Page 20 of The Abandoned Princess

He rubbed the back of his neck, his other cheek now flushed almost as dark as the abused one. “Well, lots of the tales suggest…”

“A kiss of true love?” I raised an eyebrow. “I see you have a high opinion of yourself. Did you expect me to fall in love with you at first sight?”

“No, no, I…” He stopped, his grimace dissolving into a laugh. “It was rather arrogant of me, wasn’t it?”

The open admission disarmed me, but I managed to keep my stern expression in place.

“How about this?” he asked meekly. “I’ll promise no more surprise kisses, and you promise that if you really have to hit me again, you’ll avoid the face.”

“Excuse me?” It came out sounding more amused and less offended than I’d intended.

“I’m sure you understand,” he said earnestly, gesturing at his face. “I have a responsibility to preserve a national treasure like this.”

I gaped at him until I caught the wicked twinkle in his eyes that belied his earnest expression.

I snorted. “Fine. As long as you keep your lips to yourself, I’ll refrain from any further physical abuse.”

Charli made a strangled noise, reminding me that we weren’t alone. When I glanced at her, her eyes were fixed on the prince, and she looked like she was about to faint.

“You…you can hear her?” she gasped.

A strange sensation swept through my body as her words sunk in, and I realized what should have been the first thought on my mind. What did my first kiss matter beside the enormity of what had just occurred?

“Did it work?” I asked urgently. “Did your kiss break the enchantment?”

It seemed beyond far-fetched, but how else could I explain it?

The prince’s eyes traveled up and down my body before slipping sideways to stare at the tower.

“I can see you and the tower clearly,” he said in amazement. “And I can hear you as easily as I can hear her.” He gestured toward Charli without turning to look at her. “And I certainly felt that slap. You seem completely real, but I’m equally sure I couldn’t see you when I first arrived.”

“The enchantment is broken.” I said the words slowly, trying to make myself believe them. It felt too wonderful to be real. “I’m free. I can’t believe a plan that foolish actually worked!”

“Thanks,” the prince said wryly.

I grinned at him, too elated to be annoyed at his methods any longer.

He smiled back, looking bemused but happy.

He held out his hand in a more standard greeting. “Good evening, Princess Daisy. I’m Prince Xander of Kuralan, and I can’t tell you how good it is to meet you after all this time.”

I put my hand into his and dropped into my most stately curtsy.

“The honor is all mine, Your Highness.”

“Please call me Xander.” There was a look in his eyes I couldn’t name.

“Daisy isn’t a princess,” Charli cut in, staring between us. “Are you, Daisy?”

“Actually…” I bit my lip. “Sorry. I didn’t want Eulalie to find out my true identity, and I know you guys can’t recognize her since she enchanted herself. I didn’t want to risk one of you saying something and her overhearing you…”

“A princess…” She shook her head, looking dazed. “But there aren’t any Princess Daisys. They made us study the new kingdoms in school—the ones across the ocean and the ones across the desert—and I would have noticed a Daisy.”

“Officially I’m Princess Margaret,” I admitted.

“A lovely name,” Xander said, earning a glare.

“Don’t even think about trying to use it. I don’t answer to Margaret, and I never have.”

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