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CHAPTER 1
MAISY
Maisy took a slow, deep breath to calm her nerves. Then, mustering all the resolve she had, she stepped through the double doors into the banquet hall. As she did, all eyes turned to her and she caught a quick glimpse of her parents and younger sister sitting at the main table, along with the royal family. And her future husband.
Maisy dropped her gaze to the nearby tables and wove her way towards the front of the room, smiling and nodding at each person she passed. The tables were filled with both Americans and Aeniceans, all eager to celebrate the impending royal wedding. They smiled at Maisy and she smiled back. These were soon to be her people, even though that was hard to believe.
All of this was hard to believe, really, from the packed banquet hall to the prince she was marrying to the gorgeous green satin gown that the family’s stylists had picked out for the occasion.
Maisy continued across the room at a sedate pace, as though there was no hurry in the world, before reaching her place at the head of the room. Her seat was beside Prince Niko, her betrothed, at the center of the head table. With carefully straight posture, Maisy took her seat.
“You look lovely today.” Niko smiled at her, but it looked a little thin. It always did. Maisy could hardly blame him for being less than excited about their wedding tomorrow, since neither of them had chosen this. Not really. When their parents had suggested a wedding between the two families almost five years ago, they’d both been in their early twenties, and marriage had seemed like a far-off prospect. Plus, as Maisy’s parents had explained to her, it was important to cement relations between the Carpenters, a wealthy family of American industrialists with their fingers in all kinds of pies, and the Galanises, the royal family of Aenicea and an important partner in trade.
“Thank you.” Maisy smiled back and accepted the bowl of soup a passing waiter placed in front of her with another quick, “Thanks.” Then she returned her attention to Niko. “You look nice, too.”
It was true. Niko was very handsome — in fact, Maisy was pretty sure that if you looked “classically good-looking” or “dashing” up in the dictionary, you’d find a picture of Niko, brooding, in his royal sash. He had dark brown hair that was always neat, dark brown eyes, tan skin, and was built like an athlete — a leftover from his days playing soccer as a teenager. He also had a brooding, solemn nature that many women found attractive, although it wasn’t exactly Maisy’s style.
“What scintillating conversation.” Xander, Niko’s twin brother, leaned across to join the exchange. He had Niko’s same “tall, dark, and handsome” aesthetic, but where Niko wore a stately expression of polite interest, Xander’s eyes always twinkled with a private joke or a daring scheme. Xander was the younger brother (by two minutes), so would not inherit Aenicea’s throne. He used the freedom that gave him to pursue women, fun, and lack of responsibility, from what Maisy had seen.
“Thank you for your commentary, Xander.” Niko raised his eyebrows warningly at his brother.
“That’s what I’m here for. Bringing a little light to the festivities.” Xander crossed his arms and sat back, looking pleased with himself. Maisy stifled the urge to snort and focused on the bowl of soup in front of her.
“This is just so cool, isn’t it?” Maisy’s younger sister, Lily, chimed in from her other side, pulling Maisy’s attention from the soup once again. At only twenty-one, Lily was still beyond charmed by the royal atmosphere of Aenicea. She was wearing a light-pink dress that complemented her blond hair and blue eyes and made her look like a princess in a fairy tale.
Maisy, with her light-brown hair, green eyes, and smattering of freckles that never seemed to disappear, felt more like an imposter in a princess costume.
“Very cool.” Maisy smiled at her sister.
“I can’t believe you’re getting married tomorrow. And to a prince!” Lily feigned a swoon. “Are you excited? You must be so excited.”
“Very excited. Now eat your soup before it gets cold.”
In Aenicea, the banquet the night before a wedding ceremony was one of the biggest parts of the festivities. That meant that it was a very long meal, beginning with the soup, then proceeding through no less than nine courses of both traditional Aenicean foods and modern gourmet classics. Maisy enjoyed the food, but the raised table in front of such a huge crowd wasn’t her favorite place to be. Despite her childhood in the spotlight as part of such an influential family, she didn’t feel comfortable when too many eyes were on her. That bodes well for your future as a queen.
“Try the sorbet,” Niko prompted gently.
“I will, I will. I just don’t understand how sorbet came to feature so prominently in a dinner. Isn’t it meant to be a dessert?”
“Usually, but this is a refreshing mint sorbet to cleanse your palate for the next course.” Niko smiled at her, and Maisy smiled back. They were friendly, sure. Yet there was no spark of the love Maisy had always dreamed of. As a young girl, she’d read stories of princesses and adventure, of ordinary girls swept up in dashing romances. A part of her had always hoped that such romance lay ahead for her.
Yet what she felt for Niko was friendship, politeness, and respect. Nothing more. Maisy knew that the stories of romance she’d dreamed of were nothing but fiction, and that real life was about business deals and love stories that unfold over time, not about swooning and magical kisses — but she had hoped for a few more butterflies.
Oh, well. There was nothing to be done now. It was the night before the royal wedding, and Maisy wasn’t about to undo years of carefully laid-out plans. She would go through with the wedding and, with any luck, love would come later. Niko was a perfect gentleman and very handsome besides. Surely, their feelings for each other would grow as they got to know each other more and more.
Right?
“Is everything okay?” Lily asked. “You look a little green.” She wrinkled her nose. “Is it the sorbet?”
“Probably.” Maisy tossed her sister a quick grin. “I’m not used to sorbet in the middle of dinner. And I’m feeling a little under the weather.”
“Oh, no!” Lily’s eyes went wide. “Do you need some tea? We have to make sure you’re well for tomorrow.”
“I’ll be fine.” Maisy wasn’t about to admit her worries to her sister — or to anyone. Talking about it would only intensify her doubts, which she couldn’t let happen. Plus, Maisy didn’t want her sister to worry about her. Lily was a romantic, too, and she didn’t need to know that Maisy didn’t love Niko.
“Okay.” Lily returned to her sorbet, just in time for it to be removed. “Oh, well.”
Dinner wore on. Maisy caught sight of her parents deep in conversation with Aenicea’s king and queen and felt her heart warm — at least the parents were all good friends. Between the fourth and fifth courses, she and Niko had a brief conversation about the recent soccer game they’d watched together as one of the photo opportunities that made up a good portion of their engagement. But mostly, Maisy chatted with her sister.
