Page 24

Luc

A week had passed since our tryst in the car, and we’d barely said a word to one another. Unlike our last bout of estrangement, this time we were on much better terms. Ava and I had agreed to do as her father had asked, to give each other some space. As neither of us wanted anyone to suspect anything, it seemed for the best.

Not to mention the little detail that if we didn’t make some effort to show some restraint, we wouldn’t be able to keep our hands off one another. The question hadn’t been answered, let alone asked, of what would happen between the two of us, what could the future possibly hold.

I wasn’t a fool—I knew that there was no chance that she and I would be able to have a life together.

I scoffed, giving the matter some thought as I strolled through the royal gardens one afternoon. The autumn chill was in the air, and I pulled my knee-length wool coat tight as a particularly cool blast of air came coursing through the gardens, flipping the collar up over my neck. The trees overhead were a deep, dramatic orange, bits of red here and there. Leaves gathered on the ground. I loved autumn in Edoria, it was my favorite time of year.

Ava stayed on my mind, specifically the idea of our future. There was no way in hell we could be an item, I knew the mere thought of it was ridiculous. Princesses didn’t associate with men like myself in that way, and that was setting aside the little details of her age and her relationship to my king.

Still, I couldn’t help but imagine it, couldn’t help but let the fantasy play out. I pictured us in the library, both seated in chairs next to each other, a fire roaring, our hands joined on the table between us as we read in silence. I imagined us walking together in the garden in springtime, when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, when the air was warm with the first pleasant weather of the year.

It was strange to imagine us together in that way, in the open. Likely because it was impossible. If anything, we needed to put a final stop to what we were doing. We’d been physically intimate more than once. If we were to keep it up, it’d only be a matter of time before we were caught.

As much as I hated to admit it, I knew that ending things with Ava was the right call. Too much was at risk to keep up what we were doing. If we were to be found out it would be one of the biggest scandals not just in Edoria, but in Europe. Everyone would be talking about the king’s aide who slept with the young, beautiful princess.

“Luc.” The deep voice that spoke behind me was enough to give me pause. I didn’t need to turn to know who it was.

“Your Majesty.”

I glanced over my shoulder to see the king. He was dressed in a navy-blue double-breasted suit and black loafers, his bearing as regal as ever. His expression impassive, he stepped over to my side.

“Trees are looking especially lovely this year.” His hands clasped behind his back, he glanced up at the branches above us. “Shaping up to be an especially beautiful fall.”

“I agree, Alaric.” Already I could sense that something was on his mind.

“Which means that the Harvest Ball will be even more in the public eye than it already is.”

And there it was.

“You’re right.” I decided to cut right to the chase. “And that means every set of eyes in Europe will be on our new princess.”

He pursed his lips, nodding. With a flick of his chin, he gestured for us to continue forward.

“I want to thank you for keeping your distance from her. A small request, but one I was pleased to see executed. That is, aside from your little excursion with the Jaguar.”

My heart skipped a beat at the mention of the trip. Did he know? I glanced at him as we walked, spotting the faintest hint of a smile on his face. No way that’d be his reaction if he knew what Ava and I had gotten up to that evening.

“I was torn between loyalty to my king and my princess,” I said, a wry smile on my face. “What could I have done?”

He chuckled. “The order was to give her space, not to avoid her completely. You’ve done that. And I know how you feel about that Jaguar.”

“It better be next to my name in the royal will when you finally kick the bucket, old man.”

Alaric and I were within a year’s age and loved to bust one another up over the perils of getting older.

“It just might be, you old codger.”

More light laughter followed, a silence descending after that.

“I’d be remiss,” I said, “if I didn’t tell you part of the reason she’d been so eager to get away that evening. She wanted to stick it to you a bit for being so frequently absent from dinner.”

He nodded in understanding. “Been a busy month. Never any shortage of work to do. All the same, I ought to be setting a good example when it comes to the routine of being royalty.”

“Not to mention the idea of getting to know your daughter.”

His eyes narrowed a bit. “Careful, Luc.”

“I don’t mean it in such a sharp way,” I said. “But all the same, I can’t help but feel that her difficulties in becoming acclimated to her new life here might be alleviated if you were to take a more active role in her life.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, it occurred to me, as it so often did, that I was the only person in Edoria that could speak to the king that way.

He furrowed his brow in confusion. “But that is precisely what I’m doing. I am seeing to it personally that she has all the training needed to become a proper princess. Too bad it doesn’t seem to be taking.”

“There’s more to it than just sending her to lessons,” I countered. “She needs to feel like this is her home.”

“The more she tries to be a princess, the more she will feel at home. It is a two-way street, after all. And so far, she is failing quite miserably in her responsibilities. More and more I find myself wondering if sending her back to America wouldn’t be the more prudent decision.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could say a word, soft conversation sounded through one of the nearby tall shrubs.

“Chatting with the staff like a common woman,” said the first, a man with a tone to his voice that made it obvious he was a member of Edorian nobility.

“And it goes without saying, but did you notice the way that she was dressed?” this voice belonged to a woman with the sort of upper-crust tone that also marked her as a member of nobility.

“Oh, you mean in jeans and a T-shirt with that jacket? How could I not? I swear at times it’s impossible to believe that she is the daughter of Queen Analise.”

“Between you and I, I can’t help but wonder if they found the wrong girl.”

As soon as they were done speaking, a chorus of laughter sounded in the distance. I recognized one of those laughing as Ava. Shit.

I glanced over at Alaric. His mouth was in a hard, flat line, his eyes narrowed in anger and frustration. He silently gestured for me to follow him.

“Unbelievable,” he said, his voice tinged with anger. “Can my daughter go one single day without embarrassing me?”

“Alaric,” I said, keeping up with his quick pace. “There’s no need to—”

We stopped when we reached the end of the path, turning to see a small group of women chatting with one another. Most of them were members of the palace staff and I recognized Kinley, the royal dressmaker, as one of them. In the center of the group, however, was none other than Princess Ava herself. She and the rest of the women were laughing and chatting, big smiles on their faces.

It made me happy to see. Ava might’ve been having a tough time with her duties as a princess, but she was a hit with the staff. As far as I was concerned, her ability to make others feel comfortable around her, regardless of their station, was a wonderful trait.

Alaric, on the other hand, didn’t seem to share my sentiments. At least, judging by the expression of tight, controlled anger on his face.

“What is she thinking?” his voice came out in a low growl. “Does she have any idea how improper it is for the princess to be galivanting with the staff?” He was mad in a way that I didn’t see very often. Alaric was typically cool and calm—almost to a fault. Seeing him that upset gave me pause.

He flicked his eyes at me. “Luc, please go tell the princess and the rest of her companions that carrying on like that in the garden in front of members of the nobility is not acceptable.”

“Alaric, hold on” I said. “Maybe it’s not such a bad idea to let her have some fun. Making some friends might help her ease into things.”

A beat of silence passed. “Do not make me repeat myself.”

I understood why the king was upset. However, I didn’t at all agree with it. Ava’s touch with people was something that ought to be prized rather than squelched. All the same, there was no way I was going to rebuff an order from the king himself, friend though he may be.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Alaric nodded. He was still angry, but I could sense that he was pleased that I wasn’t going to be another issue to deal with.

I started toward the group, with an unfamiliar heaviness in my heart.