Page 62 of Bride By Coronation

Her eyes light up. "Is there a tiara in this box?" Excitement flares across her expression.

I grin. "Yes."

"How many queens have worn it?"

"Three that I'm aware of, maybe more."

"Wow." She glances at the box again.

I should let her see it.

No. Fiona hasn't seen it yet.

"I promise I'll let you hold it when it's time to return it."

She gapes at me for a moment. "You will?"

"Yes."

"Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome."

She rises. "Can I get you anything else?"

"No, thank you."

She leaves.

I need to secure this.

I rise, open the safe on the wall, and put the box inside. Since I often carry invaluable items, I added a safe years ago. Should anything happen to our flight, it can be recovered. So, even in the event of my unfortunate death, I can uphold my oath to return the tiara.

I lock the safe, sit in my seat, and stare out the window for several hours until the pilot lowers the aircraft.

My nerves reappear, mixing with something I don't feel very often. I try to decipher it and realize it's hope.

"Stop fooling yourself," I scold in a muted tone.

I try to smother the feeling, but it won't go away. My discomfort grows as my emotions conflict. Pompeii, with all of its ruins, the site of the coronation, seems to glare up at me.

I tear my eyes off the ground, glance at my phone, and my chest tightens further.

Less than two days until Fiona stands next to me or my head gets chopped off.

While I prefer not to die yet, it's not what scares me.

Ulrich's voice pops into my head."She can tap out and stay your queen. Or, she can choose not to tap out..."

My mouth goes dry, my heart races, and I tighten my fists.

What scares me is that she might go through with this marriage. If she does, I'm going to have another choice to make.

Be a selfish man and keep her, allowing her to live but letting her suffocate from the misery of being mine.

11

Fiona

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