Reluctantly Royal

by Gillian Archer

  I noticed a flurry of activity around the room. People were checking their phones, and the conversation level rose above the polite buzz to a low roar as heads swung in the direction of my family’s table. I had no idea what was going on, since my view of the table was blocked.

  Lady Durant wiggled in my arms as she wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me closer to her body. “Now that you’re back on the dating scene, feel free to look me up.”

  “I’m afraid I’m seeing someone exclusively right now.” I forced a smile and tried and failed to put more distance between us. This song felt twice as long as I remembered.

  Lady Durant laughed seductively. “That’s okay. No one has to tell her about us. I won’t tell if you won’t.”

  “I’m sorry, Lady Durant.” I set her away from me with a forceful thrust. Apparently subtlety wasn’t working on my dance partner. “I’m with Hannah exclusively. I’m not interested.”

  Before the last strain of the song played, I turned and walked off the dance floor. I made a beeline straight for Hannah’s table in the back but was stopped by Dimitri. “We need to leave immediately, monsieur.”

  “Fine, let me get Hannah.” I pulled away, but Dimitri stopped me short.

  “She left a few minutes ago while you were, er, dancing with Lady Durant.”

  “Left? What do you mean, she left? Tell me that someone from security made sure she got back to the palace all right.”

  “Oui, monsieur. Nicolas was sent after her when she ran out of the ballroom.”

  “She ran?” I repeated weakly. She must’ve misread my dance with Lady Durant. I had to get back to the palace and explain things to her. And apologize if necessary. Hell, I’d beg if it made things right between us.

  “Oui, monsieur. Please come with me. Security is uncomfortable with the mood of the room. We already have Prince Sébastien and Princess Vivian sequestered. We must hurry.”

  I followed Dimitri through the kitchen and the narrow hallways of the service entrance. We both nodded to Étienne at the back door, and a few moments later I slid into the backseat of the limo, next to Bastien.

  “What the hell is going on?” I asked Bastien ,who was bent over his mobile phone.

  A muscle in his jaw flexed. “I’m afraid I’m the one responsible for the scandalous headlines this time.”

  “Oh, come now, Sébastien.” Mum reached across the space and patted Bastien’s leg. “It’s not your fault. You did nothing wrong.”

  “I should’ve done a more thorough background check. I don’t know how we missed this. And now I look like a fool.”

  I looked between Mum’s sad expression and Bastien’s stone face with still no clue what was going on. “What are you talking about? What’s going on?”

  “It seems, er—” Mum paused and folded her hands on her lap. “It seems that Sébastien’s fiancée hasn’t been honest about her romantic relationships. One of the British tabloids hacked her phone, and tomorrow they will be publishing some of the texts between her and her personal trainer.”

  Bastien gave an ugly laugh. “While we were holding a press conference announcing our engagement, she had been sexting with that Teutonic imbécile. And she didn’t even have the decency to warn me. Apparently she didn’t come to the gala tonight because she had advance notice that her texts were going public. She couldn’t show her face, but she didn’t mind that I was left sitting there in public with my dick hanging out for all to see.”

  I sat back in my seat and didn’t know what to say. What the hell did you say when you found out your brother’s fiancée had been cheating on him? “I’m sorry, Bastien. You don’t deserve this. No one deserves to be treated this way.”

  Bastien grunted as he stared at the screen on his mobile phone. Text alert after text alert flashed across the screen. No doubt friends, acquaintances, and any member of the press who had his number were messaging to find out what was going on, if Bastien knew about the relationship, if they’d ever intended it to be a real marriage.

  “I suppose the small silver lining is that this happened before the wedding,” Mum said with a sad smile. “Better to break up now than have to deal with the fallout when children are involved. Believe me, nothing is harder in this life than weighing your decisions against your children’s happiness.”

  Bastien smiled sadly at Mum and nodded slightly, then turned to stare out the window, impotent anger and hurt lining his face.

  The rest of the car ride passed in strained silence. I felt bad for Bastien, but all I wanted was to get to Hannah as soon as possible. When the car pulled up to the palace, I raced up the back stairs and through the halls until I reached her suite. My hand was on the knob, but the door pushed open without any effort. I froze when I heard Hannah’s sobbing voice.

  “I should’ve listened to you, Mom. It’s just, I thought it would be different. I have hardly spent any time with Luc, and his family…No, his mother has been amazing—she was a little awkward at first, but she’s warmed up to me. It’s his brother, the crown prince, who’s the jerk. He wouldn’t let me sit with them at the gala tonight, despite the fact that there was an empty chair at their table. He hates me…No, Mom, I’m not exaggerating; he practically told me when he called me to his office this morning. He made it very clear that I have no prospects and am not worthy to be with a member of his family. He was so cold, Mom. He made me feel like a tiny, worthless, disgusting person.”

  Hannah wiped at her face as she listened to her mom on the other end of the phone. My heart broke as I watched her heart breaking in front of me. I pushed the door wider but stopped when she spoke again.

  “I know. I know it was fast, but…No, Mom. But now, here in Monaco, he’s checked out. I don’t see him. I’ve spent most of my time with his security detail. I think…” Her voice trailed off as I stepped into the room. Her eyes flashed to mine and a chagrined expression crossed her face before she narrowed her eyes and gave me a hard glare. “I have to go, Mom. Luc noticed that I left. Finally. I’ll call you later…Yes, I’ll let you know my flight details. I love you. Bye.”

  “What did Bastien say to you? And why am I only finding out about it now? Like this?”

  “Your brother isn’t the problem, Luc. And you’re finding out about it now because I haven’t seen you for most of my time here. When exactly was I supposed to tell you? The five minutes I see you in the morning? Or the hour we spend together in bed right before you pass out from exhaustion?”

  “I’m so sorry, mon chou. I know this trip has been tough, but—”

  “No. No buts, Luc. If I was truly a priority for you, we’d be spending more time together. Your brother hates me. We hardly see each other. I don’t know why I’m even here.”

  “You’re here because I love you, Hannah. I love the amazing, strong, and gorgeous woman you are. And I have tried to spend time with you, but almost like every time I come to find you, you’re in our room sleeping. How many naps can you take?” I rubbed a frustrated hand through my hair. “I’m sorry. I know this week hasn’t gone how we’d hoped, but I want you here. I want you to stay here with me. I’ll do better, I promise.”

  “That just feels like lip service. You haven’t done anything to show me that you love me. Heck, half the time I think you’ve forgotten you even brought me here in the first place. I’ve spent more time with Dimitri than I have with you this week.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry, mon chou. I’ve been MIA this week because I’ve been busy setting up a charity in Julien’s name. Julien would’ve loved you, and I’m so sorry you didn’t get to meet him. He would’ve been the first one to welcome you into the family and smooth the way with my brother. And I wanted to do something in his name to make me worthy of you. And him. I feel like I never measure up, and I wanted to be a better person for both of you.”

  “Luc.” Hannah shook her head sadly. “You can’t keep comparing yourself to Julien. You can’t keep punishing yourself for living after he passed away. I know I never met him
, but I can’t imagine Julien would want you to do that to yourself.”

  “I’m trying, Hannah. I’m trying to be the kind of man who’s worthy of you, but I can’t seem to keep all the balls in the air. I’m shite at juggling.”

  Hannah folded her arms across her chest and gave me an arched look. “Is juggling what you were doing on the dance floor with that woman? Is she the reason I couldn’t sit at your table?”

  “What? No. I wasn’t juggling anything. Or anyone. Apparently my mum entered me—a dance with me—as a prize for the silent auction. Lady Durant was the highest bidder. That’s all. I told her that I was with you and wasn’t interest—”

  “She propositioned you? In the middle of the dance floor?” Hannah’s eyes widened as her voice rose. “And that’s the kind of woman your brother believes is worthy of you? Is he out of his mind?”

  “Why would you think that? What did Bastien say to you this morning?”

  “He asked me about my life back home—if I went to school, what my job was—but it seemed like he already had all the answers. He accused me of lying when I said I worked at Camelot Beauty. He knew that I’d already given notice. He made it seem like I quit my job because of you—that I was some money-grubbing, dim-witted tart who’d finally found my meal ticket. He said that negotiations were already under way with Lady Durant’s family, and that I was just your last fling before you had to settle down.”

  “He said that? Oh, I’m going to kill him. That fucking, fucking bastard.” Boiling hot rage rolled through my body. Bastien thought he could run off my woman with some clever mind games and bullshit lies. He’d find out just who he was fucking with.

  “Luc, wait. Maybe you should calm down before—” She broke off as her phone rang in her hand, and all the anger drained from her expression.

  “What is it? Who’s calling?”

  “I have to take this.” But Hannah didn’t answer my question or move to answer her phone. Clearly she was deflecting.

  Fine.

  “You don’t want to talk about us anymore? You want me to do something to prove how I feel about you? You’re about to get your wish, mon chou.” I slammed out of her suite, the door bouncing into the wall with a loud crash behind me.

  Chapter 21

  “You arrogant asshole.” The door to Bastien’s office rebounded with a crash, undercutting my entrance. I gave it another shove out of my way, and it smashed into the wall before hanging drunkenly behind me. I strode across the office to point an angry finger in his patronizing face. “You arrogant, pedantic ass. Did you really think it’d work? Did you think she wouldn’t tell me?”

  “I’m going to have to call you back, Councillor. Oui. Au revoir.” Bastien put the phone down with a clatter. “What is wrong with you? Can’t you see I’m busy? I have a scandal, a broken engagement, and tenuous trade deals with Helene’s country to deal with. I don’t have time for your petty squabbles.”

  “Are you fucking serious? You stick your big nose into my life, into my relationship with Hannah, and you think that that’s okay? You think I won’t have something to say about it?”

  “Is that what this is about? Listen—”

  “No, you fucking listen. I’ve had it up to here with your commands and thinly veiled requests and your attempts to undermine my private relationship. First you used Aristide as your little spy and now you’re coming at Hannah yourself. It’s bullshit, and it ends now.”

  “It was necessary, Luc. You need to realize how important our role is. We attract the kind of people who will take advantage of us if we’re not careful. You need—”

  “Like Princess Helene? What kind of person is she, Bastien? How much time did you spend getting to know her before you proposed? Did you even propose to her, or did you negotiate everything through her father?”

  Bastien at least had the grace to look abashed. “That was different. I’m—”

  “It’s the same fucking thing, Bastien. She’s a person. She deserves the right to decide who she wants to live the rest of her life with. And not have to kowtow to the men who think they’re in charge of her every decision.”

  “Clearly Helene was too immature to enter into a marriage right now. I see that now. In time—”

  “You see nothing. Helene isn’t immature. She was taking control of her life. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was the one who leaked the texts. She didn’t want to marry you. She’s in love with someone else.”

  “She thinks she is. Just as you think you are with…” Bastien waved his hand dismissively. “What’s her name? Ms. Albert.”

  “Allen. Hannah Allen. Jesus, Bastien, you really don’t give a shit about me, do you? Or anyone. Even yourself. You only care about appearances, what other people think. It’s a sorry fucking way to live a life.”

  “That’s not fair.”

  “No, I see it now. All this time I’ve been biting my tongue, busting my ass to be the person who was worthy of being your spare, trying to do my best to live up to Julien’s memory and be just half the prince he was, but it didn’t matter. You didn’t see. You didn’t give a shit. All you focused on were the times I fell short, and how I never measure up to your expectations. So you know what? I’m abdicating my position. You can take my title and shove it up your royal ass.”

  Bastien’s brow wrinkled as he stood up from his desk. “Luc, don’t be hasty. I think if we sit down and—”

  “No, I’m not being hasty. I’m finally awake and taking control of my life for the first time since I’ve been dragged back to palace life. Hannah might not be Hollywood royalty like Grand-mère was, but Hannah is a good woman who deserves to be treated better by both of us. She has been through so much in her twenty-four years, and she is an amazing, intelligent, caring person who deserves the respect of my family. And you haven’t even tried to get to know her.” I shook my head as I took in Bastien’s intractable expression. “You went the dynastic marriage route and ended up miserable with a scandal and a broken engagement. Some things are more important than pedigrees. I love her, Bastien. I’d do anything for her. And if you can’t take the time to see the great person she is, then maybe this isn’t the life I want to lead.”

  “Luc, wait. We need to calm down and discuss this like adults. Of course I want you to be happy. Family is everything to me.”

  “No, your job is everything to you. Family stopped being important a long time ago. I can’t do this anymore, Bastien. I can’t be the disappointment, the one you always look down on. I need to live my life my way. I’m through.”

  I turned and walked out of the room with a pang in my chest over the words that we’d spoken. I loved my brother—I did—but I couldn’t continue being his whipping boy any longer. I needed to start building my own life with Hannah.

  Wherever that would be.

  But when I returned to our suite, Hannah wasn’t waiting where I left her. Aristide stood in our room, talking on his mobile phone in French.

  “Oui, one way to Las Vegas. One passenger. Allen. Hannah Allen. Oui. Merci.”

  For the second time that night, I broke a door as I slammed it behind me. “You son of a bitch. What did you say to her?”

  “N-N-Nothing, monsieur. She asked me for help.”

  “Help? What the hell are you talking about?”

  “I found her outside Prince Sébastien’s office, pale and weeping. She said she needed to get home as soon as possible. You seemed, er, busy talking with His Highness, so I offered to arrange her departure details. I believe Dimitri is driving her to the Nice Côte d’Azur Airport as we speak. I promised to call him and relay her flight details once they’re booked.”

  I looked around our suite like I’d find Hannah hiding behind the furniture despite what Aristide had just told me. After a moment of panicked searching, I noticed all Hannah’s clothes strewn about from her panicked search for the perfect dress before the banquet and her toiletries still lying on the bathroom counter. “But she didn’t take any of her things.”
>
  “I understood that it was something of an emergency. I was coming to inform you once I’d handled the flight details for Ms. Allen.” Aristide grimaced, then continued. “And if I might say, Your Highness, I believe I was wrong about Ms. Allen. She appears to be a wonderful woman who deserved better from me. I apologize.”

  “You can take your apology and—”

  “Cancel those flight plans, Ari.” My brother cut into our conversation. “Call and arrange for our personal plane to fly Ms. Allen and Luc to Las Vegas so they can take care of whatever emergency has frightened Ms. Allen. As soon as possible.”

  “Oui, Votre Altesse.” Aristide bowed slightly and left the room.

  I turned and threw a hostile look at my brother. “Is that your way of apologizing?”

  “Oui. I am sorry. I won’t interfere with your love life anymore. Or encourage others to do so, either. Clearly I have no clue when it comes to matters of the heart. And I happen to agree with Aristide. Ms. Allen is a wonderful person who deserved better from all of us.”

  “Thank you, Bastien.”

  “What the hell are you standing around for? Go get your woman!”

  I shook my head at my brother, but I practically ran out of the palace to the car that was waiting for me out back. I spent the endless drive to the airport practically vibrating with tension. What could’ve caused Hannah to run? Did something happen to her family? I searched on my mobile for any headlines tied to Hannah but didn’t find anything that would’ve made her run. Was it my family? Had things been so bad that I didn’t notice? Merde, this car needed to go faster.

  As we pulled up to the airport, I called Dimitri. “Where is she?”

  “I tried to stop her, monsieur, but she grew tired of waiting for Aristide. She’s at the Air France counter arranging her own flight.”

  I ended the call without replying to Dimitri. “Air France,” I barked at Nicolas.

  He pulled up to the Air France departure lane, and I jumped out before the car stopped.