Page 46 of Royally Wed

Asher let out a laugh. “That makes two of us.”

“Is the reason you’re having trouble playing because of what happened with this horrid Jeremy and...” Her voice trailed off at the end.

“Serena.”

“Serena,” Amelia echoed. She looked as if she were trying the names out in her head. Serena and Jeremy. Jeremy and Serena.

Asher shookhis head. Why in God’s name was he telling her any of this?

“Probably.” Asher shrugged. “Definitely.”

Stick to the subject at hand.

Asher cleared his throat. This wasn’t a therapy session. Hewas supposed to be telling Amelia to keep her royally cute nose out of his business.

“Like I said, things are complicated. He thinks the only reason I’m here is for revenge. I can’t have you jumping tomy defense. It’ll only raise suspicions.” He gave her a sideways glance. “For both of us, most likely.”

She dipped her head until her dark fringe covered her eyes. “Right. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” he said.

Then, in flagrant violation of his ownNo Touchingrule, he reached for her chin with his fingertips and forced her to meet his gaze. “It was nice. But I don’t need rescuing.”

Her lipscurved into a small smile and she lifted an accusatory brow. “Willow and I disagree with you on that one.”

“Point taken.” He released her chin and was suddenly unsure what to do with his hand, so he balled it into a fist in his lap. “If Willow holds me hostage again, feel free to intervene. But outside the palace...”

She nodded. “I get it. It’s just like when I told you to call me Amelia.”

How had she put it?

You can call me Amelia. When no one else is around, I mean.

Asher remembered it as clear as a bell—her bittersweet tone, the tug in his chest, the apology that glittered in her eyes.

“Exactly,” he said, realizing he no longer felt angry or guilty or confused or any of the other myriad emotions he’dexperienced during the course of the day.

He felt sad all of a sudden. Inexplicably,profoundly sad.

Amelia looked at him, long and hard. Long enough for Asher to wonder if perhaps he wasn’t as virtuous as he’d like to believe, if under certain circumstances, he could indeed become the betrayer.

Her eyes grew shiny. “Play something for me,” she whispered.

So he did.

He didn’t think about it. He didn’t mull over his song selection. His hands began to move over the keys beforehe realized what he was going to play. Asher was two bars in before he recognized the tune as “Your Song” by Elton John.

It was more than a song. It was a story. One with words so familiar they seemed to rise up from the keys and hover over the grand room, without anyone singing them.

My gift is my song and this one’s for you.

When he reached the end, he waited until the final note faded intosilence before he spoke.

“Sir Elton,” he said, just to ease the tension that had wrapped itself around them. He could barely force the words out. He could hardly breathe.

“He’s played this piano before, you know,” Amelia said in a voice just shy of a whisper.

Asher hadn’t known. But it made sense. Nothing in the palace was ordinary.