Page 14 of A Royal Arrangement
“In case you didn’t know, my parents aren’t staying for dinner. They thought we should have the space to get to know one another.” When he didn’t say anything else, Rosalie continued talking.“Do you know what we’re having for dinner?”
Colin clasped his right hand around his left wrist as they continued to walk. “Surf and turf.”
“Oooh, yum!” she exclaimed, walking with a little bit more pep in her step. “I love a good lobster tail, really any type of seafood. Is surf and turf your favorite meal?”
“Steak,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Ah, the typical male answer.” She laughed.
Colin simply grunted in response.
“You’re a man of few words, huh?” She nudged his arm with her elbow, and he immediately stiffened.
“There’s no need to use more words than necessary.” He paused, unsure if he should address her nudging him…but she needed to know where he stood on this matter. “I also am not a fan of being touched.”
Colin felt her eyes flick up to his face and saw her cheeks turn a pink tint out of his peripheral vision before she took a giant step away from him.
“I—I’m sorry,” she stuttered, dropping her head and staring at her feet.
He rubbed at the light layer of stubble on his chin, chiding himself internally for being so harsh with Rosalie. This marriage wasn’t her fault, just as it wasn’t his. It was a situation they had both been forced into by circumstances beyond their control.
“You don’t have to apologize,” he grumbled. “Like you said, neither of us wanted to meet each other like this.”
“But when life gives you lemons…” She paused, like she was waiting for him to finish the common saying.
“Lemons have always been a bit too tart for my liking.”
She let out an exasperated laugh. “Could’ve fooled me. I would’ve guessed they’re your favorite, with your sour attitude.”
The ghost of a smile twitched at the corner of his lips, but he suppressed it. “I thought I married a princess, not a comedian.”
“Laughter is good for the soul,” Rosalie said. “Even for a grumpy king,” she whispered under her breath.
She definitely had spunk, that was for sure. But Colin didn’t need spunk. He needed formality and routine andnormalcy. Though, he had the feeling that nothing would be normal about life now with Rosalie around.
They walked into the dining room before he could respond. The room was formal and only used when they had guests, which wasn’t very often. White wainscoting was offset by light-gray paint on the top half of the walls, covered in mirrors with elaborate designs. Three giant chandeliers hung over the long wood table, illuminating elaborate floral centerpieces.
Usually, Colin sat at the head of the table, so he assumed Rosalie would sit at the opposite end. He was grateful for the distance that would be between them. But when he lookedcloser at the table, he noticed the palace staff had arranged her place setting right next to the head of the table.How wonderful. “Let’s get this over with.”
She placed the gold linen napkin on her lap as the staff served them their meal. Once the dome was lifted, he watched as her eyes hungrily took in the mouth-watering plate of lobster, filet mignon, herb-roasted potatoes, and broccolini.
“If by ‘get this over with,’ you mean dig in to this fabulous meal with my new husband, then by all means, let’s do it.” She shot him a wink. Her hazel eyes twinkled with mischief.
It took a lot to shock him, but her wink had the shock effect. She picked up her fork and knife, cutting off a big piece of lobster before lifting it in the air and moving it toward him in a ‘cheers’ motion. Rosalie ate the bite and closed her eyes, the whisper of a smile on her face.
With everything that had just happened, he was stunned, incapable of moving or speaking. It was one thing for her to wink at him, but it was another for her to break all protocol and formalities by taking a bite of her food before he did. As the king, no one was supposed to eat before him. She should know that as a princess.
Coming out of his dazed state, Colin shook his head. “I was promised you would be well-versed in royal protocol. It appears my sources were incorrect.”
“What? Why—” But her words were cut off when her fork fell from her hand, clanging loudly against the white china plate and flinging a giant, uneaten piece of lobster in his direction. The butter-lathered piece of crustacean hit him squarely on the cheek.
It landed on the table and rolled a few turns, coming to a stop near the floral centerpiece. Colin stared at the chunk of lobster in disbelief.
When he finally looked at Rosalie, there was a hint of a smile on her lips, and a playful expression danced in her eyes. The lighthearted look quickly disappeared when the words he’d said appeared to register in her brain again.
“Why do you think I don’t understand what it takes to be royal?” she asked.
Colin wiped his cheek with a white cloth napkin, checking for any leftover butter. “You took a bite before I did. Everyone knows you follow the king’s lead at a meal.”
