered Elena.
“No thank you. I need to send a response to her majesty.”
“That sounds strange to hear. It might be a while before I believe my brother is actually married.” I watched Elena fidget with her planner. She hadn’t relaxed once. “You can tell them I’ll be there. But I didn’t buy them a wedding gift. Should I take something?”
She looked up. “I sent one for you.”
“You did?”
She nodded. “Yes. It’s royal protocol. I took care of it for you.”
The tea was too hot. I waited for it to cool. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“And what did I send?” I asked.
“A set of royal blue Turkish towels with the family crest embroidered on them.”
Elena had a way of always choosing the most appropriate gift. The right tie. The perfect speech. She knew royal protocol better than I did. Hell, she could ace a test the rest of my family would fail. It made her an invaluable part of my staff. I liked to think I had the best royal manager. Today, she was the prettiest. Her cheeks glowed and her lips looked soft and pillowy. Fuck. They looked kissable.
“Did you go to the wedding?”
She paced in front of me. I watched her steps carry her long legs back and forth. I couldn’t remember Elena ever wearing heels like those before. It made her calves look lean and strong. I shook my head.
“I did. All the royal managers attended.”
“I would think my brother would want you on the guest list whether you were a royal manager or not.”
The pacing stopped for a moment. “I attended as a royal manager.”
“I bet Wallace almost had a stroke over the American.” I chuckled.
She bit her lip. “Almost.”
“I’m sorry I missed the wedding. And Wallace’s meltdown.”
I didn’t expect the crown to stop operating because I was in rehab. But it was frustrating that things had moved on as if I wasn’t needed. As if my existence in the family wasn’t enough to put a wedding on hold. Galona ran with or without me. But where my brother was concerned, little got in his way.
Sometimes I thought it was what made him a good king. Sometimes I thought it made him a selfish bastard.
Who was I to say? I’d been that selfish bastard for a long time. I wasn’t a good brother. I hadn’t been for years. I fell into a dark pit that had swallowed me whole.
I shifted on the couch to remove my jacket. I checked the pocket for the letter before throwing it over the back of the sofa.
“I’m going to find that messenger. I’ll be right back,” she announced.
Elena walked out of the room. Her heels clacking on the floor.
I reached for the letter. I had read it so many times, I’d practically memorized every line. Every cruel word. Cruel as it was, it was what I had needed to crawl out of the darkness.
4
Elena
I nodded at the security guards along the corridor. They were almost as still as the suits of armor planted against the walls.
I looked forward. Cosette was headed in my direction. She grinned. “Busy day at the palace, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Extremely now that His Royal Highness is in residence again.”
“Like old times?” she asked. “How is he?”
I pressed my lips together, pinched her elbow, and pulled her into an empty study. I needed to borrow it for a few minutes, and no one ever used these extra rooms.
“What’s going on?” She looked startled.
“It’s not like old times.” I sighed. “I don’t know what old times are exactly.”
I was quickly coming unraveled.
“He’s home. He’s safe. He’s healthy,” she whispered. “Today’s focus.” She eyed me.
I nodded. “Right. Today’s focus.”
“The rest takes time,” she reminded me.
I shook my head. “I shouldn’t feel anything when I look at him,” I confessed. “It should be no different than when you serve the queen. But it’s not.”
I saw the pity in Cosette’s eyes. “You need more time. And patience.”
I covered my face with my hands. “If I could take something to make this stop I would. I’d drink anything. I’d try hypnosis. I can’t function. I can’t sleep. How can I do my job like this?”
She placed her hands on my shoulders lightly. “I don’t know anyone who holds this position with more honor than you. Your duty to your country will come first. It always has. You can do this.”
My eyes flashed to hers. “You make it sound simple. Like I’m in the Royal Navy.”
“The Royal Navy has nothing on you.” She winked.
I patted a tear at the corner of my eye, trying to find the humor in the situation. “Thanks.”
“You could always ask Wallace for a transfer,” Cosette suggested.
“Absolutely not. No. You’re right. This is my duty. I took an oath to serve the crown. And I have to be able to put him first.” I straightened my shoulders. “I can do that. I’ve gone this long. What’s a little longer?”
She stepped back. “I’m sorry it’s so difficult.”
“Nothing to be sorry about. I have to return the dinner invitation to the queen.”
“I can take it,” she volunteered.
“But you were headed in the opposite direction.”
She laughed. “The king showed up. I had to get out of there before he devoured her in front of me.”
We both sighed. Cosette had been hesitant when she was transferred to the queen’s staff. At that time, Eden Jacobs had only been the king’s girlfriend. It was completely outside the royal protocol guidelines to have any type of staff, but the king wouldn’t listen. He hand-picked Cosette for the position and she had stayed on after the wedding. She liked serving the queen.
I wondered how she was able to deal with having to train someone from scratch. Eden knew nothing about royal life. But Cosette was a few years older and I thought it gave her a sort of grace I still needed to grow into. She was a good friend, and a patient royal manager.
Part of me had been relieved when King Alaric told me he couldn’t remove me from Corbin’s staff. I was too valuable. Too irreplaceable. But I knew underneath the king’s words he meant I knew too many secrets.
And on those rare occasions when Corbin did want advice, he’d take mine and no one else’s. His brother knew that.
Cosette smiled. “You know where I am if you need anything. I’m going to take a walk around the palace and head back to the apartment. I’m happy to relay the dinner acceptance.”
“Thank you. I shouldn’t have said anything about him.”
“Stop apologizing. You can save your royal manager face for everyone else. But I’m your friend.”
I nodded. She walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.
I needed to return to Corbin’s apartments. My hand landed on the handle. I twisted the knob and paused. I needed to make a vow to myself that starting today, things would be different.
I had to stop torturing myself. I had to stop pretending that I lived in a world where love with Corbin was an option. Because it wasn’t. I wasn’t royal. And he wasn’t a regular citizen.
He didn’t look at me the way I looked at him. If he hadn’t seen me after all these years, it wasn’t going to start because he was suddenl
y sober. Love didn’t work that way.
I knew the man who never took a drink unless it was a celebration. I knew him before the alcohol took over. I knew him before Sophia.
I stepped into the hallway.
If he could undergo a transformation, so could I. I’d be the woman who pledged her life to the royal family. The one who walked through the palace doors with one vision—to serve her country with honor and respect.
I’d push the feelings for Corbin Marquis into the farthest corners of my heart and lock them there until they were so starved for light they faded into darkness. My love for him would become a distant memory.
It had to—or I’d be the one taking a trip to rehab.
5
Corbin
“Which one?” I held the two ties toward Elena. “It’s bullshit I have to wear a tie to have dinner with my brother.”
She approached, eyeing the options. She poked at the deep blue. “This one.” She lifted my collar for me to loop it around my neck. “It’s your first meeting with your sister-in-law since she became queen. Wear the tie. The king will be insulted otherwise.”
I stepped forward to make the knot.
“You know in rehab I wore T-shirts. There were no suits or tuxes. And I sure as hell didn’t miss my military uniform. Life is simpler in a T-shirt and jeans.”
“You can’t wear a T-shirt to dinner, and definitely not jeans.”
I lifted the jacket from its hanger. “I know.” I huffed.
“Ok. Well if that’s all you need, I think I’ll leave for the night. Enjoy the dinner with your family. I know they are excited to have you home.”
“Wait? You’re leaving?”
“Do you need something?” she asked, spinning in front of the door.
“True, but you’re always here. When I get home. You’re here.” I shoved my hands in my pockets.
“That was different. I don’t think it’s necessary for me to be here at night when you get in because… well…”
“You can say it, Elena. You were here to keep me from getting so fucking hammered I couldn’t see straight.”
She blinked. “I wouldn’t put it that way, but yes.”
“You don’t have to tip-toe around it. I was a drunk. A royal drunk.”
She shifted on her heels. Damn. I caught an eyeful of long, lean legs. I brought my eyes upward, begrudgingly. I wanted to follow the lines of her smooth legs toward her ass.
“But you aren’t anymore.” She smiled. “Let’s focus on that today.”
“Was there ever a time you were here at night that you weren’t grabbing a drink from my hand?” I prodded.
The nights before rehab had never been stored in my memory. It was as if I wasn’t really there. I didn’t have memories of stumbling in, clambering across the bar for more booze. But I knew I did. I had the hangovers to prove it.
“Sometimes,” she whispered.
“What I must have put you through, Elena.” I shook my head.
“It’s all right, your majesty.”
“No. It’s not. It never was all right.” I rubbed the side of my jaw. “I’m lucky I didn’t lose you in this mess. I don’t know of any royal managers who would put up with my behavior. I’m truly sorry. You could have transferred a long time ago.”
“You’re better now. I’d rather focus on that. Spain was good for you.” Her smile was sad.
“Chess?” I blurted.
“Excuse me?”
“Chess. Tonight after my family dinner. Would you like to play?”
She shook her head. “I don’t really play.”
“Ok. You choose something else. I need to make healthy habits, according to my sessions with Dr. Garcia. You can help me start something new.”
“Surely, you’d rather spend time with Prince Henri or Prince Broderick.”
I sighed. “I guess I could go to the Titan instead. Maybe there’s a gala tonight.”
“No!” Elena leapt forward.
I chuckled. “I was kidding. I’m not about to start boozing and bidding on women. At least not on the first night home.”
Her eyes were hard. “Not a funny joke.”
I shrugged. “Humor is the best way to heal, I’ve found. But I’d rather start something new at night with you than rely on my brothers and their bad habits. Look what happened to Alaric. He bid who knows how much at that gala and ended up with a wife.”
“You’re asking for my help? To keep you out of trouble?”
“Yes. No.” I walked toward her. “Maybe I want to undo those memories you have of me and replace them with something else.”
I saw the color rise on her cheeks. It was sort of adorable. I cocked my head to the side. Did Elena always do that?
“I have a lot of history to re-write, Elena. I’m sure you’re not the only person in the palace who saw me drunk. There are a lot of people here who need to know I’ve changed. I’m a different man. You can understand that, right?”
Her eyes closed, and for a second I wished they were open so I could study the flecks of blue. I didn’t remember them being so fascinating before. They sparkled every time she blushed.
She sighed. “Yes. I can understand.”
“Good. Then I’ll see you tonight.” I picked up the dinner jacket. “I have to welcome the queen into the family.” I brushed past her. “With my tie,” I mocked.
The royal guard ushered me onto the elevator as soon as I approached the entrance for my brother’s apartments.
The doors retracted and I was deposited in the massive foyer.
“Brother.” Alaric rushed over and slapped me on the back. I knew I’d never seen him look happy and relaxed like this before. It was true then. Finding a mate could settle the beast within.
He was usually a man with a deep scowl on his face.
“You remember Eden.” He gestured next to him.
“Of course.” I grinned, embracing my new sister-in-law. “How are you, your majesty.”
She laughed. “Please don’t call me that.” She looked at Alaric. “I’m not really used to the royal stuff. I don’t think the title suits me.”
“Royal stuff.” I laughed. Dinner wasn’t going to be as boring as I thought.
“Come on.” Alaric lead me to the dining room. “Eden planned this whole thing out for you.”
“I hope that means it’s going to be an American meal. I could go for a cheeseburger.”
“It is a little bit of everything.”
I noticed the bar in the dining room was bare. “No bourbon, brother?”
He shook his head. “No. I don’t need it.”
I stopped short of my chair. “I’m probably going to have to say it a thousand times, but you can drink around me. You too.” I eyed Eden. “I can handle it. I swear. I won’t be offended.”
I saw Eden’s hesitation. She bit her lip. Her eyes were on Alaric.
“What? What is it? I’m serious. Drink you two. Champagne. Eden, what do you like? I’ll order something for you.”
Alaric took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles. “We have some news to tell you. But I thought maybe we’d save it for dessert. At least get past the salad.”
“I’m listening.” I eyed them.
“I’m pregnant.”
“Shit. Congratulations.” I walked out from the chair and hugged my brother.
I kissed Eden on the cheek. “That’s great news. I’m happy for you. A cub here in the palace.”
Alaric put an arm around his wife. “We haven’t told anyone. Eden’s parents know, but that’s it.”
“And they’ve been sworn to secrecy,” she added. “I don’t think a royal baby is big news to their neighbors in South Carolina, but still, we’d like to wait before we announce it.”
“So Wallace doesn’t know?” I asked.
“God no. He still hasn’t recovered from the wedding.”
“Sorry I missed that.”
“It’s ok.” Eden smiled. “What you were doing was more important.�
��
Alaric held the chair for Eden and they took their seats. One of the waiters walked in with the first course. We were quiet for a moment, while they poured water and tea. There was something freeing about Eden knowing our family secret. We kept it hidden from everyone inside these walls. No one knew. Not even Elena. But now Eden had been brought into the fold—she was one of us. At least in name. She was a Marquis.
“I wanted to give you a chance to digest the information before we told Wallace, or Mother.” He eyed me.
“Why?” My fingers twitched. I didn’t know if I had the instinct to drink because there was something to celebrate, or the natural craving to drown the guilt that had surfaced.
“Naturally, your succession to the thrown has been altered.”
“Right. That.” It wasn’t the most pressing issue I had. But tonight’s news had changed a lot of things.
“And once Wallace knows, documents will be drawn up. He is going to want to set up protocol in case something happens to either Eden or me. It’s going to become a damn ordeal.”
“Always is with him.”
Eden reached for her water. “We’re hoping to keep the news just in the family as long as we can.”
“I won’t say anything.”
“I knew I could count on you.” Alaric held up the glass of water.
It was bullshit toasting with water. But I pushed my glass forward.
“To the new royal.” I smiled at Eden.
“Thank you.”
After dinner I followed Alaric to the balcony. He pulled a pair of cigars from his jacket.
“These are all right, aren’t they?”
I took one. “Yeah. I can handle a cigar.”
I smelled the unique blend. I knew my brother had paid a few hundred for these.
“Eden can’t stand the smell. I’ll shower after this.”
“Well, she is pregnant. Isn’t that one of the side effects?”
He laughed. “I’m learning it is.”
We leaned against the marble railing. “Can you fucking believe this?” he asked. “I’m going to be someone’s father.”