Page 55 of Regally Binding

Steve clapped his hands and laughed as Liss replied, “I’m not his girlfriend.”

Liss gripped her glass as Steve puffed out his chest. “The two hundred are friends or relatives of the family. They’ve come to meet you and celebrate you joining the family. You don’t need to know their background, as when you officially become a princess, you’ll have someone to do that, but you must remain respectful.”

This was the desperate to impress side of Steve she saw when he was with his parents and Hugo, the pub owner. Maybe she’d speak with him later when they were away from people.

“Right.” Liss finished her glass. She raised an eyebrow at Marianne. “And what if someone is disrespectful to me?”

“As if that would occur here. This isn’t your pub,” Marianne said sharply. Liss’s version of people being disrespectful must be different from theirs because she hadn’t met anyone friendly yet. A waiter with a tray of drinks walked by, and Liss nodded at him to get his attention. Within seconds, he’d taken her empty glass and given her a fresh one. “We’ll have to make a rule book for princess dummies at this rate.”

Liss stared at the ceiling, trying to decipher the action in the pictures, but the blinding lights forced white spots to appear in her vision. She sipped her drink and smiled as the bubbles danced in her throat. Bear was pursing his lips and shaking his head. She fought the temptation to stick her tongue out at him. Princesses didn’t stick their tongues out.

“Later, the King will announce you as his granddaughter.”

“But I haven’t accepted the throne yet,” Liss replied, retucking her bag under her arm.

“But you’re still his granddaughter.” Marianne muttered something under her breath before adding, “There will be guests tonight who will be very interested in you, as you’ve usurped their line to the throne.”

“But I—”

“Anyway.” Marianne raised her voice before smoothing her hair and painting a smile. “Before we sit for dinner, the King will announce you as his granddaughter.”

“Where is the King?”

Marianne blinked rapidly, but before she replied, Prince Alex appeared with an older couple. “He’s not feeling well. He apologised but said he would be down before his speech. The illness is taking its toll.” The older couple nodded.

“What illness is it, if you don’t mind me asking?” Steve probed.

“I do mind. Stephen, isn’t it?” Alex replied, pulling himself up taller.

Steve nodded before bowing.

“Should I be curtsying?” Liss yawned. She hadn’t meant to, but the painkillers were making her sleepy.

“Not today, but refrain from yawning in my face,” Alex huffed. Alex’s suit fitted him well. He would have someone to cater to him for every aspect of his life, including what he wore on any given evening.

“I’m even more convinced that you need a ‘being a princess for dummies’ book.” Marianne’s laugh resembled the screech of a dying bird. Did she repeat her joke for Alex’s benefit or Liss’s double humiliation? Their combined laughter was loud enough to draw the attention of other guests. “I’m going to have a lot of fun watching you make mistakes at dinner,” Marianne added with a throaty chuckle that made Liss want to crawl away until the night was over. Liss’s hands sweated, making her glass slippery.

“She’s going to make lots of mistakes,” the woman with diamonds dripping from her ears crowed. “Don’t worry, dear. As soon as dinner is over, there will be dancing. You do know how to waltz, don’t you? I’m sure you’ve watched enoughStrictly Come Dancing.”

The group’s laughter increased until a shadow descended over the group.

Bear loomed above all of them. He turned to Liss and spoke loud enough for the group to hear, “Miss Felicity, could I add something to the earlier safety briefing?”

Even his tightened lips were kissable. Liss nodded and followed him out of the ballroom.

Steve stayed with Marianne and laughed at more of the clucking that followed her out of the room. Hopefully, the briefing would last the rest of the night. Suddenly, she foundherself in a side room. More chandeliers lit up every corner, although these gave a golden hue to the historical busts that framed the space. Paintings of old kings filled every wall. Was any part of the palace homely?

Liss faced Bear, who folded his arms and stared back at her.

“Well?” she asked, putting her bag and glass on the ground before rubbing her wrist gently.

“What?” he grunted, eyeing her movements.

“What do you want to add to the briefing?”

“Nothing,” Bear said, shaking his head. “I thought you might want space from your family’s behaviour. And maybe five minutes to sober up.”

He was right about needing space, but he didn’t need to get in a dig.

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