Page 65 of 2 Books in One Bundle

‘Nothing has stopped you before.’

‘The wedding has to go ahead. But Carissa and I feel that while Miss Demetriou has agreed, we believe we could come up with a better solution. I’m sure she has her appeal...she just isn’t the best choice given our time constraints. We will have the entire staff running around trying to arrange a wedding, a coronation and training—which ordinarily would be far simpler than what we have to do now. Which is to teach someone how to be royal. I have got people trying to figure out how to impart an entire lifetime’s worth of training and knowledge in a few short weeks. But this isn’t going to work. It’s an impossible task.’

Vasili still said nothing. He simply cocked a brow, indicating for him to continue.

‘Please, Your Majesty, just listen.’

Vasili didn’t want to. He knew he was being ridiculous—but so was this entire situation.

‘So what would you propose? Hmm? A marriage to someone I would have nothing to do with?’

‘It doesn’t have to be that way. Princess Allegra is still an option—’

‘You have to be out of your mind! I am not marrying Leander’s fiancée.’

The idea was abhorrent.

‘She understands how to rule. She is ready to be Queen and you have tolerated her in the past.’

‘Tolerated? Is that how low the bar is for a royal consort?’

The bite in Vasili’s words had Andreas flinching.

‘She is one option, and there are other options that you need to look at for the good of the Kingdom. We would have to alter our traditions, our processes, to accommodate Helia. How long would that take? You know Princess Allegra—you know nothing about the librarian.’

That was true. He knew nothing about her. But he would take her over any of the royals he knew. Any of the nobility. And if it took time to ready her to be queen then that was all the better for him. At least he would get the time he needed then.

‘Your parents knew each other as children. They were both of noble blood and were probably the most loved royals we have ever had on the throne.’

Except they hadn’t loved each other. They hadn’t loved him.

‘I have said it before and I will say it again, Andreas. I am neither my parents nor Leander. You’d best stop expecting to see them in me. I don’t care what you have to do—that isn’t my problem. No matter how many times you come to me with this, my decision will not change.’

‘Vasili!’ Andreas snapped. His frustration was pouring off him in waves.

‘Excuse me?’ Vasili all but growled.

Andreas took a very deep breath. ‘Apologies, Your Majesty, but you don’t seem to be listening. Wecannotmake this happen. Not in the time we have.’

‘Andreas,’ Vasili said, with a calm he did not feel, especially when the fuse of his temper had once again been lit. ‘I’ve had just about as much disrespect as I am going to take from you, and this will be the last time. I understand your panic, but my word is final. Now, bring Miss Demetriou to me. I wish to speak to her in private.’

There was no emotion in Vasili’s voice. Every swirling thought and feeling was locked away securely deep within him.

‘Of course.’

He watched Andreas leave and turned back to the window. He needed to find out why Helia had agreed and then give her an opportunity to back out. After all, this wasn’t a decision he had made for her—it was a decision he had made against being the King they wanted.

It wasn’t long before Vasili heard footsteps on the other side of the door. Silently it swung open and in she walked. She took the breath from him. He couldn’t speak. All he could do was stare. How had he never noticed her before? She had to be the most exquisite creature ever to have graced the palace.

It took a gargantuan effort to wrestle his thoughts back into something that made sense. He had called her here for a reason.

Clearing his throat, Vasili instructed her to close the door and take a seat.

Of all the things she could have done, she curtseyed.

‘Your Majesty,’ she said politely, and did as she was told.

The action was so at odds with how his day had gone, Vasili did well to hide his laughter.