Page 48 of My Fated Alpha: The Royals

If only, he thought,he had known of her ten years ago.

But he had not, and he would not have those ten years back, no matter what he did. That missing decade would have Ilie bitter and furious if not for the fact that he had at least the rest of eternity to look forward to with his heartkeeper.

“This morning I heard her tell Aurora,” Fleur was confiding, “that she could finally readthosebooks.”

Ilie knew what that those books were, but even so, he was puzzled. “Why does Aurora not just read them if she wants to?” It wasn’t like Aurora wasn’t of age yet.

Fleur was looking at him like he was crazy. “Because Soleil told us not to, and we would not have survived this long if we didn’t follow her word.”

Ah.

“And you know, she’s also agreed to finally give me free rein with my allowance. I have nagged her endlessly about it, but she always told me I had too many frivolous wants to be trusted—-” Pausing, Fleur gazed at him calculatingly. “Has anythingdifferenthappened between the two of you last night? Something that could have made my already sweet sister turn insanely sweeter?”

He thought about Soleil with his cock in her mouth and coughed.

“Aha! I knew it! No doubt it has something to do with someone going down—-”

Ilie choked.What the fuck?Could Soleil have told her baby sister that?

“—-on bended knee,” Fleur finished triumphantly.

Ah. He cleared his throat in relief, realizing that Fleur didn’t know the truth after all. “That did not happen last night, but Ihadalready let her know my intentions.”

“So you did go down—-”

Wincing, he cut her off, saying, “No, I did not propose to her in such a manner.”

Fleur leaned back against her seat in disappointment. “How disgustingly pragmatic. I told you, right? She’s a hopeless romantic. No wonder she’s still against your suit.”

“She is not.”

“She is.”

“She gave me her approval,” he said stiffly, “about tonight’s formal announcement of our engagement.”

Fleur shrugged. “So? It doesn’t mean she said yes to being your heartkeeper.”

It was almost the exact same thing Soleil had said last night, he realized. These sisters were too much alike it was uncanny.

“Oh, my,” the younger girl suddenly exclaimed. “The way my sister’s looking at the gentleman she’s dancing with—-”

He turned abruptly towards where he had last seen Soleil just in time to witness her placing one gloved hand over the baron’s arm.

Her father.

Beside her, Fleur said smugly, “I told you, milord. You’rejealous, and only people who are in love feel that way, don’t you think?”

EVEN IN HIS ADVANCEDage, the baron was still a good dancer, and he expertly whirled his daughter across the floor.

“You are still too good,” she told him laughingly.

“Of course.”

She smiled up at him. “Papa, did I ever thank you?”

“For what?”

“For taking care of me, of us. For always being there—-”

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