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I slipped the letter from the envelope and smiled at the long lines of his cursive. Knowing how he carried himself, I could almost make-believe that my best friend in the entire world was actually a prince in line for the crown.
But it wasn’t real. My weekend gigs playing princess at birthday parties were as close as I was ever getting to that royal life.
Fitz
I knocked on the library doorway. Daylight streamed through the windows and bathed the floors in a golden hue. Mother looked up from her book. She spent most winter mornings with the light of the early fire warming the angles of her face. “Yes, Leo? Did you come to harangue your parents once more?”
I took a step forward as my father closed his book and set it on the table next to him. His glasses came off next, but he set the earpiece of one arm in the corner of his mouth, eyes narrowed as though he suspected a trap.
Pretty decent instincts…
“Actually, I accept your offer. The competition sounds like a suitable compromise.” I kept my voice even and congenial, so as not to tip them off. “You’re right. If I apply myself, I may even find love.”
“Smashing.” A smile spread across my father’s cheeks and guilt burrowed into my heart, knowing it would fade soon enough. “Should we invite the young women now, or—“
“I have conditions.” My voice carried over the top of his. “You said we could pick five each. But you never said they had to be from Nolcovia.”
“Well, if you have a princess from another country—“
“No.” Mother’s sharp answer interrupted his response, revealing that she had already perceived my destination before he did. “No, she cannot come.”
The fight stirred within me, causing me to shake my head in disbelief. “I won’t do this without her.”
“Without whom?” The King of Nolcovia did not appreciate being in the dark. Like a watchful sentinel, his gaze darted urgently between us, as if expecting invaders to breach the palace walls.
“His American friend,” Mother answered in clipped words. “Leo wants her to compete.”
A derisive sound burst from my father’s lungs. “Why would she even remember you? We had you break ties with all your friends fifteen years ago. It’s not like you’ve kept… in… touch…”
As if the words had the power to unleash the truth, both their mouths parted with shock.
I definitely didn’t feel like the king-to-be. I was nothing but their son, who was very much in trouble for breaking the number-one rule in their home.
“Earlier, you asked if I had any longstanding relationships. Well, she’s the only one and I refuse to do this without her.” I squared my shoulders and waited for their worst.
“How on earth did you converse with her?” Mother’s head appeared ripe to combust into flame at any second. “You must have had help and I want a name.”
“I’m twenty-seven years old, Mother. Don’t you think your reaction is exaggerated?”
“When you’ve lied to your parents for the majority of your life? No, Leonidas, I don’t think I’ve even begun to rage.”
I started to object, but my father put up his hands as if to quell the argument. “Leonidas makes a point, Mariah. He’s not a child. You can’t control him, especially if he’s to become king in the next eight weeks. We both know my prognosis.”
Every time he said it, my heart squeezed with pain. None of this was supposed to be happening. He couldn’t die. He was the strongest man I knew, and I wasn’t ready—
“Besides,” my father shrugged, “who’s to say she’ll even agree?”
Mother’s eyebrow twitched as if the thought hadn’t occurred to her. Light appeared in her expression once more, knowing I could be wrong about my friendship. Instead of taking offense, I seized the moment and turned it to my advantage.
“Father is probably right. She’s very busy and I doubt she’ll be willing. All I’m asking for is the chance to invite her.”
Mother’s narrowed gaze landed on me again. “She cannot be a genuine contender.”
It wasn’t a request or a question. She meant it like a command. And, in reality, I agreed. I didn’t want Michaela to come to win my heart. I wanted her to help me understand my heart. She knew me better than I knew myself, and if I could find love, Michaela would help make it happen.
“No,” I intentionally selected my words, “she’d be like an inside man for me. Someone to tell me who is here for the right reasons and who is less than true to the crown.”
That caught my father’s fancy. He appreciated loyalty. Mother wasn’t so easily swayed.
