He darted back and gave me a lazy smile before darting off back to whatever hole he came from.
Vincent was more than a little bit of an enigma to me. I knew he didn’t like me, so then, what was he doing here?
A sinister thought crept into my mind...what if the reason behind this was Margaret? She wanted something I had, and he probably just wanted to send me stir crazy. That seemed to have been his normal approach when it came to interactions with me.
Then again, I couldn’t for the life of me work out what he’d actually be getting from working with Margaret. He had money. He had a title and she was set to marry someone else anyway.
It was all just odd. Something was most definitely not well in the palace.
Chapter Nine
“What do you do?” I asked, circling my fingers over Carter’s bare chest.
“Accounting.”
I sat up, slightly shocked. “Accounting?” I repeated.
“Yes, what’s so surprising about that?”
“I...just...you never seemed like the accountant type.”
“Because I’m good in bed?” He grinned up at me, the smugness almost filling the room.
“What?! No.”
He tugged on my arm to pull me back to him and I went willingly, falling back into his arms.
“Have you told anyone about us?” The question slipped out before I intended it to, but Vincent’s words had been playing on loop around my head ever since.
“Of course not,” Carter insisted. “My head’s worth more than that.”
“I can’t actually have people executed, you know. We’re not living in the sixteen hundreds.”
“Please, you and I both know they’d bring it back for you,” Carter teased.
“I suspect the line would be drawn at capital punishment,” I pointed out.
“Depends what country you’re in. The French would probably bring it back.” He had a point. The guillotine had only been out of commission for forty years or so, it’d probably be easier to bring it back there.
“I hate to point it out, but I’m not the Queen of France.” I shivered, thinking back to Vincent’s Marie Antoinette comment. It was never good to be compared to a Queen whose head was struck off. Next he’d be comparing me to Mary Queen of Scots or Anne Boleyn.
“Pity you lost Calais, really.”
“I lost Calais? Are you blaming me for something from five hundred years ago?” I swatted his nose playfully.
“Of course not, Your Majesty.” The cheeky grin he gave me somewhat undermined the serious conversation we were having.
“You’d better not be.” I leaned down and captured his lips with mine.
Carter was quick to respond, running his hands down my bare back and over my ass, stopping for a quick squeeze.
I moaned into his mouth, grasping on to him for more.
A little voice played at the back of my mind reminding me of what Vincent had said. Tomorrow, I needed to work out what I actually wanted. It wasn’t fair to Carter to keep him just for my nights and then try and seduce Albert during the day.
My thoughts were swiftly stolen by Carter’s kisses. Deciding in the morning wouldn’t be too much of an issue.
Chapter Ten
Sunlight glinted out of the corner of my eye. Why was it so hot? Summer wasn't supposed to be this hot. Was it?
I must admit that I liked having the royal box for my use. It made things a lot easier than trying to watch the racing with everyone else. There seemed to be a lot of people all squashed together and moving against one another.
"Lemonade?" Albert asked.
"Please," I replied, taking the delicious yellow liquid from him and taking a sip. Still was always best, rather than the fizzy stuff that had been all the rage when I was younger. It still was as far as I knew.
"Do you have a favourite?" he asked, gesturing towards the race track.
"I'm not allowed favourites," I responded. "And it'd be unseemly for me to bet anyway," I side whispered.
"How about between us?" He gave me a sly smile. Albert really had loosened up since he'd used my name for the first time. I liked it a lot. This Albert was one I could see myself growing old with.
“You'd do that?" I replied.
"Of course. Though I don't think it'd be right for us to bet money."
I frowned, giving him a look that I hoped encouraged him to continue speaking.
"How about for something else?"
"Like what?" I asked, intrigued and a little excited.
"How about a kiss?"
My heart leaped to my throat. Was he serious?
I hoped so.
"Alright," I responded, licking my lips. "What are the terms?"
"If your horse wins, you get to choose where and when we kiss for the first time."
"And if you win?"
"Then I decide."
"What if neither of our horses win?" Which was the most likely solution, I wasn't exactly the best at picking horses. Normally I just chose the one whose name made me smile the most.
"Then we play again until one of us picks a winning horse."
"Is this your way of telling me you want to kiss me, Albert?"
"You caught on to that?" He laughed lightly. "You can tell me no at any point."
"I don't think I will be," I responded. In fact, I was already looking forward to it, no matter which of the two of us won.
"Good. Have you picked a horse?"
"Yes, this one." I pointed to the program where a little pink jockey's shirt sat next to the name Green Flame.
"Are you picking based on the colour of his hat?" Albert teased.
"Or maybe I have insider intel." I winked at him, earning myself another smile.
"Is that so? Then which do you think I should pick?"
"I can't tell you that, it'd help you win!" I pulled a shocked face, making him laugh again.
I was certainly glad no one could hear our conversation, but I was convinced photos of us would make their way into the gossip pages from tomorrow. I almost didn't mind that either.
"Exactly."
He waited for me expectantly, until I went back to pursuing the horses on offer. One near the bottom caught my attention and a smile lifted the side of my lips.
"How about Queen's Fancy?"
"That horse sounds perfect," Albert replied. "I feel like I'm going to be lucky with this one."
I laughed, glad he'd found it in him to lighten up.
"It really does," I replied, taking a sip of my lemonade.
"The race starts in two minutes, ma'am."
I nodded to the assistant, who then exited the room as swiftly as he appeared. There were several attendants and a couple of my guards outside the door, which surprisingly didn't do too much to detract from the intimacy of the box.
"I hope you're ready to lose to me, Amara."
"Why? Where do you have in mind for our first kiss?"
I almost begged him to say here. Even if that was a foolhardy response. I wasn't ready to announce my interest in anyone, even Albert at the races. Plus, I knew Carter would hate finding out this way. He might know about Albert, but that didn't mean he wanted our relationship thrown into his face.
"I'm not telling you yet," he replied. "Did you have anywhere in mind if you win?"
"I wouldn't know, I didn't propose the game." And hadn't had time to come up with a suitable place for it yet.
Below us, the race began with a gunshot. The whole race track quietened as everyone's attention strayed to the track. Each race was over quickly, and I could feel the excitement around us. I really did love race day. It was also fun to watch.
"I believe you're winning," Albert said, pointing towards the pink jacketed jockey who was at the front.
"I believe so too, though a lot can still happen."
The horses approached the first jump, taking a leap over it and coming down with far more force than I would have thought was possible.
All twelve of them made it
over and began hurtling towards the second jump.
"You're beautiful," Albert whispered.
"Huh?" Oops. That one wasn't very Queen-like.
"You're beautiful, when your concentration is on something else and it's all you can focus on..."
"Thank you." I looked down, blushing like crazy.
"I think it has to do with you not hiding who you are," he continued speaking as if I hadn't, but I didn't mind. "When you're just you, your true beauty shines through."
"What do you mean?" I asked, feeling a little confused about the whole thing. What was he getting at? What did he know?
"Nothing in particular. But I know what it's like to be royal, Amara. There's who we really are, then who we have to show the world. Somehow, we have to marry the two up and it's not always that easy."
"No, it's not."
“So tell me, what is one of the secrets you keep to yourself?"
An odd feeling swept over me. I didn't know how to deal with the new Albert I'd seemingly unleashed.
"I...I'm not sure."
"I can go first if it makes it easier?" he asked. His tone was still light, so maybe there wasn't anything too serious about it. Maybe I was just reading into it a little too much because I really did have a secret self.
"Please," I responded.
What could he possibly say? Did he like watching others in bed together maybe? That one could be fun. Or was he into something a bit darker? I was less into that, but maybe I should try it. I'd never know if I liked it or not if I didn't.
"I like to wear odd coloured socks."
A giggle sprung from me. That wasn't anything like I'd expected him to say. It was so un-Prince like.
"Really?"
"Yes." He stretched out his legs, revealing a dash of red, green and yellow checks on one foot, and pink with blue spots on the other.
"How do you get away with that?" I whispered, genuinely shocked.
"I've been dressing myself since I was a boy, it's fairly easy to put socks on. First I..."
"Not that, how do they let you even buy them?"
Albert chuckled. "Like you've never bought anything you weren't supposed to."
The tops of my ears burned as I thought about all the things I shouldn't have bought but did. One of them was waiting for me in my bedside drawer. I hadn't needed it much since Carter was fulfilling that particular need at the moment.
"Now, go on. What about you?" he asked, giving my arm a small nudge.
"I hate wearing high heels," I said through my laughter.
"I don't blame you, they look wildly uncomfortable."
"They are. They pinch your toes and crack your heels."
"Ouch. Remind me why you wear them?" He looked genuinely horrified. Not a foot man then, good to know. I wasn't a massive fan of them myself.
"Protocol? People expect me to wear nice shoes and sharp suits. Not to look too old or show too much skin. I swear dressing as a Queen is harder than dressing for the runway."
"I've no doubt. But if protocol is the only reason you're wearing something so uncomfortable, maybe it's time to stop?"
"I don't know, they make my ass look pretty good." My hand flew to my mouth as I gasped. "Please pretend I didn't say that."
I was genuinely horrified. But somehow, I'd completely forgotten where I was and who I was with.
"I don't think you need heels for that," he muttered.
I wasn't sure whether or not I was supposed to hear it, so stayed silent. I didn't want to freak him out too much.
"I didn't see who won," I noted, slightly disappointed.
Albert pointed to the neon sign just off to our right. "It would appear I did, Your Majesty. I look forward to collecting my reward."
I swallowed loudly, I looked forward to collecting too.
Chapter Eleven
Albert’s hand brushed against my back, guiding me through the corridor and towards the car back to the palace. While I loved race day, I hated this part. I needed to make a mad dash back to change into an appropriate outfit for this evening’s garden party.
Yet instead of making it easy for me, the path was set out so that the crowds bore in on either side. While I loved my people, walking through them at this point was a little intimidating. Particularly as I knew there’d be reporters about.
“How do you want to deal with this?” Albert asked me just before we went through the door to the people outside.
“Deal with what?” I frowned, confused about what he could possibly be on about.
“With the questions they’re sure to ask about us. You brought me to your private box today. Even if we know we’re only at the beginning stages of something, people are going to read more into that. I know what they’re like.”
Genuine concern was clear on his face and I recognised the return of the Prince and not just plain old Albert like he’d been in the box.
“I…”
I couldn’t look at him. What could I say to that? I hadn’t even considered how bringing him to the races would look. My mind had been completely taken over by the fact he would be good company.
“Amara?” Concern pulled at his features.
“I don’t think I can be with just you,” I blurted out, glad my guards had stayed a few paces back.
“Just me?” He raised an eyebrow. “So you’d consider having me as well as someone else?”
I stared at him, completely unsure what to do with myself. Did I tell him the truth? Or did I try and lie my way out of this one?
It took me another moment to do anything, but at this point, the people outside were less pressure than the conversation inside. Spinning on my heels, I strode for the door, trying not to think about the decent men I was trying to avoid.
I stepped onto the pavement outside, plastering on my controlled public smile and started making my way to the waiting car.
It was slow progress, though I expected that. It wouldn’t be very seemly of me to rush this bit when so many people had waited just to see me. These weren’t race goers either. These were just members of the public. My people.
“Nice to meet you,” I said, taking the hand of one person before moving to the next and repeating myself. It might seem boring and impersonal, but in general, people loved it.
A hand at my back made me jump ever so slightly, and I turned, only half surprised to discover Albert standing behind me.
“I think I’m ready to collect my kiss,” he whispered.
“But-”
“But nothing. If you want to be with more than just me, then that’s okay.” His words were hushed, though most people wouldn’t be able to hear under the noise anyway.
“Are you sure?” I asked, twisting slightly so I was half in his arms. I hoped he was, otherwise this position was sure to cause a small scandal anyway.
“Yes, I’m sure. So long as you’d be alright to introduce me to him.”
I nodded instantly. “Of course.”
If it meant I could keep Carter and Albert, then I was perfectly good with that.
“Good.” He leaned in and captured my lips with his, sealing our fate as far as my nation was concerned. I hoped they’d be alright with a foreign prince as my official consort.
His lips were soft and warm, pliant against mine as we kissed. Albert nibbled on my lip and I gave a soft moan in response. If the rest of what he did lived up to that kiss, then I was going to be a lucky woman.
I pulled back as I realised just where we were and smiled up at him.
“I guess we’re telling people then,” I joked.
“I guess so.”
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!” one of the reporters called.
I turned with a smile, taking Albert’s hand and heading in the perfectly made-up blonde’s direction. I’d been trained by the press department of the palace from a young age and knew that sometimes it was better just to answer their questions and have done with it.
“Good afternoon,” I greeted.
“Are rumours
true that you’ll be getting married?” she demanded without any pleasantries.
No matter. Just because she was rude, it didn’t mean I could be. “It’s not in the immediate future,” I replied.
“What about rumours that you have to marry to keep the throne?”
My hand tightened around Albert’s. I hoped he was already aware of that and not just learning about it now.
“They’re nothing more than rumours,” I denied, hoping no one had leaked actual proof. If this was anything to go by, I needed to have strong words with my advisor about what was to be made public knowledge and what wasn’t.
“Is that why Prince Albert is visiting? In order to arrange a marriage between the two of you?” the reporter asked.
“I’ve never been privy to any such arrangement,” Albert replied for me. “If that’s why my visit was arranged, I had no idea of it.” He gave my hand a double squeeze, letting me know he knew it wasn’t true. At least, I was pretty sure that was what he was doing. We were too new to us to know for sure.
“So you weren’t aware that the Queen was looking for a husband?” The reporter looked him up and down as she asked the question, very much seeming like she was checking him out.
I cleared my throat, drawing her attention back to me. “I’m not looking for a husband for marriage’s sake. When and if I get married, it’ll be because I love the man who will become my husband. I may be Queen, but I am still a woman and I have a duty to myself to respect that.”
The reporter looked completely shocked over my words.
“Thank you for your time, but we really must be going. We have a party to attend,” I excused.
A large part of me wanted to drag Albert away that second, but knew I couldn’t. We needed to do the rounds here first, then contact the press office at the palace so they knew to release a statement. If I acted first, then there was no way this could backfire.
At least, in theory.
Chapter Twelve
“I see you’ve made a decision,” Margaret sneered, slapping down a newspaper on the table.
Kneel For Me Page 4