Page 54 of The Rejected King
23
Davin
Davin couldn’t concentrate at dinner. He couldn’t eat or breathe either. Images of his kiss with Emree kept popping up in his mind, followed by more images of Emree’s broken expression as she fled his room.
He had let his own feelings dictate his actions. He had taken advantage of her, putting her in a difficult situation with Portlend Ricks. He was so ashamed and judging by the way Emree had ignored him all night, she probably hated him for his carelessness.
On the other hand, Emreehadkissed him back. She had been a willing participant, no matter her relationship with another man. He tried not to let that piece of information confuse him. Maybe Emree had reacted because he was the king, not because she had feelings for him too? That was the story he had to tell himself.
“Your Majesty, you have a big announcement to make tomorrow night,” Fiona Rudd said as she sat across from Davin in the royal living room. “Have you made your choice?”
Davin didn’t want to seem indecisive, or like he wasn’t taking the Promenade seriously, so he lied. “I’ve met a lot of amazing women. The decision has been tough, but I’ve narrowed it down to just one woman.” That part was true. His heart had definitely narrowed in on one woman...just the wrong one.
Miss Rudd raised her eyebrows. “Was it love at first sight?”
Davin cracked a smile as memories from the Morreck Inn flooded him. “No, not exactly. We had an unexpected start to our relationship, but as we spent more time together, our common interests brought us together.”
“And do you love her?” Miss Rudd asked.
Emree was beautiful, but she was more than that. She was goal-oriented with ideas and ambitions. She was intelligent and well-read. She was polished and confident, but at the same time, she had an adorable dose of naivety that he loved. Hard work didn’t scare her. She was willing to do whatever it took to accomplish her dreams, which made her even more attractive to Davin. He didn’t dare take his eyes off of her because he didn’t want to miss one wide-eyed expression, one mischievous smile, or one brilliant book review. She was easy to talk to, and for some reason, he could open up to her about his failures and fears as king. And then there was the fact that Emree believed in him. To her, he was a good king.
In other words, he loved her.
Davin loved her so much.
He looked at Fiona Rudd. “Yes. I love her.”
Emree
Emree had madeherself busy all night. She had tried to distract herself from the disastrous kiss earlier that evening. Who was she kidding? The kiss was far from disastrous, and that was the problem. No matter how much she tried to talk herself out of it, the kiss meant something to her.
But it was a mistake. Davin had said as much. She needed to forget about it, forget about her feelings, and resurrect her mantra.
I’m a professional—a PRO-FES-SION-AL.
She chanted the words over and over in her mind as she paced back and forth in the foyer of the royal residence wing, waiting for Fiona Rudd to be done with her exclusive interview. Usually, Emree sat in for the interviews, but tonight things were different. She needed space from the king and time to convince her heart to behave appropriately. If she didn’t keep her heart in line, she would never be able to accept a future job at the castle. Or maybe she should just give up on that dream. Maybe working for Davin would be too hard. Maybe going home to Kenmare was the answer.
The door to the royal living room swung open, and Emree paused as she caught a glimpse of Davin and Miss Rudd.
He cleared his throat, avoiding looking directly at her. “Miss Dutson, will you please show Miss Rudd out?”
Emree nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She gestured for Miss Rudd to follow her, making sure she didn’t look back at Davin. They walked in silence for a moment, the heels of their shoes clicking against the wood floor below them.
“Did you get the information you were hoping for?” Emree asked the newswriter.
Fiona smiled. “I actually got more than I hoped for. Miss Dutson, you’ve done your job.”
Emree should have let it go, but her interest was piqued. “What do you mean?”
Miss Rudd stopped, looking around like someone might overhear her. “The king’s popularity will go through the roof when I write about how much he gushed over Patrice Kenson and his love for her. For a moment, I actually liked King Davin. I blame it on the little girl in me that likes happy endings.” Miss Rudd continued walking. “The people will get the ending they were hoping for. Patrice Kenson will be the next queen, and King Davin will have finally done something right.”
Had Davin told the newswriter that helovedPatrice Kenson? Why was Emree even surprised? He had to play the part of a king in love at the end of Promenade week. But Miss Rudd’s words had knocked the wind right out of Emree.
The kiss hadn’t meant anything to Davin. It had changed nothing. Or if it had, it hadn’t mattered enough for him to do something about it.
She realized with startling clarity just how much she had been hoping that Davin might do something to change the law. He could, after all. He was the king. It might tank his approval ratings, but...she’d somehow hoped she might be enough to compensate for that. What a fool she’d been.
Davin would never make such a blunder. He was choosing ratings and acceptance over the possibility of being with her. He was choosing Patrice.
