A Royal Entanglement: The Young Royals Book 2 (41 page)

“I’m sorry about lying to you,” I said, “About my past, I mean and I’m sorry you had to find out about it the way you did.”

She pulled me into a hug.
 
“I’m sorry too,” she said, “I was worried for Freddie.
 
I didn’t really believe those things that they said in the paper, but it all sounded so convincing.
 
But Freddie set me straight.
 
Can you forgive me for doubting you?”

“Of course,” I said, tightening my arms around her, “I love that you are so protective of your brother.”

“And now we’re going to be sisters,” she said, excitedly.

“I know,” I said with a teary smile, “I’m still having trouble believing it.”

“Hey,” Alyssa said coming over to us, “Can I get in on this love-fest?”

I giggled, “Sure,” I said, pulling her into the hug.

“You will still help plan my wedding aren’t you?” she asked seriously when we separated.

I nodded, “Of course.
 
I’ve been looking forward to it.”

“Oh good,” she said, “Priscilla was having a bit of a meltdown over the whole thing.
 
Apparently her sister is coming to live with her for a while and she didn’t know how she would be able to get it all done.”

“Priscilla has a sister?” I asked, this was news to me.

Alyssa nodded, “Yeah, a younger one.
 
Around Lily’s age, I think.”

“Oh, they can keep each other company,” I said.

“And Will’s sister too,” Alyssa said and I saw a suspicious gleam in her eye.

I laughed.
 
I felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders and I couldn’t remember ever feeling so light and free.
 
This was my home and it was so good to be here again, surrounded by the people who loved me for me and not for what I could do for them.
 
I couldn’t wait for my new life to begin.

The night eventually wound down and I stood at the door saying good night to my friends and when the last person left, standing on the wall opposite my door was the man who had made it all possible.
 
He walked towards me, cupped my face and lowered his mouth to mine.
 
He kissed me slowly, taking his time as he slid his lips across mine.
 
I melted into him, letting all the emotions I had been keeping locked down seep into the kiss.

He searched my eyes when he lifted his head and I smiled up at him.

“Happy?” he asked.

“So happy,” I replied and then pushed up on my toes to kiss him again.
 
I don’t think I would ever get tired of being in Freddie’s arms.
 
Our future spooled out in front of me and I sighed contentedly, I finally had my happily ever after.

“I’m in love,” Bianca said as she fell onto the sofa, scattering the seating charts I had been working on.

“You’ve only been in the country for twenty-four hours,” I said, “How could you possibly be in love.”

“Oh Katey,” Bianca said, “Don’t you have a single romantic bone in your body?”

“No,” I replied, “And don’t call me Katey.
 
My name is Priscilla, everyone here calls me Priscilla.”

My actual name was Katerina Priscilla Beaumonde, but since moving to Merveille I had decided to use my middle name.
 
Coming here had felt like a new beginning and I wanted the woman that I used to
 
be to be left behind with my old life.
 
So I had become Priscilla, only my sister seemed to forget that I no longer answered to Katey.
 
As for romance, once bitten, twice shy, as the saying went.
 
I’d had my fill of fanciful feelings that left you bereft and hurting.
 
No more falling in love for me, I had learned my lesson.

“Oh Katey—“
 
I glared at her, “Oh Priscilla,” she amended, “Love is grand.
 
How can you not feel the romance in the air?
 
You are organising the Queen’s wedding for goodness sake, how much more romantic can you get?”

“Very little of what I am doing has anything to do with romance,” I said, tired and cranky, “You would not believe the logistical nightmare I have to deal with in trying to organise this seating chart for the ceremony, not to mention the reception.
 
I could inadvertently start a war between two countries if I don’t get it right.”

Bianca giggled and I resented her carefree attitude to life.
 
As the baby of the family, father doted on her, spoiling her by giving her everything she desired.
 
Our mother had died when I was ten years old and Bianca was little more than a toddler.
 
My father looked to me to fulfil the role of mother while he became the indulgent parent to the small, adorable baby.
 
I’d had to grow up fast, not that I minded.

“You’re far too serious Kat—Priscilla,” she said dreamily.

I sighed and took off my glasses, rubbing the bridge of my nose, easing the tension that had gathered there.
 
“Okay,” I said with a sigh, “Who is this man that you have fallen in love with.”

She sat up, her eyes sparkling, “I don’t know his name,” she said and I held in a groan.
 
“But he is the most exquisite specimen of a man I have ever seen.
 
And we had a moment.”

“You had a moment?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said, ignoring my sarcasm, “It was just like a romance novel or a movie.
 
I was sitting at a table talking with Georgie and Lily and then I saw him across the garden.”

There had been a reception in the Palace gardens today in the lead up to the official start if the wedding festivities.
 
It had been crowded with nobility and titled gentry and no doubt every eligible bachelor had been on the prowl.
 
Bianca was a beautiful girl and would have garnered her fair share of attention from said bachelors.

“Do you think I’ll see him again?” she asked, turning her big innocent eyes on me.

“Probably,” I said tiredly, “There are quite a few events between now and the wedding, he’s sure to be at one, if not all of them.”

She smiled dreamily and flopped back down on the sofa.
 
“Oh, I hope you’re right,” she said, “I think I will positively die if I don’t get to meet him.”

I rolled my eyes and put my glasses back on, looking down at the spreadsheet before me.
 
I clucked my tongue and made a note in the margin.
 
There was no way I could seat Lady Poppy Della Sabina next to Lady Isabella de Vaughn.
 
It might not lead to world war three, but it would cause a ripple in the space-time continuum and I would not take responsibility for that fallout.
 
Alyssa had once had them at the same table at a garden party and we were all lucky to escape with our lives.

“What did he look like?” I asked, more to stop her from falling asleep on my sofa than because I was interested.

“He was devastatingly handsome,” she said breathily, “He had dark hair and a strong nose and gorgeous full lips and his eyes… his eyes were green, the most amazing emerald green that I have ever seen.”

Dark hair, strong nose, thick lips and green eyes.
 
There could only be one man that fit that description and I had to fight the smile that wanted to split my face.
 
Dominique Furore would have nothing to do with my little sister, he was far to old to start with and far too stuffy for the likes of her.
 
I had never considered him as devastatingly handsome before, I found him to be more of an irritant than anything else.
 
He was always picking apart my work and we could never agree on anything, which was a bit of a problem since we had to work together.
 
As the Lord Chancellor, he was in charge of Protocol and Etiquette for all things royal and I was the Queen’s Protocol Liaison, which meant Dominique and I spent an awful lot of time together.
 
Time neither of us enjoyed.

“Do you recognise him?” Bianca asked, looking at the look on my face.

“Perhaps,” I said, “But if it’s the man I’m thinking of, he’s way too old for you.”

I waved a hand at me, “Then it’s not the same man,” she said, “The man I saw was my age and we definitely had a moment.
 
He smiled at me and I swear he winked.
 
He was so dreamy.”

I rolled my eyes again.
 
Maybe it wasn’t Dominique after all, there’s no way I could imagine him winking at anyone, the man barely deigned to smile.

“Dom,” Louis said, coming into my office.
 
I looked up at my younger brother and stared into the face so much like my own.
 
We could be twins except for the small matter of five years difference between us.
 
Although I had begun to look decidedly more ragged around the edges compared to the youth that exuded from him.

“Louis,” I said, “What can I do for you?”

“Did you see that exquisite young woman at the party this afternoon?” he asked and I had to stop myself from sighing.
 
Louis thought himself somewhat of a Lothario or perhaps a Casanova.
 
Father had sent him to me in order to try to get him to concentrate on his studies rather than the fairer sex.
 
So far it hadn’t been going as well as expected.

“You weren’t at the party to look at the women,” I said, turning my attention back to the seating chart that Priscilla had emailed me.
 
It looked almost perfect, which galled me.
 
I took perverse pleasure in correcting her mistakes, although they were becoming less and less frequent.