Page 29 of Desperately Yours

“Wait for him to call you forward and curtsy. Don’t rise until he calls your name.” Fitz’s voice teased my ear as he whispered his advice. “Just as we practiced your first day here.”

I swore I could feel his smile. Considering the topic, how could he not smile at that memory? He’d tried to train me in a proper curtsy and instead played a prank, but when I looked up at him that first night in the parlor, I saw him in a new light. No longer the boy I knew, but the man who left me breathless. I hadn’t been able to shake it ever since.

Without turning my head, I spoke to him in a low tone. “Are you staying?”

“Yes, but I won’t be much help. This ishisshow.” With a squeeze of my hand, he shifted away from me to take a seat in one of the chairs behind the camera.

I squared my shoulders and tried to think regal thoughts. A small bug buzzed around my head, completely out of place in this atmosphere. With the wave of my hand, I shooed it away without too much effort. The call didn’t come. The others knewI was standing there awkwardly in front of the row of cameras, but no one had said a word to me. I got the feeling the king was waiting for me to screw up, and by not calling me, he was setting me up to fail early. Without watching him directly, I waited patiently for his request to join them.

There had been talk for a day or so that the king would fully recover, but I doubted that rumor would hold up beyond the interview. Though he sat up straight, his shoulders sagged. The sickness that had plagued him had robbed him of all the color in his face, leaving him pale and drained. His crown weighed heavily on his head, and I had to doubt the production team’s choice in airing their king in such a weak state. After the things I’d witnessed, I worried it would only fuel the unrest in the kingdom.

“Miss Caldwell,” the king finally spoke my name, but I felt Fitz stiffen at his father’s choice of title for me. Still, I responded appropriately, taking a step forward, head low, and sank into a curtsy for His Majesty.

“Yes, Your Majesty?” It was a repeat of that first day with Fitz. No way was the king going to let me up until I either fell over or my legs gave out. Jaw clenched, I counted off the seconds, waiting as he toyed with me on his royal power trip. After a full thirty seconds, my legs started to cramp, but I didn’t so much as twitch.

“Miss Caldwell, please join us.” His deep voice maintained the tenor of a man in perfect health. Maybe playing mind games was as effective as Sadie’s medicine.

Gritting my teeth, I rose again but kept my head bowed. Even though my legs ached, I resisted the temptation to rub out the sharp jabs of pain. This wasn’t the time to show any holes in my defenses. More than once headed to a child’s party, I had run-ins with dogs. They didn’t care that I was in a poofy princessdress. If I made eye contact, it was grounds for attack. I learned to acknowledge the alpha’s position when needed.

“Okay, everyone looks great.” Tom clapped his hands and rubbed them together, oblivious to the undercurrent of tension. “Your Majesty, we’re ready to roll. It’s a live feed, everyone, so let’s keep it moving but nothing too surprising, okay?”

Without saying it, Tom meant he didn’t want any threats to the throne or declarations of war in mixed company. Sad that sort of thing had to be said out loud. But in my experience, thus far, the live cameras seemed to bring on a theatrical flair in folks.

The king gave his intro to the cameras, looking better than he had even moments ago. He spoke of legacy and wanting to know the women who had taken hold of his son’s heart. In my eyes, this was the meet-my-parents episode of the dating show. Too bad his parents already had a distaste for me. I feared this wouldn’t end well.

But, as the questions started, I found myself forgotten. He spoke to Esmerey about her family and her hobbies. They shared a laugh over some of their common acquaintances. She fielded questions like: What have you learned from your parents, and how has their influence affected you? As interview questions go, they were too easy. When he asked her, “And what is your favorite kind of cake?” I nearly scoffed.

Was this the level of scrutiny I was facing? If so, Bishop was worried for nothing.

Fruit, crackers, and slices of cheese had been arranged on a low table between us and the king. That dang bug still buzzed around, annoying people in the room, judging by the way a few swatted at the air around them. Sadie, apparently just as bored as I was, picked off a branch of grapes and popped a few in her mouth. Maybe this charade was a chance for the king to make Esmerey look better? She’d always been his favorite. Maybe—

“And, Lady Sadira,” his attention turned to Sadie sitting next to me, “I trust the activities you’ve enjoyed here in the capital have been exciting and new? I doubt you’ve been able to do many of them in Eshein Province, yes?”

Was she allowed to disagree with him? Why did I get the feeling that was a backhanded dig at where she came from?

“Yes, Your Majesty. I’ve had a lovely time here.” Sadie wrapped her hands around the grapes in her lap as if to hide them. I felt her pain. No one said we could eat. Maybe they were decorations. She had an edge on me when it came to Nolcovian traditions, but she was still lost in the elite protocols of her own country. She pressed her lips together as if to steal a moment to think and finally added, “It’s been an adventure.”

“And what about the food? What’s something you’ve had here that you never could afford at home?”

From the wall, Fitz cleared his throat. Something about the question definitely bothered him. Was it the attack on Sadie, or simply that he didn’t want his father to alienate an entire province with his elitist perspective? Probably both. Parents often embarrassed their kids, but the wrong words could spark a civil war in this case.

“The desserts, Sire.” She bowed her head slightly, showing her bashful side. “They’ve been unlike anything I’ve ever tasted.”

Holding a delicate plate, Esmerey leaned forward to pluck a few grapes from the tray as the king conversed with Sadie. Out of the three of us, she was definitely the most at home. The bug buzzed around her head, making her go nearly cross-eyed as she swiped at the air. I found myself a little more than amused at her struggle. The irony that the bug would choose her, little miss royal favorite, over landing on me was—

“And, Miss Caldwell,” the king’s voice interrupted my petty thoughts, “what do you think of the power struggle between the Aclusian and Eshein provinces?”

For real? I wasn’t paying attention. Was that what he’d just asked Sadie? By the look of shock on her face, I wagered it wasn’t. No, this was a chance for him to show exactly how out of place I was in his country.

Too bad for him, Bishop had prepped me to answer this one.

“I think there will always be struggle between those whohaveand those whohave not. It’s a classic example of conflict theory in action. With the affluent Aclusian people bordering the less fortunate Eshein citizens, they are butted up against each other and the stark contrast is impossible to ignore.” My words took him back a bit, but before he could interject, I added, “However, I do have to applaud Lady Sadira and her people for their ingenuity and perseverance despite their trials. I know they have created their own subculture and heritage that go back generations. They are not only loyal to the crown, but deeply connected to one another as well.”

The room sat in stunned silence for a moment. I hoped I hadn’t stuck my foot in something without realizing it. Finally, Sadie’s head bobbed in a nod. “Well said, Lady Michaela.”

The king sucked in his cheeks for a moment as he considered his trajectory. “Lady Esmerey, you’ve lived in the Aclusian Province, yes? What has been your favorite part?”

“Oh, by far the resorts, Your Majesty. They’re nestled right in the heart of the most beautiful landscapes the world has to offer and I feel like—ow!” Her palm flew to her neck with a slap. Though I couldn’t see anything, it seemed that the small bug had finally found a target.

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