Page 13 of Tall, Royal and Grumpy

I chuckled. Oh, I liked him. He was cheeky and cool, yet he still genuinely seemed like a good person.

“Her Highness did not ask you to stay.”

Pierre edged closer to me, but still kept a respectful distance. “Would you like me to stay, Your Highness?”

“I think,” I said, grinning through my words, “you should probably listen to your uncle.”

“Dammit,” Pierre mumbled, but next to him Nur looked rather smug. “All right, fine, as you wish. But please do not leave before I get a chance to speak to you.”

I agreed to Pierre’s condition before he, Roger, and Michael disappeared, leaving me to ask Nur about digging through the kitchen for snacks. To no surprise, he was more than happy to let me and even forced me, respectfully, to add my favourite snacks to their daily orders from their suppliers. By which point, Pierre returned and stole me away from his uncle to show me around the kitchen.

I was with Pierre and Nur around a silver island in the middle of the kitchen when Prince Adam of Touma—the youngest son of Queen Leila and King Rami—walked over, running a hand through his hair. He startled a bit when he noticed me, while Nur and Pierre bowed their heads to him.

“Princess Esmeralda,” Adam mumbled and stooped his head.

I smiled widely and nodded back at the awkward teenager. “Hello, Prince Adam.”

I had always liked Kai’s polite and shy youngest brother. He was a tall, lanky eighteen-year-old who had yet to fill out his frame, but it was obvious he was a just a younger version of his father with the same light brown eyes, dark hair, and warm skin tone.

“Oof, is the revision taking its toll, little prince? You look…” Pierre pulled a mock wincing face.

“Thanks,” Adam grumbled but his lips curved up tiredly. “I needed something to eat.”

“Of course,” Nur said. “What would you like, Your Highness? Would a sandwich suffice?”

“Thank you, Nur, a sandwich would be great.”

As Nur headed off, I turned to Adam with my brows furrowed. “Revision for what?”

“A maths mock exam the week we go back to school.”

My eyes widened. “What happened to no schoolwork over the Peace holidays?”

Pierre chuckled, but Adam’s face scrunched in distaste. “Our teacher doesn’t think the celebration is a reason not to have an exam.”

“Shoulda pulled the prince card like I told you to,” Pierre said, shaking his head.

“I could help you revise if you want,” I offered without a thought.

Adam blinked at me but then slunk his gaze away shyly. “No, it’s okay. Thank you for offering.”

“Are you sure?” I didn’t have anything else to do until after dinner when I’d meet with Shehryar to practise my presentation, and unfortunately, Operation Kai was currently on hold, so…

“I’m free right now.” I playfully flicked my hair. “And I don’t usually brag, but maths was my strongest subject. Full marks nearly all the time.”

Consideration darted across his face then he nodded awkwardly. “There are a few past paper questions I’m struggling with…”

* * *

KAI

I rubbed the back of my neck with a firm hand as I pushed open the ground-floor doors to the palace library.

Bloody Neves, I was tired. And hungry.

The morning conference had been draining, and sitting in my office, staring at a computer screen for two hours after hadn’t exactly helped. One and a half hours longer than I had intended to. I had only wanted to triple check my presentation for tomorrow, but I was…distracted.

First, it was her laugh, and now this. That. Her. Outside my bedroom.

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