Chapter 19
Thomas held my hand as we walked into the party. I nearly jumped at the motion.
“If you want to make someone jealous, you have to play the part.”
“I don’t want to make anyone jealous,” I said, but kept my hand in his nonetheless.
He snickered under his breath as the enormous double doors opened before us and my hand tightened in his. Even though I’d just planned a party in Château de Versailles and had been there as a tourist and stayed there the week of the festivities, I didn’t consider it a real castle. It was a far cry from the truth, with as many kings and queens and courts as it had seen, but it still somehow seemed fake to me, like a fairy tale, whenever I walked its grounds.
Palace of Fontainebleau was different. Although lavish, it felt very real. Maybe it was because I knew this was the most used residence. It was where they took their Christmas and announcement photos. It was where the princes and princess grew up. I tried to picture a childhood here, surrounded by such grandeur, and failed. I couldn’t imagine scattered toys or children running on these marble floors. It seemed untouchable. Just like them. I realized that this was what my mother and Etienne and Joss had warned me about.
As we walked the hall, I examined the portraits that lined the walls. With each step we took, kings and queens of the past seemed to have their eyes on us, looking at us beneath them, where we’d always belong. Their regard for tradition wasn’t for naught. They truly lived it.
“This is crazy,” I whispered.
“Wait till they announce us,” Thomas whispered back.
“Announce—”
Before I could finish the question, the doors we were walking toward opened before us and a man stood on the other side with a paper in his hands. I looked forward and saw the room held at least thirty people and suddenly I wanted to retreat and bury myself in the sand. I was standing here with Thomas, of all people, who most of society had seen me naked with. Doing things with. My grip tightened in his. He tightened his own and brought his other hand to cover mine as well in a way that comforted me so much I thought I could cry. It empowered me to stand there, head held high, and not back down.
“Miss Adeline Sofia Isabella Bouchard and Sir Thomas Evans,” the man said in a clear, loud voice.
“Sir?” I whispered.
“You don’t know everything about me.” Thomas chuckled.
The people gathered in the room, looked at us. My eyes jumped to each one of them, stopping on the queen before I saw Elias. His expression was completely unreadable, but his jaw was set and he looked pissed. At me? No. I’d given him no reason to be angry. Beside him stood a tall, slender, blonde woman with a warm smile and a small tiara on her head: the Princess of Austria. If I had to guess, I’d say she’d won the coveted position of future queen of France. Because I was uncomfortable with the attention, the thought didn’t stab at me like it had before. She also didn’t have a ring on her finger. Yet. Thomas pulled me along and introduced me to a couple of friends gathered there. I smiled and shook their hands, all the while, trying not to think about the fact that they’d all seen us having sex. They didn’t have to outright say it. I could see it written all over their faces as they said hello. They weren’t smug about it. If anything, it was awkward for all parties involved, and oddly enough, I was grateful for that. The doors opened again and the man beside it announced the next people to enter. “Miss Ambrosia Agnes and Mister Benjamin Drake.”
“Holy shit,” Thomas said beside me.
“Holy shit is right,” I agreed. “I went to a party he was at recently, but I didn’t get a chance to see him in all his glory.”
Benjamin Drake was one of France’s elite football players. Thomas and I were both huge fans of his. I had been following him since he’d started playing for our beloved Les Bleus and had two jerseys of his, one signed, which Thomas had gifted me for Christmas last year.
“Well, the good news is, you’re free to flirt with Drake tonight and hopefully get together with him and invite me over for dinner,” Thomas said.
I laughed, throwing my head back. When I straightened, my laughter caught in my throat as my gaze caught Elias’s on the other side of the room. I knew coming here was a bad idea. I wasn’t even anywhere near him and I felt like it was my back his hand was pressing against, not the woman he was here with. I wasn’t sure what to do. Should I smile? Or wave? Or just look away? I couldn’t seem to do any of those things. I wished I could hate him or find something wrong with him, but there was a longing in his eyes I hadn’t expected, and it made it that much harder to find anything at all. Besides, my heart didn’t seem to care about any of that. It was beating faster and unsteadily, making it nearly impossible for me to catch my breath.
“It’s dinner time,” Thomas said, reaching for my hand again.
I let him whisk me away to yet another set of double doors, but my mind was still on the prince. Always on the prince. There were name cards in front of each place setting. Thomas and I found ours and sat. I looked at the setting beside me and was glad to see Joslyn’s name scribbled on it and Princess Pilar’s on the one beside hers. I hadn’t seen either of them yet. I focused on the water being poured by the butler followed by the wine he poured into the other glass. The china looked as expensive as everything else did. As Thomas spoke to the man beside him, I took in the rest of the room. The walls were red and gold, matching the chairs we were sitting on. It was lavish upon lavish and I couldn’t for a second imagine living like this. I loved dressing up, but more than anything, I enjoyed lounging in sweat pants and maxi dresses and sandals and this palace made me feel like I wouldn’t be able to leave my room unless I was dressed to the nines. It was an absolutely unattainable lifestyle. My mother’s words came back to me and I reminded myself I was just here to serve as entertainment, as another mortal amongst gods, to remind them of their power.
“You made it,” Joss whispered as she took her seat beside me.
“Hey.” I smiled wide, relieved to see my friend. Pilar took the seat beside hers, and I smiled at her as well. “Good to see you again.”
“Thank you for coming. Sorry we kept you waiting,” Pilar whispered. “My zipper got stuck so I had to change my outfit.”
“You look beautiful, so I’d say this one works perfectly.” I looked at her black dress.
It was short, but not too short, with a frilly tulle skirt and a form-fitting bodice with lace over her shoulders and chest. It was sophisticated and chic. Joss wore a dark purple slip dress that tied on the side to accentuate her waistline. I was grateful she’d chosen a short black slip dress and gold strappy heels for me. I would’ve probably worn a ball gown on principle that I was dining at the palace with the queen. Everyone looked very much like they were at a cocktail party. There were no obnoxious hats, though I really wanted to wear one myself, or over-the-top gowns. It occurred to me for a second that maybe my mother was wrong about the royal family. Maybe they were normal people with extraordinary circumstances. Maybe they invited people like us to dine with them, not because they wanted to remember their place, but because they longed to be in ours. It wasn’t such a far-fetched idea. After all, the grass was always greener on the other side.
The rest of the table started filling in. The chairs across from us were still empty and my heart pounded a little harder at the possibility of Elias sitting there. I was starving, but I knew if he sat across from me, I wouldn’t be able to eat my meal. My stomach was already in knots as it was. My attention turned to the door as Elias walked in talking to his brother. The Princess of Austria followed. And lastly, the queen. I kept my eyes on her. She glanced at me and smiled wide, waving a hand at me. Despite my shock, I felt myself wave back. She sat at the seat beside the head of the table, leaving that one empty. Prince Aramis sat in the seat directly across from Joss. Prince Elias sat in the one across from me. The Princess of Austria took the one across from Thomas. I looked down at my plate, which still had an ivory napkin folded over
it.
“Did you see Benjamin Drake?” Joss whispered, leaning over.
“How could I not?” My eyes widened in excitement. “Did you meet him?”
“Not yet. Pilar is going to introduce us.”
“I’ve only met him once,” Pilar whispered, leaning over to us.
“You’re the princess. Who cares?” Joss said.
“I care.” She blushed. “I’m a fan of his as well, you know?”
“Thomas got me his jersey signed last year and I almost died,” I said.
“I told my brothers to get me one when they went to watch Le Bleus play recently and neither of them remembered to,” Pilar whispered.
“Bastards,” I whispered back.
She and Joss laughed.
“He definitely has the greatest ass in football, doesn’t he,” Joss stated.
“I’d say.” I nodded.
“For sure,” Pilar added quickly.
“What are you gossiping about down there?” The queen asked. “I should have sat you nearby so I could join in on the fun.”
The three of us straightened in our seats.
“Just talking about shorts,” Pilar said, smiling wide.
Joss cough-laughed into her napkin. I bit my lip to keep from laughing, and then stopped when I caught Elias watching me with a small smile on his face. My heart stuttered. I tore my gaze away from him and looked at his brother, sitting beside him, who was talking to the man beside him. I’d never seen Prince Aramis in person, but he was gorgeous, with his golden skin and chiseled jaw. His eyes were green like Elias’s, but his were a couple of shades lighter. They matched his easygoing smile. A smile that I was sure had unzipped many dresses and unhooked many bras. I smiled when he caught me looking at him. His mouth tilted in a lazy smile as he looked over at me.
“Adeline, correct?”
I nodded, still smiling like an idiot.
“Where do you live, Adeline?” He lifted his wine glass and took a sip, holding it with his hand turned up as if he was holding a chalet. Paired with that face and the filthy promises in his eyes, I could definitely see the appeal.
“London.”
“London.” He raised an eyebrow. “You came all this way for this dinner?”
“No. I mean, yes, but I’m staying nearby. My family owns a few villas in Marbella, so I’m technically not traveling too far today.”
“You’re a Bouchard.”
“Yes.”
“Louis Bouchard’s daughter?”
“Yes.” I licked my lips.
“Ah.” He grinned. “Your father has some interesting thoughts. I would love to hear yours.”
“Aramis.” It was a warning from Elias. He was looking at his brother as he leaned in and whispered something in his ear. I couldn’t make out what he said, but Aramis’s smile only grew wider and when he looked at me again, he chuckled.
“We’ll continue this conversation later, Adeline,” he said. “But rest assured, we will continue it.”
“I look forward to it.”
His smile stayed put. I had to look away and focus on my wine and not lift my gaze again. Nobody at this table felt safe. Thankfully, dinner was served—duck, quail, oysters, lobster. It was a meal fit for a king, literally. My eyes drifted toward the empty seat at the head of the table. I knew the king was too ill to attend public events, but dinner at his own house? Thomas and Joslyn caught up with London gossip as I sat between them and listened in. When she turned back to her food, he leaned in to speak into my ear.
“Did you know that the video disappeared?”
I turned my face to look him in the eye, which was a mistake. I hadn’t realized just how close his face was to mine. We bumped foreheads.
“Ouch.” I rubbed my forehead.
“Like we’re in grade school.” He chuckled under his breath.
“What do you mean disappeared?”
“Wiped. I asked a friend of mine at The Sun, you know, Darren, the only one who would take the video down from their website,” he said. I nodded. “Well, he said they were under strict gag orders. He couldn’t even tell me anything past the fact that everyone had been given a warning and took it down.”
“What kind of warning would be responsible for that miracle?” I asked, frowning. “I mean, we got lawyers involved and they weren’t able to do much.”
“Well, they did what they could, Addie. They did take it down from some places.”
“I guess.”
“To answer the question though, I don’t know. I mean, the only person I know with that kind of reach is . . . ” He stopped dead in his tracks as he spoke, and then looked at me like he’d suddenly found the answer to a riddle. “The king.”
Chapter 20
The king.
It was impossible, of course. How could the bedridden king make all of that go away? More importantly, why? My gaze traveled back to Elias, who was sipping his tea without a care in the world. His eyes lifted to mine. Of course. He had told me he would do this, after all, hadn’t he? I’d asked him not to meddle, and he did it anyway. I should’ve probably been more upset than I was, but it was hard when I felt such relief. The video had disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared. It was gone and no one was allowed to talk about it. Wasn’t that the exact thing my father hated about the monarchy? Wasn’t that the kind of thing he fought against? He hated their power to silence the press, to take away freedom of speech. Personally, I didn’t agree with it either, but in this case it was definitely benefiting me. I was being a hypocrite. I knew I was, but I couldn’t help it. I just wasn’t sure how to deal with Elias. Should I thank him for it? Berate him for it? Leave it alone? He raised an eyebrow and I realized I was still staring. I blinked and looked away.
The queen stood and clinked her glass in a total movie moment move and the entire table quieted down and looked at her. She was smiling wide, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
“As many of you know, we have a lot of things happening in our family, but I’m keeping this light and will be toasting to my son, Elias, who has chosen to marry Emily, the Princess of Austria. Cheers to them. May they have a blessed and happy marriage.” She raised her glass higher. Everyone in the room lifted theirs in a series of gasps and cheers. “Long live the Crown.”
“Long live the Crown,” everyone, including myself, repeated.
I set down my glass without taking a sip of champagne. It was bad luck, I was sure, but I couldn’t stomach it right now. It was something I should have been expecting, of course, but to hear it and have it celebrated was different from having Joss and Etienne and my mother tell me about it. Now, it was real. And when I finally chanced a glance in the prince’s direction and caught the Princess of Austria smiling and holding her hand up to show off her ring, it was definitely real. It took everything in me to stay rooted in my seat. It took everything in me to meet Elias’s eyes. He looked solemnly back at me, as if he too was heartbroken at the fact that he was engaged to another woman. Maybe he was. It didn’t matter though. Despite everything he said, he had an opportunity to put a stop to all of this and he continued to play the role of puppet and go along with his family’s wishes.
Shortly after, we all stood from the table, and Prince Elias excused himself for the night. He gave Emily, the Austrian princess, a kiss on the cheek and waved at the rest of us as he left the room. The chatter continued. Joss and Pilar were talking to a group of women, while Thomas and I spoke to a group of investors. I felt a light touch on my elbow and turned to find the queen.
“I wasn’t able to say hello to you earlier,” she said.
“Oh.” I turned and curtsied softly, smiling when I straightened. “Thank you so much for inviting me.”
“Thank you for accepting.” She smiled. “Will you take a walk with me?”
“Of course.” I looked back and excused myself from the group, turning to the queen once more as she led the way.
As we reached the door, the man standing before it, opened it and closed
it behind us. I wondered when the last time any of them opened their own doors was, if ever. She stopped just outside of the doors and turned to me.
“I wanted to ask you if you’d do the honor of planning the wedding. It would take place next month, and I know it’s extremely short notice, but I’m willing to pay anything and provide you with the necessary staff. I just need this done,” she said.
Footsteps rang out somewhere in the hall, but I didn’t bother to look knowing it would be just another door holder or employee here to check on their queen and her guests. She was still looking at me, waiting for me to answer, and I was still trying to process everything that had taken place this last hour. After she made her announcement, I did my best to bottle it up and ignore it and pretend it was a joke. Now that she was asking me to do this and saying she was willing to throw money at me, I wasn’t sure what to say. Yes, obviously. If my mother was here she’d have pinched my arm. If Joss was out here and not inside chitchatting, she’d have agreed for me. Yes was the only answer.
“Mother. You need to go to Father’s chambers.” The voice was Elias’s.
I whipped my head and looked at him as he closed to distance between us, then I looked away, back to his mother, who was still watching me. I wanted to cry. The emotion hit me seemingly out of nowhere, but that’s the only thing I felt like doing right now. Finally, I nodded at her.
“You can count on us.”
“Thank you so much, dear.” She placed a hand over my arm. “It won’t be romantic or magical, we just have to make it appear to be so.” She offered me a small smile and I could swear she saw everything written all over my face as she squeezed my arm and let go. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. Please enjoy yourself. Thank you again for coming.”
The Sinful King: By New York Times Bestselling Author Page 12