Page 99 of Regally Binding

Liss waited for more. Surely, he didn’t mean that? Maybe if she’d been able to spend more time with him recently, she’d know for sure.

“Speaking of which,” he continued, oblivious to her concerns, “your grandma is here. She’d love to see you, but remember, you only have a few minutes together.” Liss attempted to curtsy, but the King stopped her with a hug. “You don’t have to curtsy in private for me.”

“So much to learn,” Liss whispered.

“And lots to enjoy,” he said with a smile. “Beatrice, walk with me.”

“Of course.” She squeezed Liss’s hands before departing.

The make-up artist darted in and gave Liss her finishing touches before leaving. Liss was alone again with thoughts that speared her mind like demons who wouldn’t let her rest.

Her heart was like an avalanche, unstoppable and increasing with every passing second. She stepped out of the room and collided with her grandma.

Chapter Forty-Six

“Look at you,” Liss’s nana said loud enough to draw attention from the new bodyguards who watched the awkward family hug. She’d dressed in a baby pink suit like she was auditioning forLegally Blonde, the Grandma Edition. And yet, as always, she carried an air of style and sophistication.

Those genes must have missed Liss.

The palace assistant assigned to Liss hovered nearby, pointing down the corridor and mouthing two minutes.

“Hello, Nana,” Liss replied with a sigh. The last thing she needed was a kick to her confidence, but maybe it would be a temporary distraction. “Shall we walk this way? I’ve got to be in the press room in two minutes.”

“Certainly, darling. Isn’t this exciting?” her nana asked. “Who knew that my little granddaughter would one day be queen?”

“Indeed.” The speech was at the forefront of Liss’s mind. How would she say she dreamed of being a princess when it was the last thing she wanted? If only she had her mum’s heart talisman. Maybe that would give her the courage she needed. “It’s a shame Mum didn’t get to be part of it.”

She hadn’t said it to guilt her nana. It was pointless to push that opinion now.

“Oh no, she would have hated it,” her grandma crowed.

Liss stopped short, which drew a panicked face from the assistant. Liss’s life would now forever be part of a schedule.

Her nana continued walking down the corridor, oblivious to Liss’s surprise.

“What do you mean?” Liss cried.

Her nana turned. “Your mum was always happy in the background. If the King had told her she was part of a royal family and to perform duties and meet people worldwide, she’d have hated every second. It was one of the reasons I never told her.” Liss stepped closer to her grandma, who rambled, oblivious to Liss’s confusion, “Her life was impossibly hard, and I didn’t always help that.” That was an understatement. “But she loved her life with you. You made her happy, and the life you’re about to enter would have destroyed that. That wasn’t her world. You were.”

Liss’s lower lip trembled. “But—”

Her grandma touched her shoulder. “Every day, I regret not getting her the right support when she was dying. I thought it was a simple illness, and by the time word got to me on my travels that it was cancer, it was too late. If I’d known, I would have fought every member of the royal family and every stranger to get the best treatment for her, but I didn’t know. She sent me a letter, but I didn’t get it until after she died. She spent her life trying to protect me, trying to protect all of us, from the worst life threw at us. And I don’t know why she did. I should have protected her. She was my little girl.”

Her grandma’s eyes reddened, and Liss cuddled her. There was so much Liss hadn’t considered, and she had many questions, but an increasingly anxious assistant pointed to her wristwatch and the press room. Liss wanted to shout that there was always time for hugs, but maybe there wasn’t. She was a princess with obligations now.

“But this life wasn’t right for your mum. She struggled and worked many jobs, but all she wanted was for you to be safe and reach your dreams. She wanted you to be happy, which she dedicated her life to.”

“Felicity, I need you to take your place in the press room,” the assistant said. “Ms. Granger, Barnaby here will take you to your seat.”

Liss’s heart raced, and her limbs shook. She tried to put her hand over her heart, but as the assistant nudged her into a room the size of a ballroom, with hundreds of people tracking her movements, sweat dripped down her back and onto her uncomfortable white lace dress. They’d dressed her as a debutant. Sick rose into her throat, and tears brimmed her eyes as she stepped onto the platform.

I can’t do this.

Suddenly, Beatrice slipped something into her hand and whispered, “From your bodyguard.”

Liss gripped her mum’s plastic heart tightly. Strike must have guessed. As she stood on the stage with her heart racing, she stared at the blurry figures in the crowd. She recognised a couple from the party, but most were strangers. Everyone stared at her. The weight of their expectation was like rocks tied to her feet, pulling her under the swells of her panic. Vomit filled her mouth.

Even as she held the heart in her fist, her breath was ragged, and another drop of sweat slipped down her dress. Then, she caught the bright brown eyes and soft gaze of Bear. It wasn’t a hallucination. It was actually him. He stood at the back of the room, his hand lifted to his heart, and he took deep, slow breaths. Liss followed his lead, and he mouthed, “You got this, baby.”

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