Page 25 of Mistaken as His Royal Bride

A spark came into her eyes. ‘I’m surprised you haven’t insisted on dental surgery to correct it.’

Ari was surprised to feel a rush of negativity at that suggestion. ‘Don’t be ridiculous.’

He was aware of the crowd around them, eyes all over them. He acted on impulse. He took Maddi’s hand, the one on which she wore the engagement ring. He lifted it to his mouth and pressed his lips against the back of her hand, keeping his eyes on hers.

Flashes went off around them as the press pack seized their photo opportunity.

It was an old-fashioned, chaste gesture, but even as he made the move entirely cynically, Ari’s nostrils were filled with Maddi’s scent...light, floral tones with something more complicated underneath.

He saw how her hazel eyes flared, amber and golden. The way colour stained her cheeks. Then she bit her lip. By the time Ari had lifted his mouth from her hand he was on fire all over, and had an urge to wrap his free arm around her, haul her into him and press his mouth against hers in a very public display of desire. Not his usual style at all.

But something about her made him feral, a reversion into some sort of man guided by base instincts and lusts.

This is why she’s dangerous.

She wouldn’t have to say a word. She’d cause carnage just by fusing his brain cells into a heat haze.

With an effort he really didn’t appreciate, he took her hand and tucked it into the crook of his elbow, and then turned back to face the room.

At a discreet nod of his head, his aides let the guests approach again.

After what felt like hours, Maddi’s cheeks and feet were aching. And her hand felt as if all the small bones in it had been crushed by the countless firm handshakes.

The King must have seen her cradle her hand, because he said wryly, ‘You’ll learn not to let them take your whole hand.’

Maddi huffed. ‘You could have given me a heads-up.’

They were standing by the wall of the terrace, with the sea far below. Dusk was starting to stain the sky with lavender hues. Maddi hated to admit it, but she did feel a little mesmerised by the beauty of the place. And its scents...the smell of wild flowers and the salty tang of the sea.

Guards stood nearby—a merciful buffer between them and the now dwindling crowd.

She felt Aristedes’s gaze on her and looked at him. He arched a brow. Fair enough, she supposed, considering everything she’d put him through.

Then he said, ‘It was a success.’

Maddi tried not to notice how tall and broad he was. He really was stupendously gorgeous. He’d been impressively indefatigable all afternoon. She felt as wrung out as a dishcloth.

‘It was? I barely said a word.’

‘Everyone saw you and believed what they thought they saw. Princess Laia. That’s all we needed.’

‘What if we meet someone who really knows her, though?’

The King must have made a gesture, because a waiter materialised with a tray holding two flutes of sparkling wine. Aristedes passed Maddi a glass. She took a big sip, relishing the sensation of relaxing her face muscles. She wished she could slip off her shoes.

‘One thing in our favour is that there isn’t much traffic between Santanger and Isla’Rosa because of the centuries of conflict. Hence the marriage pact—to encourage peace and unity between the two nations.’

Maddi took another gulp of wine to avoid meeting his eye. She had to admit that, in spite of Laia’s feelings, she could understand the benefit in promoting peace. But she was with her sister in not wanting Isla’Rosa to be consumed by the much bigger and richer Santanger.

The wine was making her feel a little reckless, so Maddi said, ‘Have you thought about who you’ll marry after you’ve acknowledged that this marriage pact is all but null and void?’

King Aristedes went still. He’d been looking out to the sea. His gaze swivelled to her. ‘This marriage pact is not “null and void”. Princess Laia was born to a life of duty—just like me. In the end she will do what is right. She is merely behaving like a petulant teenager who knows that ultimately she has no choice. The sooner she realises this, the sooner this tedious game will be over.’

Maddi shook her head. ‘But it’s an archaic agreement. Surely there are more modern ways to foster peace? She couldn’t be making it more obvious that she doesn’t want to marry you.’

The King’s jaw clenched. Maddi realised then that he probably wasn’t used to people speaking so plainly to him. But she had nothing to lose here. And it felt a little exhilarating.

He said tersely, ‘I was told at the age of eight that I would marry Princess Laia.’

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