Page 43 of The Wicked Prince

Robin took his arm but continued eyeing his clothes. He launched into his explanation of why he was throwing this ball for her birthday, although it was really the excuse he’d come up with to give her because he’d started out with the idea of wanting to do something for her birthday and trying to find a way to justify it to her. He wanted to celebrate her birthday, even if they were the only ones who knew it because he didn’t tell everyone they were celebrating her birthday.

“—meet them anyway. It’s not like yours is a temporary position, and we just might make a dent in getting the resources Richard and the army needs,” John finished as they approached the doors.

He wasn’t convinced Robin had heard a word he said about getting nobles to part with their own fortunes to subsidize the army because she was staring at their arms, the matching fabric against her skin and pressing slightly against her bodice, the gold wedding band on her finger. John had never seen her without the wedding band. Not even when she’d vehemently hated him and threatened to kill him had she taken it off. He tried not to read anything into it.

He could get hurt.

He reached over and placed his hand on the one resting on his arm, covering it wholly with his own and finally drawing Robin’s gaze back up.

She said, “They’re not going to try to call me Roberta, are they?”

That’s what she’d been thinking about?

John laughed, squeezing her hand and said, “I don’t think any of them even remember your legal name despite the fact that you’ve been signing orders with it. If they try, we shall find plenty of ways to ensure they don’t make that mistake again.” He leaned closer as he motioned to the footmen to open the door and whispered, “No one calls you Roberta before I get to, Little Birdie.”

Her cheeks started to tinge pink and she hissed, “Try it and see what happens.”

“Are you going to bite me again?”

“Don’t tempt me.”

“Ooh, that sounds like a promise. Maybe that’s what I want.”

The heralds were announcing them and he was pulling Robin with him to make their entrance as Prince John and Princess Robin with Robin’s cheeks still delightfully pink and a glower in her eyes reserved just for him.

As John pulled her arm in even tighter, forcing her to step closer as he led them into the ballroom, every eye in the room was on them as the nobles bowed and curtsied at their approach. All of them, peering up and trying to see if he’d managed to tame the most troublesome criminal Astren had ever seen, and what they would see was him in her infamous color. It was as clear a stance as one could take.

Chapter17

“Rob!”

John had anticipated precisely who would be bold enough to approach them first.

“Marian!” Robin immediately dropped John’s arm and launched herself toward her cousin. Marian’s husband was forced to let go of her as Robin barreled into the woman, clutching her with a fierceness John didn’t think he’d ever experience from her.

Marian returned it just as fiercely as she laughed, “Have you gotten stronger these last few months?”

“I feed her well,” John said, succeeding in getting Robin to look over her shoulder and narrow her eyes at him.

“I’m surprised you’re able to feed her at all. I would have thought you’d have to have her locked up for everyone’s safety,” Guy said, eyeing Robin warily as Robin directed her sharp gaze onto him and held Marian tighter.

“Guy,” Marian admonished, huffing and shaking her head.

“While locking her up might benefit your safety, you’d be better served watching your tongue when you speak about my wife, Lord Guy,” John said, stepping forward. “Disrespect toward the crown will not be tolerated even from friends and family.”

John could feel Robin and Marian’s gazes on him, but he did not dare turn his harsh gaze away from Guy.

“My apologies, Your Highnesses,” Guy said, bowing his head.

Just when John had forgotten how good it was to be in charge.

Marian then cleared her throat and started dragging Robin away toward a servant carrying wine glasses, saying, “Now, Rob, you have to tell me everything! Have you forgotten how to write a letter?”

“Oh.Letters.I forgot about letters.”

John watched them go, biting his lip to keep from laughing at Robin’s expression. She’d never tried to write and send a letter, not that he would have stopped her. Or really would have been able to stop her, given how resourceful she was.

“Oh no.” Guy’s voice had John pulling his gaze away from Robin and back toward the other man.

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