Page 85 of Royally Tempted

I groaned. “Donotremind me.”

“Hey, princess duties. Besides, it’s myjobto remind you. Literally.”

“It’s going to be stupid.”

“It’s going to be fun! A ball, at your uncle’s palace in Avlion? Dude, fancy dresses, a gorgeous castle, lots of cute single guys, and duh, your cousins?”

I grinned, thinking of Isla, Imogen, and Ilana. Okay, it as going to be great to see them, but the rest of it could go stuff itself.

“Princes, Anya. They’re the worst.”

“There are somehotprinces out there, for the record, some of which are going to that ball I hear.”

“Like?”

“Prince Magnus, of Zale?”

I made a face. “Uh, manwhore much?”

“Could be what you need?”

I blushed as she stuck her tongue out at me.

“There’s the Charming brothers?”

I bit my lip. “Okay, granted, hot.”

“See?”

“But, eh, not my type.”

“Youhaveno type. Hence being eighteen and a virgin.”

“No thanks to you!”

She laughed. “Ooo, there’s Prince Logan”

My brow went up. “The scary dude from Torsund?”

She grinned. “Be honest, heiskinda hot.”

“But terrifying.”

Anya laughed. “Butdefinitelyterrifying.”

“Ugh, okay fine. Dress fitting it is.”

Anya jumped up and dove into the water coming up shrieking.

“Fuckthat’s cold. Okay, that was my last one. I’m going to go dry off and pee and put some clothes on.”

“Yeah, same.”

I didn’t jump in, I just jumped off onto the dirt and moss of the tree-line and grabbed my discarded sun dress. My skin was basically dry at that point, so I figured I’d just just take the damp underwear off and wear the dress home to the palace.

I ducked into the woods and behind a tree and slipped my bra off. I shivered a little, slipping the soaking wet panties down my legs and kicking them off. It’s a weird feeling being naked in the woods, but there was something so fun about it. And for second, I could pretend I wasn’t Princess Adele of Berne and just pretend I was some forest person living here in the trees. I could smell the scent of the woods, and feel the moss and the leaves beneath my bare feet. I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with the clean, fresh air.

There was a breeze suddenly, and my daydreaming was cut short by my sundress suddenly blowing from my fingers. I cursed and raced after it, my bare feet padding over the mossy ground as I ducked behind another tree and finally caught it with my toe.

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