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I sat on the larger of two thrones and shook my head.
He snickered, sitting on the other. Letting out a long sigh, Rikard played with the curls in his hair. He was nervous. I should have been annoyed by him laughing, but damn if I wasn’t struggling to loathe him. He was downright handsome in this light. And the gallof him tosit downin the consort’s throne! I doubted it was symbolism as much as it was his own self-obsessed belief he should be able to sit next to me without a question asked. I met his glance. He didn’t turn. I didn’t expect to feel anything for this match, but his jaw alone had me going.
“I’m not sure I follow completely. Let me lay my stuff on the table here, Your Majesty. My father thinks it would be good for us to see one another—you might have a good effect on me. I dunno. Problem is… I’m not marriage material. And, no offence, you seem like a nice girl, but… you’re not my type.”
“That’s fine. Let’s stay married long enough to get everyone free and put the old bag in the sod. Then, I will set you free.”
“But you’re Catholic!”
“As if I care if I give the Pope a heart attack! My life has been someone else’s since I was born. You don’t get it. At all. I am a prisoner here. I would do almost anything to get out of this mess—including marrying someone who insults bartenders and speaks poor French.”
“Excuse me! My French is?—”
“Dreadful.”
“You cannot help but be judgemental, can you?”
“And you cannot help but be quick to judge.”
He glared at me and popped back up.
“What is it that has your father upset?”
He took a long breath, pacing now. “I dated someone unsuitable, and it bit me in the ass. I should have known better.”
I was sympathetic. He’d been in love.
“I know, I know. We were friends for ages. I fell in love with her. She fell in love with me. Someone tipped my father off. And… he was unhappy about it.”
I softened further. Forbidden love sounded an awful torture.
“It’s a whole thing. She wasn’t going to work out and I should have avoided her. I know, but I love her still. I don’t want to end up stuck with someone—even someone like you—because I’m hoping to find love. But the love I find is either unrequited or out-of-bounds. I know this is only common anymore among royals and that you all seem to almost expect it.”
“Well, we’re a bit backwards, I’ll grant you, Rikard.”
“Rick, please. Or, if you’re everyone else, just call me Rick the Prick.”
I burst out laughing uncontrollably.
“Yuck it up, Your Majesty.”
“I’m sorry.” I tried to rein it in. “But… you’re… oh, that’s awful, Rick!”
“I told you. I have my issues. No need to inflict them on a young thing like you. You’re practically an infant.”
“I very much am not but I haven’t been allowed to go anywhere or do anything! Don’t call me an infant.”
He sighed. “Yes. Okay, that’s fine. You’re not an infant. You’re also not my future wife.”
“Maybe not, but… what? You can’t ride out a fake, arranged marriage for a year? And, if you’re quiet about it, I don’t care if you… you know.”
He understood my meaning. I couldn’t bear to say I was fine with him sleeping with someone else. The idea of sharing him was unattractive, but I could endure.
“What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Should you not get the same?”
