Page 49 of The King's Fake Bride

“Some days I think you’re working for Stavros,” Atticus says to Jorge, frowning as he looks over at me. “I told you that we should’ve fired him a long time ago. You could have promoted one of the prime ministers to his position and not a single person would’ve had a problem with it.”

The color drains from Jorge’s face. “I’m not committing treason, and how dare you suggest such a thing. I have the best interest of the crown in mind.”

“Then you need to stop picking apart Amy at every turn.” Daphne glowers at him before looking at me. “She’s coming along in her lessons just fine, and she’s going to be ready for thewedding. We had the final dress fitting yesterday, and she’s been learning the dances.”

Maybe I should spend some time with her. It might be worth it to help her practice the dances before we have to perform them in front of hundreds of people.

Although, that could blur the boundaries we set a couple nights ago.

It’s just a dance or two though. I can do things for her without it having to mean anything more. We’re friends after all.

Are we, though?

Atticus raps his knuckles on the desk in front of me. “All right, maybe Jorge did have the right idea. You’re not paying attention at all today. Are you sure that you should be at this meeting right now?”

“Actually, no. We must go over some of the financial records today. Put them on my desk in the study in my chambers, and I’ll get to them later tonight.”

Jorge looks like he’s about to have an aneurysm in the middle of the conference room. “You can’t be serious. You’re going to blow off work when you know that the public already thinks you’re going to run the monarchy into the ground.”

“I have a hard time believing that’s still the opinion.” Daphne gestures to the stack of magazines in the middle of the table. “The tabloids love Amy and Xander. If he wants to go work on making their relationship look more legitimate in front of everyone, then that’s part of his job now too.”

I nod to Daphne in a silent thank-you before taking off.

Though I don’t know what to do today, I do have a couple things that I think Amy would like. She’ll probably want to see Beatriz and find out how the wedding cake is coming along.

When she suggested hiring people in town to make the cake and flowers for the wedding, I couldn’t have agreed with her more. She even found people who decorate for a living and was able to hand them a blank check for the wedding.

Jorge was furious, and that was the icing on the cake.

I glance out the window as I head down the hall, and sure enough, Amy is in the rose garden, sitting on the edge of the fountain with a book on Katastinian history in her hand.

Pushing open the nearest set of doors, I go out to her with a smile. “I was thinking that we could head to town today if you don’t have anything else planned.”

“You want to go to town?” She closes the book and sets it to the side. “I thought you were supposed to be in a meeting right now?”

“Yeah, but it’s a boring one and I could think of a million better things to do.” I take her by the hand, helping her to her feet. “Besides, weren’t you the one who said I still have to be myself and have fun?”

“I think it’s a good idea and what your family would want for you, but are you going to have a problem with Meri and Stavros over this?”

“I don’t care if I do. Aunt Cora is currently giving them a run for their money with a property she’s looking at buying in Scotland. It’s a castle bigger than the one they have there, and Meri is just about losing her mind.”

Amy laughs and drops my hand, following me around to the garage. “You really think that’s enough of a distraction for them?”

I nod. “Meri and Stavros will back off once we have the wedding. Neither of them are going to get on the throne either way. Abdication hasn’t been mentioned in a council meeting since you showed up.”

Her cheeks tint pink as I lead her over to a sleek black motorcycle. “Well, I’m glad I could help.”

“You have helped, which is why I want to spend the day with you. We’re getting married soon, and you were right the other night when you said we haven’t been seen much together.”

And I’m still not sure we should be.

The boundaries are in place, though. We act like a loving couple while we’re in public, and then when we retreat to the safety of our chambers later tonight, we go back to being nothing more than two friends who are working together for the greater good.

At least, that’s what I keep telling myself when I start to think about other possibilities late at night.

It’s better this way though.

I’m not going to lose another person the way I lost Yorgos.

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