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He reached for a remote in the center of the table and turned on a television screen at one end of the room. “We can finish the movie we were watching last night.” Before he restarted the movie, he swiveled in his chair and looked at her. “The last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable. I know we’ve fallen asleep together, but are you truly all right with that?”

Bekah had been conflicted for two days because shewasn’tuncomfortable with it. “It’s fine,” was all she told Joe.

“If you’re ever uncomfortable, let me know.”

“I will.”

He turned the movie on, and she leaned back in the chair, watching the couple stranded at a cabin during a blizzard continue to fall in love.

“Do you think that really happens?” Joe asked her as the credits started to roll a while later. “Two people get stranded and fall in love during a blizzard?”

“It happened for me and your mother.”

They both turned to see Thor walking in.

“That’s not how it happened. You’d known her for many years.” Joe shook his head.

“But being trapped in a cabin is when I knew there wasn’t any use fighting the fact that I was in love with her, even if I wasn’t ready to admit it to myself just yet. HEA TV movies might not happen exactly like that in real life, but fairy tale stories do happen.”

Before they could discuss it further, another door opened and a tall, slender man walked in, bowing toward them all as he stopped. “The king will see you now.”

CHAPTER 6

Holding Bekah’s hand, Josiah walked into Ben’s office. A couple of officials he didn’t recognize were also there. Ben introduced them as one of his attorneys and a member of the diplomatic corp from Athmetis.

“Our questions today primarily revolve around the decision to leave Athmetis while a suspicious death investigation was still ongoing,” the Athmetic diplomat told them after they took their seats.

Ben caught Josiah’s eye. A slight lift of his eyebrow told Josiah they were to remain quiet unless directed otherwise. He should have told Bekah that. Instead, he squeezed her hand and gave the smallest shake of his head when she looked at him.

“The prince and princess simply wanted to return home after a traumatic event,” the lawyer said.

“Theprincesshas never been to Eyjania before,” the diplomat pointed out.

“Not the point. This is, and has always been, my brother’s home,” Ben told him. “As a member of this family, he and his family were legally able to return home, provided they stay in this country. They have done so and will continue to do so.”

“The marriage happened half an hour before they left Athmetis. That’s hardly the spirit of the law.”

“But it is the letter. My brother wasn’t about to leave his fiancée behind. No one would expect him to.”

“She was married to someone else a few months ago,” the diplomat pressed. “How long had they been engaged?”

“Not long,” the lawyer said with a shrug. “But it doesn’t matter. They were. They married and left the country legally, which is all that matters.”

“The optics...”

“Are far less important than the facts,” Ben said quietly. So quietly Josiah knew better than to cross him when he used that tone. Even Uncle Isaiah had - before he was eaten by sharks - though Ben had seldom used the tone with their uncle. “And the facts are that my brother and sister-in-law had nothing to do with the untimely death of Steve. They were there. They weren’t driving. They weren’t responsible for the fact that he refused to wear a seatbelt or that he was thrown from the vehicle and into a ravine when an animal emerged in front of them causing him to swerve. There was no reason for them to be detained in-country in the first place.”

“It’s not my place to determine that,” the diplomat countered.

“But it is mine to tell you that my brother and sister-in-law will not be returning to Athmetis for the foreseeable future.” Ben closed the folder in front of him. “If that’s the only thing you have to discuss, this meeting is over.” He pressed a button as he stood. “Chamberlain will see you out.”

The diplomat looked annoyed and frustrated, but exited when Chamberlain entered.

He didnotbow to Ben on his way out, a slight that wouldn’t be forgotten.

Technically, it wasn’trequiredof pretty much anyone anymore, and certainly not for someone who wasn’t an Eyjanian citizen, but political niceties still existed.

Ben took his seat and swiveled in his chair until he faced Josiah. “Well, Siah, what do you think?”