Page 25 of The King's Fake Bride

Amy stands taller beside me, her gaze flicking around the room and back at me.

The music starts up again, people clapping as we make our way to the middle of the ballroom.

Amy’s eyes widen as I remove my arm from her grip, taking her hand and spinning her around before pulling her back to me. One of her hands lands on my shoulder while she keeps the other clasped firmly in mine.

I press my hand to the small of her back, leading her in a waltz around the room. “Everything is going good.”

She gives me a flat look. “I’m standing on your toes.”

“Well, you’re not great at dancing.” I smirk as she pinches my shoulder playfully. “We have time to fix that before the wedding, though.”

“I can’t do intensive dancing lessons for eight hours a day. You know that, right?”

I snort and dip her low before pulling her back to me as the song ends. “You don’t have to worry about hours of lessons. We’ll only have to worry about a first dance. That should be easy enough.”

“You’ve been dancing for your entire life. I don’t know how I’m going to catch up.” She takes my hand as I head for the bar in the corner.

Aunt Meri steps into our path before we can get far, her hands on her hips and her nose in the air. “I thought there was something off about this situation.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I hold up Amy’s hand, showing off the ring on her finger. “Amy, this is Aunt Meri.”

My aunt sniffs and barely spares her a glance before turning her attention back to me. “You didn’t seem happy, Xander, and you know we only want you to be happy. This woman has never set foot in Katastinia before this week.”

“You’re right.” I wait for her to say something else as her face glows a deep shade of red.

Aunt Meri crosses her arms, gaze flitting around the room to make sure nobody is watching us. “I know that this marriage is a sham, and the pair of you better make sure the rest of the country never finds out.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, stepping forward and lowering my voice. “I think you’ve had one too many to drink, and now you’re a little confused about what’s happening here.”

She scowls. “The country is going to lose all respect for you.”

CHAPTER 10

AMY

“That could’ve gone better,” I say, turning to Xander as his aunt walks away. “At least she didn’t announce it to the entire room.”

Xander groans and proceeds to the bar, grabbing two flutes of champagne and bringing one back to me. “She didn’t go nuclear, and we have to be grateful for that, but it could still be coming.”

“Do you think she would risk outing you like that?” I ask, sipping the champagne.

“My uncle has wanted the throne for as long as I’ve known him.” Xander nods to a little alcove with windows overlooking the gardens. “Let’s go over there, and I’ll catch you up on decades of family drama.”

I swallow hard. “That sounds like something you should’ve told me about before I agreed to join the family.”

Xander chuckles and leans against one of the walls in the alcove. “You never would’ve agreed to marry me if I did that.”

“That bad?”

“Uncle Stavros has been gunning for the crown since he and Dad were kids. He thought that if my father was in a scandal big enough, my grandfather would take Dad out of the line of succession.”

“And that didn’t happen, obviously, but what does this have to do with us?”

“I don’t have children.” Xander downs the rest of his drink and sets the glass on a passing waiter’s tray. “And that means that if I do something bad enough that the council decides to force me to abdicate, then Stavros gets the crown.”

“Which is what he’s always wanted. Okay. I’m catching up now.” I hum and look around the party, spying his uncle in the corner speaking with Jorge. “Do you think the two of them are over there conspiring to blow your cover?”

Xander shrugs, studying his uncle before looking back down at me with a warmth that sends butterflies beating their wings against the inside of my stomach. “No. I doubt Stavros knows. If he did, he would be telling everyone that the marriage was fake, hoping that it would be enough to get me thrown from the throne.”

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