Page 39 of The Reluctant Heir

Resigned, I turn back to my cheesecake and take the final bite. I stand from my chair to head to my room just as Julien comes into the room. He’s wearing an amused smirk.

I walk closer to him. “Thank you for sending Prince Lucas away. I owe you.”

Julien shakes his head at me. “Are you insane?”

“Why would you ask that?” I tilt my head to the side as I study my younger brother. We look so much alike that we could be twins.

“You just askedKaineto pick a husband for you,” Julien says, reminding me of the conversation I just had with my advisor.

“I get the final say. I’m just trying to weed out the bad options. I can’t sit through another date like Prince Lucas.”

Julien raises both eyebrows. “You didn’t sit through a date with him. You were with him for maybe five minutes when I sent him away. And, might I reiterate, you askedKaineto choose a husband for you.”

I open my mouth to offer a rebuttal when his words sink in.

Oh, my gosh. I asked Kaine to pick out a husband for me. What was I thinking?

Julien laughs so hard he puts a hand on my shoulder to keep from falling over. “The look of horror on your face.”

I narrow my eyes. “Shut up or I’ll ask him to pick you out a wife.”

That causes him to stop laughing. “You wouldn’treallydo that, would you?”

I shrug and turn to walk out of the room.

“Madeline!” Julien yells after me.

I cackle once I’m out of his hearing range.

Having a brother is so much more fun than I ever thought it would be. And to think, I used to like being an only child.

My phone vibrateswith a call from an unknown number. Without considering, I swipe to answer the call. “Hello.”

“Princess Madeline, hello.”

I don’t recognize the voice. “Who is this?”

“I apologize. I should’ve introduced myself. This is Prince Lucas.”

I freeze in terror.

How did I not recognize his droll voice?

I force my voice to remain pleasant. “Hey, Prince Lucas. How… lovely to hear from you.”

Lovely my foot.

I must save his number on my phone. Not because I’m going to call him back, oh no. I will save it so I know not to answer it next time. No more answering calls from numbers I don’t recognize. If anybody wants to talk to me, they can contact me through my father.

Or Kaine.

I grin at the thought of forcing grumpy Kaine to screen all of my calls from potential suitors. He’s going tolovethat.

“I was calling to make sure you’re feeling better. Prince Julien said you have a stomach bug,” Prince Lucas says, in a prim and proper voice.

If I say yes, what are the odds that he will ask me out?

I groan a little. “No, I’m still pretty sick.”

---