Page 68 of 2 Books in One Bundle
‘Because, as much as I would love to abdicate, the well-being of the people rests on my shoulders. I would love nothing more than to cast it all away, but unfortunately I was born to a duty that I can’t escape.’
Vasili hated the defeat in his voice. Earlier he had wanted to climb on his bike and leave, but no matter where he went he knew the truth of the matter wouldn’t change. He had to be King.
‘So where does that leave us?’ Helia asked softly.
It left him with little choice. It left him with a kingdom to run and a marriage he didn’t want. His sole choice was either to marry the beautiful woman before him, or a royal that his staff approved of.
He realised he had taken too long to answer when Helia stood and with a glance back at him walked to the door.
Except he couldn’t let her walk out yet.
His steps ate up the distance between them, and just as she placed her hand on the door he flattened his palm against the wood, preventing her from opening it. Standing behind her, he could finally truly see what a delicate thing she was. Her head would comfortably tuck under his chin. But he left the smallest of spaces between their bodies.
He bent down slightly, his lips close to her ear. ‘Be sure you want to go through with this, Helia. The crown...this world... It is not made up of good people. It’s full of people like me.’
She turned around then, leaning back against the door. Her tempting body was almost underneath him. That fire was back in her eyes. Raging in full force and calling to him.
‘You are King now. The crown can be whatever you want it to be.’
Whowasthis bewitching creature?
Vasili ached to know more about her. He was filled with a curiosity he had never experienced before. He wanted to touch her. To run the backs of his fingers down her cheek. To brush his lips against hers. They were nothing to each other, but she had woven some sort of spell around him, because for the first time that day he could breathe. Helia had pushed away the forces suffocating him.
And so he had his answer. He would marry Helia over anyone Andreas chose. At least she would be his choice. But, given that he didn’t wish to marry at all, he still didn’t feel like it—which made him want to lash out. Except he couldn’t. So he simply withdrew into himself and stepped away from Helia, feeling the fight in him go out.
‘To answer your question, it leaves neither of us much of a choice.’
‘So we’ll marry,’ Helia said.
It wasn’t a question. Merely an agreement.
‘Yes. Your life as you knew it is over. I’m sorry.’
CHAPTER THREE
HELIASTOODINthe antechamber of her suite, which functioned as a receiving room. The luxury she found herself in was not something she could get used to. She had been given these splendid rooms the day she’d agreed to be Queen, and she had been in shock then. She wasn’t entirely sure that it had worn off yet.
There were paintings on her ceiling! And Helia was certain her whole apartment would have fit numerous times into this suite.
She hadn’t been allowed to return home. Her belongings has been sent for. As Vasili had warned her, once she’d agreed, she’d had little choice.
Two weeks. That was how long it had been since Helia had given the King her word that she would marry him. And that time had been filled with what she called her ‘Queen Lessons’.
Being a librarian had given her vast knowledge on many different topics. She was proud of how well read she was. But no level of intelligence or knowledge could have prepared her for this.
Every single day was filled with lessons on politics, decorum, history... She’d had every part of her scrutinised. From her posture to her table manners to her appearance. It made her feel lacking in a way she had never considered before. She’d been given a list of literature that it would be appropriate for a queen to have read. She didn’t mind that so much—at least she had the books for company—but she loathed being told what she was ‘permitted’ to read. She’d let it go for now, keeping her eyes on the reason she was doing any of this. Besides, when she was Queen her requests would not be ignored. Or so she hoped.
She had even been made to undergo a physical examination with the private royal physician, and it seemed so had Vasili—as evidenced by the copy of his all-clear results that was given to her. It made sense, considering they expected her to bear his children at some point. But she still didn’t know how she felt about that.
She required a great deal of patience, as every ‘lesson’ was filled with jabs at her background. Comments on how the lessons would not be necessary if she were a royal. Whispers that she should not be going on the throne. That her very presence had thrown their plans into disarray. Helia was set to be their queen, and yet none of them saw fit to hide their disdain.
All it did was make her square her shoulders and lift her chin. She would show them that she would not let them drag her down, even if their words pierced her armour and broke down what little confidence she had.
Those two frantic weeks had gone by in the blink of an eye. And now here she was. Standing alone in her suite in the most spectacular wedding dress she had ever seen. A sheath of fine, hand-made lace, it caressed her chest and fell to the floor. She touched the band of lace around her upper arms, exposing her golden shoulders. The full-length mirror that had been placed in the room reflected a woman who looked like her, but couldn’t possibly be.
She turned slightly, admiring the way the dress hugged every part of her. From below her shoulder blades all the way down, ending in a long, dramatic train. It reminded her of the bubbly wash along the shore as the waves broke.
Perhaps it had reminded others of it too. Which would explain the sapphire and diamond tiara in her hair, which had been styled into an elegant chignon. It sparkled like a sprinkling of the sea. There were sapphires in her ears too. Dainty little drops that would take no attention away from the masterpiece that was the dress.
