Page 2 of Desperately Yours

I turned and found her sitting in the chair in the corner, dressed in black from head to toe, a gown ready for a funeral at a moment’s notice.

“You’ve been guarding me?” It shouldn’t have surprised me. Mother had been employing the guards as her personal spies for years, but never once had she used them against me. At least not to my knowledge. Not until now.

“Someone has to make sure the kingdom isn’t destroyed under your watch. Obviously, you can’t be trusted when it comes to that girl.”

“Thatwoman,” I corrected her, “has done more good for this country in the short time she’s been here than you have all of your years on the throne.” It was a stretch, but in my blistering anger, I didn’t care to fact check.

“Watch yourself, Leonidas. You might say something you regret.” Her eyes narrowed, like a snake preparing to strike. “After all, one word from the queen and the doctors will insist yourCocogoes home to recover.”

She always knew the thread to pull when it came to unraveling my confidence. I was the Crown Prince, but she was still the queen in power.

Carefully, I chose my words before I spoke again. “You can’t keep her from me forever, Mother. There is still a competition at play. I gave her a charm. The people are clamoring to hear her side of the story. If we don’t allow it, the unrest will only grow.”

Her cheeks sucked in on either side as she considered the veiled threat. That was the word in the city. Everyone wanted to know what happened when Michaela fell. News stations were begging for the story and holding back wouldn’t bode well for the royal family. Not when too many were already searching for conspiracies to chase. Last I heard, some believed it was a hoax. Others believed but doubted the timeline. A few said the queenpushed her. At this point, if I didn’t know the truth, I might have believed that one over the others.

“We will do the interview, but,” her long finger came up, casting a shadow on the wall behind her like a spirit from beyond offering a warning alongside her, “it will be according to my rules. No talk of your time in America. No endearing stories from your shared youth.” She pointed her finger at me. “And you will not set foot in front of the camera. One look at you and they’ll think you’re a lovesick fool for this girl.”

I squared my shoulders and faced her directly. “And what if I am, Mother? What then?”

She shrugged. “You can’t be, Leonidas. You promised you wouldn’t fall in love with her on the condition of her coming here. And Iknowmy son always keeps his promises.” The muscles in her face relaxed, almost forming a smile, but the slightest tension remained, letting me know it was a trap. “Just like I know you won’t use the passageway to get to her either.”

“And how do youknowthat?” My bravery waned, more afraid than I wanted to admit over what she might say.

“Because I have instructed Dahlia to stay with your Michaela around-the-clock. No one outside our family is to know about the passages. That has kept us safe for generations.” Her voice chilled. “And because if I do find out that you have been breaking your promises, you will never see your American friend again.”

I frowned. “You’ll send her back to America? You know I can charter a flight anywhere in the—”

“And that will be useful, if you were able to find her again, but, Son, if you push me, I swear she will cease to exist.”

Silence filled the space between us. Had she just threatened to kill Michaela? Could she do that? It was definitely within her power to deport her or destroy her reputation, but make her disappear?

I didn’t want to believe she had it in her. Likely sensing my defeat, she rose from the chair and walked to the doorway that separated my bedroom from the rest of the chambers. Hesitating, she turned back to face me. “I do hate being a stickler, but I need you to confirm that you understand what I’m telling you.” Her head inclined slightly toward me, as if she were looking down at a child. “You do understand, don’t you, Leonidas?”

Never once had I enjoyed the feeling of being trapped by an opponent. Not in chess. Not on the debate team when Oliver Sartoris caught me in a bluff. And definitely not with my controlling mother. And yet, I had no ground to stand on. No foreseeable way around the roadblock she threw up.

“I understand.” I hated every syllable of my response. It sounded too much like: You win, Mother.

“Thank you, darling.” She feigned a yawn. “My, it is late. I think I’ll retire. Goodnight, Leo. I love you.”

She waited, leaving the air uncomfortable and forced. I had a part to play and my skin crawled thinking about the way she could control me.

“Goodnight, Mother.” I clenched my jaw then released it. “I love you too.”

Looking away, I didn’t see her pleasure at my distress and defeat, but I heard it in her voice.

“Good boy, Leonidas.”

I remained still until she left the room. The painting called to me, begging me to take the chance and try the passage, but the risk was too great. Instead, I repeated my answer in my head.

You can’t keep her from me forever, Mother.

Michaela

I couldn’t stop seeing the fall.

Over and over again, it played in my mind. The sinkhole as it opened, the feeling of nothing to stand on, little Leila’s cry of fright and her arms as they clenched around my neck.

And his eyes.

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