Page 5 of The Heart of the King

2

What on earth had she done?

Jazz rested her head in her hands. She’d showered and dressed and sat in a chair at the dressing table in the bathroom. Could she have actually married this guy?

The diamond wedding band said she had.

And was he really a prince who would be a king in a few days?

The quick search she’d done on his phone seemed to indicate he was who he said he was. He couldn’t have faked that.

Could he?

More importantly, what would be the point if he had?

Was she really about to be a queen?

A knock sounded on the door. “Ms. Roberts?” It was the prince who wasn’tthatPrince Charles.

“Is that my name anymore? I don’t even know your last name,” she called, using a scrunchie to wrap around her hair in a sloppy bun.

“I don’t really have one, but I would appreciate it if you would join me for breakfast. We have a number of things to discuss. There’s coffee and pain medication.”

With a groan, she stood. Those both sounded like good things. “I’m coming.”

Opening the door, she refused to look at the guy, but he held a chair for her next to a small table.

“Thank you,” she muttered.

“My pleasure.”

The first thing she did was open the bottle of medicine and shake a couple into her hand. She popped them in her mouth then swallowed them with a sip of the juice sitting next to her coffee. “Thanks.”

The guy sat back in his seat and picked up a bagel with cinnamon on top. “Last night, did you know who I was?”

Jazz started to shake her head but stopped when the pounding increased. “No. I’ve never heard of you before. I don’t think. I have a friend who married into the San Majorian royal family, but I’ve never been one to follow royal families.”

He closed his eyes. “Harrison’s wife is from the States.”

“Yep. Lani married Harrison about eighteen months ago.” She reached for a blueberry bagel. “I know a little bit about the royalty thing from her, but that’s it. I’ve met most of her in-laws. They seem fairly normal, just with security and the ability to support expensive tastes.”

“You’ll have security of your own from now on.”

“Nope. We can look into getting an annulment. No one knows we’re married. It’s not my first choice. I always thought marriage is for life, but I never thought I’d get drunk in Vegas either.” Jazz ripped off a bite of bagel.

“That’s not going to work.” He turned on his phone and handed it to her. “Apparently, I told my office to send out a press release this morning.”

She looked at the picture and read the brief statement. “When was this released?”

“About an hour ago. It’s eight hours later at home. It was probably released right at the end of the work day so there couldn’t be any more comments from my office, and possibly be overshadowed by my father’s trial news.” Pain shadowed his face, but not the kind of pain Jazz felt in her head. Deeper, internal pain.

“Your father’s trial?”

“The verdict is coming any day. Everyone knows what it will be. The only question is whether he’ll spend the rest of his life in prison or not, and how long my mother will join him.” He rubbed a hand across his face. “It’s been a hot mess for a couple of years now. He should have stepped down a long time ago, when his financial malfeasance was uncovered in the first place, but he refused.”

And she thought she had problems. “So your country has known he’s mishandling public funds somehow, yet, he’s still been in charge?”

“Kind of. Many of the decisions he’d normally make are now made by the Council. It’s a group of fifteen men, hereditary seats, who tend to look out for their own best interests, not the interests of the people.”

---